nanaya: "A photograph of Charlie Brooker in a scruffy tux, wearing a military cap" (cap)
[personal profile] nanaya
I'm starting off the bath products with the shortest list, basically! Bath melts are oil-heavy, slow-release treats aimed at long, indolent baths. Not really the thing for a 'busy' bath, especially if you plan on washing your hair, but great for pampering. They tend towards the sweeter end of the scent ranges, and they typically create a small amount of froth, but they aren't really 'soapy'.
Aqua Mirabilis, Ceridwen's Cauldron, Creamy Candy, Dreamtime, Floating Island, Happy Blooming, In The Nude, Karma, MMM, Star, Something Wicked, You've Been Mangoed )

I look forward to reading your contributions.
nanaya: Dragon cuddling car (happy)
[personal profile] nanaya
Time for another archive post! This one features different kinds of lip products. As ever, if you've used these or any other lip products from Lush, please comment and we'll be happy to add in your reviews.

Lip Balms & Tints: Double Choc; Eggsnog; Happy Talk; Honey Trap; It Started With A Kiss; Lip Squeak; Let Them Eat Cake; Maple Taffy; None Of Your Beeswax; Snow Fairy; T-Tree Simplex; Whipstick )

Lips Scrubs & other related products: Bubblegum; Lip Dip; Mint Julips; Sweet Lips; Ultrabalm )

I also find some of the Lush moisturisers can work well as lip treatments when your lips are suffering. I've had particularly good results from Celestial, Skin Drink and Vanishing Cream. For a big pick-me-up for sad lips, rub in some moisturiser then cover with a layer of Ultrabalm, just before you sleep. What are your solutions to winter lip unhappiness?
nanaya: Cartoon of person in pink dress shouting "Clean all the things!" (clean)
[personal profile] nanaya
Here is the first of our archive posts about Lush's shower gels, past and present. Below are a bunch of reviews; more will be added to this post as they occur, and changes to this post will be flagged on this community as they happen.

Showel gel reviews: Chai; (The) Comforter; Flying Fox; Ghost; Glogg; Grass; Happy 4 SAD; Happy Hippy; Karma; (The) Olive Branch; Rub Rub Rub; Slammer; Snow Fairy; Sonic Death Monkey; Tramp; Uluru; Yummy Yummy Yummy )

It should be noted that almost all the shower gels can be used as bubble baths if poured under running water and fluffed up. They're reasonably effective, some more than others (thinner, clearer gels appear to work a little better than thick or creamy ones), but it's another way to try them out if you're bored with what you've got. Please check previous post by [personal profile] numberland here for more. Perhaps a discussion post about gels as bubble bath is merited?

Have you used these or any other shower gels? Please let us know and we'll happily add you reviews to ours.
nanaya: Cartoon of person in pink dress shouting "Clean all the things!" (clean)
[personal profile] nanaya
NB: Yesterday's post didn't appear here for some reason so I'm reposting it. I have also decided to include emotibombs in this archive list as well, since there aren't very many of them and they're also shower products. Please feel free to contribute further reviews of these or any other products, and they will be added later; I've already included those reviews I've had so far.

SMOOTHIES

Smoothies are a bit of an odd conceit, a creamy body soap which doesn't really lather much but is very gentle. They aren't the thing if you're really dirty, but they are excellent for those of us who are on the sensitive side. In terms of value for money, they generally don't go nearly as far as soap, but they have additional moisturising benefits to consider. I regard them as more of a treat than an everyday thing. Some people also use them for facial washes, because they're so delicate. They're slightly more suited to showers than to baths, but can be used in either.

Smoothies: Creamed Almond & Coconut; Dreamwash; Gumback Express; Lush Lime Smoothie; Turkish Delight )

Dammit Lush, bring back Scrumptious!

EMOTIBOMBS

Also a sui generis Lush conceit, these are meant to be the equivalent of bath ballistics for people who don't have baths. Obviously they don't have the same impact on the skin as a bath product and are mostly perfume, chosen to highlight particular moods. Opinions on emotibombs seem sharply divided; many people regard them as quite pointless, or otherwise disappointing. Others really enjoy them as a sort of shower aromatherapy. Although a single emotibomb is supposed to do for a single shower, they can also, like bath products, be broken up and eked out further if one doesn't want the whole thing at once.

Emotibombs: Sex In The Shower; Too Drunk; Up You Gets; Up The Wooden Hill; Double-Fast Luck )
nanaya: Cartoon of person in pink dress shouting "Clean all the things!" (clean)
[personal profile] nanaya
Ooh, I haven't blogged my bath for a while now!

I did have a very nice discovery while bathing last week though; a Mmm Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt combines really nicely with Joy of Jelly shower jelly for a relaxing bath which is sweet but not sickly; left my skin feeling very good too.

Today, though, I decided I wanted something really fruity and refreshing, to perk me up a bit. So I finally used my Satsumo Santa. This is a really great ballistic because it's a good size, it explodes with enthusiasm, it turns the entire bath deep red and it REALLY smells of satsumas. Not just orange. Gorgeous scent, although quite delicate, and it doesn't last as long as I'd like. Combining it with some Whoosh shower jelly and a piece of Snow Globe soap was just right though, a really invigorating grapefruit pairing which left me feeling substantially more lively.

