Kiss Me Quick Business Wash Card

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

Scrumptious Shower Smoothie

It's not very often that I don't recognise a product that appears on the Lush Kitchen menu. In fact, since the introduction of the Kitchen some three years ago, there have only ever been two items that have stumped me into having to carry out a little research. The first was Aqua Mirabilis Underwater Body Butter, of which I didn't even realise there were two variations of the same product, and the second was this recent release.

Scrumptious Shower Smoothie reads exactly as it means to go on. While the company are known for using witty puns to name their products, and using tongue-in-cheek taglines to entice their customers, this one is as literal as you can get. At first glance, it could even be accused of being a little presumptuous, and has a lot to live up to given the bold statement that is its name. Thankfully, Lush are fully aware of how to make something both smell and behave scrumptiously, and I cannot stress how amazing this product is.

First released over seventeen years ago, this shower smoothie has been described as being both like a 'blueberry parfait' and a fruit salad. Boasting a myriad of different fruity ingredients, it is no wonder that the outcome is a product that completely blew my mind upon first sniff, and one that I continue to use on an almost daily basis.

With a base made from a blueberry infusion, and a combination of fresh orange juice, mashed bananas, and lemon and lime oil making up the other key components, this shower smoothie smells like the world's greatest desert. From the tub I could immediately smell both the bananas and the blueberries - a pairing that produces a rich, creamy fruity smell, and reminds me a little of homemade ice cream. It's by no means an overly powerful smell, but it's strong enough that you'll be hard-pressed not to want to stick a spoon in the tub and shove a mountain of the smoothie into your mouth. Disclaimer: I should probably add that curiosity got the better of me and I did attempt to eat some, which only heeded disappointing results.

Both the lime and the lemon oils are also present in the aroma of this smoothie. However, there isn't any citrus notes to observe here; it's strictly a fruity smell, and one that is interestingly sweet without being what I would describe as uplifting or zesty in any way. Strangely, you almost get a note of raspberry bubblegum when you smell this in the pot - a factor that just made me fall in love with this product even more.

For those unsure what a shower smoothie is, Scrumptious is like a soap that has been pulverised into a liquid, and had extra oils and butters added to make it more moisturising for the skin. You use it in the same way you would a shower gel - lathering it across your body and then washing it away under running water. 

Impressively, I found that this particular smoothie foamed up a lot better than most of the other ones I have tried from Lush. Usually, I find that they coat the skin but don't work in the same way that both a soap or a shower gel would be expected to do. However, Scrumptious Shower Smoothie lathers up a treat and you need very little to clean your whole body with. For this reason, I would say that this is one of the better valued variations, and lasts a lot longer than most of its siblings. Judging by how much I have used so far, I would say that you could easily get a good 20+ full body washes out, and even more you're only using it on specific areas.     

As if the fragrance wasn't enough to make me fall in love with this product to begin with, I was amazed to find that I could smell it on my skin for a good couple of hours after I had towelled myself down. Moreover, I found that if I used this before I went to bed, the smell of fresh blueberries and banana would still be on my pillow the next morning, which was a welcoming reward first thing in the morning.

I should point out that I would refrain from using this on areas that have recently been shaved, or use this as an alternative to shaving foam, as I found that it irritated my pores and caused them to either sting a little, or come out in a rash for a short white after bathing. However, this rule applies to most of Lush's soap-based products, so I wouldn't expect anything different with this one.

Overall, this is by far my favourite shower smoothie for Lush, and its name really does describe how this product smells and works in the shower. While my skin didn't feel as moisturised as a shower gel would make it, it was definitely a step up from a normal piece of soap, and I feel a smoothness once I had towelled myself down.

Ultimately, I really hope that the Lush Kitchen choose to bring this back in the near future because I'm getting dangerously close to finishing my first tub, and the idea of not having this as a permanent fixture in my bathroom, is a little disheartening.

