In January of this past year, I discovered
Lush Cosmetics. Well, it's really not just a cosmetic company... it's more of a bath and body company. I completely flipped over their products and started reviewing each one as I tried it. Here's a listing of what I had posted over on the Lush NA forums:
HONEY I WASHED THE KIDS- 2/5 I'm probably the only person in the Lush world who didn't like this one. It was probably doomed from the beginning since it's a sweet one. I didn't like the scent before using it... it was too sweet of a honey/toffee smell, but I thought I needed to at least give it a try since it came in my first Lush purchase and was inside a BOGO Christmas gift box.
The scent as I used it was the same... too sweet! The soap worked well, didn't do much moisturizing nor was it too drying. The experience was uneventful and I won't be buying that one again. (Off into the trash it went /duck)
KARMA CREME- 5/5 All I can say is OMG. This was part of my first Lush purchase which was made in one of the stores. I smelled it and immediately loved it.
I'm a lover of anything patchouli and this creme doesn't disappoint! The scent is absolutely incredible. The combination of orange, patchouli and I've been sniffing myself throughout the day just to get another whiff! This scent is a very unisex scent. Men will love this as much as women.
The creme itself is great. It's very smooth going on with no greasy feeling. I use it every day after my shower and have found that my dry winter skin is no longer... even my elbows.
I would highly recommend this creme to everyone! Karma is a scent that I will be using for years and this creme will be a staple in my house. Please bring back the shower gel!
KARMA SOAP- 5/5 Wow... the incredible scent of Karma in soap form! It's a great soap to use in the shower. It lathers very well and leaves your skin clean and scented with the orange/patchouli/piney scent. Some people have commented that they thought this soap was drying. I did not at all. It wasn't moisturizing either, but it doesn't matter to me since I practically dive into my pot of Karma creme after every shower. One little drawback- the bar does melt rather quickly.. but that doesn't take a point away.
KARMA PERFUME- 4/5 Can you tell I'm nuts about Karma? LOL The perfume is the truest version of this scent. You can really smell the added spices, pine and underlying tones when wearing this scent. Many have called Karma "meditative" and there are definite tones that make one feel that way. My only problem with it and the only reason why I took off a point was because of the packaging. When mine came in the mail, it had leaked a bit into the bag. It seems as if the seal on the bottle is very weak. Every time I open it, there's a little of the perfume around the rim. The bottle should probably be redesigned or else I got a bad one. It will certainly be one of my regulars.
CINDERS BATH BOMB- 2/5 This was my first bath bomb experience! I'm not much of a bath person, but reading all the descriptions, reviews and videos... that might change. I was really looking forward to Cinders with the cinnamon scent and decided to try one. The fizzing and exploding pop rocks were very neat as the water turned a medium yellow. The spicy scent filled the bathroom, but quickly left. The bomb did leave my skin moisturized as I left the tub... but the scent did not linger on my skin. While it was a nice experience... it was a weak one. Cinders could easily be enjoyed by both sexes. It's only getting two points now, but may change when I try it again after experiencing a few other bb's.
CHAI SHOWER GEL (Retro)- 5/5 Friday was a very cold, snowy day... so I decided it was time to try one of my newest Lush purchases- Chai Shower Gel. I am an extreme lover of Chai and all things spicy and warm. When I opened the bottle, I wasn't sure what to expect. I could smell tea, cinnamon and spice. The minute I put some on my shower scrub.. the bathroom filled with a spicy, cinnamon chai scent. The gel is warming and spicy... yet moisturizing. It did not dry my skin at all.
PRINCE SHAVING CREAM- 5/5 I received a sample of this last weekend from the Lush store in Pittsburgh PA. I wasn't sure what to think of it, since the consistency is nothing like any other shave cream I've used. My partner tried it first and went crazy over it! The first time I used it, I was amazed. I got an incredibly close shave and my face was sooo soft for the entire day. Any guy who uses regular shaving cream knows that it's very drying to the skin.. sometimes to the point of needing some type of moisturizer after. Prince takes care of that. I had no problems with it clogging up my razor like some have said on the Lush website. I used very warm water to rinse my razor and rinsed it often. The scent is light and not overwhelming at all. This will be a Lush staple in my household.
AMBROSIA SHAVING CREAM- 4/5 I purchased this last weekend too. The only reason this didn't get 5/5 is that it's a little more runny and less creamy than Prince. But... it does wonders for irritation from shaving. I have one place on my neck that always gets irritated when I shave. I used this two days in a row and that area is not irritated at all now! I think it will be used in rotation with Prince. A great light scent.
AROMACO DEODORANT- 4/5 Boy, was I afraid to try this after hearing some horror stories about people having sore, red pits after using it. I did a patch test on a small area of one underarm prior to using it with no reactions. Like many, I have always used the standard anti-perspirant filled with nasty aluminum. This product works great! No smelly pits for me... only a whiff of patchouli every once in a while (which I love) and it compliments Karma wonderfully.
It does take a bit to get used to in that your pits still will sweat, but they wont be stinky.
BLUE SKIES AND FLUFFY WHITE CLOUDS Bubble Bar- 5/5 There's something about the combination of Patchouli and Frankincense that I LOVE. This one did not disappoint! The scent was amazing even before I used it.. but once in the tub... wow! Although this one costs more than most... it's much bigger too. I got my first two from a UK order and they were HUGE... about 5" in diameter. I used about 1/3rd of it and it seemed to be just enough. The water immediately turned a beautiful blue along with lots and lots of bubbles. The scent filled my bathroom immediately. My bath was a relaxing one... I loved it. It also is a great skin softener. One problem I saw though- in my local Lush store, they were MUCH smaller... a bit thicker than the ones I have, but only about 3" in diameter. Definitely try this one out for a nice relaxing bath. The scent lasts a long time.. even on your body, but not at all overpowering. It's certainly a great unisex scent.
ULTRABALM- 5/5 This little tin needs to be a staple in very Lush home! The reason I got it was because of all the raves and possible uses for it. Well, they were right! This balm is for practically any and everything. I started using it on my feet every morning after the shower as I put on my socks. It works very much like that nasty petroleum jelly.. but seems to have many other purposes. When you first put it on, it seems to be a bit greasy.. especially on your hands, but is quickly absorbed. No scent except for the ingredients. My feet are loving it! A definite must-have!
TRAMP Shower Gel (Retro)- 4/5 Well of course I had to have this... it has Patchouli in it! What a treat it was to use this... as soon as I squirted the DARK GREEN (and I mean reallyyyyyy green) liquid on my shower puff, I was immediately greeted with a heady patchouli along with some woodsy/earthy undertones. If you're not a lover of patchouli, this won't be for you. But if you are... give this one a definite try. An amazing gel that guys would like too. This one will be staying in rotation with my other favorites.
LEMONY FLUTTER- 5/5 I purchased this as a result of reading on the forums about how good it was for dry, winter feet. I started using it every morning before putting on my socks. WOW- this stuff is amazing. Not only have my feet become soft and are not peeling or dry, it has also completely moisturized my hands just from applying it! I usually have very dry guy hands with split cuticles. I have NONE of that this year. It has a great lemony scent and is much less greasy than using Ultrabalm. A great moisturizer for very dry skin!
DREAM CREAM- 3/5 I received this in one of the gift boxes. The first time I opened the jar, I immediately thought it should go in the garbage. The smell was nothing like I thought it would be. While there is a faint hint of lavender... for some reason it doesn't smell as good as it should. The only reason I tried using it was I developed a few pimples on my legs, which I think was from using waaaay too much Karma Kream ( LOVE THAT STUFF ) and may have over-moisturized. One applied, the smell was better and very light... so it really didn't bother me. The next day, my legs were pretty much completely cleared up. I think this cream would work very well on problem skin. Since then, I've toned down on using so much Karma Kream and haven't had any problems since.
