Yellow Submarine Bath Bomb Review

As I live very close to Liverpool, I was really happy that a Liverpool themed product finally made. Although, I felt deflated when I found out it would only be a showcase exclusive. Then they made their way to stores and I was thrilled! 

Living around Liverpool, it doesn't matter if you're 8 or 80, you know who the Beatles are and you know the catchy song; "we all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine." The Beatles have become a stereotypical Liverpudlian theme, along with other musical greats such as  Cilla Black (Anyone Who Had a Heart) and Gerry and the Pacemakers (You'll Never Walk Alone and Ferry Across the Mersey).

I may be being biased, but I think that Liverpool is possibly one on the greatest places in the UK, with a lot of history and culture and I would highly suggest if you haven't, that you come and visit us scousers. It is home to the famous Cavern Club, the UK's best nightlife scene, numerous notable museums and art galleries and soon to be the world's largest Lush on Church Street.

Yellow Submarine's first scent ingredient is Brazilian Orange Oil, which like other citrus oils is anti-septic and anti-inflammatory and is uplifting. It is a clean, fresh, summery scent.

As well as this, the product contains coriander seed oil which has a spicy scent that I have never been able to detect in out out of the water in this product. This warming scent has an anti-inflammatory property by stimulating the blood flow as well as helping soothe aching muscles.

The final scent ingredient in Yellow Submarine is lemongrass oil which is very uplifting and awakening, making this bath bomb a great one to use post workout or in the morning if you're struggling to wake up. Lemongrass oil is a brilliant antiseptic and is soothing on sensitive skin.

However, with this mix of ingredients, I was expecting a very different scent than what I actually smelt. I expected a woody citrus scent, but was pleasantly pleased to be greeted with a very tropical scent. I can detect what can only be described tropical cocktail of coconut rum and pineapple juice.

The scent stayed with me for hours after bathing and stayed in the air for a while after draining the bath. In the water, the smell was prominent but not overpowering.

As the product hits the water, it slowly moves around the tub exactly like a submarine before toppling over and producing spirals of hot pink and yellow. This bath bomb is a slow fizzer and creates lovely foamy bubbles which results in a beautiful pattern on the water's top.

I believe this to be one of the best products to come out of the Creative Showcase as I hold the story behind it close to me and the product itself is beautiful. I find it perfect for those summer days where you need the extra boost to wake up before going out to sun yourself - unless you're in Britain, where it is more than likely to be raining most of the summer. But none-the-less, a great product!

Price 2017: £3.95 

Vegan

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Dissodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Brazilian Orange Oil, Coriander Seed Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Water (Aqua), *Limonene, *Citral, Benzyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Perfume, Fandango Lustre, Colour 45410, Colour 47005

Lush Christmas 2017: Christmas Sweater Bath Bomb Review

I have always been a fan of the spicy Christmas scents that Lush has to offer and Christmas 2016 was a huge let down in this area for me. Lush had removed Cinders bath bomb and Yog Nog soap from their Christmas range (Yog Nog was replaced with Yog Log Shower Smoothie Roulade, which was no comparison). However, The Magic of Christmas Reusable Bubble Bar was a saving grace for my love of spicy scents. 

As soon as Lush Christmas 2017 was released, I was automatically drawn to Christmas Sweater due to its beautiful red exterior with Christmas jumper patterns of reindeer on. I was then pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a spicy Christmas scent. 

Christmas Sweater bath bomb shares its scent with Fizzy O' Therapy bath bomb, which was released in the Lush Kitchen many times before its closure. As the name suggests, it was supposed to be a therapy kind of bath bomb, great for after sports and anything that would ache your muscles. But I will have to agree with Jen, All Things Lush UK, it looks really unpleasant in the water, wth its off brown colour and grittiness left around the bottom of the bath tub. 

The first scent ingredient is Ginger Powder, dried and powdered ginger root which is actually stronger than fresh ginger. Ginger is antibacterial making it a good cleanser and is a brilliant anti-inflammatory, making it god at easing those muscle aches.