Quantitative Ingredients: Blueberry Infusion, Walnut Oil, Glycerine, Vegetable Soap, Fresh Orange Juice, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Fresh Banana, Lime Oil, Lemon Oil, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £10.50 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: 1998.

    

Love You, Love You Lots Soap

It was before I'd even had an opportunity to smell this soap for myself, that I knew there was something familiar about this seasonal release. The impressive and rather staggering number of components derived from rose were all the clues that I needed to determine that this was definitely a case of product deja vu. And I was right. 

Sporting a completely different design, Love You, Love You Lots Soap may appear to be making its debut in 2017. However, while there are some changes to the ingredients list that will to be noted in this review, and I wouldn't say that it's not an exact replica, note-for-note, this limited edition soap shares its scent with last year's Roses All The Way.

Containing a rose petal infusion as the base ingredient, this product sports a combination of rose petals, rose oil and rose syrup, all of which have been added to give the soap a very distinctive and robust floral aroma. Yet it might be surprising to know that this product is not overly potent, neither is it exclusively floral. 

Instead, it is a delicate and very natural rose scent - one that is rich and sweet, yet light and almost what I would call refreshing. Very much on par with Rosy Cheeks Face Mask, this seasonal release smells like you've fallen into a bed of roses after it's been raining - the fragrance is delicately musky but has a 'wet', crisp element about it.

One of the key differences between this soap and Roses All The Way is that there is a distinct lack of kaolin in this year's release. While this component is known to be packed with natural minerals to soften the skin and absorb excess moisture, Lush have chosen to remove this in replacement of rose syrup.

First of all, this change means that the soap is far less drying on the skin. The extra oils give it the ability to smoothen and soften without removing any of the body's natural oils. Therefore, for someone such as myself, who often finds most soaps too drying to use very often, I can make this a part of my regular routine, and know that I won't be left with parched skin.

Secondly, the rich, sap-like nature of the rose syrup allows this soap to smell far more exquisite, and I believe that it is this very component that gives Love You, Love You Lots its delicate and very subtle fruity layer. This extra component reminds me a little of Cupid's Love Soap from last years range, as it gives the soap an almost soured, fruity note, which I believe comes from the inclusion of passionfruit and soya yoghurt.

At this stage, I should point out that this soap does not smell anything like Rose Jam in the slightest - it's far less musky and doesn't have any of the warming, sultry undertones that the popular fragrance fan boasts. Instead, this soap focuses on rose's more brighter, sweeter characteristics.

Finally - Love You, Love You Lots produces a different sort of lather than last year's rendition. Instead of the thick, almost-milky lather that Roses All The Way offers, you get a soap that is perhaps a little easier to manipulate, and one that produces more of a lighter but far oiler foam. I found that I only had to dampen my hands and massage the bar, and I was able to generate quite a good amount of product to clean myself with.

This is one of those soaps that can either be massaged between the palms of your hands to create a lather, or can be applied directly to the skin and it will produce a noticeable amount of foam straight away. Despite the lack of kaolin, my block did dry relatively quickly after I had finished using it as well. However, I would recommend that you pat it down after your shower, as the soap will not be able to absorb any excess moisture, and you'll find the bar shrinks a lot quicker this way.

Overall, as someone who claims not to be that much of a floral fan, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed using this soap. While it's not the most warming of smells to surround yourself with in the winter months, it is one that will leave your skin feeling really clean and radiant, and smelling like a fresh rose in a thunderstorm. And as far as fragrances go, I cannot ask for much than that, to be honest.

Quantitative Ingredients: Rose Petal Infusion, Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Water, Rose Syrup, Perfume, Sodium Hydroxide, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Rose Petals, Rose Oil, Sodium Bicarbonate, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Geraniol, Citronellol, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.35 for 100g, £10.63 for 250g, £21.25 for 500g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Love You, Love You Lots Soap

Roses All The Way Soap

Santa's Postbox Soap

As a teacher, you collect and recycle certain aspects of your practice each and every time you begin the year with a new class. Some of this is just a natural progression of who you are as a person, so you don't even realise you're doing it until you have time to reflect on it later. However, some of your daily routines are forged from watching the professionals around you, as well as the children themselves and the class dynamics. 