WINTER BATH- 4/5 This is a great bath bomb! I purchased it as part of the after holiday sale and was pleasantly surprised with it. The combination of the ginger/clove scent and the moisturizing of the chunks of cocoa butter was very refreshing... especially on a cold evening. The bomb lasts forever.. at least 10 minutes... making the water a lovely jade/white color. The only reason this one only gets 4 stars is because I found it less moisturizing than the Blue Skies bubble bar... even with all that cocoa butter! Overall though.. it's a very nice bomb. I'm glad I have 15 in my stash
R & B- 5/5 This is an unexpected one! My SO was given a sample of this at the downtown Pittsburgh Lush store recently, when he asked for something for his flyaway hair. Being that my hair is colored, I haven't used any of the Lush hair products because most of them have sulfates in them, which causes color to fade fast. I tried some of this too and we both have decided that it's going to be a staple in our house. Not only does it help control flyaway hair... it's also *very* moisturizing and helps with styling. One tip: The salesperson warned us about using too much. Both of us only use a little dab of it and it works very well. A tub will last you a LONG time. Great scent.. smells coconutty along with some orange. I think I can even smell the avocado.
EGO (Retro)- 5/5 This was one of my first retro purchases and I instantly fell in love with this massage bar. For any lavender/herbal lovers, I highly recommend this one! The lavender scent is fantastic... very natural and strong. You can also pick up scents of some other herbs such as rosemary and a bit of the anise scented tarragon. I usually use this one at night, when I'm winding down from a long day.. it's extremely relaxing. I just wish that Lush would either make some other sized tins to accommodate the different shapes and sizes or else make all massage bars the same shape. I had to cut this one to get it in the tin. The extra bits, I threw into the tub.
EACH PEACH and TWO'S A PAIR- 3/5 Let me just say.... CITRUS!!!! Wow... this massage bar is quite strong.. it smells a bit like lemon Pledge to me. While I do like citrus, this bar will probably be used during the summertime for me. For those that like citrus... you'll love it! It's a so so bar for me that I probably wouldn't buy again. We'll see how it works during the warm summer months. It could be that winter isn't a citrus time for me personally.
BLUE SKIES shower gel (Retro)- 5/5 It took me almost a month after I became a Lushie and fell in love with the Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds bubble bar that I even KNEW there was a shower gel. O M G. LOVE IT!! Warning- when they say BLUE.. they mean BLUE!!! It's kinda fun to have a white bath and shower have blue all over it... not to worry.. it rinses easily.
This gel smells just like the bubble bar.. lots of frankincense and patchouli. My only wish is that the scent stayed on the skin longer. Would LOVE to have a body creme of it!
ICON perfume (Retro)- 10/5 Ok... I've gone absolutely bananas over this scent. I've always been a lover of incensey scents... so this one is right up my alley! I just received it the other day and have worn nothing but this scent. The combination of myrrh, orange and sandalwood is wonderful. This is definitely a unisex scent. I only wish I was around when there were other Icon products. I would love to have this in a shower gel or a lotion! As long as Lush carries this, I'll be wearing it! (along with Karma).
Pied de Pepper- 5/5 Love this foot lotion! The clove/vanilla/cinnamon scent is very reminiscent of the retro Chai shower gel which is one of my favorites. This lotion is thin, but has a great warming effect to the feet and works wonders on tired toes! If your feet are extremely dry, I would suggest using Lemony Flutter or Ultrabalm… but as an overall foot lotion, this one is great!
A French Twist (bubble bar)- 5/5 This is an excellent bubble bar to use after a long tiring day to wind down and get ready for a good night’s sleep. The combination of lavender, rosemary and thyme are perfect for calming. Lots of bubbles and a bit of real lavender, this one turned my water a dark pink (I’m not afraid of pink… lol). There must be a bit of variation in color with this one. My niece recently got one in mail order and she said it was purple and white and turned her water purple. Follow this relaxing bath with a good massage using the EGO massage bar.
Egg Snog- 3/5 A lot of people complain about this limited lip balm.. and I can see why. I like it more than most people do, but it does wear off extremely quickly and must be reapplied quite often. The scent/taste reminded me a *bit* like eggnog, but not much. There’s lots of cinnamon & vanilla in it… but I think the egg nog scent/taste could be better. It does moisturize the lips a bit… but not for long since it doesn’t last.
Angels on Bare Skin- 5/5 This one is incredible and quite a surprise for me. During a recent visit to my local Lush store, I was looking at all of the facial cleansers and remarking how strange looking they were. The SA suggested I try a sample of AoBS. Since I’m a guy and never really used facial specific products… it sat in my bathroom for a few weeks until one day I decided to give it a try. All I can say is UNBELIEVABLE. Although I don’t have a lot of products to rate it against, I can say that it was incredibly fun to use, the scent is an amazing combination of lavender and almond and it’s worked wonders on my face! I’m originally a red head with reddish cheeks and very sensitive skin. My skin is now very soft, not dry at all and it seems to have a much more even tone to it. This one will definitely become a staple for me.
Bob Soap (limited edition)- 4/5 I bought this one from the UK since many people had remarked about how it was more “for a guy”… lol. The bar was pretty cool looking… very Christmassy with green and red areas and lots of glitter on the top. My first impressions of the scent were that it was very orangey/chocolate scented with a bit of spice. The weird thing about this soap is that the lather is brown! Very strange to be using a green/red bar and see the suds going down the drain to be brown. Found it to be very enjoyable and moisturizing. The only reason it didn’t get a 5 is I would have liked it to be a bit spicier and to have been able to smell the star anise.
Gold, Frankincense & Beer– 3/5 While I REALLY wanted to love this one, I was kind of let down from the scent. This jelly smells of coca cola with orange. There’s a light scent of spice, but not as much as you would think. Some say it smells like Bob soap. It does a bit, but I think Bob soap smells better and doesn’t have the coca cola scent. The whole jelly experience was weird! This was the first time for me, so I wasn’t real sure which way to use it. I broke off a small piece and used it like soap the first time in a shower. The lather was great and it was very moisturizing. The second time I used the whole thing in the tub. That was much more fun. It was almost like trying to hold on to a greased up water balloon. It was fun.. but not as fun as I had hoped.
SWEET & SHOWER (UK Limited Edition)- 4/5 This stuff is probably the weirdest bath product I have ever used, including the shower jellies! Think of molasses in a jar and that’s what you have. I really had fun with it. While it is messy, it’s very easy to wash off shower walls and the tub. I took a three finger dip into the tub and covered myself in this dark brown sticky goop and rubbed it all over. The scent is mostly of a treacle/molasses smell… with a bit of myrrh and sandalwood. I didn’t use it in my hair since I color it and it has sulfates in it, but I really did enjoy my shower! It left my skin very soft with a faint sweet sandalwood scent on my skin. The only reason it didn’t get a 5 is because it is a bit messy, but I definitely buy it again and am glad I bought a couple pots of it.
GEO PHYZZ ballistic- 4/5 Ok… I love this one! I know that many people have mixed feelings on Geo, but not me. This is the perfect bath for me… not flowery or feminine… much more of an herbal mineral spa bath. The scent is fantastic with pine and sandalwood. It changes the water to a nice light green and the salts in the bomb work wonders to relax muscles. It’s also quite moisturizing to the skin. The only drawback is that the bomb melts very fast and from what I’ve seen in stores, it tends to crumble easily. I would love to see this bomb made a bit bigger. Other than that, it’s great! Perfect woodsy scent for muscles and relaxation! A definite staple in our house.
