When the Christmas leaks were first made available back in August, it was the brand new products that caught my attention, as these are obviously the items that hold the most interest to me. Although some of my all time favourite products are seasonal exclusives, these are always cast aside for the first month or so while I throw myself into trialling and experiencing all of the new goodies that have made their debut that year.
For this reason, Reindeer Rock Soap was one of the items that I passed over fairly quickly in my quest for new products, and I didn't delve any deeper into the soap until I acquired a couple of slabs during my initial seasonal haul. It was only when I was opening them in the comfort of my own room that I realised something was different - something that I approved of very much.
Making an appearance for the first time in 2014, the soap has made an impressive transition over the short time since it has made its debut. Starting out as Comforter-scented, the soap's colour and design altered the last year to sport a lighter but far more beautiful shade of maroon. This year has seen the soap take on yet another design, a new colour and a completely different fragrance.
Some would argue that this is a new product altogether, and that they should perhaps give it its own name rather than reusing one that already exists. However, I can see why Lush have wanted to preserve the design as it's utterly beautiful, and I feel as if this year's variation suits the name just as well as the older one.
Sharing its scent with the rose serum bar used exclusively in The Comforter Spa Treatment, very few would have experienced this scent before getting their hands on this seasonal beauty. This gorgeous soap features jasmine, rose and neroli, and all three ingredients merge together perfectly to create a sweet, gentle floral smell unlike any other. The inclusion of the lingonberry also gives the product a very subtle fruity element, although this intersperses with the other components perfectly so it's not something you necessarily smell straight away.
Reindeer Rock has a light, floral rose scent with a subtle note of jasmine and a delicate sweet pinch of neroli. To my nose, it smells like a fresh bunch of roses incased in a blanket of freshly poured soap. It has a 'soapy' element to it so while it's gentle-smelling, there is a muskiness to it that ushers all of the ingredients together wonderfully. What makes this fragrance even better is that it's not exclusively seasonal, so those who want something they can use outside of their usual winter-themed routines, can use this and know that it'll work year-round.
What sets this soap apart from most of the others is its shape. Firstly, it has been cut to not only look like a rock, but to pay homage to original cave paintings - a factor that it does really well. Secondly, Lush have given this soap its shape because many consumers stated that they liked being able to buy individually-shaped blocks of soaps, as opposed to the typical rectangular pieces you have cut in store.
The shape also makes it slightly easier to hold and utilise in the shower. Furthermore, it also works wonders as a stand-alone stocking filler because it retains its shape - better than a block of soap that might 'bleed' into the wrapping before the person has had a chance to open and begin using it.What I find marvellous about Reindeer Rock is that it is very generous in the shower, and you only need to massage it for a matter of seconds between your palms to create light, fluffy, fragrant suds that glide over your body and give you a really good clean. The soap is strong enough to leave a good impression on your skin, so when you exit the shower you can still smell those layers of jasmine and neroli for a fair while afterwards.
Impressively, I also found that this seasonal soap was really gentle on my skin. I didn't notice my hands feeling particularly dry afterwards, which I do with a lot of Lush soaps, and the rest of me felt smooth and soft to the touch. As lingonberries are known for rejuvenating the skin, the inclusion of the oil, along with the coconut oil, meant that my body was rewarded with a full dose of moisture - a factor that I think makes this soap so effective.
In my mind, this would make an exceptional hand soap because it would be moisturising and softening, and gentle enough that you could use it multiple times a day without drying your hands out. The fact that it retains its shape also means that it would last perhaps slightly longer than a normal sized piece of soap.
Overall, I really think that Lush should make this soap a year-round release. The scent is so unique and beautiful, and there's definitely cause for making more products with the same smell as well. I won't be going all-out and buying many more than the two of these I already have. However, I know that my two pieces will be used up far quicker than most of the other seasonal soaps.
Quantitative Ingredients: Lingonberry infusion, Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Water, Perfume, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Neroli Oil, Rose Oil, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, *Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Glacier Blue; Radiant Gold Lustre.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £4.75 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2016.
