cosmetics – Lush Upon A Time

Sultana Shower Gel from Lush

Sultana Shower Gel

I have wanted to try Sultana Shower Gel ever since I heard the rumour that a prototype of it existed back in February 2017. I feel like I have waited an eternity to get hold of some and words cannot describe how happy I am to finally own a bottle of it!

The Sultana shower gel shares its scent with the discontinued Blackberry bath bomb which happens to be one of my favourite Lush products. Although visually the Blackberry bath bomb isn’t spectacular, it happens to be the only not-over-the-counter product on planet earth that helps me combat my worst enemy, insomnia.

Any Lush product that shares the Blackberry bath bombs scent/ingredients is therefore understandably a must have for me, even more so since the bath bomb was discontinued.

Sultana shower gels scent isn’t your typical Lush-fruity-fragrance. Its magic ingredients are frankincense (olibanum) and bergamot, this superb blend of essential oils are perfect for helping you wind down of an evening. The frankincense offers a sweet and gentle woody aroma while the bergamot gives it a delicate citrus-fruit edge. I know Lush make a lot of citrus based products but Sultana is so different that the word ‘citrus’ doesn’t spring to mind upon first sniff.

The shower gel itself is quite runny, a small amount of it does however go a very long way. A ten-pence-piece-sized amount is more than enough to wash your whole body. I love Sultana so much that I always over indulge and use a lot more than necessary, whoopsy! Unfortunately with it being quite a runny consistency over indulging and using too much is very easy to do.

Although the consistency of the Sultana shower gel is quite runny it’s not on par with how the old Olive Branch shower gel used to be, it’s also quite creamy so I don’t see its runny consistency as a huge issue, I actually think some shower gels work better when they’re not super thick. I have even used Sultana shower gel in my hair, I always find that the thinner shower gels work great as shampoo too.

As you rub Sultana shower gel into your body it’s gentle and super relaxing scent fills the shower space, breathing it in with the hot steam helps to draw out any stress that you’ve held onto from your day. After using it my muscles always seem less tense and I always feel ready for bed as soon as I’ve stepped out of the shower.

In the Summer I grew quite fond of pairing the Sultana shower gel up with the Sultana of Skin body conditioner. Although I find that the Sultana shower gel is more than capable in keeping my skin perfectly hydrated ( which not many other shower gels do), with the super hot weather we’ve had here in England I just felt my skin needed a little bit more tender loving care. I am really sad that Sultana shower gel was only available for a short while as a Lush Kitchen exclusive, I think Lush should rethink and make it a store wide shower gel as it really is beautiful!

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Tender is the Night Massage Bar from Lush

tender-is-the-night-massage-bar Tender is the Night was my very first Lush massage bar. When I first started to get into Lush I remember seeing it on Instagram all of the time. It was a popular, stand out product. To look at I don’t think the other Lush massage bars are ugly, Tender is the Night was just the one that first caught my attention.

I was actually visiting my friends and family in London when I got around to finally picking one up. Lush Oxford Street didn’t even exist back then… I don’t know what I even did when I visited London before it opened?!

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The Stratford shop space in the Westfield centre is where I picked up my first Lush massage bar. This particular store is all on one level so before Lush Oxford Street was a thing, it was my favourite store as I always got to have a good look at everything.

Being in the wheelchair does limit me a lot so whenever I am in London I always try to visit the Oxford Street store as well as Stratford’s as they are fully accessible – legs or wheels.

Tender is the Night is the standard shape Lush massage bar. I say standard as most of them are the oval shape like in the photo above. Not too big and not too small, it fits nicely in the palm of your hand. There are however a few massage bars that are slightly different in shape such as the Soft Coeur, Hottie and of course the Strawberry Feels Forever.

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Regardless of shape, all of the Lush massage bars are ridiculously moreish. I was hooked within seconds of using Tender is the Night. Originally released as a Valentine’s day product, Tender is the Night has a very romantic scent, the ylang ylang, vanilla and jasmine absolute in its ingredients reflects love perfectly.

The fact that it is now an all year round staple store product also says a lot. It’s more than a best seller!

Lush massage bars aren’t just for massages either. They can also be used by yourself as an all over body-moisturiser.

I find Tender is the Night very hydrating, the scent also stays with you for hours after using it. My skin remains soft and in a great condition for the best part of a week after using it too.