WAYLANDER RHASSOUL (Retro)- 2.5/5 Ugh! I *really* wanted to love this one from the description. It definitely has its pros and cons, but to me, the cons win here. This bar is incredibly creamy and moisturizing to the skin. It makes a wonderful lather which also exfoliates from the pumice in the bar, but not so much as to scratch you or be too rough. Sounds like a real winner, right? Especially since the major fragrance in this bar is patchouli… one of my all time favorite scents. The first time I smelled the bar without using it, I LOVED it. The earthy patchouli scent was amazing… I could hardly wait. One thing to realize is that this bar melts VERY fast. You really need to keep it out of the stream of water and make sure it doesn’t sit in water. It almost has the consistency of fudge… from the mud. After my first shower and drying off, I took a good whiff of my arm… and it STUNK. I hate to say it but it smelled like body odor… almost as if I hadn’t showered in a week! It almost had that oniony scent that BO has… rofl… and it lingers! My SO felt the same way and refuses to use it again. I did try it again and the second time, I really didn’t notice the nasty smell.. I smelled more of the patchouli. I’m not sure if it’s me getting used to it or the bar is a bit inconsistent in its scent. I could *really* like this bar for its properties, but something needs to be done about the scent. I initially wanted to rate it a 2, but gave it a 2.5 after using it a second time. I’ll adjust it with future uses.
SMITTEN (UK Retro)- 4/5 This is a great hand cream! The almond/marzipan scent can be a bit overpowering though. It’s very moisturizing to the hands, so much that your hands can be a bit greasy after applying it, but the skin quickly absorbs it, leaving your hands feeling nice and soft. I keep a small pump of it on my desk to use when my hands are dry and it works wonders! The only reason it didn’t get a 5 is that the scent is rather strong for me and can overpower you. A little goes a long way here.. it seems I need to use less than I would with other hand creams.
HELPING HANDS- 2/5 Yuk… stinky! This hand cream smells nasty to me.. almost like Dream Cream. I’m not sure what it is, because I love lavender! I can’t really even describe the smell, but it’s quite unpleasant to me.. almost like rancid oil. I’ve tried it a couple times, even in store to make sure the bottle I have isn’t “off”, and it still stunk. I got this in one of the gift packages, not by selecting it in a store. (I seem to have much more luck trying things first before buying or else choosing what I want from descriptions and reviews) It has many of the properties of Smitten and it quite rich and moisturizing. A little goes a long way again here or else your hands can be left with a greasy feeling to them. It got a 2 because it works well as a hand cream, but I can’t get over that smell! Ugh! :P
SNOWDROPS ballistic (Limited Edition)- 5/5 WOW. MINT! This bomb is perfect for a cold winter’s night or if you have a cold yourself. A few weeks ago, I had a nasty head cold and could hardly breathe through my nose. I had recently purchased a few of these from the UK because they were limited and I wanted to try them. I hopped into a very warm bath and dropped on in. AMAZING. The amount of mint (pepper minty… like the candy) was incredible. My nostrils cleared immediately and I was able to smell the citrus in it. My tub water didn’t change colors.. maybe became a bit more opaque, but there were some great iridescent shards floating in the water along with sugar ice cubes at the bottom of the tub. It made the whole experience feel like you were soaking in ice water! The mint made my skin tingle and completely opened my sinuses. This bomb is a real winner for me… I ordered 10 more and have since used a few… love it!
DEMON IN THE DARK- 5/5 We’re on a mint trend here… lol. Demon was the first sample I was given in my local lush store. I didn’t use it right away, but had purchased a few from the UK site (I thought for some reason at that time it was a limited edition). Since I normally rinse off after the tub, I pulled a bar out recently for use after my minty snowdrops bath. OMG, I love love love this bar! The spearmint/peppermint goes soooo well with the sweetness of the apple. While the apple is not the major scent, you can smell it and it does add to the overall scent being sooooo great! The lather is plentiful and it leaves you feeling quite clean. Your skin will tingle after using it. The only downfall with this bar is that it has an outer covering of black wax that must be peeled off prior to use. While it’s very easy to peel off, you’re actually paying for the wax by weight.. making this a more expensive soap. I hate when I get ends and there’s a whole ¼” of wax on one side of the bar. Other than that… this is a bar to have! I did notice that I preferred the UK soap to the NA for some reason. It seems mintier and the bars are much greener from the UK and much darker from NA.
KARMA bubble bar- 5/5 By now you know that I am crazy over anything Karma.. and the bubble bar does not disappoint! I was able to get two good baths from one bar. It has a nice strong scent of Karma with tons of bubbles and turns the water a light orange. I felt very moisturized after getting out of the tub. If you’re a fan of Karma, BUY THIS… and BUY MANY.
TINY HANDS- 4/5 I always thought a solid hand crème would be a good idea, and it was! This little bar packs quite a punch, both with moisture and scent. It left my hands incredibly soft after using it and I find myself reaching for it much more than any of the crème hand moisturizers from Lush. A little goes a long way here too… using too much can make your hands a bit greasy, but it will be absorbed, it just takes a bit. I’m glad to see this product has Argan oil in it, which is very good for skin and hair. The scent is quite strong, but nice. It’s a flowery, vanilla scent that some will probably find a bit too much or overpowering. For some reason, it doesn’t bother me that much… but enough to make it 4 stars instead of 5.
COSMIC DREAMCATCHER- 4/5 This seems to be a controversial massage bar. There have been people who say it smells wonderful and others who complain that it smells like a smoky campfire or even burning rubber tires. The first time I used it, I found it to be quite smoky, but not in the campfire way. The smokiness reminded me more of incense/church/frankincense rather than a bonfire. It’s heavily scented with herbs such as sage and thyme, which I could smell quite clearly. It’s wonderfully moisturizing and has quite a calming effect on me. I really like it and will buy it again. The only reason it got a 4 is because my SO thought it smelled of a burning campfire too! Lol
CERIDWYN’S CAULDRON- 5/5 OK.. this one deserves a 10/5, that’s how wonderful it is! This was my first use of a Lush bath melt… and if they’re all like Ceridwyn’s, I’m in deep trouble financially. LOL. I was completely surprised at how much I enjoyed my bath. I knew the scent would be right up my alley from the description and ingredients (lavender, sandalwood & frankincense). What I was amazed by was the way the consistency of the water changed! As it melted, the water took on very creamy feeling.. probably from the butters in the melt. It instantly made my skin feel moisturized and refreshed. The scent was light and not overpowering and the water became milky looking with a bit of froth. The scent in the bath is a bit hard to describe since it’s light. I smelled lavender, orange and a bit of sandalwood & frankincense along with oats. The best thing about this melt is that after it melts, the herbs and oats are in the muslin bag to exfoliate your skin. This was probably the longest bath I ever had.. I didn’t want to get out! What a fantastic product.. I can’t recommend it enough!
THE BOOG bath ballistic (limited edition)- 4/5 I’ve seen a lot of people complain about this one, but I kinda liked it! A very smooth and creamy bath, this bomb starts out fizzing white and making the water an opaque white. The scent is light with a bit of an herbal smell to it- rosemary, sage and myrrh. I could smell all three of these scents, but very lightly. After the bomb fizzes for a while, the snowman head releases a few different colored mini-balls that make a great colored foam on the top of the water. Overall, it was a nice bath… it only got 4 stars because I’d like it to be a bit stronger. Nice and moisturizing and I would definitely buy it again.
MOON ON A STICK (UK forum special)- 2.5/5 I got sucked in to buying a few of these during the UK forum party just because I knew they would be so limited and I wanted to try it out… even though I knew the scent was not going to be for me. I really dislike the scent of lilies. They remind me of funeral homes, which is why you’ll never find any inside my house, out in the garden or anything scented with lilies. It might also be because I’m male.. lol. The reason I gave it 2.5 stars is because of the BEAUTIFUL bath this bomb makes. It starts out fizzing white with lots of bubbles until the outer layer dissolves… then comes this wonderful shade of violet blue… the exact color of the night sky! I was really amazed at how beautiful it was (while I held my nose.. lol) While the blue layer is dissolving, the bomb releases silver glitter along with silver stars that float on top of the water. The last later is a very slow dissolving white, which leaves a little white foam on top of the water which looks incredibly like a full moon. Gazing into the bathwater is like looking at a night sky! If this bomb had a different scent like a lavender or something like it, I would rate it 100/5! The only drawbacks are that nasty scent along with the TON of silver glitter that was at the bottom of the tub when it drained.