One of the rules I've always enforced, which stems right back to when I was first training to be a teacher, is that the children are never allowed to use the word 'nice' in any description of theirs; I find myself echoing the sentiment that 'there is always a better way of saying nice' countless times throughout my lessons. Pleasant, enjoyable, charming perhaps. Just never nice. 

Having said this, I found myself breaking my own rules recently, when I experienced Santa's Post Box Soap for the first time. When asked what I thought about the seasonal product, the initial word to tumble from out of my mouth was the word nice. Needless to say, I didn't earn any house points for my descriptive language that day.  


Sharing its scent with the Satsuma Bath Bomb, not to mention both Satsumo and Dashing Santa as well, this seasonal soap is the first non ballistic to be released in this fragrance. Paying homage to the colourful parcels that are sent out each and every year during the Christmas holidays, this seasonal special is for those who want something sweet and delicious, but equally something that isn't as overwhelmingly potent on the senses as a lot of the winter collection.

Containing orange flower absolute, bergamot and Sicilian mandarin oils, this soap is like a gentle fruity kiss. All three of these components combine to form a beautiful, warming aroma that is very natural on the senses, albeit slightly soapy. However, it is the inclusion of the satsuma juice that has the biggest impact when this product comes into contact with warm water. Together, these four ingredients mimic the smell of a freshly-peeled satsuma, just without the tartness that comes from the pith and the skin of the fruit. 

Unfortunately, despite how wonderful the smell of Santa's Postbox is, I was a little underwhelmed with how weak the smell was against my nose. While I recognise that my statement about why Lush have chosen to release something a little gentler-smelling, may be a little contradictory to what I'm about to say. However, as someone who prefers the stronger smelling products, I wasn't overly impressed by how little the fragrance was present with me before and during my showers. I didn't feel as if the aroma of this was elevated all that much by the hot steam, and I was slightly frustrated by its lack of presence when being used.

In its defence, the soap was fairly generous when in use, and with a gentle coax would produce a thick, oily lather to clean yourself with. As far as soaps go, this was also pretty moisturising when compared to others - I found that when I used it on my hands, my skin was left looking vibrant and almost shiny, as if the inclusion of the various oils had replenished my skin and nourished the pores. Furthermore, having used it daily across a matter of weeks, I found that the size of my block didn't diminish all that much, so a 100g piece would last a fair while

For someone who isn't particularly keen on strong, citrusy soaps, this might be an option for them. Consumers who also prefer the 'quieter' smelling products might appreciate how gentle this is on the senses. However, I found myself fighting to smell something that just wasn't all that present, and it wouldn't be a soap I would purchase in a hurry. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Fresh Satsuma Juice, Perfume, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Sodium Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Citric Acid, Gardenia Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate, EDTA, Tetrasodium, Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 45410, Colour 45350.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £3.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Scent Family: 

Dashing Santa Bath Bomb

Santa's Postbox Soap

Satsuma Bath Bomb

Satsumo Bath Bomb

Reindeer And Robin FUN Bar

Fun is always a product that I forget to use - what with the extortionate number of shower gels and jellies that I currently own. Aside from any seasonal releases and limited editions, I never feel the need to add a bar to my basket when I'm picking up my regular products or simply browsing a store. Yet it's one that I rekindle my love for whenever I remember to take one into the bathroom with me. 

Designed to be both affordable and fun, these bars are as versatile and as effective as they are great value for money, and are the perfect stocking filler for fans old and new. For children, they offer a great incentive to have a bath, where they can get creative and make the experience a little more interesting for themselves; for adults, we can reap all of the benefits of this multi-use item while also satisfying that inner child at the same time.

