The last couple of years has seen an explosion in the amount of new FUN bars that Lush have brought out for us, seasonal and regular. It seems that there is something very appealing about those scented tubes of squidgy dough, and the fact that they're great value for money as well as incredibly versatile means that I can envisage the empire of FUN will continue to expand with each and every passing year.
As expected, the seasonal range is no different this year - with three brand new variations to choose from, each with a very different fragrance to enjoy. Whether you're buying for yourself or grabbing a few for stocking stuffers, Elf On The Shelf is definitely one that I would wholeheartedly recommend that you try for yourself.
Sharing its scent with the now discontinued Jilted Elf Shower Jelly, this is the first time that vegans will be able to enjoy this fragrance as the aforementioned product unfortunately contained honey - a fact that has caused me many a heartache during my time as a Lushie. With such a unique smell, this is one that needs to be experienced by anyone in need of a 'pick me up' this winter, and the fact that this product will be readily available across the world fills me with joy.The fragrance found in this FUN bar is based on a cocktail that the creator came across whilst visiting New York, and although there isn't a trace of vodka in this brand new release, the shower jelly did feature the alcoholic beverage to help replicate the scent of the original drink. Perhaps it is this latter fact that makes Elf On The Shelf so much more appealing to me - I strongly believe that the aroma lends itself better in this format. Perhaps the exclusion of the vodka alongside the honey makes it slightly less potent and more emphasis can be placed on the fruiter side.
Containing grapefruit, cinnamon and ginger oil, the smell of this is rather difficult to describe and it's one you have to experience yourself to fully understand what I mean when I say the following. Firstly, the grapefruit is definitely the overall governing note. However, the fruit is not anywhere near as citrusy or tart as the likes of Happy Hippy or Bom Perignon Bath Bomb. It reminds me more of the grapefruit slices you can buy in tins, where they've lost their sourness and reside in more of a gentle, sweet and very pleasing fruity smell.
Alongside this, both the cinnamon and the ginger thread layers of spice without being too overpowering. You can smell the warmth of both ingredients from get go - they offer a fragrance that almost reminds me of spicy tea, yet neither takes away any of the natural sweetness of the fruit. They remind me slightly of old-school chewy sweets but I cannot for the life of me place the exact sweet it's almost identical to.
What you should consider is the fact that this aroma smells like absolutely nothing else that Lush have ever released before. There is no point me trying to compare the scent to other items - it's as original as they come and this is such a great selling point to me.
As if the smell wasn't enough, I could not believe just how strong the fragrance was when in use, and even more impressive was how strong it was on the skin and how long it lingered on me afterwards. I found that I could smell traces of this aroma some 4 hours after I had used the bar and this has never happened to me with any of Lush's FUN before.Whether or not it's because this year's FUN bars are preservative free, but Elf On A Shelf also happens to be the smoothest and most gentlest FUN bar I have ever tried. While some can feel quite starchy and gloopy - two traits I put down to the corn flour and talc, this particular variation was light and soft and lathered up a treat when stimulated with water.
As with any FUN bar, you can hold a small amount under the running water to create a bubble bar, use a smidgen in replacement of your regular shower gel or soap, or even lather a little in your hair to use as an alternative to shampoo. Whichever way you decide to indulge in your FUN, just know that this is easily one of my favourite favourites and definitely a product I am going to want to stock up before the season is out.
Quantitative Ingredients: Cornflour, Talc, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Ginger Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Gardenia Extract, Limonene, Eugenol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Lillal, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Perfume, Rosie Red Lustre, Colour 14700, Colour 42090, Paper Legs.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £5 for 200g.
Year Of Original Release: 2016.
Scent Family:
Elf On The Shelf FUN Bar
Jilted Elf Shower Jelly
