AW16 – Lush Upon A Time

Pumpkin Bath Bomb from Lush

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The Pumpkin Bath Bomb was first released by Lush as a part of their 2016 Halloween line, when I heard the news that it would be making a return this year I was so pleased. Originally the Pumpkin bath bomb wasn’t the bath bomb I was most interested in from 2016’s Halloween range, its vanilla sweet and cinnamon spicy scent however won me over. I can never resist cinnamon!

I have been told by several reliable, pumpkin spice latte fans that the Pumpkin bath bomb is the fresh cosmetics product equivalent. Therefore if a cheeky cup of pumpkin spice isn’t quite hitting the spot for you anymore you may want to indulge yourself by using a Pumpkin bath bomb or two.

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The Pumpkin bath bomb was actually the first I tried from the rather large loot of products I bought from the very first Lush Creative Showcase back in September 2016.

Upon first sniff the Pumpkin bath bomb really reminded me of the Yog Nog bath bomb from previous years. I thought maybe this was its substitute however it really isn’t at all related. The spice in both had me confused. Both are very warming bath bombs and Pumpkin’s warming elements is what first caught my interest, which is why it was one of the first I tried.

Suffering with chronic pain I am always on the look out for warm and relaxing products. I am so pleased that Lush brought not only the Pumpkin bath bomb back this year but also spoiled us with another spicy bath bomb, the Christmas Sweater.

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The Pumpkin bath bomb is a very fast fizzer. I however did not mind this as the quicker it dissolves, the quicker I can lay back and soak up all of its relaxing and warm awesomeness. A lot of people have asked me on Instagram and on here about cutting up bath bombs to make them go further, for example halving the bomb so that you can get 2 baths out of it instead of 1.

For some bath bombs I think it would be a Lush crime to cut them up, the Pumpkin bath bomb is however one that I’d say you can split between 2 baths without taking anything away from how it performs, smells and how it affects you (essential oils wise) in the bath tub.

Overall I am very impressed with the Pumpkin bath bomb, it might not be as colourful as the other bath bombs currently available but the spiciness with in it has worked wonders on my aching muscles. I will without question be stocking up on these before Halloween has been and gone!

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This post was originally posted on this website on the 27th of September 2016. I have been slowly updating each post on this blog as with time my photos have improved(ish) as has my product knowledge – Lulu @ Lush Upon A Time ♥

Bubbly Shower Gel from Lush

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When 2016’s Halloween and Christmas line leaked online and I first see Bubbly Shower Gel I honestly thought, ‘ooo a new shower gel,’ then moved on to looking at other things.

If I would have known it was Celebrate scented I’d have literally screamed my house down, I also wouldn’t have completely forgotten about it seconds after seeing it… DOH!

There are a few Lush scent families that I claim are my favourite. It is so hard to choose just one, as there are so many beautiful Lush fragrances on offer however, anything Celebrate scented is always a hit with me.

I have given up hope of ever getting hold of a bottle of Celebrate Shower Gel, I think it is on every Lushies desperately in search of list BUT because of copyright issues that I don’t really understand, it cannot be produced in the UK.

Although the Bubbly shower gel isn’t the same as Celebrate shower gel, it does soften the blow to the Celebrate Shower Gel void that I have in my life. *sigh*

Some argue that this shower gel isn’t quite the same as the other ‘celebrate’ products, I can see what people mean but all in all it is 100% a member of the Celebrate family according to my nose.

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Bubbly Shower Gel is a lot thicker in consistency than I had anticipated. It doesn’t pour out of the bottle it gloops. Its texture reminds me of honey that you get in the squeezy bottles.

I know the word ‘gloop’ isn’t the most inviting for a shower gel, I however really like its gloopy composition. It’s an identical consistency to Lush’s Plum Rain shower gel , thick yet silky smooth.

A little of the Bubbly shower gel goes a very long way and it lathers up effortlessly. As you work it onto your body the scent really hits you.

It’s a delicate fragrance that is very warming and relaxing. In my imagination the scent makes me think of family meal times. Especially those where we are celebrating Christmas, a birthday etc. It’s quite a tangy citrus and it really is such a beautiful scent.
bubbly-extra The smallest amount of Bubbly shower gel leaves my skin bright, soft and perfectly moisturised.