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I have been asked a few times about how long a massage bar lasts when in use. Some say you can get at least 6 generous, all over body massages out of one.

Using it as a moisturiser however it seems to last forever! I think all of the Lush massage bars are excellent value for money.

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This post was originally posted on this website on the 18th of February 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 ♥

Big Calm Shower Jelly from Lush

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Big Calm Shower Jelly was yet another Lush product I desperately wanted but always seemed to miss. My luck however changed for the better and this June just gone (2016) I managed to bag myself a pot!

Described by the Lush Kitchen team as a way to ‘take a dip into the Caribbean and enjoy year round sunshine,’ Big Calm shower jelly sounds like a bit of me.

Big Calm smells just like a piña colada. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it at first, it smelt good enough to drink and it really reminded me of beach, pool and sunny holidays.

Which might I add is the only type of holiday I think is worth going on because I’m lazy and can never get enough time snoozing in the sun.

There’s nothing I enjoy more than basking in the sunshine, book in one hand, cold drink in the other. When I am on holiday I want to do the same things all day, every day. Breakfast, drink, book then pool. Lunch, drink, book then pool and on and on until bedtime. Bliss.

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A cold pool to cool down in makes hot weather so much more manageable, I am getting depressed writing this as I literally CRAVE a holiday right now… That’s where the Big Calm shower jelly comes in, although it isn’t a Caribbean holiday, if you shut your eyes in the shower it smells and feels pretty close to one.

Packed with several tropical ingredients; Pineapple, coconut infusion and sweet orange oil, this jelly really does smell like a dream holiday.

Big Calm also has vetivert oil in, I feel this adds a smoky depth to the jelly. In my imagination it makes me think of a beautiful beach BBQ, sand in between your toes, salt in the air, delicious food in your belly.

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Big Calm is a deep dark blue with flecks of white. The exact shade of blue matches the deep parts of the sea that you wouldn’t want to snorkel in on your own, just in case Jaws was out swimming at the same time and same place. We’ve all seen the movie…

When I very first used Big Calm I was sure that something that smelt so fruitylicious would be sticky. It wasn’t, it lathered up so quickly and left my skin soft and smooth.

The refreshing scent stayed with me throughout the day. It made me really crave a pineapple and coconut juice. As much as I’d love a jug of piña colada or 10 I no longer drink alcohol, by ‘no longer,’ I mean I don’t even have the one glass on special occasions any more, boring I know. A pineapple and coconut juice however suffices and if you add a Big Calm shower into the mix it’s basically the same thing as a piña colada anyway.

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Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub from Lush

Check out my review on the Rub Rub Rub @Lushltd’s @LushCosmetics shower scrub

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The exfoliation of your skin has a very long list of skin-perfecting benefits. I cannot believe the number of people that do not know how essential exfoliating is for the upkeep of beautiful skin. I never used to think that it was as a very important job myself, that is until I had a chocolate sauce massage followed by the most epic sea-salt body scrub.

It was a birthday treat booked by my boyfriend while we were on holiday in Egypt, we were in our early twenties at the time and ever since the experience, it has changed my skin for the better.

I couldn’t get over how beautiful my skin felt and looked, I was glowing. My sun tan was the best it had ever been and my skin tone was completely even. I have a number of dark and light patches of skin all over my body. I have always been very self conscious of them and ashamed at how uneven and strange they make my skin appear. Description wise I would compare it to a very bad patchy, fake tan – which we can all appreciate is no fun at all.

Once my Egyptian salt scrub was over I couldn’t quite believe what I was looking at in the mirror. For the first time ever I was confident about the look and feel of my skin. I felt amazing!

Lush’s Rub Rub Rub shower scrub is the closest formula out there to whatever Egyptian magic they used on me that day. Packed with skin reviving ingredients I always make sure I have a pot of this on my shelf to use at least once a week. I dread to think of what my skin would look like without it.

Sharing its scent with the Sakura Bath Bomb, Rub Rub Rub gives off a very refreshing and clean fragrance.

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The tiniest amount of this shower scrub goes a very long way, I have heard many positive reviews on Rub Rub Rub. For me, it evens out my skin tone, softens my skin and also helps keep any annoying black heads or breakouts at bay.

It is the perfect product to not only clean and clear your pores of excess oil, dirt and yucky dead skin but also to make your skin softer in appearance as well as to touch.

I’d also like to point out that the Rub Rub Rub scrub is a little more heavy duty than some of the alternative exfoliating products out there. For someone like me having an incredibly noticeable, uneven skin tone it is gold dust!

It’s a fairly gentle but effective formula, not so harsh that it makes my skin sore and not so soft that I can’t see or feel the difference after using it. It is worth every penny.

If your skin is sensitive I would maybe try something more gentle for your face. My go to face exfoliator is Lush’s Cup O’ Coffee. In the Winter I however stick to using Rub Rub Rub or the Ocean Salt and Face Body Scrub.

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The consistency of Rub Rub Rub to touch reminds me of a Slush Puppy, it however isn’t as cold, I do know of some people using it straight from the fridge though. I have yet to try it fresh from the fridge but now the nights are getting warmer I’m leaning towards giving it a go.

As said above, a little goes a long way, I can scrub down the whole of my body with the equivalent of a table spoon worth of product.

Rub Rub Rub isn’t just a shower scrub either, I love when a product isn’t a one trick pony. It can also be used as a shampoo, the sea salt stimulates your roots and massages your scalp so well, it’s my idea of heaven. When I use it, it adds so much volume to my flat, dull and boring hair – another problem I have.

All in all I am very impressed with the Rub Rub Rub shower scrub. It also comes in a solid form but after trying both I find the potted form of it lasts longer and is better value for money.

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Granny Takes A Dip Bubble Bar from Lush

Have you tried the @Lushltd @LushCosmetics Granny Takes A Dip bubble bar yet? here’s my review!

Granny Takes A Dip Bubble Bar

The Granny Takes A Dip Bubble Bar was released back in 2015 as a Lush Oxford Street, flagship store exclusive. Since its original release the Granny Takes A Dip bubble bar is now available everywhere.

Prior to the release of the Granny Takes A Dip bubble bar, it was actually a bath bomb. (Click here for my Granny Takes A Dip Bath Bomb review)

Last year, Lush decided to retire the bath bomb version making way for other new products. I do miss the Granny Takes A Dip bath bomb however the bubble bar is a somewhat worthy replacement.

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The Granny Takes A Dip bubble bar shares its scent with the retired bath bomb. For the bath bomb super-fans this made the blow of taking it away a little softer.

As you can see from the photos the bubble bar is very bright and cheery. Its scent really is unique, packed with lemon, ginger and pepper oil it’s both zingy and spicy. Comparing the bath bomb and the bubble bar I find that the bubble bar is a tad more refreshing in the bath tub.

In the above picture I am about to use half of a Granny Takes A Dip bubble bar for one bath.

Half of it makes plenty of bubbles, I’d actually go as far as to say that you could easily get 4 fairly decent baths out of just one bubble bar.

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I am always honest in my reviews, I do like the Granny Takes A Dip bubble bar however I feel that the bath bomb was just that little bit better.

With the bubble bar you still get the full effect of its beautiful scent, it just isn’t as visually theatrical in the water. I didn’t realise until I had used my very last Granny Takes A Dip bath bomb quite how fond of the exciting colours I was.

My skin after using the bubble bar was equally as soft and refreshed as the bath bomb used to leave me.

I know quite a lot of people have pointed out that the colour of the water after using the bubble bar is rather dull. I actually disagree with this, although it’s not quite on par as others for brightness sometimes something a little more gentle is a good thing.

I have got through several Granny Takes A Dip bubble bars since its release last year so it’s more than obvious how I feel about it. It’s the perfect accompaniment for an exciting Lush bath cocktail.

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Spring Bunny Bath Bomb from Lush

The Spring Bunny Bath Bomb is only available to buy as a single product in one place in the world, Lush’s flagship store in Oxford Street, London. (There are several Easter gift sets that it features in too!)

It is no secret that the citrus scented products are the ones I favour. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a lot of the new Easter stuff this year as so many of the products in this years line are citrus based.

Packed with Sicilian lemon oil, the Spring Bunny bath bomb makes for an excellent bath time product to use if you need to get up and go. Most Lush bath bombs are tennis ball shaped and lack the same intricate detail that Spring Bunny does. Shaped as an Easter bunny, it has a face, ears and little feet making it almost too cute to let go down the plug hole.

In size I’d compare it to the Ickle Baby Bot bath bomb.