Reindeer And Robin FUN is one of three new limited edition versions to make an appearance this season, and is perhaps one of my all-time favourite FUN variations over all. Sporting a brown, red, white and yellow design; a set of paper antlers and some dairy free chocolate buttons for decoration, this bar is all set for you to make your very own array of Christmas animals. 

While it may be the least visually beautiful out of the three seasonal FUN bars (who really wants to wash themselves with a brown soap?), you only have to peel back the wrapper to reveal a fragrance so delicious, that you'd be hard-pressed not to want to eat it.

Containing both lime oil and pepper oil, this FUN bar is described as being cola-scented, and I have to say that this is exactly what my initial impression of it was when I tried it out for the first time. The lime oil is not as sharp or as citrusy as the likes of Calacas and Nightwing. Instead, it's a very warming, creamy fruity smell - a little like a lime-scented buttercream on top of a vanilla cupcake.

Alongside this, the black pepper adds a rounded, rather aromatic element to the FUN bar, that doesn't smell anything like the spicy condiment that you grind over your food, nor like the rich, peppery note that's found in anything Lord Of Misrule scented. Instead, it almost deepens the lime smell so that it's far more long-lasting when in use and slightly different to anything else that Lush have released with lime as the key ingredient. 

It reminds me of cola bottle candy, just without the fizzy element that is normally present because of the sugar. While it's definitely a very foody smell, and not one that I'd say is in any way complex, it is really delicious - one that children and adults with a sweet tooth will definitely enjoy. Furthermore, when a chocolate chip slips into the piece you're using, you get a rich, decadent note of chocolaty goodness to contend with as well. Yum!

As with all of Lush's versatile bars, this one can be used in a variety of different ways - crumbled under the running tap to aid a bubble bath, or massaged into the hair for an alternative to shampoo. The most popular choice is to break a small piece off and massage it across your skin, much like a solid shower gel. No matter how you choose to use this FUN bar, the same results are always heeded; your hair and skin will feel super soft and clean, and the wonderful fragrance will linger on your body for an hour or two after you've towelled yourself down. 

This particular bar produces creates either a rusty-red or brown lather (depending on what part of the bar you use) and smells really strong throughout the entire experience. At first, I was a little worried about staining as there were  quite a few splashes of brown across bath tub. However, I quickly discovered that these splodges wash off with ease. Having said that, I would recommend that you're careful when using this around anything that could stain, as I can imagine that if any of suds were to get onto clothing, it would cause a bit of a mess.   

What is really great about Reindeer And Robin is that I could still detect the delectable scent on my skin over an hour after I had towelled myself down, and this stayed with me as I settled down to sleep. While I may have gone to bed with my mouth salivating, I sure enjoyed waking up to the smell of sweet limes on my pillow. 

Overall, this is by no means a product that has changed my life, or indeed one that offers anything particularly ground-breaking. However, the smell is really beautiful and I will be buying a number of these before the seasonal products fly off the shelves for good.

Quantitative Ingredients: Cornflour, Talc, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume, Persian Lime Oil, Aniseed Oil, Black Pepper Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Gardenia Extract, *Citral, *Limonene, Bronze Splendour and Rosie Red Lustre, Colour 19140:1, Colour 19140, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Dark Chocolate.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £5.95 for 200g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016. 

   

Yog Log Shower Smoothie

When Lush opted to replace their potted shower smoothies with a solid, package-free alternative, it was a step in the right direction - not just because of the environmental impact that it would have, but also because of the gateway that opened up for the company to bring out a greater range of variations for consumers to enjoy. 

Yog Log is one of two brand new roulades to make an appearance this season, and one of nearly ten releases in this format so far. It seems that Lush are onto a winning formula, as while these roulades seem to grace the shelves quietly and are barely the topic of conversation across social media, there must be quite a demand for them because they keep being brought back time and time again. 