Although I have several shower gel and cream favourites, I’d go as far as to say that Bubbly is one of the best Lush shower gels that I have ever used.

If I ended up in hell and was only allowed to take one shower gel with me, Bubbly would make it into the shortlist without a doubt.

Its scent stays with me all day. My skin adores it, as does my nose. I have both the liquid and solid versions of Celebrate perfume a dab or a spritz of this intensifies its fragrance yet is still soft enough to not become over powering.

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I will be buying several bottles of this before Christmas has finished and I will miss it in all of the shops and online once it has gone.

I hope they decide to bring it out next year too and maybe some more Celebrate scented products, a return of the Celebrate Body Lotion and First Snow Dusting Powder would go down a treat.

Bubbly really is a beautiful shower gel, so much so that I may even go all out and buy a kg bottle of it!

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Butterbear Bath Bomb from Lush

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The first time that I tried the Butterbear Bath Bomb was back in the winter of 2014. I will admit that I wasn’t completely blown away by it, I would however like to point out that this is not because I disliked it, the other more colourful bath bombs just seemed to prevail it, leaving it in the shadows and at the bottom of my draw.

Butterbear although a bit dull performance wise is a very gentle bath bomb that both adults and children can enjoy. Ever since 2014 I have bought each of the children in my family a Butterbear bath bomb as they adore bath time and they always get so, so excited about bath bombs.

I have never forgotten what it was like to be a little girl and by complete accident I started a Christmastime Butterbear tradition in my family. When I very first gave the Butterbear bath bombs to the kids I tried to make them a little bit more interesting. I told them to make a wish before they put them into the bath, the idea behind this was so that they wouldn’t be sad that she/he had gone after just one bath.

I told them that the Butterbear’s job was to listen to their wish, followed by them then fizzing away in the bath, preparing themselves for their journey to the North Pole which of course is via the plug hole. Once down the plug hole the Butterbear’s job was to then find Father Christmas to let him know their Christmas wish.

That is how one silly, made up story turned into a Christmastime tradition for my family. I felt I had to explain this as it is this that helped make the Butterbear bath bomb a special product for both myself and them. Sometimes the smallest amount of imagination can make something that appears dull a lot more interesting!

The Butterbear bath bomb is relatively small, the closest bath bomb to its size that is currently available is the Ickle Baby Bot bath bomb.

Based on its size I’d describe the Butterbear bath bomb as more of a novelty product. It smells exactly the same as the Butterball bath bomb it however isn’t as strong.

Pushing its smaller size to one side, I still find the Butterbear bath bomb to be very moisturising on my skin. I do however feel like I get more out of it when I pair it up with other products.

My favourite cocktail at the moment is the Butterbear bath bomb with a splash of Bubbly shower gel, I am desperately in search of Butterball shower gel to pair with it, fingers crossed I get some soon.

As soon as it is placed in to the water the Butterbear bath bomb fizzes away very quickly.

There’s a lot of white foam and then once the bear has dissolved you notice that there are tiny beads of oil floating on the waters’ surface.

These beads are the cocoa butter and although there isn’t a lot of it, my skin well and truly benefits from it. It isn’t quite as hydrating as the Butterball bath bomb is but its sweet scent stays with me through out the bath leaving me wanting more.

As I said above, I feel that the Butterbear bath bomb is best when paired with other products. What wins it over for me is its soft and creamy scent, the story that goes with it in my family is an added bonus that makes it a very welcome product, every winter.

I can’t ever imagine them discontinuing it, the little people in my family would not be very impressed!

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Satsuma Bath Bomb from Lush

I’m a sucker for anything citrus, I’d actually admit here and now that winter used to make me ridiculously miserable, that is until I discovered Lush Cosmetics.

Now every winter I don’t want to just hibernate until the spring time. Instead I focus on all of the exciting new Lush products that are available, the thought of copious amounts of luxurious baths makes the winter months so much more bearable…

As someone who is plagued with high levels of joint pain and fatigue a zesty and rejuvenating bath is always right up my street. This is why I was so, so excited when I first see the big pile of Satsuma Bath Bomb’s at the Lush Creative Showcase 2016.
Satsuma Bath Bomb.png The Satsuma bath bomb is my idea of heaven.

