When Lush first opened their first flagship store on Oxford Street, the number of new and innovative products that graced the shelves was a little overwhelming. Yet none of these exclusives were as interesting or as unique as their array of, what the company term 'wash cards'. Seemingly the first of its kind, these strange looking sheets are a solid alternative to the usual selection of gels and jellies that they offer. While I am not completely convinced of their true merit just yet, I recognise the fact that they work well as a novelty gift, and definitely spruce up the typical shower if you find yourself bored of your normal, average, every- day washing routine.
Kiss Me Quick Business Wash Card is yet another step in a new direction - this time taking the idea of the solid shower sheet and doctoring a slightly new concept from it. Matching the size of a debit card, or indeed a business card as the name suggests, this limited edition Valentine's Day item has many uses.
Firstly, the size of this card means that this will slip easily into a purse or a side pocket of a bag/suitcase - making it a great travelling companion that wont weigh you down. Due to their format not allowing for any sort of spillages whatsoever, this solid rendition of a shower gel also guarantees to be leakage-free, and suitable to take on board a plane as part of your hand luggage.
Secondly, the lack of any active moisture means that the sheets are preservative free, which means that they should have a much longer shelf life, and are also able to be utilised much further when it finally does come into contact with water. Furthermore, they don't contribute to package waste in the slightest, making it far more environmentally friendly than their other shower counterparts. So in a sense, I do actually recognise their true worth as a product, and can honestly see the merit of using them in replacement of other liquid alternatives. However, I'm still not convinced that these could or will ever be able to rival the jelly and gel variations that Lush already do so well.
What is different about this wash card, when compared to previous renditions, is the fact that the base ingredient featured here is fresh apple pulp as opposed to melon. Known to contain antioxidants and vitamins that both nourish and refresh the skin, apples are naturally full of malic acid, which gently removes any dead skin build that may be causing your skin to appear dull and uneven, and adds radiance almost immediately
Sharing its scent with the 29 High Street range, Kiss Me Quick features a combination of ylang ylang, lemon and lime oils to give the wash card its key notes, as well as tonka, geranium and jasmine to build upon these layers and help to create a well-rounded yet refreshing complex aroma.
The ylang ylang is definitely at the forefront here, offering a sweet and very heady floral aroma - one that is encased within the citrus oils, which bring about a very fruity, almost honeyed aroma. The lemon and lime oils not only give this shower sheet a bright, uplifting fragrance, but are known for their cleansing properties, and the ability to leave your skin looking and feeling radiant afterwards.
Underneath this there is gentle reminder from the tonka absolute, which serves as the base smell - giving the product a gentle muskiness: a creaminess, while supporting the other main components and creating a shower sheet that is as rich as it is sultry. As far as my senses are concerned, Kiss Me Quick is an almost perfect replica of the liquid perfume, once it has had a short while to warm on the skin; as well as the shower gel, when its notes have been stimulated under the warmth of a hot shower. Not only will the fragrance perk you up and stimulate your senses, but act as a blanket of warmth when the world outside is too bitter to face.
What is great about this wash card is that it can also be used as a shampoo, which helps to lighten your load even more when you're travelling. Having only tried this out once, I can honestly say that it left my hair feeling silky-smooth and incredibly clean - not to mention the fact that the scent radiated from my locks for hours afterwards.
While it lathered up quickly, and was equally as generous as a regular shower gel in terms of the amount of 'foam' it produced, I was a little disappointed to discover that the sheet near-on disintegrated when coming into contact with the running water. This is definitely not a product you should use in one go. Instead, to get the most out of it, I would recommend that you break off a small piece (1cm), add a little water away from the direct flow of the shower, and then massage it across your skin in a circular motion.
The wash card produces a light, fluffy and very fragrant lather, and you can easily clean your entire body with the recommended size piece. In that sense it is equally as effective, if not more so than the shower gel variation, and works as a great 'top up' for those who love the scent but don't have the privilege of owning the shower gel.
As a gift, or as a product to store for future travel plans, this is a lovely limited edition to invest in. Although I won't be replacing my shower gels anytime soon, this business card has definitely sparked my interest in the shower sheets a little more, and I will be grabbing a few of these before they're discontinued. While a part of me considers £2 to be a little expensive for the size of the item, I can also see how its price tag makes it easily accessible for those on a budget, and who perhaps don't wish to invest the amount it costs for a full-sized version.
Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Apple Pulp, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Cellulose Sodium polyacrylate, Ylang Ylang Oil, Lemon Oil, Lime Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Tonka Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Gardenia Extract, DRF Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool Alpha-Isomethyl ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, Yellow Lustre, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Colour 45380:3.
Vegan?: Yes.
2017 Price: £2 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2017.
Scent Family:
29 and a Half Soap
29 High Street Liquid Perfume
29 High Street Solid Perfume
29 High Street Shower Gel
HQ Perfume
Kiss Me Quick Business Wash Card
Secret Santa Ballistic