KARMA KOMBA- 3/5 I didn’t purchase this one for myself, since I can’t use any of Lush’s shampoos (They have nasty sulfates in them that strip hair color… sigh), but for my SO who LOVES anything Karma. I did have a chance to use it once last week, the day before I was due for another color job. I figured it didn’t matter how much color was stripped out since it would be fixed the next day. I’ve been smelling that little puck in the shower for the last month and wanted to try it badly! So, a few rubs on my head and I was in heaven with Karma! The scent is just what you would expect and there was a TON of lather just from two little strokes on my head. I’m not used to so much lather since I use a SLS and soap free shampoo. It was a great experience and gave me “squeaky” clean hair (I know that’s not a very good thing, but many people think their hair isn’t clean unless they have that squeak, which is actually a result of all the oils being taken out of your hair). If this were available in a color-friendly version, it would be a 5/5!
P.A.W.S. (NA Limited Edition)- 5/5 I was lucky enough to get a good supply of this one as soon as it was released… I’m a big animal lover and seeing those dog paws on the soap instantly had me interested! I really enjoy this soap. It’s extremely creamy and feels very good on the skin. I was afraid that the creaminess would mean the bar would melt too quick in the shower, but it doesn’t. The scent is an herbal fresh scent… smells like the Grass SG with a little more herb to it. The sandalwood is light, but really rounds out the scent of the bar. This is a perfect soap for spring/summer season. If it were a permanent addition to the line, I would always have a couple bars of this on hand!
AQUA MIRABILIS UNDERWATER (UK Retro)- 2/5 I was very interested and intrigued to try this one because people seem to be confused as to whether it’s a bath melt or a scrub. At first look, the bar looks very old and dried out. There is a lot of loose white powder and flower petals on and around it. When I first plopped it into my bathwater, the bar fizzed for a short time and released all of the petals. The bar started to melt, coloring the water a creamy white. I used it as a body scrub and it did a good job exfoliating my skin. The scent was so so… I thought it would be a nice combination of rose and sandalwood, but those scents were extremely light. The smell was much like many people have said in the past… almost like cookies or biscuits. If you use this, be careful when using it as a scrub. The grains are ground almond shells and there’s a TON of it.. so you can scratch your skin rather easily. The bar left a mess in the tub with the flower petals, but mostly the bottom of my tub was filled with the ground shells. A bit messy and far too much work for what it offered.
GLOOG Shower Gel (Limited Edition)- 3/5 I’ve had a few bottles of this since the holidays, but never got around to using it until this past weekend. It’s a typical Lush shower gel with a very orange/red color to it and lots of lather. This gel reminds me a lot of the Chai sg, but to me, it’s not as good. The scent is very reminiscent of Chai, but is much sweeter where Chai is spicier. I know a lot of people love Gloog and don’t like Chai… but as normal, I’m the opposite. LOL I did get a scent of “coca cola” like many people have commented on. That might be why I’m not super fond of it. Its ok, but not one that I would buy again.
SHAVE THE PLANET (UK Retro)- 4/5 This is a GREAT shaving cream. While it will never replace Prince for me, it’s definitely one to have in rotation with it! The consistency is a bit like whipped butter, where Prince is like a light frosting. It goes on VERY easily and smells WONDERFUL! The bamboo really stands out here and has a nice clean and unique scent to it. The shave is nice and close and your face is left extremely soft and moisturized. If you wipe your face rather than rinse it off, it really does moisturize all day long with a light smell of the bamboo. This one is my partner’s favorite, where mine is Prince.. so we’ll be able to use each other’s for a change. Definitely recommended!
Rant time!! 
In most reviews and comments about Lush’s shaving creams, there are always complaints about them clogging razors, difficult to shave with, leaving lots of residue and so on and so on. I *really* don’t understand what people are talking about. I’ve used Prince and other Lush shaving creams exclusively for a few months now and have never had any of those problems! You certainly don’t need ¼ inch of cream in the area you’re shaving.. so start by using a little less! Of course the cream is going to get into your razor, but that’s why you rinse it with each pass in very hot water! The cream just melts off and you’re ready for your next pass. A hot towel or rinse after shaving removes ALL residues, and besides… all the creams are very moisturizing, so you can just wipe/rinse and rub the rest in. Lush shaving creams are so great that if they’re clogging your razor even after hot rinses, go buy another razor! LOL Ok.. back to our regularly scheduled reviews.. lol:
FIZZY-O THERAPY (Retro)- 5/5 LOVE this bomb.. It’s right up my alley with the spiciness of it. The bomb fizzes for quite some time and turns the water a tan/orange color. The scent is of clove, cinnamon & ginger… so it’s very relaxing and soothing to tired muscles. I would imagine it would pair very well with Chai SG or even Karma soap. I used this after a long day when my body felt worn out…. When I got out of the tub, I felt much better and the scent lingered on both me and in the bathroom for some time. This is a must have for anyone who likes Lush’s spicier scents!
DREAMTIME bath melt- 3.5/5 I thought I was going to like this melt more than what I did. From the description and reviews, I was really anticipating using it. When I first try a product, I always use it by itself. Dreamtime seems to be a bit off in the scent for me. I love lavender, almond and sandalwood… but for some reason, the almond didn’t work in the mix. I’m not sure if it’s the combination or the amounts, but it really was “blah” for me. The scent reminded me a bit of Dream Cream with almonds… I don’t know if it’s because it has Dream in the name or what, but I don’t like that one either. It might have been the high expectation I had for it and that my first bath melt experience was Ceridwyn’s Cauldron (which is the BEST bathe melt I’ve tried so far). It was moisturizing, but not as much as CC. The flowers in the melt were a bit annoying too, sticking to everything. Now, it would get a much higher rating when used in a cocktail. Use this with ½ of A French Kiss and now you’re talking! I’ll probably buy it again just for that reason only.
WAVING NOT DROWNING (Dc’d)- 4.5/5 Wow.. why are they getting rid of this bomb? It’s GREAT! This is what Dreamtime should have been like. Tossing this bomb into the tub immediately releases a lovely lavender scent along with just a bit of the licorice of fennel. There is also Ylang Ylang (which I’m not too fond of) in the mix. My water turned a beautiful light purple/blue shade and I was immediately relaxed after an extremely stressful day. The scent is not strong, but it is enough to calm and relax you almost immediately. I slept like a baby after my bath! The only reason this one doesn’t get a 5/5 is because they could tone the Ylang Ylang down a bit in it… but it still doesn’t take too much away from the loveliness of this bomb! I’m going to pick up a few more before it disappears!
TEMPLE OF TRUTH (Retro)- 5/5 I seem to really be drawn to the non-mainstream Lush products! I was a little iffy about trying this product because rose anything can be iffy for me. BUT… not with ToT! The amount of bubbles created by this bar was amazing! The water turned milky white and the scent was just wonderful. Sandalwood and Rosewood are a lovely combination in this bubble bar. The scent lingered on my skin for a while after and I felt very clean, refreshed and relaxed. This is another bubble bar that I’ll need to keep ordering!
AMANDOPONDO- 2.5/5 I normally wouldn’t purchase this one since it seemed to be a bit too “rosey” in the store for me, but I was buying some Lush for my sister and had picked one for her. The SA accidently dropped it and it broke into pieces. She threw the broken one in my bag as an freebee. So, I crumbled the broken bubble bar into my tub and climbed in. My bathwater became a milky white with rose petals all around me. It was very moisturizing, but the bubbles disappeared quickly and the scent was very light with the main scent being rose. Although many others may like this one, it’s just not for me.
FLOATING ISLAND- 3/5 Well, I had to try this twice in order to get the proper feel for it. The first time, I did like many people have and treated FI like a bubble bar. After I read up on it (I try to do that after I use a new product so I’m not influenced), I found out it was a bath melt. LOL I initially loved the smell of this melt, it had a vanilla & sandalwood scent to it. When I plopped it into my tub, it seemed that the major scents were of lemon and vanilla. This melt takes a lonnnnng time to melt, so throw it in when you first start your bath water. I found it to be very moisturizing and left my skin very soft. The color of the water was an off white/gray color and the scent was extremely light. Since it’s very light, it’s best use would probably be cocktailing it with something else. Overall, I was a bit disappointed, but will try it in combination with something else in the future.
SCHNUGGLE (Retro)- 4.5/5 An unexpected love! This is the first body butter I’ve tried and I realllly like it! I know that some people complain that the body butters are hard to use, but I took a suggestion from the Lush forums about using Schnuggle in the shower right before toweling off. That’s the way I mostly use it now, since it makes it much easier to apply. The scent of Schnuggle is WONDERFUL.. a light, lavender, chamomile & sandalwoody scent to it with very powdery undertones. It’s perfect to use to relax or before bedtime. If you use it getting out of the shower while your skin is still wet, you’ll notice a bit of a milky runoff which I think is the powder/cornstarch coming off. If you use it dry, make sure the bar warms up before you start to use it or it will feel like you’re rubbing a dry bar of soap on your skin. This body butter does NOT leave your skin greasy like many of the other ones do. Your skin will feel soft and a bit powdery. This is a definite must-have!
RISING SUN (NA Limited Edition)- 5/5 What a beautiful soap! Not only in looks and the fact that the proceeds aid Japan, but the scent is fantastic! Who would have ever thought that combining the scent of cherries and cinnamon would work? It does very well! I could carry a bar of this soap around with me all day and never tire of it. It’s incredibly creamy and really moisturizes your skin. In the description, it mentions to make sure to remove the outer wax layer. You can feel that the top and sides of this bar do have wax on them, but I almost ruined a bar trying to peel it off. The wax is nothing like the black covering on Demon in the Dark… there doesn’t seem to be a real “layer” that you can peel off. I went ahead and just used the bar without removing the wax and it was just fine. This is another definite must have for me and for anyone who likes spiced cherries! LOL
PSYCHODELIC (Retro)- 5/5 Oh, what a bubble bar this is! First of all, each Psychodelic you get will look different. I know that most Lush products look different, but this one can range in size and colors with blue/yellow/white. Crumbling it into my bath water produced an incredible amount of bubbles and turned my water a great green color. While this isn’t one of the most moisturizing bubble bars, the scent is perfect to chill you out after a crazy day. The combination of cinnamon, sandalwood and citrus is pretty strong, but just enough for me. LOVE THIS ONE! If you like spicy citrus scents.. try this one for sure!
RAINBOW WORRIER (Retro)- 5/5 I’m crushed that this bomb is being discontinued, along with a TON of retro products (I’ll rant about that later). I love this bomb! After a crazy day or if you’ve got a lot on your mind, this bomb with help ease any problems right down the drain! The bomb is a slow-fizzer which is very nice.. it lets off almost a creamy layer in the water. The scent is a great combination of Bergamot, Sandalwood and a bit of Vetiver (which I only got a hint of). As the bomb fizzes, I found it to be very moisturizing and made for a wonderful bath! As it comes to an end, you’ll be greeted with a little splash of color from the center (which can be any of a few colors- blue, yellow, pink or green) and a fortune! The first time I used this bomb, I knew nothing about the fortune until I got out of the tub and saw it sticking on my leg! LOL I would highly recommend this bomb.. even if it is being discontinued!
MAGIC (Limited Edition)- 10/5 Now THIS is the type of bath bomb I like! I was able to snag up a few of these from the UK site when I first started using Lush earlier this year and boy, am I glad I did! A bright blue quadrodecahedral (that means 14 sides.. and yes, I had to look it up!), which once you pop it in the water, it turns it a bright turquoise color and the scent is of rose (which I don’t mind in this bomb at all) and marjoram… giving it a very herbal scent. As the bomb fizzes, it exposes a pink center which immediately turns the water a deep dark purple. The scent changes also.. to a minty herbal… which is a combination of basil and peppermint. I can’t even begin to express how much I love this bomb! The only thing… as I was enjoying my last minutes of the bath, I almost had a heart attack when I glanced in the water and saw some type of what I thought was a bug or a piece of something that shouldn’t be there. After I looked it up, I found out that in the center is a little piece of fresh parsley… to bring prosperity to the bather… LOL! Love this one immensely. I’m savoring my last one for some special day.
PLAYDOZE (Retro)- 5/5 I found out about this bubble bar when I purchased it for my grand-nephew. My niece talked about the wonderful lavender scent and how calming it was for him, so I decided to try it myself. WOW… this is a GREAT bubble bar! The color is a fluorescent green/yellow and yes, it changes your bath water to be that exact color! Ahhh, the scent! The strongest note is of lavender… not the flowery lavender like what’s in A French Kiss, but much more of a medicinal lavender along with a little bit of fennel which gives it a hint of anise/licorice. This bar is totally relaxing and makes a perfect bath to calm you down after a long, stressful day. A wonderful cocktail- ½ playdoze, a few shavings from an Ego massage bar and then plop in a Golden Slumbers… I promise you’ll have a tough time getting the energy to get OUT of the tub!
HIPPY CHICK (Easter 2011)- 1/5 Ugh! What a disappointment! I wasn’t fond of any of the Easter limited editions this year, mostly because they were sweet/candy/fruity… but I didn’t mind the scent of the Hippy Chick bath bomb. I’m a bergamot lover and I could smell it in the bomb at the store along with grapefruit. I plopped this in my tub and I could smell the bergamot and grapefruit for about 30 seconds and then nothing. It wasn’t moisturizing, it didn’t do anything to the water and the scent was waaay too light. A total waste of money… but it looked cute! Lol
GAVARNIE (Retro)- 5/5 Can you say FRESH? This soap is just amazing! The deep green color along with flower petals and leaves is the perfect visual when trying to figure out what Gavarnie smells like. When I first used this soap, all I could think of was a flowering meadow… but it’s not a flowery scent! The scent is very green, fresh, earthy, woodsy and grassy. It makes a TON of lather and the funny thing is, the soap is green, the lather is YELLOW! All in all, a perfect spring-type soap… not flowery, just fresh! Another retro discontinued soap I’ll be sorry to see go. I do have 4 in my stash, so I’ll be able to enjoy it for a while longer! Some say it smells like Jungle conditioner, but I’ve never used it so I can’t say. The scent stays on you for a long while and makes the bathroom smell great!
NARCOTICK (Retro)- 5/5 This is quite a controversial shower gel from what I’ve been reading. If you’re an herbal lover, do yourself a favor and try this one before they sell out of the remaining stock! Many people claim that it’s helped with many skin problems. This green/blue gel smells very clean and herbal… but there are some who feel that it smells like cough medicine. I think what they’re smelling is the tea tree oil. There are so many different scents in this gel; it’s hard to describe other than it being herbal. There’s tea tree, rosemary, lemon, lavender, sage and rose. The combo doesn’t sound too interesting, but in the shower I find it works very well! The scent doesn’t linger on your skin for long at all, so if you’re not a fan of the scent, try it for the skin benefits. Another one I wish wasn’t being discontinued.
Uluru (Retro)- 5/5 Another nice surprise! I wasn’t sure of this bomb until I received it and used it. LOVE the scent of this one! As soon as it’s plopped in, the water turns a peachy orange color… very much like the rock in Australia. The scent starts out being citrusy… orange combined with sandalwood. I found this bomb to be very moisturizing and made my skin feel great when I got out of the tub. An extremely calming bath to end your day with and tub water that looks just like a sunset! Grab a few of these while you can also… I bet the Uluru Shower Gel is amazing too! I just got a bottle of that and can’t wait to try it!
GOLDEN SLUMBERS- 5/5 As many of you can tell, I like the calming bath scents because I usually take showers in the morning and baths at night to relax. Golden Slumbers is PERFECT! This is one bomb that’s not in retro that I absolutely adore! This bomb is lavender, lavender and more lavender! A BIG bomb that fizzes quickly, but releases a glorious amount of lavender scent plus a bit of chamomile and neroli.. so there’s just a hint of citrus. A lot of people complain because this bomb is full of small lavender flowers. I had no problem with it… they drained out of the tub easily and since I usually rinse off after a bath, I had no problems with the flower bud sticking to me. If you’re worried about that, just sock it. I would imagine if you did that, you could take the sock/nylon that would be full of the flowers and rub the lavender oils on your for added scent/moisture. Every time I go into my local Lush, I now pick up one or two to always have.
BANANA MOON (Retro)- 5/5 Ripe bananas… what can be better than that! I have always loved the banana scent, but no one ever seems to get it right.. it always smells fake! This soap is the exact opposite.. it smells just like ripe bananas.. so much so, I almost wanted to take a bite out of it when I unwrapped it. LOL It’s a very creamy and moisturizing soap and I imagine (I have it, but haven’t used it yet) it would go great with Gumback Express. I noticed from the item description that it mentions there’s luster in it… I didn’t have any shiny stuff on me when I got out of the shower, nor did I notice any in the bar. If you’re a banana lover, grab this one!
SEA VEGETABLE- 2.5/5 I loved the scent and look of this in the store, so I bought a chunk. I was intrigued at the scent… very oceany and soapy smelling.. with just a hint of lavender and citrus. In the shower, I was disappointed. The only scent I really got out of it was an extremely soapy smell…. Almost like a cheaply made soap. It didn’t lather too much, but there was enough. I liked the seaweed as an exfoliator, but the soap did tend to dry my skin a bit. I probably won’t buy this one again.
ICE BLUE- 3.5/5 This was another soap I liked in the store… the mint caught my attention. In the shower, there was lots of lather, the sea salt in the bar works as a nice exfoliator and it left my skin nice and smooth afterwards, but a bit on the dry side. It did leave a nice tingling sensation as I used it on a warm day… so it was refreshing and cooling. The only thing I would ask is that it be scented a bit more with the mint… and I’m not a huge mint person and be a bit more moisturizing.
JAPANESE AID (UK exclusive)- 1/5 YUK YUK YUK! I was soooooo disappointed by this soap since I fell absolutely bonkers over the NA version, Rising Sun. I had heard so much about the “I Should CoCo” scent, I really couldn’t wait to get it and try it out. The soap has the same exact properties of Rising Sun, but the scent is supposed to be coconut. Well, if that scent is coconut, I never want to use a coconut scented product by Lush again! (and I LOVE coconut scents!). I know many will probably disagree with me on this, but I really don’t understand what all the love for “I Should CoCo” is all about. I wasn’t around when that soap was in circulation, but I don’t think I was missing much! Too bad I ordered 6 bars… sounds like the remainder will be used for swaps or given to other Lush friends. YUK!
THE GREEENCH- 5/5 Oh, herbal lovers REJOICE! This deodorant/powder is just amazing!! I bought a can of it after chatting with one of the SA’s at my local Lush. Joe and I have a lot of the same likes and dislikes about scents and when he found out I hadn’t tried The Greeench, he insisted that I buy it and try it out. O M G, I love this stuff! If you’re not a fan of strong, herbal scents, this deodorant will not be for you. But, for those who love thyme, rosemary, sage and tea tree… you will love this! It works great for me and doesn’t need to only be applied to your underarms. On days that I’m working outside in the garden or expect to sweat a lot, I use it all over and when I’m done, I don’t smell nasty.. I smell herbally! Throw some in your shoes to keep them smelling fresh too. It also works well with Aromaco. I won’t be without a can of this ever!
FLYING SAUCERS (Retro)- 1.5/5 YUK! LOL… now I usually tend to like the scents that others don’t like, but not this one! I have a feeling it’s because of the honey. While I like honey, I don’t like it in any bath products (at least none that I have used so far). The scent of it was very “off” for me. It smelled of honey and medicine and wasn’t pleasing to me at all. The gel was thick, lathered well and was quite moisturizing, but it certainly isn’t a scent I would regularly like to smell. I decanted a bunch of it and brought it into my local Lush and gave it to some of the SA’s. The girls seemed to really like it. If you like HIWTK and other honey scented products, this might be for you!
13 RABBITS (Retro)- 5/5 Never would I think I would like chocolate in the shower or bath! I’m not a foody type of person, but I bought this because it sounded interesting. Think chocolate and ginger snaps! I loved this the first time I tried it. The chocolate is not the sweet you think it’s going to be… it’s actually like a spicy chocolate, with ginger and clove in it. There’s a ton of lather and it’s very moisturizing. This is another retro product being discontinued that I really like! Looks like I’ll have to buy another bottle as a back-up. If spicy chocolate sounds good to you, grab some before it’s gone.
SMARAGADINE (Retro)- 5/5 Oh…. Love!! HERBAL ALERT! This shower/bath gel is certainly in my top Lush favorites! Smaragadine has a strong patchouli scent with a bit of sandalwood and ginger in it. This is probably Lush’s strongest patchouli product around and is not for anyone who doesn’t love that scent. I happen to adore it! It works wonders as a shower gel (even though it is a bit thinner than most of Lush’s SG’s) and even better in the tub! TONS of bubbles, highly moisturizing and is a very comforting and relaxing bath. Try a good squirt of it in your water with a bit of Tramp… relax and toss in a Geo Phyzz… what a wonderful combination! I will never be without this one either… thank goodness it’s not on the cut list!
SONIC DEATH MONKEY (Retro)- 4/5 Another chocolate SG that I never thought I would like! This was recommended to me by one of my local Lush SA’s. Think chocolate, coffee, orange and lime! What a great shower gel to use in the morning as a pick-me-up! Not an extremely strong scent, but enough that you can smell all of the scent notes. Lots of lather and quite moisturizing… the scent doesn’t stay too long on my skin. The only drawback with this gel is that it’s waaaaaaay too runny. I thought that I had a bad batch, but I’ve noticed that other people have been mentioning it for some time about it being too thin. You just need to be careful when squirting it on your loofa/scrubbie/washcloth that you don’t squirt out too much! Between this and 13 Rabbits, I’d have to say 13 Rabbits wins by a very small margin.
DIRTY SPRINGWASH- 2.5/5 I know… I’m a guy and I’m supposed to like the Dirty line. Sorry, this shower gel doesn’t do it for me. I think it might be the spearmint. I love peppermint in shower gels like Freeze and I even like the mints (and there’s spearmint there too) in Demon in the Dark. For some reason, Dirty Springwash is really uneventful for me. Even with the layering of the other products. Love the color of the gel… but that doesn’t save it for me. Nope.
DIRTY BODY SPRAY- 1/5 YUK! I’ve smelled better body sprays in the drug store! While I love herbal scents and the tarragon/lavender combination, this spray once again doesn’t do it for me. Since the shower gel and this spray have the spearmint in common, it has to be that. I guess I don’t want to have it in my bath products, only in mouthwash, gum and toothpaste. To me, this is Lush’s version of Axe.
DIRTY SHAVING CREAM- 3.5/5 Thank goodness there’s a few products in the line without the mint. I really like the scent of this cream… of course it has some of my favorite ingredients like sandalwood, lavender and cedarwood. The only problem I have with this cream is that it’s a little too thin for facial shaving. If it was more the consistency of Prince, I’d like it much better. I did hear that this cream was a recipe from years ago.. and was originally a body cream. I’m gonna have to try using it like that! I would buy this again if I could shave with it and use it after the shower all over.
DIRTY HAIR STYLING CREAM- 4.5/5 This was an unexpected surprise! I really LOVE the scent of this one… and I know many people have complained about the smell, but I love the combination of Sandalwood and oakmoss!! The first time I used it, I hated the fact that it made my hair sticky after a while. Since I liked the scent, I tried it again a second time but used less… about as much as I would R&B. I fell in love! I have short hair which is longer on top and front. This cream gives my hair hold, but not crazy hold… and I love getting a whiff of it during the day. I no longer feel the stickiness. I used to put R&B in my hair every morning, but now I use this cream in the morning and R&B at night. LOVE IT!
BAMBOO SOAP (Retro)- 10/5 Ugh… another retro to be discontinued that I absolutely LOVE! The scent is very fresh with a bit of green to it. It’s very hard to describe what it smells like, but one of the strongest scents is of cedar with some bamboo. In this soap are pieces of bamboo which work great as a gentle exfoliator. Although it doesn’t lather incredibly much, it’s plenty to give you a clean feeling along with a decent amount of moisture. I love this soap so much… I wish there were other products with the same scent! Fresh, woodsy & clean… the perfect soap for me! Could possibly be my favorite Lush soap!
KING OF SKIN- 2.5/5 I’m probably once again going to be in the minority, but I wasn’t thrilled by this body butter. I received it in a gift package that I bought at my local Lush after the holidays. I had been meaning to try it because of the banana/sandalwood/frankincense combination. I used it just like I had Schnuggle… right after my shower while my skin was still wet. I smelled none of the scents I thought I would.. just mainly almond. It went on my skin quite greasy (I guess I should have tried this before I had my Schnuggle experience), and made my skin feel like there was a coating of wax on it. The first time I just blotted myself off to see how long it would take before it absorbed into my skin. Well, that didn’t happen. The next time, I rubbed off the excess and it was a little better. Not that impressed and will most likely not buy again.
HAPPY BUBBLE BAR (Retro)- 5/5 LOVE THIS! Another retro product I’ve fallen in love with and didn’t expect to like it as much as I do. This bubble bar DOES make you feel happy, revived and uplifted along with making you nice and relaxed. The tangerine and sandalwood are the PERFECT combination… and the balance of the two scents is wonderful. It’s neither too citrusy or earthy. Plenty of bubbles and it turns your bath water a lovely dark teal blue. On a sad day, this bubble bar would definitely brighten your mood. I’ll always have a few of these in stock!
DOROTHY- 4.5/5 I was kinda on the edge about trying this one, because I wasn’t sure if I actually liked the Figs and Leaves soap (Although I have only smelled it in the store). The bubble bar is GREAT! The scent is very hard to describe, but if you get a whiff of Figs & Leaves, it’s the same thing. It’s sorta fruity, but not to the point of overpowering. I am not much of a fruity/foodie person at all, but I really like the scent. One weird thing is most people talk about how wonderfully blue their bathwater is.. mine was not and has never been. Upon crumbling the bright blue and rainbow colored bb, my bathwater turned gray… like a black & white movie! I started thinking to myself- this is just like The Wizard of Oz, only backwards! The movie starts out in black and white and turns to color when she opens the door and is in OZ. Really great bubble bar I will never hesitate to have!
AURA SUAVIS bubble bar (Retro)- 10/5 Ohhhhh Aura Suavis, how I love thee! It’s a shame I only found out about this bar just as it was being discontinued! I had purchased two a few months ago and after I tried my first one, I kept watching the retro page to see if it would ever be restocked. One day it did and I bought 10 of them! This is another scent which some will absolutely love and some won’t. To me, it’s probably up there with the TOP Lush scents that I have ever experienced. The description of it is pretty much spot-on. The clary sage, coriander, spearmint and geranium are an incredible combination! I wouldn’t say there’s an overpowering scent of mint, since I’ve found that I do not like spearmint in my bathtub, but I do smell a bit of mint. A very uplifting bath that I just LOVE!
HARVEY (Retro)- 4.5/5 Yet another retro surprise! See why I’m so disappointed about all the retro being discontinued? I LOVE THEM ALL! Lol… this really was an unexpected pleasure. I purchased one the minute I read about all of the discons and quickly tried it when it arrived to see if I wanted to order more of them. Well, I did! Harvey is great fun, cute and smells wonderful! The bomb colors your water a bright yellow and the scent is heavenly! Harvey is a combination of bergamot, spearmint (not tons), orange and a bit of patchouli. I’m not sure what the carrot seed oil smells like, so I really can’t comment if it’s detectable or not. The scent lingers on your skin for a long while after… it’s very refreshing. Also, this bomb is very moisturizing, which I do think is from the carrot seed oil. There may be a small yellow ring around your tub if you have a white one, but nothing you’ll have to scrub hours away at. Believe me, it’s worth it! Harvey would easily get 5 stars, but the yellow ring made it just a BIT less than perfect.
THE SICILIAN (Retro)- 3/5 ::yawn:: I find citrus only bath products boring. I don’t mind at all when there’s other scents blended in, but straight citrus just doesn’t do it for me. The Sicilian is orange… orange and more orange. Wait, it really is orange, tangerine and mandarin. If you’re an orange lover, you’ll LOVE this bomb. It makes the water a pretty orange color and there’s a bunch of marigold flowers which will float on your water and almost look like dried orange pulp. The cool thing about this bomb (and why it got more than a point or two) is because inside was an actual slice of dried orange! Quite an interesting surprise. This is by no means a bad bomb, it’s just boring for me.
FREEDOM FOAMER (Limited)- 4/5 Because this is another citrus product, it automatically is not a favorite of mine, BUT… it’s for a fantastic cause and I loved the color and shimmer of the water! The green luster really made it look like my water incredible! Lemon, lime and grapefruit scented, this bomb is probably VERY popular with people who love citrusy scents. While I was glad to see a new bubble bar (since tons of them are being discontinued in Retro), I think Lush could have thought the campaign out a bit better. Since the cause was in support of same sex marriages and the gay flag is rainbow colored, I would have LOVED to see Lush release about 4 or 5 different primary colors (let’s say Green, Red, Blue, Yellow and Purple) for this bomb and have each one have a different scent. They could have been sold as a set or individually, so that even people who didn’t like a particular scent could have selected another one to their liking. I think it would have been *very* successful! 4 for the cause, it being a bubble bar and the wonderful water color. -1 for being citrus. LOL
EAU ROMA WATER- 4/5 I’ve only used a toner a few times before in my life, and that was after removing tons of stage makeup. I picked up a bottle of this because I’m a pasty faced ginger guy who has very light skin and can get a little blotchy at times. This stuff is GREAT… especially in the summer when you need something to cool off and take away the oils that can accumulate on your face from sweating. I used this every day until I found that one of the OCIL (other companies I love) carried a toner too. It’s cheaper and I think works even better than Lush’s!
POP IN THE BATH- 3.5/5 I really love the Olive Branch scent, but for some reason, this bubble bar is a verrrry light version of it to me. It could really be much stronger in scent. I’ve used about 5 of these so far, so I don’t think it’s just a bad one I had. The bubbles are great, the moisturizing is great too. Love the bergamot and citrus scent in this, I only wish it was stronger! Would probably work great with cocktailing.
GORGEOUS- 5/5 Now, I was never expecting to like this at all. I had heard stories about how it smells like tortilla chips, not worth the money and it doesn’t do anything to your skin. Well, the only thing I can agree about is that when you first put it on, it does have a FAINT scent of tortilla chips. It’s not disgusting or enough to make me want to never use it again. In fact, I’ve really grown to like the scent of it. I was never a “facial” type of person. Being a guy, we’re used to slapping shaving cream on our faces, rinsing off with hot water and then throwing on some after shave or cologne. Well, that’s changed for me.
