Thursday 13 May 2010

Lush Reviews

Firstly I want to thank each and every one of you who commented on my last post so so much. I'm usually alright talking about my disorder but there is still a stigma attached to mental illness so i was a little worried posting such personal details in public but your responses were so wonderful i am just overwhelmed by your kindness. I'm going to reply to each and every comment but there are so many and they are so long and indepth i want to really take me timeabout it. Thank you all again, you really have no idea how much it means to me <3

Also in other news I found out yesterday that the book i illustrated (you can see pictures here) seems very likely to be published in the near future (the author recieved proofs so unless anyhing drastic goes wrong it will be coming out soon). Not all of my illustrations made it in but a good few did and while it's not going to be a huge book and i won't be recieving proceeds just having my pictures in a real book is amazing. I'm a very happy girl :)

Now please go behind the cut to see a big lot of Lush reviews :)




These first lot are from the Christmas 09 collection and i can't find Lush's description or the prices they were online (i know somewhere i've seen an amazing website that chronicals all of Lush's limited edition collections but can't find it :() so i'm just going to talk about my experiences with them. These are no longer available but might (hopefully) come back for Christmas this year :)

Candy Cane Bubble Bar
I love this so much, it's probably one of my favourite Lush products ever. I adore bubble bars in general and this one just smells delicious. It's hard to explain the scent because it really does smell of candy, but also slightly... soapy and those things don't really go together! This might not sound nice but to me it's absolutely gorgeous. It's sweet and slightly floral and fruity but mainly smells like a gorgeous, chemically, full of e numbers chewy bar. It's quite similar to Snow Fairy and Rockstar soap but not the same.
The bar gives you tonnes of delightful scented bubbles and turns the bath a pretty pink colour. The smell lingers beautifully in the bath but doesn't actually get onto my skin but my skin does feel slightly softer after a bath. You can get at least 2 used out of the bar and i found i could get 3 but still have a really good bath full of bubbles, scent and colour. I stockpiled a lot of these and hope to God they come back next year.

Lil' pud bath ballistic

I didn't expect to like this so much, it smells rather spicy and slightly of cinnamon and cloves (which i hate) but when i actually used it the scent transformed into a gentle puddingish scent, still a little spicy but not strong and it also has a hint of rose and lemon and i ended up liking it. I also thing the ballistic itself is so so cute with the little sprig of holly. It's smaller than a usual ballistic (though now a lot of Lush's ballistics are getting smaller) but has the same effect and fizzes nicely in the bath. I don't tend to like the bath ballistics as much as the bath melts and bubble bars but i do still like the effect, with the lovely fizzing and this one is no different. However it also changes the colour of the water to a light, muddy brown which isn't too nice as it makes the water you're soaking in look dirty. I didn't actually purchase these but got them for free during Lush's after chirstmas sale. I'm not sure if i would buy it should it come out again this year, i did like it but there are things i would prefer.

Satsumo Santa bath ballistic

Another bath ballistic (what i like to do is pop them under my body so i can feel all the bubbliness hitting my skin), this one is much bigger than the pud and could possibly make 2 baths but i didn't try it. I really liked this one, the santa shape is sooo cute (i think it would make a great stocking-filler!) and it smells delicious. Really christmassy and citrusy like a big juicy orange but with a teeny tiny hint of spice. It also makes your bath a lovely orangey red colour. I would definately buy it again if it comes out again this year.

Snow Showers shower jelly



This was my first experience with a Shower Jelly and i must say it was quite a good one! The jelly smells wonderful, orangey but more... 'creamy' than juicy and with a good whiff of cognac ( no alcohol smell, just the flavour). It's just a plain white colour which is fine but i just wish there was a tiny bit of shimmer in it to make it really look like the twinkling snow. You can apparently freeze or chill this, but i haven't tried either, i just use it as is. I basically just rub this all over my skin like i would soap and it leaves a creamy lather which really seems to make my skin feel soft as well as clean and smelling lovely. I really think this stuff is great and the fact it's a jelly makes it really fun but can be very tricky to hold on to! I'm always dropping it in the bath and having to hunt for it, but i'm very clumsy. I  probably would repurchase this myself (the one i've been using was a free gift), not only is it fun but i do think it has some benefits over a regular soap bar, it seems to make my skin feel softer and more moisturised after using.