I've only just been converted to I Love Juicy shampoo, which is great for those occasions when my hair is actually filthy - it really does get so clean it squeaks, and the fruity scent is beautifully distinctive, not overpowered by citrus. Kiwi and pineapple together are a gorgeous combo, and this might only be improved by combination with some Pineapple Grunt. I wouldn't use ILJ every day, but it's very effective when I do. American Cream conditioner topped it off nicely, just like a fruit pudding.

A papaya-based face mask of The Sacred Truth and a post-bath addition of tangy tangerine moisturiser Cosmetic Lad left my mood thoroughly improved. The Sacred Truth has been a little oversold, I feel, but makes for a lovely softening mask nonetheless; my face feels pretty good now. A bit of Smitten cream on my hands and it was all good.

Happy Friday!
nanaya: A pig wearing tiny wellingtons (cute)
[personal profile] nanaya
Hurrah! The new batch of Retro products is coming soon!

Which ones are you looking forward to? personally, I'm very excited about the Milky Bar. Vegan white chocolate soap? Yes thank you!
nanaya: Sarah Haskins as Rosie The Riveter, from Mother Jones (Default)
[personal profile] nanaya
Lush's jellies are a product with quite a few devoted fans and a lot of mystified onlookers. The concept of making a body wash out of a carageenen seaweed gel base is one I've never come across anywhere else, and I'm still not entirely sure how well it works. It's fun, and it lends itself to physics AND physical comedy, since temperature differences affect its behaviour, which Lush know perfectly well as they always advise freezing the stuff. Other than for preservation, who does that?? It can be a pain, though, as bits of jelly are hard to control, which is why many people recommend using it with a shower puff to avoid losing it, though that does of course negate the special qualities of the jellies. Since the action of the jellies is fairly similar overall, I'm mostly going to concentrate on scent here, although other relevant points will be mentioned. I'm also going to proceed on the assumption that jellies are intrinsically enjoyable rather than hateful, even if I have my reservations at times!

Here are a few reviews of shower jellies past & present. If you have reviews of any of these, or any other products, please contribute them.

Calacas – mm, I really loved this year's Day Of The Dead specials as they were all about the lime, and I love lime, me. Calacas fits in very nicely with Calavera bath bombs & Lady Catrina soap, sharing a lot of similarly zingy, citrus notes with them. As a jelly, it washes well and feels good on the skin, while as a novelty, its appealing little skull face is remarkably cheery. This is something else I'd encourage people to get while they still can; I don't think this year's Hallowe'en specials sold quite as well as predicted, so I'm guessing they may well not come back. Green & orange varieties are still available online today; yellow appears to have sold out but there may be a few in shops still. 7.5/10

Champagne Snowshowers - Oh dear lost love. Not only was this one of the best jellies ever made, I think it might also be among my favourite Lush products of all time. A slightly softer jelly than usual, CS is a beautiful creamy white with a soft, slightly moisturising later. It smells heavenly; elderflower, citrus and a hint of booze. It's light, fruitily reassuring and rather spring-like in its feel. I made my last pot stretch for almost 3 years, and I wish like crazy they'd bring it back. My very favourite jelly. 9.5/10

Gold, Frankincense & Beer – ridiculously wonderful. My impression of what the scent would be like from its descriptions was way off-base; this is yet another Lush product which smells slightly fruity and wholly delicious. The stout doesn't smell at all like hops and is more reminiscent of a Christmas pudding, with a delightful top note of zesty citrus. I'm very excited this was brought back, even if only for an extremely short time, and would recommend people to buy it immediately while they still can. There's a reason they brought this particular favourite back for 2010's Retro Xmas range - it's still available today, get it while you can. I do note that it's a especially rigid jelly, though, and seems slightly tougher than the others, unless there's been something odd about my batches. Deliciously sybaritic when used with a Li'l Lush Pud bath ballistic. 9/10.

Iced Wine - oh no no no, this isn't right at all. I was expecting tropical fruit and, while I can make that out, it's almost completely overpowered by an unpleasant chemical smell which makes the experience very disappointing. In fairness, some of the 'chemical' smell might possibly come from the inclusion of under-ripe guava, which can have a plasticky air at times. It's not beyond redemption, but I honestly can't recommend 'Iced Wine' as it's really not very nice. A Christmas 2010 product which has now gone, I can't really see them bringing this one back, although some people liked it - customer reviews seemed overall unfavourable, mind. Here are some reviews for comparison. 3.5/10

Joy Of Jelly – a soft floral jelly with a gentle jasmine fragrance and rose undertones, this isn't as punchy as most of the other jellies but that's quite a good thing as it fills an obvious gap. Not everyone wants something full-on, and this is a good choice for something more soothing. It's 2-tone swirled purples with a tougher darker purple jelly and a softer lilac one, which makes it slightly less consistent than the other more firm and cohesive jellies, but it doesn't seem to suffer for that. 6/10

[personal profile] mrs_leroy_brown's reviews of Iced Wine & Joy of Jelly: "I used both Iced Wine jelly and Joy of Jelly, respectively, as they both came in the same box. I used them at room temperature with a shower puff - the soft, creamy bubbles left my skin baby smooth and were really fun. Scent wise, I didn't find the Iced Wine as chemically as [personal profile] nanaya, however I do think in this case the emotibomb [Sex In The Shower] won out. Joy of Jelly was the perfect match for my bomb - with ylang ylang, jasmine and musky, sandalwood-y scents, it's like a much cheaper Dune perfume. Iced Wine 3/10, Joy of Jelly 10/10."

