The Black Stuff Vegan Protein Shampoo

As I've said time and time again, just when you think Lush cannot possibly come up with anything weirder or more interesting, they go ahead and prove you wrong. Such is the case with these brand new hair marshmallows, that have only currently made an appearance during the Lush Showcase event earlier this year. 

The Black Stuff is one of six hair marshmallows to appear in very limited amounts back in September, and it's taken me a good month to get into the swing of using these new concepts in the correct and most effective manner. What I will say in each of these reviews, is that while you get a lot of 'product' for your money, these early renditions are still slightly crumbly, and it may be a problem if you decide that you want to travel with them.

While at first I simply assumed that these were just an alternative to the regular shampoo bars - and another naked way to replace the liquid hair care range - there is far more here than meets the eye. As someone who has always maintained that you should never judge a book by its cover, this can safely be said for these rather messy looking bricks.

When I first picked up The Black Stuff, I couldn't believe just how light the product was: it's very much like holding a polystyrene block. And it's thanks to the inclusion of the aqua faba that allows it to be this way. For those unfamiliar with what this ingredient is, it's just the water that beans and chickpeas have been cooked in - which myself and many other vegan bakers use as a replacement for eggs in our cakes. After a little whisking, aqua faba creates a light, fluffy foam that Lush have managed to adapt and use to create these super airy blocks of shampoo.

Aside from how light the components is, aqua faba is also known for being high in protein, which alongside the inclusion of the hydrolysed wheat protein in The Black Stuff, makes this shampoo super effective at maintaining, strengthening, thickening and generally helping to make your hair even healthier.

The inclusion of the molasses in this limited edition then offers a wonderfully rich supplement to soften your locks, and give it a wonderful shiny to carry with you throughout the day. I was super impressed by just how quickly this product got to work at conditioning my hair, and I didn't even need to use an actual conditioner afterwards.

While this blocks work really well, with minimal amount of product, they are definitely very crumbly, so you'd need to consider how to store these in between uses. Furthermore, left out in the open, the marshmallows tend to turn a little sticky, and this means that you're left trying to scrape the product off the paper. Given that Lush haven't offered anything to hold them in between uses means that you'll have to use your imagination, or simply allow the block to leave sticky marks for you to clean away. 

However, after only using a small grape's worth of The Black Stuff, I was able to heed enough foam to washed my whole head with, and I could probably have gotten away with using a little less as well. To use, I simply crumbled the piece in my hand; added a little water to start the lather off; and then massaged it between my hands, and then across my whole head, to create a generous amount of silky foam.

Unlike a lot of shampoos, Lush and otherwise, I found that this one felt really softening when it was in my hair, so I knew straight away that I was going to be left with silky locks afterwards. As if to prove this, I chose my condition my hair at all for the few days I used this and found that my hair still looked and felt really smooth and shiny.

Unfortunately, my hair is rather stubborn when it comes to my attempts to add volume, so I didn't really notice much change in how thick my hair felt over time. However, my dry ends and the rest of my hair did feel more manageable, and certainly appeared more tame, without looking or feeling thin and lifeless.

In terms of the smell of this hair marshmallow, the myrrh and molasses make the biggest impression. The Black Stuff shares its scent with R&B Hair Moisturiser, and offers a prominent sweet smell with subtle balsamic qualities underneath. However, there are also little notes of both the yeast and the stout as well, which aren't exactly pleasant, but definitely isn't strong enough to put many people off using this.

As an estimate, I would probably say that a 100g block of this shampoo would probably last me about three months, which is a little less than that of a regular disc-shaped bar. Given the price tag, it does appear to work out a tad more expensive in the long run. However, I do like how this worked on my hair; how quickly it improved my hair's condition and shine; and I figure that if I can use this without a conditioner, I'm saving money in the long run.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Coco Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Aquafaba, Molasses, Perfume, Activated Charcoal, Water (Aqua), Stout, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Organic Balsamic Vinegar, Yeast, Guar Gum, Orange Flower Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Titanium Dioxide, Cetrimonium Chloride, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, *Benzyl Benzoate Butyl, Methoxydibenzoylmethane, *Eugenol, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 77491, Colour 77266, Colour 17200, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2018 Price: £12 for 100g.
2019 Price: £15 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2018 as a Hair Marshmallow; 2019 as a Protein Shampoo.

Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly

Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly is a product very popular with the majority of old-school Lush fanatics. When I originally began my research into Lush's vaults, I found that it was a product that gained a lot of attention and excitement within the community. Making its last appearance during the 2011 December retro range, the shower jelly has built its notoriety through the praise and adoration from those of us lucky enough to have tried it. That was until the Lush Kitchen finally released it some five years later, and multiple fans were finally able to try this elusive shower jelly for themselves.  

While I was lucky enough to secure an old-school tub of this jelly years ago, it wasn't until I received my fresh batch that I realised how much my retro pot must have been past its best. Presented as a rather ugly and slightly 'gloopy' brown coloured-jelly, it was not exactly the most attractive product in the world. Fast forward five years and the newer tubs still sport the same shade of brown. However, the addition of golden lustre makes the product far more appealing to the eye, and there's almost something alluring about the biblical reference when combined with the sheen that the jelly sports in the shower.

At first, I was tempted to scorn the fact that Lush had decorated the jelly with sprinklings of golden lustre - on the basis that it's near impossible to 'dress up' anything that resembles the colour of mud. However, I was quick to forgive this jelly on the basis that two of the key ingredients are in fact brown in nature, making it quite difficult to revert the natural colour that the jelly was going to turn anyway, when stout and frankincense are used in such excess here.

While I expect the aroma of this is not going to sit well with many fans, I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful fragrance that this shower jelly offers. From the get-go, you can smell the inclusion of the stout here, which offers an almost bitter, malty note. There is something slightly 'biscuity' about the smell of the alcohol - one that gives this jelly a very odd note that almost separates itself from the rest of the components.

Alongside this, the inclusion of a mandarin and anise infusion, as well as a generous helping of mandarin juice, means that there is a gentle, fruity element to Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly. Imagine liquifying the whole fruit, peel and all, and you might get a sense of the sweet but slightly tart smell that these elements add to the fragrance. This shower jelly is definitely a lot sweeter than you would imagine; the cinnamon and black pepper nestling themselves right at the back of the mix and adding a warming note, without any of the spiciness that you many envisage their inclusion to produce.

Furthermore, it's got a slight earthy musk to it that makes it a very warm and comforting scent. It reminds me very slightly of the chewy ale bottle sweets that I used to eat as a child. While the jelly pertains quite a sophisticated and rather sexy smell, I cannot imagine many people finding the scent of this all that interesting or appealing. This is definitely one for those who like strange, unique fragrances.

As with most of Lush's jellies, this one is made from carrageenan extract, which is a natural and nutritious seaweed gel full of vitamins and minerals to help soften and condition your skin. Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly also features four different types of oils, which is perhaps why this jelly is a little softer and less elasticated than the likes of Calacas or The Joy Of Jelly. However, this shower jelly did lather up wonderfully, and produced quite a thick and creamy lather, which softened my skin and left it feeling radiant.

There are several ways that you can use the shower jelly. Firstly, you can rub the whole block, or a broken-off piece, directly onto your skin. However, I find that this is fairly ineffective as it does not create much of a lather and the jelly becomes too wet, making it slippery and difficult to hold on to. What I find works for me, is breaking off a grape-sized piece and then rubbing it into a sponge or shower-puff, before lathering all over my body. This tends to help the jelly foam up, wherein the puff them holds the lather whilst you clean yourself.  

As Gold, Frankincense & Beer is a rather soft jelly, I found that this method of application was pretty effective. The jelly tended to smoosh into the shower puff nicely and create a velvety lather that I could then use all over my body. What is promising is that I was left with a wonderful sweet and woody smell on my skin, which clung to my hair and clothes for most of the day. I received a number of compliments, which only served to demonstrate that this is a product with a long-lasting and robust scent.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Gold, Frankincense & Beer Shower Jelly, despite convincing myself beforehand that I would hate it. It's a unique and very sultry-smelling jelly, and one that I would be very interested in buying again in the near future. For now, my three tubs will be more than suffice to see me through until they make a reappearance in the Lush Kitchen.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Mandarin and Star Anise Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Stout, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Fresh Mandarin Juice, Perfume, Black Pepper Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Brazilian Orange Oi,l *Citral, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Radiant Gold Lustre, Methylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £7.95 for 240g.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight