Shower Jelly – Lush Upon A Time

Tarantula Shower Jelly from Lush

This year I am starting off my Halloween Lush-product-reviews with the Tarantula Shower Jelly. The Tarantula shower jelly is a brand-new, limited-edition, Halloween product that first became available in the UK at the end of August 2022.

Designed to look just like a tarantula, when news of its existence first leaked online, I wasn’t even sure if I was even going to buy the shower jelly. I am absolutely terrified of spiders due to an unforgettable experience with an African bird eating spider in my bedroom in Cyprus when I was just 5 years old.

I won’t go into detail as you’re here for my review of the shower jelly BUT I just wanted to explain that there was a real life, childhood experience behind my irrational fear of spiders… 😬

Despite my fear of the 8-legged-beast, I braved giving the Tarantula shower jelly a sniff in-store and after discovering it smelt absolutely delicious, I decided to take one home with me. I just have to keep reminding myself that it is not a real spider…

The Tarantula shower jelly contains a long list of ingredients including cherry infusion, activated charcoal and some of the following essential oils; Davana, lime and almond.

As I said earlier, its scent is delicious, people have asked me to compare it with something and for me, it really reminds me of the drink, Dr Pepper but with hints of boozy, cherry amaretto too.

With Tarantula being a character shaped shower jelly, I was hesitant to use it in the same way as I would an ordinary pot-shaped shower jelly as unfortunately I find more often than not, that the character shaped jellies aren’t always as sturdy and robust as the normal pot-shaped ones.

As predicted, The Tarantula shower jelly did begin to fall apart after just one use even when I was gentle with it. However, I’ve used it 2 more times and although it is showing wear and tear, there’s still plenty more of it to go around yet.

There is no right or wrong way to use a shower jelly, I prefer to use mine in the same way as you would a bar of soap, whole. Some people however chop their shower jellies up using a few pieces at a time. – I used its 8 legs to my advantage, placing my fingers in-between them, this made it so much easier to grip it in the shower.

The Tarantula shower jelly lathers up quickly and creates a super creamy foam. A little goes a very long way and glides over your skin with ease. Its gorgeous cherry scent fills your bathroom as soon as you take its lid off BUT it’s not until the shower jelly is in use that its scent really comes alive. Mixed alongside the hot water and steam of the shower, its scent literally engulfs you in yummy cherry-ness!

At first its attention to detail (especially its made-to-look-hairy back and its 8 legs) made me feel uneasy but the biodegradable, holographic-rainbow-shimmer inside of it alongside its scent made it easy to fall in love with. After stepping out of the shower my skin is left feeling soft, clean, and fresh, it also appears somewhat brighter. It isn’t a hugely moisturising shower jelly but doesn’t leave me desperate to coat myself in body lotion after I have used it either.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed using the Tarantula shower jelly and I am glad that I didn’t let the fact it is spider-shaped put me off of buying it, I can’t wait to see if Lush create more products that share this shower jellies scent in the near future! 🍒

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Monster Octopus Shower Jelly from Lush

The Monster Octopus Shower Jelly is a brand-new, limited-edition product from Lush’s 2021 Halloween line. It is inspired by the Kraken, a legendary giant octopus from Scandinavian folklore that was said to terrorise sailors, it has a fantastically spooky back story, making it perfect for the Halloween period.

The first thing about the Monster Octopus shower jelly that caught my attention was that it was shaped as an actual octopus and wasn’t just a standard jelly shape.

If you have read any of my shower jelly reviews before this one, you’d know that I prefer to use my shower jellies whole, in a very similar way to how you would use a standard bar of soap. Some people however chop their shower jellies up using one piece at a time. There’s no right or wrong way to use them so just do whatever you are most comfortable with.

In the past I have always favoured the shower jellies that are in the standard shape, I find them a lot easier to use and they tend to last longer too. The character shaped shower jellies just don’t seem to have the stamina, breaking up a lot quicker. I am pleased to however report that the Monster Octopus shower jelly has lasted me a good 4 uses and doesn’t show any sign of depletion or wear and tear yet.

Going back to this shower jellies shape – I mentioned a few paragraphs ago that this shower jelly has been made into the shape of an octopus. Many people have however pointed out that it only has 5 legs. TRUE. I’m unsure as to why Lush decided to give it 5 legs, instead of the 8 that octopuses have. I suspect that it is something to do with flimsiness and ease of handling it during use. It could however also be something as simple as it just looked better with 5 legs. Again, these are just me guessing.

My overactive imagination decided that the Monster Octopus shower jelly is in fact a star fish that is wearing an octopus Halloween costume! I liked that idea so I’m choosing to believe that now. 😉

The Monster Octopus shower jellies scent is a sweet and powerfully rich, fruity affair. It contains fresh-passion-fruit, vanilla, blackcurrant, sweet-wild-orange and tagetes. It’s the perfect mix of both sweet and sour and it fits perfectly into the theme of a candy filled Halloween. It lathers up with ease, incredibly quickly. I discovered by accident that if you hold it under a running tap it also works brilliantly as a bubble bath too.

Using it in the shower or bath leaves me feeling clean and my skin soft. Its powerful scent also stays on your skin for the best part of the rest of the day after using it. It mentions on its packaging that it can be used as a shampoo too; I haven’t tried it in my hair yet but would be interested in hearing anyone’s review if they have.

Overall, I am really impressed with the Monster Octopus shower jelly. It’s nice that this years Halloween range features this brand-new scent and I look forward to seeing what else Lush comes up with over the last quarter of 2021!

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Abombinaball Shower Jelly from Lush

abombinaball shower jelly

The Abombinaball Shower Jelly is currently my favourite of the ‘surprise products’ that have been included in the new, monthly Lush-Kitchen-subscription-box.

With it sharing its scent and shape with the insanely popular Abombinaball bath bomb, I knew as soon as I see it that it was going to be one of those products that would cause a tidal wave of excitement to sweep over the Lush community.

At the time of writing this review, the Abombinaball shower jelly has only ever been available in May 2020’s Lush-Kitchen-subscription-box. Since getting a pot, I have been hoping that it would make a return as a limited-edition Christmas product this Winter BUT I’ve not heard anything as of yet so it’s not very likely.

Containing vanilla, infusions of fresh mint and orange peel alongside peppermint and Brazilian orange oils, the Abombinaball shower jelly really is a minty and creamy, vanilla-rich-treat.

As soon as you take off the shower jellies lid you are greeted with its mouthwatering fragrance, the Abombinaball scent really reminds me of the hard-boiled-sweets, Mint Humbugs. If you’re a fan of them, you’ll love this shower jelly.

As I said above, the Abombinaball shower jelly is character shaped. With character shaped shower jellies I find more often than not, that they aren’t always as sturdy and robust as the normal pot shaped ones, beginning to fall apart after just a few uses.

The Abombinaball shower jelly however goes against all odds and is very robust, lasting several showers before showing any signs of usage or wear and tear. I suspect this is because of its rounder shape. Other character-shaped shower jellies are normally small with a fragile and flat thin body such as the Bouncy Bunny Shower Jelly from Lush. Their delicate shape make them much easier to get through and use up.

In use I found that the Abombinaball shower jelly was incredibly hydrating, much more hydrating than any other shower jelly that I have used from Lush before. It lathered up quickly and left my skin soft and clean. The scent, although subtle lasted on my skin for the rest of the day too.

Overall I really liked the Abombinaball shower jelly, it was a wonderful surprise in Lush Kitchen’s first subscription box. It has set the expectations-bar of what wonderful products they dream up next very high!

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Yuzu and Cocoa Shower Jelly from Lush

The Yuzu and Cocoa Shower Jelly is one of 9, limited edition shower jellies voted for, for release by the Lush community a few months ago. If you’re one of the thousands of people that miss the very much discontinued Yuzu and Cocoa shower cream, then this shower jelly equivalent will most certainly fill the void it has left in your Lush-life.

To this day I am still completely taken aback at Lush’s decision to discontinue everything Yuzu and Cocoa, especially the gorgeous Yuzu and Cocoa bubbleroon. The loss of both the shower cream and the bubbleroon did however make the news of a shower jelly equivalent being released all the more exciting!

The Yuzu and Cocoa fragrance is one of my favourite Lush scents, the only way I can describe it is ‘wonderfully chocolatey’ and just like a fresh packet of Jaffa cakes. If you love to eat orange chocolate then I recommend trying ALL of the products that share the Yuzu and Cocoa scent.

The Yuzu and Cocoa shower jelly is a beautiful mix of yellow and honey shades. As you can see in the photo above it has a mix of yellow and warm amber tones in it, its mix of colours remind me of the Twilight shower jelly which is also made with a blend of swirling colours through it.

Sadly I find that the shower jellies that aren’t all one colour tend to break up / show wear and tear a lot quicker. After 3 uses my Yuzu and Cocoa shower jelly had started to lose its shape and robusticity. Quite the opposite of the single-coloured shower jellies also chosen by the Lush Community like Yummy Mummy.

There are so many ways to use a shower jelly, I prefer to use mine in the same way as you would a bar of soap, whole. Some people however chop their shower jellies up using a few pieces at a time. With the Yuzu and Cocoa shower jelly being slightly more fragile-a-jelly than I am used to using as a whole, the chopping method is in my opinion the best way to get the most out of this particular shower jelly.

The Yuzu and Cocoa shower jelly lathers up quickly, its scent is just as good as I remember the shower cream being both in the pot and in use. The Yuzu and Cocoa scent is incredibly versatile, I am yet to come across a product format that it hasn’t worked in.

Apart from the Yuzu and Cocoa shower jellies delicacy, I really can’t fault the shower jelly. It’s just as creamy as its shower cream equivalent and its scent lasts on my skin through out the best part of the day after using it too.

Normally shower jellies can be quite drying on my skin, the Yuzu and Cocoa shower jelly however leaves my skin soft and positively refreshed. It isn’t hugely moisturising but doesn’t leave me desperate to coat myself in body lotion either. Overall I believe that it is a wonderful addition to the Yuzu and Cocoa product family!

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Rumba Shower Jelly from Lush

Rumba Shower Jelly

At the time of writing this review, the Rumba Shower Jelly is a Lush product that is exclusively available only at Lush’s brand new, flagship-super-store in Liverpool, England. Sharing its scent with my all time favourite Lush product the So White bath bomb, (the 2016 version with coloured insides being my favourite version) I almost screamed the shop down with excitement after just one sniff.

Yes, we do already get a So White scented shower jelly that never fails to be released year in year out for Lush’s Winter collection the Santa’s Belly shower jelly but Rumba seems to be a much sturdier jelly, plus I love its bright and bold colour.

Rumba is a beautiful shade of green, on its scent, colour and almost indestructible structure (in jelly terms) alone I was left very impressed before I’d even given it a proper go in the shower.

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Rumba contains apple juice, bergamot, neroli and orange oil. Scent wise Rumba smells just like freshly, sliced apple pieces. It’s a real fairytale fragrance, something that inspired the name of the body lotion that shares Rumbas scent the Once Upon A Time body lotion.

Most shower jellies I find are fairly robust. There are others such as the Ghost shower jelly that do not last well through use when left as a whole. Rumba is however one of the most robust shower jellies I have used to date. Something I have found is a running trait amongst the jellies that are exclusive to the Liverpool Lush store.

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Rumba lathers up quickly and easily, as you work it over your body the steam of the hot water really helps carry its crisp-apple-fragrance around your bathroom. People have asked me if Rumba is as good as the So White shower gel and I have to say it is actually better. As much as I love the So White shower gel and the Santa’s Belly shower jelly, after using Rumba it’s made me realise I prefer the thicker shower gels and/or the sturdier shower jellies.

I have used Rumba several times now and it’s not showing any signs of wear and tear at all, this is something that has really impressed me, with it being such an exclusive product it makes me feel a lot better about using it so frequently, I don’t have to ration it!

After getting out of the shower, the Rumba shower jellies scent lasts for a good few hours on your skin, it isn’t hugely moisturising but a quick splash of Once Upon A Time body lotion (as mentioned earlier it shares the So White scent) sorts out any dryness left without masking its scent with another Lush scent family.