Lush state that this product shares its scent with the Yog Nog family, which includes a bath bomb, soap, perfume and FUN bar. A fairly recent invention when you consider the length of time that the company have been producing products, this family of items have each made quite an impression on the community. It's a regular occurrence to see fans desperately searching for a spare perfume on both Instagram and Facebook, and the speed in which the bath bomb and the soap sold out in the Kitchen this month, demonstrates that there is quite a cult following behind the family.


While I would say that fans of all of the above would no doubt love and appreciate this seasonal smoothie, I will say that I don't think the scent mirrors that of any of the products mentioned above. There are definitely similarities here, that much is true, but this solid rendition sports many differences, which was a little disappointing at first.  

Yog Log is described as smelling of 'comforting caramel' and for this part I agree. There is definitely something reminiscent of freshly made chunks of sticky caramel; of sweet, decadent butterscotch ice cream with ripples of nutty caramel threaded throughout; a hot, malted glass of milk infused with vanilla pods, a sprinkling of brown sugar and a generous helping of salted caramel.

To claim that this fragrance will leave you salivating, is very much an understatement. It will leave you raiding the biscuit drawer and demolishing a packet of Hob Nobs before you even realise what you're doing. It's an enabler of the senses, and if you're one for foody smells, this is right up there as being one of Lush's best achievements. 

What I would say is that it is a smell all by itself. Whereas the other products in this scent family have a very sweet, buttery aroma, Yog Log is much more grounded and far nuttier than its siblings. It takes on more of a fudge-like smell, as opposed to the bath bomb and soap that are far more sickly-sweet and syrup-like.

The inclusion of sesame seeds has definitely had an impact on the overall aroma. Although I wouldn't say that you can smell the seeds, there is definitely something about the smoothie that reflects the fact that they've been put in there to begin with.

To use, you can choose one of many different methods, depending on how you feel most comfortable. One way is to wet the piece and then massage the roulade straight across your body. This is the easiest way of ensuring you don't drop the product during use, and it's easy enough to pat down afterwards to retain its size and shape. With this method, I found that the smoothie wasn't very generous when it came to leaving lather on your skin, and I had to rigorously massage it in circular motions to ensure that the whole area was coated before rinsing away. 

As Lush have explained, the way it's intended to be used is to break off a small piece (roughly the size of a large grape), and then massage it in between your hands first. Squishing it and manipulating the piece in this way will allow the oils and butters to be released easier, which then means that it's more effective at cleaning and moisturising your body. This way might mean that more of the product is used each time, but it is definitely easier to stimulate a lather across your skin.

Despite the above comment, Yog Log doesn't produce much of a lather either way, and instead you will find that you'll get a thin, oily residue that coats the skin. This is rinsed off and will leave your skin feeling really soft and smooth. While it didn't leave my skin overly nourished, it was definitely more effective than a large majority of soaps.

What I found even more wonderful is that the fragrance was robust enough to stay on my skin for a short while after my shower. This means that, when I use this before bed, I can smell traces of caramel on my pillow and duvet while asleep, and the next day.

Overall, I will say that I definitely prefer the other variations of Yog Nog to this one. While I'd say that the bath bomb is probably the closest in smell to this smoothie, there is still quite a difference between the two, and I can imagine Yog Nog fanatics might even be a little disappointed at the noticeable difference between this and everything else.