I use Gorgeous every once in a while (I only have samples and had grabbed a few of the larger samples at the Piñata party a few months ago). I use it at night after giving my face a good scrub with either Ocean Salt or AOBS. It’s a bit heavy for a guy to wear during the day I think, but the results are great! When I used it every day for a week in the beginning, it really evened out the tone of my skin and I actually think that some of the wrinkles around my eyes seemed to be much less noticeable! I have a 25% off coupon that I’m going to buy a whole jar of it before the coupon runs out. The price may be hefty, but I think it just might be worth it!
JAPAN CHARITY POT- 2.5/5 Well, you can see that I’ve never reviewed the original Charity Pot… that’s because I could never stand doing much more than smelling it in the store and remarking about how awful it smelled. SA’s made me try it on my arm and honestly… I wanted to wash it off it smelled that bad. It’s almost like it’s about to go sour or bad or something. LOL My partner was in our local Lush picking up some of the Rising Sun LE soaps for us and he grabbed a few of the Japan Charity Pots because of the cause and the SA’s mentioned that it smelled much better than the regular ones.. almost like tootsie rolls. While it was waaaay better than the nasty smelling originals, it still smells pretty unpleasant. I think it might be the overpowering smell of a very strong cocoa butter. It seems greasy and not something I would continue to use. I wish Lush would reformulate it to be something wonderful, being that it supports great causes. The 2.5 rating is for what it stands for, not what it smells like! LOL
TWILIGHT SHOWER GEL (UK Forum LE)- 4/5 This is another product I wasn’t sure I was going to like. I had smelled the Twilight ballistics in the store and they were ok. I steered away from ever trying them because I really don’t like glitter. Shimmer is ok, but glitter, yuk! If any of you can remark about the glitter or shimmer in this bomb, please let me know. I didn’t mind the shimmer from the Freedom Foamer because it didn’t stick to my skin, so if Twlight is like that and not like the Karma bath melt, I might have to try it! I purchased the shower gel from the UK party earlier this year. It’s a creamy, lavender/ovaltine scent which I thought would be too sweet, but it actually isn’t. Since there’s a real lack of anything Lavender that Lush has out anymore (especially shower gels), this is a nice change. I’m a huge lavender lover, so that made it great to begin with! The lavender is light, but there… and there’s a creamy vanilla scent in there along with the ovaltine (malt) scent. Not bad at all!
SNOW SHOWERS SHOWER GEL (UK Forum LE)- 4/5 Another surprise! I wasn’t sure I would like this one either, because people said it smelled like an orange creamsicle and it does! It lists lime in the ingredients, but I really don’t detect it much at all. You can smell the cognac, but it doesn’t make the shower gel smell “boozy”, I think it adds to the creamy part of the scent. Quite refreshing, very moisturizing and very misnamed! I know they gave it that name as the perfect scent to chase away the winter blues, but I thought it would have been a minty vanilla scent from the name of it. No wonder this scent makes its appearance so often… it really is a great scent!
CALACAS SHOWER GEL (UK Forum LE)- 2.5/5 I was kinda disappointed with this forum special. Now, I like lime! Most guys do and you’ll often find a lot of men’s products with lime in it, so I thought this would be perfect for me. Yes, it’s very limey, but not a sour lime.. a very very sweeeeet lime. Some say it smells like lime gummy bears or lime candy… and yup, that’s it. Too sweet candy scented for me. My bottle has been kept in a cool dark area and has mysteriously changed colors from a bright green to yellow. I guess it would be refreshing to use in the summer time. I pass over it all the time in the shower. Too bad I have two Calacas jellies too!
SYMPATHY FOR THE SKIN- 2/5 Yes folks, believe it or not, I don’t like it! LOL I had very high hopes for this lotion, since I’ve always been a banana lover. Can someone tell me, where is the banana scent in this lotion? I got a sample from my local lush a few months ago, took it home and tried it out. I don’t detect any banana scent in it at all. It smells nice… creamy and full of vanilla. Since then, whenever I go into my local lush, I grab it, smell it (thinking that maybe the batch they had when I first smelled it was off) and still remark about how there is no banana scent. A lot of the SA’s at the store disagree, with one girl agreeing. They’ve put it on me, put it on themselves and say “Oh, smell it on me.. strong banana scent!”. Nope. The lotion is ok, but there are others that are better. It’s a bit greasy on the skin. Glad I never bought a full jar, but I’ll keep trying to smell it, hoping one of these days it’ll change for me.
CRÈME ANGLAISE- 5/5 I always liked the smell of this lotion whenever I went around sniffing in our local Lush store. I asked for a sample and I have to say, I really like it! The scent is one that many people don’t like, but for some reason, I do! It’s hard to describe, but it’s a vanilla almond scent with a bit of sweetness (I guess from the orange oil) and you can smell the myrrh, which makes the almond a bit darker smelling. It’s a strong scent, so if you’re into the lighter smells, this one will not be for you. It’s not a heavy lotion, actually rather light, absorbs rather quickly and a great moisturizer. The scent is “fall-ish” to me, so I’ll probably use it in the fall/winter seasons. It’s expensive because of the saffron, but it really did make my skin feel and smell great! I’ll be using my 25% off coupon to buy this and Gorgeous in the fall.
OCEAN SALT- 5/5 LOVE LOVE LOVE! While I liked sniffing a margarita in a jar every time I was in the store, I never actually bought ocean salt until after they had the recent freebee sample. This should have been one of the first Lush products I bought! It’s really amazing. Incredibly fresh smelling and works wonders as an all over face/body scrub. The lime, grapefruit and lemon are sour, but not annoyingly. You would think this salty cleanser would really dry your skin out, but not at all for me.. in fact, it’s quite moisturizing! I use it every other day on my face and all over on hot days, and I have to say it makes for one refreshing shower! It leaves your skin moist and very soft. The salt does wonders. Careful if you don’t like the taste of salt, because for some reason, no matter how hard you try to not get any of the salt taste in your mouth, you’re going to. Just think about that nice cold salty rim on a margarita glass! Highly recommended!
AURA SUAVIS SHOWER GEL (LE Store Special)- 10/5 Oh, it’s JUST as fantastic as the bubble bar! I was very lucky to be visiting a store in Ohio for the recent Kiss and Tell event. The manager of my local Lush went also (since they’re in a Macy’s and didn’t have the event). She asked what they had for their recent anniversary party and when they said Aura Suavis, I almost hit the floor! I had been wanting to try it ever since I experienced the scent. I bought two bottles and I already have almost half of one done. This may very well be one of my TOP Lush scents… it’s THAT good. LOL.. it’s probably what I said about the bubble bar too. It’s such a great herbal combination of clary sage, coriander, spearmint, and geranium. I never would have thought I’d like it from the description, but I fall in love with it every time I use it, which is quite often. So refreshing and clean!
GOTH JUICE (d/c’d)- 5/5 If Lush ever admits to getting rid of this product for the Dirty line, I’ll never buy another Lush product again! Although I’ve only used this a few times (afraid of the lemon juice in my colored hair), my SO uses it daily. He LOVES it. I open that jar up every morning and take a big whiff! The scent is GLORIOUS! It’s a clean, fresh, very green foresty smell. There’s lemon, oakmoss and you do get a good green scent of hemp (grin). When I have used it, it held my hair very well… not freeze type hold, but a softer hold that keeps the longer parts of my hair in place without feeling like glue. The purple color is amazing and you’d expect it to smell different from the way it looks. That’s what’s so unique about this stuff. Lush really needs to come out with other things that have this scent. A shower gel would be wonderful! Even a soap. Whatever… just as long as this scent doesn’t disappear forever. Forget the Dirty line and do a GOTH line! LOVE GOTH JUICE!