Packed with uplifting and cleansing Sicilian lemon oil, Spring Bunny is the perfect Easter pick-me-up. A lot of people think that baths are a part of a night time ritual that helps you get off to sleep. This isn’t the case at all, the rich and zingy scent of Spring Bunny gives me such an energy and mood boost that I’d actually feel silly using it of a night.

Before I got my hands on the Spring Bunny bath bomb I expected it to be a very quick fizzer, I was very surprised as it lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. I am unsure of how long it actually takes to fully dissolve but comparing it to other bath bombs of a similar size it definitely puts on a ever so slightly longer show.

For design I give the Spring Bunny bath bomb top marks, simply because it’s so detailed.

I know of several people that haven’t been able to use their Spring Bunny bath bomb yet because it is so sweet to look at. Giving it a little nose, eyes, ears and dinky feet has made it so much more impressionable than the normal type of bath bomb, as said above, you just don’t want to let it all go down your plug hole never to be seen again.

Some have even said that the Spring Bunny bath bomb is like having a pet rabbit BUT a lot better as it smells like lemons, doesn’t need feeding and also doesn’t poop…

I however never get too attached to my bath bombs and threw this little guy in my bath as soon as I could.

What the Spring Bunny bath bomb lacks in size and variety of colours is well made up for with its uplifting and refreshing scent. As soon as I got into the bath I could feel the bath bombs cocoa butter, soothing and hydrating my tired, dry, winter skin. The Lemon scent stayed with me for the rest of the day too.

I have a few of this bath bomb in my personal Lush stock and I foresee some very energising baths in my very near future. For such a little bath bomb, Spring Bunny has quite the kick!

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Tweet Bubble Bar from Lush

I managed to get hold of this Oxford Street 2016 Easter exclusive thanks to my sis-in-law who is literally my Lush lifeline, she’s an amazing personal shopper to have, you should all be very, very jealous. Sending her on all of my Oxford Street errands has accidentally got her hooked on Lush Cosmetics too, whoops! I can’t take full credit though as lets face it, every single product in Lush sells itself, going into the shop, picking things up to sniff, touch and learn more about it is all part of the wonderful and very addictive Lush experience.

This Easter (2016), Lush Oxford Street have a brand new, slightly odd looking yet perfectly charming store exclusive, the Tweet Bubble Bar.

All Lush products are handmade, it is however not until a product like the Tweet bubble bar is released that you get to really appreciate this. Although each Tweet bubble bar weighs the same, (meaning you get the same amount of product in each) no two look quite the same. For someone like me who has an overactive imagination this personal and individual touch gives each Tweet chick its very own personality. Although the lack of consistency look-wise will bother some, I feel it’s all part of Lush’s charm.

Tweet bubble bar like quite a few of the recent Lush releases is another citrus scented product. It is very similar to the Sunflower bubble Bar that was also an Oxford Street exclusive earlier this year.

Packed with plenty of tangerine oil, Tweet is a bubble bar that will refresh and lift your mood whatever the weather. Within aromatherapy tangerine oil is used to relieve stress and is also said to help with insomnia. As an ex(ish) insomniac I can honestly say that since using Lush products before bed I have noticed such a positive difference in my sleep pattern. Although I am not completely cured I now find it so much easier to drift off to sleep, getting that extra few hours of sleep in comparison to none at all is a god send.

I broke my first Tweet bubble bar into two. This amount made copious amount of soft, citrus-sweet bubbles. In hindsight I wish I would have spread the Tweet bar over 3 baths as it is more than capable of doing so.

Spread out over 2 baths Tweet more than adequately met my bathing needs. The only negative thought I have of it is that I just always get a little frustrated when a really good bubble bar isn’t the same size as for example the, The Comforter bubble bar. I’m just a greedy guts like that… This point is of course more of a reflection on me than Tweet!

My skin, dry and feeling a little more sensitive than normal due to the increase in amount of hydro sessions I have had to put my body through felt instantly soothed.

I spent a little bit longer in this Tweet bath than I would normally do, I was just so very relaxed.

Several hours after getting out of a Tweet bath my skin is still beautifully hydrated and the scent of the Tweet bubble bar is still very prominent on my skin. I wish I had a few more of these in my personal Lush stash as they really are such a good Lush product.

I hope they come back for Easter 2017!

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