Containing a fine cocktail of citrus-fruit essential oils; Bergamot, Sicilian mandarin, fresh satsuma juice and orange flower absolute, Satsuma really is a zesty and refreshing treat I’d like to get time and time again.

Satsuma shares its scent with last year’s Dashing Santa bath bomb. As sad as I was to find out that Dashing Santa wouldn’t be returning this year, Lush have well made up for it with the addition of 2 new products sharing its same beautiful scent; The Satsuma bath bomb and the new soap, Santa’s Postbox. group test photo.png

The Satsuma bath bomb is only available as part of a Lush 2016 Christmas gift set or on its own at Lush’s flagship store, Lush Oxford Street. I am actually visiting the store next week and will be picking up a fair few of these as I think they are fabulous.

Much like the Blackberry bath bomb the Satsuma bath bomb isn’t as visually pleasing once in the bath (no pretty bath art) its scent however wins me over.

Its carefully selected ingredients help to soothe and refresh my mind, body and soul.

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It’s quite a quick fizzer, I however don’t see this as a negative characteristic, it’s not a ‘bath art’ bomb so I expect it to be a quick, the quicker it fizzes away the quicker I can lay back in it and get my relax on.

My skin once out of the bath feels moisturised, smooth and refreshed, the scent however doesn’t stay on your skin for very long which is a little disappointing.

I have used the Santa’s Post Box soap alongside it and that helps carry the scent for longer although again not for very long.

As much as I love the Satsuma bath bomb I will say that I enjoy it better when paired with other products. My favourite combination so far is 1 half of a Satsuma bath bomb in with 1 half of a Blackberry bath bomb. Just writing about it makes me feel relaxed!

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Snow Fairy Body Conditioner from Lush

It’s no secret that I often leave the sweet Lush products at the back of the cupboard. I don’t dislike them I just always tend to grab the fruity ones as those are the scents I am most comfortable with.

Adding to that, When I very first started my Lush adventure I never really understood the hype behind the Snow Fairy scent. Again, I don’t dislike it I just think there are much better Lush scents out there.

Considering this, you can imagine my surprise when I one day woke up (4 or 5 months after Christmas) with the feeling that I really, really wanted to use something from the Snow Fairy product family.

Luckily for me, my boyfriend loves the Snow Fairy scent meaning we had some Snow Fairy shower gel just hanging about. I’m not quite sure what had happened to me, or why I had suddenly started craving it but I realised then that I had warmed to and therefore opened the door for myself to explore a lot of much loved products that I’d previously never given much thought.

When I found out that Lush would be releasing a Snow Fairy Body Conditioner this winter I will admit to getting a little bit excited. In previous years Lush had released only one body conditioner in their winter line, Christingle. I absolutely adore Christingle but I cannot comfortably use it in the winter time due to how refreshingly cold it is, this meant that being given another much warmer option made me very happy indeed.

Snow Fairy body conditioner has a super smooth, creamy texture that is very similar to perfectly made, smooth custard. It is a beautiful shade of baby pink and because I love pink so much I really have to fight the urge to just tip it all over me. As lovely as that would be, it would be such a waste as a little of the product goes such a long way. Tipping it all, all over me although very tempting isn’t at all necessary.

When using a body conditioner I always begin with a little of it in my hand, I then work it into my body in a similar way to how you would do a shower gel, focusing a little bit more on the dry patches of my skin as well as the other bits of my skin that need a little bit of TLC and attention.

After application you then also rinse it off just like you would shower gel, although I advise that you do not go crazy with the rinsing off, leaving a small amount of it on is the same as applying a body lotion. It soaks into your skin very quickly leaving your skin looking and feeling healthy, hydrated and luxurious.

Now that we are in the winter season I can get my hands on a great range of Snow Fairy scented products. Above is the body conditioner, the shower gel and the Father Christmas bath bomb. They all share the Snow Fairy scent and I am enjoying layering up the scents so much more than I did last year.

I have yet to review the bath bomb or shower gel, I will however have them posted on to my blog very soon. I may wait until December to publish my Father Christmas bath bomb review though as I am not quite ready to embrace Christmas just yet, I’ll stick to just the winter orientated products for now.