Fairy Tale Sugar Scrub


Firstly I must say that this has one big flaw, which is that you have to break it somehow to use it. If you were to use the thing whole you would basically destroy it as as soon as it gets wet the sugar starts to dissolve and the bar breaks down into a liquidy scrub. You can't just snap it as it is far too hard so i had to cut it. Unfortunately when i did so half of it went shooting off across the room and i haven't been able to find it since! I have no idea where it went :(
Anyway i cut the half i had left in half again and each quarter of the bar was enough to just cover my whole body.
This smells wonderful, again of the candyish fragrance like Snow Fairy, Rockstar and Candy Cane and combined with the sugar it is made of (and the white chocolate 'eyes') it really smells asolutely edible. It works really well as an exfoliator, making my skin feeling softer and flake free with a slight smell lingering and a tiny layer of a softening oil. I just wish i hadn't lost half of it :( I really hope they bring it back this christmas.

And now the everyday stuff that is available all year round:

Supernova Bath Ballistic



What Lush Say:
Celebrate bath-time with cocktails for one and a ticker tape parade. Supernova is a party explosion in your tub, with refreshing oranges and genuine cognac oil to make it smell like a posh cocktail. Smatterings of fluorescent bubble mixture give it a frothy, pink topping. The paper takes a bit of clearing up afterwards, but it’s definitely fun while it lasts.
£2.95 

What I say:
I really liked this, them smell was wonderful (similar to 'snow showers' wth the orange scent) and nice and fizzy. It doesn't make any  proper bubble but does put a bit of froth on the surface of the water, which personally i can take or leave. It's smell was quite weak though and certainly didn't linger on my skin after the bath. It leaves the bath a pretty light pink colour and i do like the coloured paper bits, it's fun! But it does mean you have to pick a load of wet paper out of the plughole after your bath.
this is being discontinued/banished to the realms of Lush retro soon. I'm not sure if i'd repurchase. It's nice but not really amazingly special.

Blackberry Bath Bomb




What Lush Say: 
With bergamot, frankincense and berries for uplifting, grounding and fruity feelings. When you're feeling off colour and out of sorts, drop this Ballistic of purply goodness into the bath. In no time at all, the frisky scent of blackcurrant will tug at the corners of your mouth, pulling them towards your ears. Bergamot relieves tension and frankincense will wrap itself around you like a cosy blanket. All your cares will dissolve into a warming purple haze.
£2.65

What I say:
I don't know why this is called a 'blackberry' bath bomb because it smells just like blackcurrants! I love the scent, it's very similar to The Comforter bubble bar, like a lovely strong ribena or blackcurrant flavoured sweet. I really love it. Also this has a really cute little surprise in the middle of it. However it turns my bath water an odd grey/purple colour which isn't very appealling. I'm not sure if i'd buy it again, i do really like it but it smells just like The Comforter and generally i prefer the bubble bars to the ballistics.


Honey Bee Bath Ballistic


What Lush Say:
For a soothing, cleansing soak. Honey Bee smells like caramel, much like Honey, I Washed The Kids soap and Soft Coeur massage bar do. Honey Bee holds its own special distinction, though; in addition to soothing honey, it has Moroccan rhassoul mud to deep cleanse and soften your skin. The world's best spas offer honey or mud baths on their menus. Now, you can have both in one go, for roughly 1% of the cost.

£2.85

What I say:
I got this for free in the christmas goody bag and was really happy i did because i had wanted to try it myself anyway. It smells great, not really at all like honey but sweet and sugary and very much like caramel. I like it a lot but it's not my favourite scent. It also makes the water a jolly yellow colour and i like that this whizzes around the bath like a little bee. I don't know if i would repurchase, i do like it but there are others i like more.


Tisty Tosty Bath Ballistic



What Lush Say:
Weaves a magic love spell with a scent of precious rose and orris root. The fragrant rose is surrounded with mystery and legend: it is said to have come from the Great Garden of ancient Persia; and Cleopatra is rumoured to have seduced Anthony with it. Rose perfume is said to ease tension and stress and to give people happy, positive feelings. You'll smell the real rose absolute in Tisty Tosty as soon as it hits the water. Give one away to someone you love and use one on yourself. Either way, the Tisty Tosty works its magic spell
£2.95

What I say:
Another bath ballistic. This smells lovely, just exactly like roses. And that's about it really! It has little dried roses in it which float around your bath after it dissolves which is quite nice and luxurious but it's just not particularly special. Again i'm not sure if i'd repurchase as i like it but it's just not that special.


 Creamy Candy Bubble Bar



What Lush Say: 
Sweet, frothy and fluffy bubbles that smell like custard creams. What a delight it is to have a bath in the equivalent of a cup of vanilla flavoured, frothy, hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. The Creamy Candy bath is like the friend you're always delighted to see, because he bubbles over with cheerfulness no matter what life throws at him. For days when your friend is busy, it's time to indulge in some Creamy Candy.
 £2.35

What I say:
Love this. It's very similar to the Christmas Candy Cane bar but available all year round. The scent is slightly 'milder' and indeed 'creamier' but very much in the same vain. To me it doesn't smell even remotely like custard creams though :P This fills my bath with gorgeous, sweet smelling bubbles. I found i can easily just use half a bar and get a full tub of bubbles. Personally i prefer the Candy Cane bar but this is a close second to it and availble all year so i would definately repurchase.

The Comforter Bubble Bar



What Lush Say:  
This fruity bubble bar gives the feeling of being hugged by a jolly blackcurrant. When life is getting you down, crumble The Comforter under hot, running water for purple water and creamy bubbles. The warm aroma of cassis absolute is relaxing so relaxing that you’ll go to bed feeling happier and the world will seem brighter the next day.
£3.95

What I say:
This might be my favourite bubble bar. It makes my bath a beautiful puce colour and fills it with the sweetest, frothiest white bubbles. It smells amazing, of juicy juicy blackcurrants and creme de cassis (i love this Lush scent so much i bought the perfume version of it). It's more expensive than the other bubble bars but it is much bigger, i can get 4 baths out of one bar and still get tonnes of bubbles. I adore it and need to get some more soon!

Happy Blooming Bath Melt


What Lush Say: 
 The happy, mouth-watering, fruity fragrance is down to Simon's ‘Cherry Chops’, named in honour of beautiful cherry blossoms. You get three baths out of each one – just snap off one segment per soak – and its blend of calamine, ylang and cocoa butter will leave your skin smooth and non-greasy. We think it’s blooming marvellous, and we’re sure you will, too.

£3.60

What I say:
Another Lush product i absolutely love. The last bath melt i tried (melting marshmallow moment) didn't really do much for me, (but maybe this was because it was super old) but i thought i would try this because it smells absolutely divine. It's like a mixture of real cherries, cherry candy and cherry bakewells (theres a tiny hint of almond in there) it's absolutely gorgeous. I also love watching this melt, it billows out little clouds of pink smokey looking... stuff and then disperses leaving the water a lovely pink colour. It leaves a very slight layer of skin softening oil on my skin and the smell lingers slightly. You can get 3 baths out of the one bar as it says but i bet if you used more than one section per bath you'd get an more softening effect. I will definately repurchase :)

Honey I Washed The Kids Soap


What Lush Say:  
The irresistible toffee and honey soap. Once you've sniffed it, you've got to have it. On paper, it's difficult to portray the full effect of this honeycomb and toffee scented soap. People who fully intended to walk past a Lush shop find themselves unable to resist its tempting fragrance. They inhale, drool, pick up a big chunk and join the queue for the till. It's hard not to buzz about this one.
£2.95 per 100g

What I say:
I really loved the smell of this when i first smelled it but after time the scent became a bit too sickly for me. It's toffeeish but a bit like burnt sugar as well. It's very similar to the Honey Bee bath ballistic but not identical and personally i prefer Honey Bee. This soaped worked fine, leaving my skin clean and smelling sweet but oddly i found that it disappeared a lot quicker than a regular bar of soap! While it was a good size (at least 3 inches square) it only lasted about 4 or 5 baths, whereas i think a usually bar of this size would last a lot longer. I'm not sure if i would repurchase this, i have another bar (one was a prize in a giveaway and i bought the other) which i would like to try before i decide.


Sexy Peel Soap


What Lush Say: 
The wake-you-up-for-breakfast citrus one. What wakes you up in the morning? The birds singing? A set of four alarm clocks? Or a hungry cat yowling by your bed? Whatever your method, we recommend a Sexy Peel soap to bring you back for breakfast. Use our fresh lemon, grapefruit and lime juice soap to wash away sleepiness and breathe in revitalizing fruitiness.
£3 per 100 g

What I say:
I only got a tiny sample of this so i can't really review it properly but my initial feelings are as such. I usually love citrusy fragrances but this one, while initially smelling beautifully like grapefruit then had a weird after-smell like Jif or some other creamy bathroom cleaner. It didn't last on my skin but i did smell fresh and good. I don't think i would repurchase it as i didn't like the smell too much and Lush have other citrus scented perfumes i would rather try.


Fairtrade Foot Lotion



What Lush Say: 
Minty revitalisation for feet with fairly traded cocoa butter. Pink and perky, one mightily minty cream for your feet, which also helps to ease the abuse they get when trapped in shoes all day. We use both spearmint and peppermint essential oils to relieve aches and cool hot feet again. Arnica and marigold herbs take away the weariness and get your feet ready to wear your highest heels or to be seen naked and proud of it.
£7.95 for 225g

What I say:
I really like this. It smells beautiful, just like spearmint chews and is a gorgeous pink colour (probably my  favourite shade of pink, like the pink snooker ball). It's nice and moisturising and sinks into my skin quickly and because it's minty leaves my feet a little deodorised and very fresh. You don't need much at all to cover both feet. I got this for free in the christmas goody bags and have 2 pots of it still to use. I don't think i would repurchase it, despite liking it a lot i think it's a bit overpriced.

Handy Gurugu




What Lush Say: 
Helpful, heavenly, herbal hand cream. Our creative buying team travelled for 15 hours on a rickety bus, along pot-holed roads to find the villages where our shea butter is handmade by the local women. Our shea butter is the freshest, loveliest and most fragrant that you can get your hands on. To make Handy Gurugu, we blended shea butter into rose water with another six natural oils and butters, plus soothing essential oils. It's a truly fabulous, easily absorbed hand cream that the team have all been using daily and nightly since we first got our hands on it.
It makes a big difference to your skin and an even bigger difference to the people who make the shea butter.
£6.50 per 100g

What I say:
I can't really review this as i can't really use it. I tried it once and instantly my hands started itching like mad and turned pink and very sore. My Mum tried it and she had no problemso i think i must be allergic to one of the ingredients. I don't think i'd be too keen on it anyway becuase i don't like the smell much, it's too herbal and savoury for me, i prefer sweet scents.



18 comments:

  1. LOL ilove how the shower jelly looks like tofu. haha

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  2. This must have taken you ages to write Lillian!! There's some of my favorites there - I love the comforter and creamy candy :D xxx

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  3. i made my first LUSH purchase in the weekend out of some sort of obligation after being hounded in the store for 20 mins haha. I bought a Sexy Peel soap which i adore sniffing and its making my bedroom smell gorgeous at the moment. haven't used it yet, but i have used the Rockstar soap which i do like, BF hates the smell of it somehow, but it is a lovely soap.

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  4. There's no Lush in Brazil! Some products sound wonderful! Still I have no bath tub... just a shower! ^^
    But it all sounds deliciouuuus!

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  5. I LOVE the supernova and the creamy candy bubble bar. They both smell amazing. Lush is a small fortune, but totally worth it.

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  6. The Comforter Bubble Bar is also my favorite! My friend got me hooked on Lush and this is the only item I keep rebuying. I love it! I wanna try that Supernova. :)

    Hey, I emailed you. ;) I'm not sure if you received it.

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  7. I've never tried Lush before but I love passing by their store in the mall. It looks a bit like a candy store! I'm going to try out some of their bar shampoos once my stock of shampoos run out. :) Thanks for the reviews - I might try that Blackberry Bath Bomb. Sounds like it smells awesome.

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  8. GOD THE SMELL OF LUSH IS JUST...well it's lush for lack of a better worse. I always think the products look like they should be edible though :p x

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  9. Goodness! With all those products you must've had some really amazing showers/bathes lately. I'm jealous!! My showers have been plain with no nice scents and sparkles. =(

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  10. How exciting Lillian! Congratulations!

    I adore the smell of the hand cream :) I can't wait for the next time I go to a big city so I can pick up a ton of Lush stuff!

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  11. thanks for sharing a fab review x

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  12. Don't worry dear! We love you anyway! You are what you are and I hope you'll get better over time. <3!

    Thank you for these reviews, I must say that I'm deeply inlove with Handy Gurugu and I've just used up my first package of it :(. Bohooo for that!
    I must save up for another one :< A dog is quite expensive, but the hell with it. It was my decision and I don't regret it :P

    again thank you!

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  13. Lush products look like so much fun. I think I'm gonna make a note of a couple of things from this review and treat myself this afternoon. Thanks!

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  14. Yowsers! This is an epic post :D Also congratumalations on getting your work published!!! How exciting xx

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  15. I'm using the snow showers jelly right now too! I don't pick it up though,I rub my shower poof or washcloth on top of it. It gives me amazing suds, luv them! I wish they'd make more of them for year round.

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  16. Y:
    I hadn't realised that before but you're right! It really does look like tofu! Ha ha!

    Carrsky :
    it didn't take too long really :)
    You have good taste my dear :D

    Catherine:
    ugh how horrible, i hate being pressured by sales people, it's awful!
    I'm glad you like sexy peel, i really like Rockstar (i have a bar but haven't used it yet).

    Cacau:
    Aww that's a shame! They have products specifcally for showers.

    Ashley!:
    Creamy candy is so delicious! I know, everythings really overpriced but i figure it's good to pamper yourself sometimes :)

    Luna Soeth :):
    isn't it so delicious? Lovely blackcurrant cordial bath :D Supernova is a lot of fun.
    And i don't think i got your email! I can't find it anywhere :O

    Femaleclaws:
    i've never tried the bar shampoos because i don't like the smell of any of them and to me the scent is the most important part of a shampoo :P the bath bomb is really fun, you should give it a try :)

    Silly Old Daniel:
    hee hee you're right, they're all candy coloured and it does look a bit like a sweet shop :)

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  17. kali:
    I've used all these since before christmas so not all my baths have been that fun but a lot have :) Aww that's a shame. Maybe you could just find a shower gel you really like the smell of to cheer them up a bit? :)

    Heather:
    Thank you! It is really exciting :D
    I'm so glad you liked the hand cream! Because i was allergic to it i was hesitant to send it to other people incase it did the same to them but my mum (who has sensitive skin) found it fine so i took a chance and sent it to all the giveaway winners.

    kayleigh:
    You're welcome :)

    Tamara:
    Thank you so much <3
    I'm glad noone else seems to have my problem with the handcream, it's really quite painful :(
    Hee hee it's true! Besides dogs are superior to hand cream :)

    Simone:
    Aww no problem! I hope you find things you like! :D

    Emily:
    Thank you so much! :D

    Arika:
    Ooh i'll have to try it like that! At the moment it gives me a nice creamy foam but it would be nice to get a lovely lather! And i wish they did too, but i guess it makes christmas a bit more special :)

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  18. I resent the email. Let me know if you get it this time. If not, you can email at coconutsmoothie@inbox.com, so that I know I have your correct email. ;)

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