However, this is still a lovely-smelling product, and I cannot imagine that anyone would be too disappointed if they discovered a generous chunk of it in their Christmas stockings. From the standpoint of a gym-buff, this is a great 'cheat meal' that you don't have to worry about overindulging in; as a lover of puddings and sweets, this is the enabler you don't want near you when you're trying to resist the cookie jar.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Glycerine, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa, Butter Fair Trade Colombian Cocoa Butter, Fresh Honeydew Melon Pulp, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Clove Bud Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Citric Acid, Sesame Seeds, Gardenia Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Eugenol, *Linalool, Colour 19140:1.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2016 Price: £5.95 for 100g, £14.90 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Assassin Shower Gel

After you've come to terms with the fact that your entire existence is governed by the financial implications of a Lush Kitchen splurge, you begin to accept the fact that you'll probably always have a list as long as your arm, of products you want to see being released in the not so distant future. The next step is to then recognise that this list will no doubt accumulate new items on a regular basis, and that the likelihood of you ever being able to cross off everything, is virtually impossible. 

The worst part for me is knowing that, while I may have tried and tested far more products than the majority of the people I know, there are always releases that will catch me off guard. Before I know it, I have another name added to my ever-expanding inventory and I feel myself even further away from being able to discard the checklist altogether. Such was the case with this recent release.

Assassin Shower Gel was not something that ever made itself known on my radar, despite claiming that shower gels are my shortcoming when it comes to Lush's impressive catalogue of products. For this reason, I was rather taken aback when it was first announced for release, and I even had to carry out a little research beforehand to brief myself on what exactly to expect.

Although multiple interpretations spread like wild fire on what everyone expected this product to smell like, it was the comparison between Tramp Shower Gel and Grass that seemed to be the general consensus among most fans. Upon experiencing it for the first time, I was quick to make that comparison as well. However, having spent the last few days sharing my bathroom with this wonderful product, I have come to realise that it has far more to offer, and I'd be selling it a little short if I simply jumped on this bandwagon. 

Firstly, I will say that I can see why the the aforementioned shower gels have been used to describe Assassin. In all fairness, there is a similarity to both of them, and it is a really effective way of helping others to gage an idea of what to expect when deciding whether or not to make a purchase. However, I happen to think that this shower gel is much BETTER than either of the two items, and doesn't seem so similar when you have all three gels in front of you to compare.

Containing pine, cypress, lemon and patchouli oils, not to mention oakmoss absolute, this shower gel is for fans of fresh, green, natural-smelling cosmetics. It is the former two ingredients that dominate the overall smell of this product - offering two very different sensory experiences. On the one hand, it reminds me of lazing around a freshly trimmed garden in the summer time, when the plants and shrubbery around you has been watered and the heat of the sun radiates notes of chlorophyll into the air, while you bathe. At the same time, it also reminds me of the smell you experience after setting up a freshly-cut Christmas tree in your lounge and allowing the green smell to permeate the room a little. 

While I would say that the pine and cypress oils are equally matched in this combination, my nose gravitates very slightly more towards the pine. This element gives Assassin a crisp, naturally-sweet resinous aroma; while the cypress oil rounds this off with a fresh, woody element that offers just the  slightest hint of evergreen to compliment the pine.


The oakmoss is not as robust as it is in Tramp Shower Gel - instead adding a dry, earthy quality to the shower gel. However, while it does ground the smell a little and give it a level of complexity, it's not as potent as it is in the aforementioned gel. Although you cannot really detect any of the tart, citrusy qualities of the lemon oil, you can appreciate its presence in helping to elevate the overall aroma. This also goes for the patchouli - where you can smell the subtle aromatic elements of the ingredient, but not the spicy components.

Assassin is a celebration of how Lush are able to mimic natural scents, as this truly does smell like they're captured the outdoors and bottled it in gel form. The beautiful shade of green its presented in makes it even more magical, and this would be a perfect accompaniment to a spring-time bath. At the same time, the pine makes it feel very Christmassy as well, and is certainly one of the products I will be taking home to enjoy on the days leading up to Christmas Day.

In the shower, the scent is robust and long-lasting - the heat elevates those individual notes and engulfs the room with a strong but equally light and refreshing aroma. I was not surprised to find that the fragrance stays with you for a good couple of hours after leaving the shower, and the very nature of the scent means that you feel thoroughly clean and uplifted. 