The product also contains mustard powder that has no scent when in powder form but is a good anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. As mustard is a warming product, it means that like the ginger powder, it is good for soothing aching muscles.

Coriander seed oil is also in the mix which creates a sweet and spicy scent and like the other two ingredients, it is warming meaning that it is great for post-workout baths. It also has anti-fungal properties and is antibacterial.

Although not a prominent scent in the mix, Sicilian lemon oil is in the ingredients list. It has antibacterial properties and is good at breaking down excess oils on the skin. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the scent of the bath bomb as cinnamon-spicy scents are my favourite. As this product is more concentrated around clove and ginger scents, it is a very different kind of spicy scent than the late Cinders bath bomb and the present Magic of Christmas reusable bubble bar. However, is wonderful to use alongside the product in a cocktail.

In the water Christmas Sweater bath bomb creates patterns of reds, oranges and yellows with swirls of white, which make me think of a a log fire. And the warming scent of it also adds to this as well. The bath bomb is a slow fizzer, taking about ten minutes to dissolve completely in the bath and leaving behind a orange-red water.

One of my favourite things about this bath bomb is the show it puts on in the water and the patterns it leaves behind, unlike Fizzy O' Therapy bath bomb. I couldn't stop taking photos and videos of the show it put on in the water and had to hold back on putting them all on this blog post.

The scent is not overly strong but is evident throughout the bath and in the air after the bath has been drained. I found it wasn't very prominent on the skin once leaving the bath and what was there has dispersed in an hour or so.

I definitely consider this to be one of my favourite Christmas 2017 products and will be stocking up on these for days with achy muscles and cold nights.

Price 2017: £4.50

Vegan

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Ginger Powder, Mustard Powder, Perfume, Coriander Seed Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 14700, Colour 15985:1, Colour 19140:1, Colour 47005, Colour 45410, Colour 17200

Lush Kitchen: Back For Breakfast Shower Gel Review

Back in May 2016 when Back For Breakfast shower gel was released in the Kitchen Menu, I heard so many good things about this shower gel so I just knew that I needed it! I heard from many people it was like a Happy Hippy scent that wasn't as grapefruity. However, upon my delivery, I was disappointed. I was told it was going to be a strong and unique citrus scent, yet all I smelt was a generic citrus scent that I could have bought anywhere else for a fraction of the price. So I just left it in my shower gel draw until a year or so later.

HOWEVER!

I recently went for a sort through my collection and I thought, I may as well start using the ones I wasn't really a fan of. I picked this up and put it in my bathroom, used it and to say I was disappointed in myself would be an understatement. How very wrong I was; very, very wrong. I realised the uniqueness of the scent, the sweet and strong citrus scent that everyone was talking about! And I could see the resemblance to Happy Hippy.

The sweetness comes from the honey that is in the mix I find, it's not sickly sweet, just a natural sweetness that takes away the sour scent from all the citrus elements. Honey is a natural antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-fungal and antibacterial. It is also self-preserving, making it remain usable for years, even if it does crystallise with a small amount of heat. It is also moisturising for the skin, which is a great addition in this shower gel as some citrus oils can dry the skin out.

The citrus oils and juices in this product are: Fresh Organic Lemon Juice, Fresh Grapefruit Juice, Fresh Organic Lime Juice, Grapefruit Oil, Lemon Oil and Lime Oil.

These citrus oils are great for cleansing the skin as they have antiseptic and antibacterial properties and because they are so good at cleaning, they can slightly dry the skin out (but with the addition of honey, this product is great at moisturising the skin). The are awakening to the senses and because of the high amount of citrus (without being over powering) in this product, it's great for wakening you up in the morning when you don't want to move. With the fresh scents that these citrus fruits have, I find this a great shower gel to use in the summer as it is refreshing and awakening.