Karma – yes, Karma once came in shower jelly form. I don't know what more I can add to that, the niceness of the jelly depends almost entirely on how much one likes Karma as a scent. Fortunately for me, I do, but I know not everyone's convinced. It hasn't been around for a while, though, so it's eBay only as far as I can see. ?/10; if you like Karma, it's for you. If you can find it.

Strawberry Santa – this is, indeed, a strawberry-scented jelly which, in larger tubs, is shaped like Santa (mine was small, so it was just the jelly). Nice idea, and I generally like the novelty jellies. This one is a rather less obtrusive than some, and has only a gentle strawberry whiff with a hint of coconut. Not one of Lush's best scents but not bad either, this was mostly reminiscent of strawberry sweets rather than the actual fruit, but that's often the way with cosmetics. A gentle wash and not unenjoyable, by any means, but certainly not a striking product. Cute in a number of ways, but it wasn't one of the products brought back this Christmas, so eBay is probably the way to go. Some reviews from other sites, useful comparisons. 6/10

Sweetie Pie – it certainly does smell of sweets, Blackcurrant Fruit Pastilles to be precise. It's a little bit more of an adult scent than that makes it sound, though, as you can make out the dark cherry and the coconut under the cassis, it's just that blackcurrant is pungent enough that it tends to swamp. I enjoy this a lot, although it doesn't seem to lather quite as readily as the other jellies. Nice, but could perhaps do with a tiny touch less sweetness, perhaps being undercut with a note of sour cherry to make it that little bit more sophisticated. Still, it seems pretty popular, so I guess if it ain't broke...7/10

Whoosh – designed for morning showers, this is a sharp, zingy jelly with strong grapefruit overtones, although it's not an aggressively sour scent, more like grapefruit sweets. It's still sweet enough not to feel overpoweringly citrussy (compare to something like Antiphilitron shampoo for strong citrus moments). Probably on a level with something like Lemony Flutter cuticle butter. It's quite an easily lathered jelly and it feels pleasant to use. Not a product of genius, but perfectly good for what it is. 6/10
nanaya: A pig wearing tiny wellingtons (cute)
[personal profile] nanaya
OK, this is the first of a new series of archive posts, covering different types of Lush products, including current, Retro, limited edition and otherwise unavailable varieties. We hope to collect opinions and descriptions for future reference, for all Lushies to use and enjoy.

We're starting with soaps. If you have any reviews of these or other soaps, please post them in the community and we'll add them to the archive pages for future reference. Remember to add a mark out of 10 if you can!

Reviews of Lush soaps, past and present )

We'd particularly love reviews of products not featured here, but if you've got anything to say about any of these, go right ahead!
nanaya: Cartoon of person in pink dress shouting "Clean all the things!" (clean)
[personal profile] nanaya
Well, I missed last Friday's Blog Your Bath Day. However, to celebrate the tremendously exciting news that we now have a working shower again (plus a bonus dead bee from the inside of the switch), I'm blogging last night's ablutions instead.

Having the shower back is a fantastic relief; there is such a thing as too much bathing, sometimes. Because the weather's been a little mean to us all lately, I decided to be reasonably gentle with myself, and stick mostly with tried and tested favourites. So I washed my lank hair with some deliciously revivifying Big, and now it's actually squeaky clean. It also works wonderfully with Okra conditioner for a really soft finish.

I decided to try the tub verson of Rub Rub Rub on the sturdier bits of my skin; I've used the bottle version before, but this slightly tweaked formula and better container is a substantial improvement. It's just abrasive enough to be enlivening, but not rough enough to itch and bother (I hate the solid sugar scrubs *shudder*). This is much easier to use. I found a very old but still good piece of Karma soap for more sensitive washing, and it really is a a very good combination with the Rub Rub Rub, which also contains orange blossom. Just right for being slathered with Karma Kream afterwards.

I actually washed my face with Sweet Japanese Girl, a long-vanished solid cleanser with exfoliant, like a bad-ass version of Babyface. Although I generally think Lush's facial products have improved since I've been using them, I am still a little nostalgic for SJG, which was just such an easy, hassle-free clean. You can't even get it on Retro now, though. I shall be sad when I finally use mine up.

I ended by popping some reliable King Of Skin onto the drier bits, and that was me done. Hurrah! What a glorious relief it all was.



P.S. LEAPING GOAT!

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