There really is a huge list of Snow Fairy products that I still have yet to explore. Keep on the look out here as I will be reviewing Lush galore over the next 4 months. All I know is, is that I am going to smell absolutely fabulous!

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NEW Shoot for the Stars Bath Bomb from Lush

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Being honest as always I was completely flabbergasted and totally speechless when I see that the much loved Shoot for the Stars bath bomb had, had a complete make over.

The makeover wasn’t even a slight tweak here and there, the new Shoot for the Stars bath bomb is in all intents and purposes a brand new bath bomb.

Apart from its scent the new version of Shoot for the Stars is completely unrecognisable.

Both designs are undeniably star orientated but until I see the name of the new version I wasn’t at all aware that it was in fact the same bath bomb reinvented.

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2014-2015 Shoot for the Stars

Some Lushie’s (me especially) do not bode well to such drastic changes, I however always trust Lush’s decisions and wanted to give the new version a go.

The new bath bomb is blue all over and decorated with 3 visible golden stars. It wasn’t apparent to me until I had actually used the bath bomb that the golden stars are in fact chunks of bath melt.

The stars are made of a mixture of what I think is cocoa butter and coconut cream, they make Shoot for the Stars one of the most skin-hydrating Lush products I have used to date.

Long term Lush fans will notice that the Yog Nog Bath Bomb much like the retired version of Shoot for the Stars didn’t make a return in this years Lush winter line.

I wasn’t particularly bothered by this as Yog Nog was never a particular favourite of mine, however for those that did like it you will be happy to learn that the new Shoot for the Stars bath bomb is (in my opinion) a combination of both the older Shoot for the Stars and Yog Nog bath bomb.

Shoot for the Stars’ scent is about the only thing that has remained the same when comparing it to the earlier version of it.

The Shoot for the Stars bath bomb comes from the Honey I Washed the Kids scent family. Honey I Washed the Kids is a very sweet and moreish scent, my nose can detect several sweet layers, a soft honey aroma (although honey is not an ingredient in it, making it 100% Vegan) as well as hints of toffee and a subtle smidge of gooey caramel too.

I don’t always get on with the sweet smelling products however the Shoot for the Stars bath bomb isn’t at all sickly and I have grown very fond of it and the Honey I Washed the Kids scent.

As soon as the Shoot for the Stars bath bomb hits the water a fierce fizzing of royal blue bubbles shoot out of it, gradually turning the rest of your bath water into a deep shade of midnight blue.

After a few minutes of it fizzing away I noticed the stars. When I first used it and see the yellow bits bobbing about, I couldn’t help but grab the bath bomb to get a better look at it.

As you can see in the pictures below the new Shoot for the Stars is completely different from anything Lush have brought out before.

The stars at the point of time this photo was taken were no longer a dusty gold colour, it is at this point that I realised that the stars were not part of the bath bomb and were in fact bath melts.

As the bath bomb fizzes away the stars separate, floating to the top of the surface, going off on their own individual journey. There are 6 stars in total.

It is advisable to use the Shoot for the Stars bath bomb in quite a hot bath, this way you get the full benefits of the bath melts, the warmer temperature helps the cocoa butter melt.

Once melted you can see a coating of moisturising oil splodges on the top of your bath water. I couldn’t help but compare the last picture I took below to Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry night. A Shoot for the Stars bath really is a work of art!

When I realised that the stars were in fact bath melts I was a little worried that it would make me and the tub super oily, I was however very pleased to find that I didn’t get out of the bath looking like I’d been bathing in an oil slick. The bath was also fine after a quick hose down.

Once out of the bath my skin looked and felt fabulous, in addition to it feeling so much better it also smelt gorgeous. The scent stayed with me for ages, hours and hours after getting out of the bath I could still smell the sweet toffee scent on my freshly revived super, soft skin.

There are some reasons I prefer the new Shoot for the Stars bath bomb over the older one and vise versa. I enjoy and love both versions although I did find the new version more entertaining to watch in the bath tub. There is just something so interesting about the big butter stars and the way the water looks once the bath bomb has finished.

I have heard a rumour that the new version of Shoot for the Stars will be replacing the recently discontinued bath bomb Honey Bee. If the rumour turns out to be true it will mean that Shoot for the Stars will be available all year through which is very, very exciting. Keep your fingers crossed!

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