On the skin, this thick shower gel (almost as thick as Plum Rain shower gel), it lathers up a lot better than Lush's other citrus shower gels I find. It creates a thick and bubbly lather and once washed away from the skin, you are left with soft, clean and refreshed skin. I didn't have to use a lot as it is so thick.

I personally love this product and would recommend this to those that love citrus scents, fans of Happy Hippy and people who enjoy getting lot for their money. Next time it comes into the Kitchen and you're umming and ahhing over purchasing Back for Breakfast, you should! And even if you don't enjoy it first off, leave it for a little while and go back to it and you may have the same outcome as myself.

Price: £11.25

Vegetarian

Ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Fresh Organic Lemon Juice, Fresh Grapefruit Juice, Fresh Organic Lime Juice, Honey, Propylene Glycol, Grapefruit Oil, Lemon Oil, Lime Oil, Olibanum Resinoid, Tincture of Benzoin, *Citral, *Limonene, Perfume, Methylparaben

Buy One, Set One Free Bath Bomb Review: Free Andy Tsege 2017

I love it when Lush bring out charity products or products that are raising money for a brilliant cause and in the case of Buy One, Set One Free bath bomb, it was an amazing product in itself and with Lush raising money and awareness to free Andy Tsege, I was all for it!

However, like myself you may be thinking, who is Andy Tsege? 

Andargachew 'Andy' Tsege is a Ethiopian British citizen, prominent Ethiopian politician, husband and father of three. He is a critic of the Ethiopian government and has previously spoken about calling for democracy in Ethiopia and spoken about the human rights there. Although he was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Andy fled to a Briton and sought political asylum due to fearing for his safety.

In June 2014, Andy was kidnapped from Britain and taken back to Ethiopia under the command f the Ethiopian government, due to a huge crackdown on political opponents and activists of civil rights. Upon returning to Ethiopia, he was detained in solitary confinement for over a year. Andy received two life sentences and due to absentia whilst living in London (not turning up for his own court date), he was sentence to death. Despite this, the British government refuse to demand the release of Andy.

If you would like to sign the petition to help Andy by calling on the British government to bring Andy home to his wife and three children, visit: https://reprieve.bsd.net/page/s/andy-tsege-official-register 

Lush brought out Buy One, Set One Free bath bomb around Andy's 1000th day in death row.

The bath bomb to my nose smelt floral but with a nice warming scent being it. The first scent on the ingredient list is jasmine absolute; a scent that I'm not usually a fan off, unless it's the actual flower. However, I loved it in this mix! Jasmine has a very seductive scent that is brilliant for sensitive skin. 

Orris oil is also in the mix, it is an expensive floral oil that is taken from the iris plant. Lush states that it can be used to build violet notes within perfumes and can be used to give perfumes a slight powdered scent.

Fire tree oil is taken from the grass tree (xanthorrhoea preissii), it has a floral, fruity yet slightly boozy scent. The name 'fire tree' is used as the plants are resistant to fire meaning the can produce flowers rather fast and will have blackened tree trunks; the plant can re-spout within a few months after being effected by fire.

Lemongrass oil is toning for the skin and has antiseptic properties making it fabulous for cleansing the skin. It is also uplifting making it great for cheering you up on those dull days and is great for waking you up in the morning. Neroli oil is also an uplifting scent included.

All of these scents mixed together are beautiful. It's a scent that I loved so much and I've never smelt anything like it from Lush. This scent stayed in the water throughout the bath and stayed in the room for hours after. It stayed with me throughout the day and was warming. 

I got in this bath during a long weekend (anniversary weekend visiting Chester Zoo ^.^ ) and I was so relaxed. I ended up very sunburnt and this was very soothing. Especially with the addition of Dream Cream body lotion.