You only need to use a small amount and it goes a long way - lathering up with ease whether I massaged a little between my palms or stimulated the suds by coating my body first. While I wouldn't say it was overly moisturising, it still left my skin as smooth and as soft as most of the other Lush shower gels I have used. 

Overall, I wasn't expecting to be so enamoured with this shower gel, so I am pleasantly surprised to find that I would class it as being a firm favourite of mine, and one that I would buy again if I find myself with a shortage on my hands. Winter, spring or summer, this shower gel assassinates any of Lush's previous attempts to bottle nature, and I would highly recommend that you grab yourself a bottle when the opportunity next arises. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Agar Agar Gel, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Chicory Infusion, Rosemary Infusion, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Cypress Oil, Pine Oil, Oakmoss Absolute, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Patchouli Oil, Lactic Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Chlorophyllin, Methylparaben  Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £11.25 for 250g.

Year Of Original Release: 2005.

Santa In Space Gift Set

There are just some gift sets that simply sweep me off my feet, and no matter what products are featured inside, I just have to have it. Santa In Space is one such gift set - a product I broke my own rules for when I decided to purchase it on the opening day of the Christmas collection release. 

To put it simply, I never buy gift sets so early on in the season, because I know that I'll have piles of new products to try out during those first few weeks, and it's pointless having excess gifts sitting around, not getting used. However, the design, the products inside, and just about everything else about this collection, told me that I had to own it immediately. And possessing absolutely zero amount of willpower, I relented.

Priced up at £29.95, this is definitely an investment that seems a little on the high end for those with smaller budgets. Adding on to this, I can see why anyone who wants to offer a family or friend an assortment of Christmas goodies, might be deterred by the fact that there are only two seasonal items featured in the line up here.

This is a gift set for those who want to offer someone more of an experience, and something that's far more special than a basic box of bath bombs. This is also the perfect gift for younger Lush fans who would want something they can hold on to, past the point of having a few baths and showers.

Firstly, the outer box is simply stunning. The design is modern; it's colourful, and although the depiction and the wording link this tin to Christmas, it is not overly seasonal-looking, meaning that there is no reason why this tin could not be used throughout the year, as a lunchbox, a carrier or simply for storage. The box is also made of thick, robust metal, and has a clasp to seal it at the top, so it's sturdy enough to withstand being more than just a decoration.  

Secondly, the array of goodies inside make this a really strong, well-rounded collection of products. There are seasonal items, best-selling regulars, and even an exclusive that I know many Lush fans will want to get their hands on. 

This set features:

Intergalactic Bath Bomb

Twilight Shower Gel

Big Bang Bubble Bar

Northern Lights Bath Bomb

Santa FUN

Both bath bombs are some of the most vivid examples of Lush's creativity, so children will love the gentle jasmine fragrance of Northern Lights while they bathe in swirls of purple and yellow and green. The alluring mint aroma of Intergalactic, with its deep royal blue waters and sparkly silver lustre, is guaranteed to be another hit with Lush fans of all ages.

Big Bang is easily one of the company's most beautiful bubble bars to date, and with a gorgeous bright and zesty lemon aroma, not to mention the added bath melt on top, this gorgeous product is simply out of this world. Santa FUN is a rather odd choice to be featured here, although it's no doubt reference to the name of the gift set, and offers versatility in the way it can be used. 

Finally, this gift set features perhaps Lush's most popular shower gel, Twilight, which can only be purchased for a limited time in Lush Oxford Street. Therefore, if you're not able to get into London over the seasonal period, this is one of only a few opportunities for you to be able to get your hands on this product.

Overall, I love the theme going on with this collection and I think it is easily one of the best Christmas sets this year. The price may be a little higher than what you'd expect for a set with only five items, but the quality of the tin, and the whole package and how it's presented, tells me that there will be some very happy Lush fans receiving these on Christmas morning.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £29.95 each.