If the water, the bomb fizzes away to orange and yellow pattens in the water and once it has fizzed away completely, a little message comes out with a picture of Andy and his family, with a message next to it saying "FREE ANDY TSEGE ON DEATH ROW FOR 1000 DAYS www.reprieve.org.uk"

If I could, I would use this bath bomb again, but unfortunately, I have none left! Buy One, Set One Free really was that good! If you have one or can manage to get hold of one, I promise you will really enjoy it! The only downside is how limited edition the bath bombs were and unfortunately, I probably won't purchase any from anywhere else as I really would prefer for my money to go to the charity. But you should definitely try it if you can!

I would also like to say a HUGE thank you to Dean from Lush UK Customer Care for getting me the ingredients list. I scoured the internet and lots of blogs to find the ingredients list for Buy One, Set One Free and couldn't find it anywhere. This is why I really love Lush's customer services; they didn't have to help me, and there is probably a lot of other more pressing issues that have come into their customer care email, but they were brilliant enough to get back to me! Thank you again Dean!

Price 2017: £3.95

Vegan

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Jasmine Absolute, Orris Oil, Fire Tree Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Neroli Oil, Water, *Citral, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl, Methylpropional, Perfume, Colour 15510

Lush Kitchen: The Sicilian Bath Bomb Review

I'm not usually a huge fan of citrus scents so when I received The Sicilian bath bomb, I left it to one side and forgot about it. However, recently I've been loving bright summery scents that usually will have an orange element to them; they awaken me, excite me for the sunny whether and uplift my senses. So for one of my recent bath cocktails, I used The Sicilian and loved it. 

Unfortunately, seconds after I took my bath cocktail photo, I stupidly dropped the bath bomb before taking a proper photo of it and ultimately, before I was able to use and film it. I have a feeling that due to the full orange slice in the middle, this makes the bomb a little less durable, meaning it is more likely to break when a silly person like myself drops it. Nothing against the product or the way it has been made, I put this all down to my clumsiness. This also means that I don't have the best photos of this bath bomb in action but I believe the ones I have shown, show the beauty of the product.

The scent of the bath bomb reminds me of a fresh glass of orange juice in the morning, not to zesty, not too sugary, but very refreshing and clean. The scent is matured beautifully with neroli and the dried marigold petals. However, with the addition of these ingredients, the scent isn't a citrus-floral scent, it naturally compliments the orange scents without taking away the citrus.

The first four scent ingredients are mandarin oil, tangerine oil, Brazilian orange oil and bergamot oil, all citrusy scents. These are great for uplifting the senses and cleaning and refreshing to the skin whilst being an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.

Neroli is similar in the cases of being uplifting to the senses and cleansing and toning for the skin.

All of these scents added together makes for a very naturally refreshing bath bomb. This scent is strong out and in the water and is long lasting within the bathroom and on the skin. This can obviously be made to last longer by using other products with similar scents/ingredients. 

If you're looking for a bath bomb that gives a show in the water, this probably isn't for you and if you want any huge transformation to the colour of the water, you'd probably be best using other products alongside this one.

In terms of the bath bomb for myself, I found it was very uplifting and in the water, it was very softening for my skin, and noticeably so out of the bath. 

I'm not usually a person who enjoys having bits floating around in my bath, thus being why I don't usually use products such as Big Blue. However, I didn't mind this bath bomb at all. Like Rose Bombshell bath bomb, you can easily pick out the petals as there are only a small number of them. And in the case of The Sicilian, the flowers may be small but they are easy to get from the bath water, once the bomb has finished fizzing away.

As well as the petals, there is a full slice of fresh orange in the bath bomb. This is a nice little touch and shows how natural the product is when the orange is floating around the bath.

I personally loved this bath bomb and would highly suggest it to everyone! It's great for anyone who loves citrus scents and even if you want colour in your bath water, I would suggest using it within a cocktail, rather than avoiding the product.

Price 2017: £3.95

Vegan

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Mandarin Oil, Tangerine Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Bergamot Oil, Neroli Oil, Dried Marigold Petals, Gardenia Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Dried Orange Slice

Lush Christmas 2015: Celebrate Body Lotion Review

Looking back to Christmas 2015, I should have been kicking myself when I didn't knowingly purchase Celebrate body lotion. It was around then that I really got into Lush and was still learning there was more to Lush than bath bombs and bubble bars. On Boxing Day, I purchased the 12 Days of Christmas gift set as it contained many of the products I was looking to buy. At first, I had an idea of what I was going to buy and the box wasn't one of them. However, it was by the counter and looking back, I am extremely happy I did buy it.

 

Upon looking through all the goodies in the box once I got home and I got to Celebrate, I was amazed with how amazing it smelt. I went back out a couple days later to purchase a large pot to discover, of course, they had sold out. Needless to say, I was gutted and since, I haven't been able to get my hands on another tub.

I wouldn't say it's too bad though as Christmas 2016 saw the release of Bubbly shower gel, sharing it's scent with Celebrate, both members of the Celebrate/Snowshowers family, a classic and a favourite of many Lushies. The scent is a concoction of lime oil, Brazilian orange oil, cognac oil and benzoin, together resulting in a creamy, zesty and boozy scent. If you have smelt the Golden Wonder bath bomb that Lush offer most years at Christmas, it also shares its scent with that. 

Almond oil and fair trade organic cocoa butter are used as the moisturising parts of the the lotion, which leave the skin smooth and soft. Brazilian orange oil is used for its uplifting, citrusy scent whilst it is an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic for the skin. Along with this, lime oil is also used for its zestiness and it is packed with vitamin C which helps protect the skin against UV rays from the sun. Cognac oil is used for it's boozy scent which goes along with the 'glass of fizz' aspect of the product. 

I personally love to layer it with other products such as the bath bomb and the shower gel. But whether you layer it or use it on its own, the scent is not lost and the scent lasts through until the next day I have found. I think this may be to do with the fact that the cream is very thick and a little goes a long way. Although, you may be thinking, "won't that be very heavy on the skin?" Nope. Provided you use the right amount and rub it in properly, the skin absorbs the cream relevantly quick and doesn't let the skin greasy, but instead, very moisturised and smelling beautiful.

The scent is great for all year round; the boozy aspect of the scent acts as a warming layer for the body and grounds the citrus, as the oils moisturised dry and cracked skin. But for the summer months, the citrus kick is awakening and soothing on sun-kissed skin.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys citrus scents. The cream is thick making it perfect for dry skin and those who want to maintain soft skin. This is definitely one of my favourite creams, along with Sympathy for the Skin boy lotion, and I can not wait to get my hands on another pot.

Price: £12.95

Vegan

Ingredients: Almond Oil, Water, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Brazilian Orange Oil, Cognac Oil, Lime Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Tincture of Benzoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Limonene, *Citral, Citronellol, Perfume

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

Lush Kitchen: Bom Perignon Bath Bomb Review

Bom Perignon holds a place in my heart as it was part of my first package from the Lush Kitchen, along with Fruity Beauty shower gel. Once I saw the description on the Kitchen, I knew I had to have this; being describes as a glass of fizzy and citrus ingredients. I then went of to read Jen AllThingsLushUK's blog post on Bom Perignon, and although she said it didn't create a show in the bath, the smell was similar to Avobath bath bomb - which I completely agree with, they're both 'spritzy' scents, I knew I had to give it a go, purely because Avobath is an all time favourite!

When I received my parcel in the post, I was obviously over the moon with it being my first one. When I opened it, the bath bomb was the first scent to hit me, it was strong and sherbety. This made me hopeful for its scent in the bath after Jen's blog made me a little sceptical upon it. Upon further inspection of the scent of the bath bomb, I understand the champagne reference in the description and the bottle shape of the bath bomb, it is spritzy and fizzy; a very awakening and happy scent.

The ingredients are very minimal within the product making it rather simple. Tangerine oil helps the circulation of blood flow and is brightening for the skin, and as stated by Lush, it helps promote new skin cell growth which ultimately revives the skin. It is an uplifting scent like all other citrus scents so helps with stress relief.

The only other scent in this product is grapefruit oil which is used across a lot of Lush's range de to its sweet, appealing and uplifting scent. It is antibacterial and antiseptic so it leaves the body feeling soft and cleansed. With the edition of these two ingredients, the bath bomb is great for mornings as the scent is awakening and a beautiful, fresh scent for the summer months.

However, in the bath, the scent almost completely dispersed out, only being slightly detectable in the air after leaving the bath. It left the bath water a clear, baby pink colour which no surprise in the middle which personally appeals to me. Once out of the bath, try skin felt soft and cleansed and fresh, which can be achieved with the use of many other of Lush's bath bombs. 

I would use this product again, its definitely not my favourite and I preferred it before it hit the water. Yet saying that, I enjoyed the simple bath I had as it was a nice change from the strong scented, colourful bombs I usually use. I think this product would be great for people who have sensitive skin or just do not enjoy the usual products at Lush. If you get a chance to try it, I'd definitely try it, you may find you enjoy it.

2016/2017 Price: £3.50

Vegan

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Tangerine Oil, Grapefruit Oil, *Citral, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 14700

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

Lush Kitchen: Avoshower Shower Gel Review

As the Avobath scent is one of the first scents that really got me into Lush, when I saw that the shower gel version was in the Kitchen, I just had to pick it up and I'm so happy I did.

First of all, the colour of the shower gel is amazing! It is a bright green colour with silver lustre in it; just like Avobath bath bomb and it reminds me of how the water looks once the bath bomb has fizzes away.

The consistency is also very thick which makes it go a long way, it reminds me of the thickness of Black Pearl shower gel and Prince Charming shower cream (2016). I personally find that with thicker shower gels, they seem to last longer, like Plum Rain shower gel and I seem to get a lot more use out of them.

In terms of it's lather, it's more creamy rather than most other shower gels, rather than bubbly. When you wash it off your body, it leaves you feeling cleansed and fresh but moisturised at the same time.

Avoshower contains fine sea salt, lemongrass infusion and oil, organic avocado oil and rosewood oil. All these are amazing, brightening and moisturising for the skin. Fine sea salt is great for the skin as it cleanses and brightens the skin. It helps the circulation of the blood in the body and is used in many of Lush's products such as Ocean Salt face and body scrub.

Lemongrass infusion and oils are antiseptic and great for cleansing the skin. It has also been used for centuries as an insect repellent. It is also uplifting and can be used to help brighten your mood and toning the skin.

Organic avocado oil is great to help protecting the skin of UV rays. It also contains many vitamins that are great for the skin; A, B, C and E. Avocado oil is also full of fatty acids which are great for conditioning the skin.

I wanted this shower gel for so long before I got it, yet every time I went to purchase it, they'd sold out. But after months of trying to get it, I finally managed to purchase it. When I first sniffed it, I found it smelt a lot stronger than the bath bomb. The shower gel doesn't have the powdery scent that the bath bomb does, which I do enjoy, but I do enjoy the slight difference of the scent. The only other difference is how long the smell sticks around; the shower gel stays with you throughout the day unlike the bath bomb, but that is probably due to applying shower gel to the skin directly as opposed to just sitting in it.

This product is perfect for all year round; the moisturising aspect will keep dry skin moisturised in the winter months and will help skin in the summer months by moisturising and soothing sun burnt skin. The scent is also awakening which is great for morning, especially those winter mornings when you don't want to move from bed.

I would highly recommend this product to everyone! If you manage to get your hands on a bottle, I'm sure you'll love it!

Price: £11.25 for 250g bottle

Vegan

Ingredients: Lemongrass Infusion, Water, Sodium Alkyl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fine Sea Salt, Glyceryl Staerat - PEG 100, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Cetearate, Propylene Glycol, Lauryl Betaine, Organic Avocado Oil, Bergamot Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Rosewood Oil, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Faresol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Gardenia Extract, Green Glitter, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
*Occurs naturally in essential oils