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Conga Shower Jelly from Lush

At the time of writing this review, the Conga Shower Jelly is a Lush product that is exclusively available only at Lush’s brand new, flagship-super-store in Liverpool, England. As a self confessed lover of anything pink, Conga was the first of the exclusive shower jellies to catch my eye.

As soon as I heard that ‘raspberry’ was one of the ingredients in Conga I instantly thought, could this be the next Mumkin bubble bar scented product that we’ve all been asking for, for years?

Sadly for Mumkin addicts, Conga has a brand new Lush scent, it’s fairly similar to the likes of the Raspberry Milkshake soap but has an extra sour element to it, something that excited me straight away, allowing me to easily put the Mumkin bubble bar to the back of my mind once again…

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Conga contains fresh raspberry juice and vanilla absolute giving it a fruity sweet fragrance, the sour element that comes through in its scent is the bergamot oil. On paper I wasn’t at all sure if this blend of ingredients would work, one sniff of Conga however wipes out any uncertainty. It’s delicious.

Most shower jellies I find are fairly robust. There are others such as the Ghost shower jelly that do not last well through use when left as a whole. Conga is however one of the most robust shower jellies I have used to date. Conga lathers quickly and easily.

As the lather of Conga gets going the steam of the hot water really helps carry its raspberry scent. In use it actually reminds me of the Plum Rain shower gel which funnily enough was another product that upon its release, I dared to dream could be Mumkin bubble bar scented too. It wasn’t Mumkin scented BUT I did fall hopelessly in love with it as like Conga it has a very unique berry-fruit sour scent.

After getting out of the shower, the Conga shower jellies scent lasts for a good few hours on your skin, it brightens dull skin up and leaves it feeling fresh. It isn’t hugely moisturising but isn’t so drying that it leaves me desperate to coat myself in body lotion.

Overall I am really impressed with the Conga shower jelly, I hope that Lush make it more readily available for all soon. It’s a fantastic addition to the Lush shower jelly family, I could see it selling very well if it was made a main line Lush product!

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Ghost Shower Jelly from Lush

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The Ghost Shower Jelly has a very gentle scent, on paper it isn’t actually a scent I would naturally gravitate towards as it is primarily floral. Be that as it may, my mind on its scent was soon changed after I had experienced a bottle of Ghost shower gel.

The Ghost shower jelly has a long list of floralesque ingredients; Jasmine absolute, ylang ylang, dove orchid infusion and one of my favourite essential oils, neroli. Looking at this long list you’d expect this shower jelly to smell like an old ladies hand bag, yet it doesn’t. It has a really creamy and fresh scent. Reminiscent of clean laundry.

The Ghost shower jelly isn’t as robust as others I have tried, it lathers up fairly quickly but the jelly doesn’t seem to stay intact for very long. It falls apart after just one use. There are so many ways to use a shower jelly, I prefer to use mine in the same way as you would a bar of soap, whole. Some people however chop their shower jellies up using a few pieces at a time. Although it’s not my favourite way of using a shower jelly I think chopping it up into smaller pieces is most probably the best method when it comes to using this shower jelly.

I’m not sure what it is that makes its consistency that little bit weaker than other shower jellies, it being chopped up is however a perfect solution to stopping any of it from being wasted from falling apart and down the drain.

After using Ghost in the shower or bath its scent stays on my skin for a good 3 to 4 hours after getting out. It does however leave my skin quite dry meaning I have to moisturise fairly soon after drying off, seeing as there isn’t a Ghost scented body lotion unfortunately this takes away from its scent.

I do not dislike its scent, I just favour the fruitier scented products. It is however a very good shower jelly when it comes down to getting a quick and good lather which is strangely the opposite of its shower gel equivalent.

My use of the Ghost shower jelly and gel has opened up my senses, I am now more willing to step out of my comfort zone scent wise, previously I have avoided trying other floral based products but since trying Ghost I have found that I actually enjoy using other floral based scented products such as the Sacred Lotus and Sakura bath bombs.

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Snowshowers Shower Jelly from Lush

Snowshowers Shower Jelly

As soon as you take the lid off of the Snowshowers Shower Jelly you are greeted with the comforting and refreshing scent of warming cognac, sweet orange and zesty lime. As its name indicates, Snowshowers is of course a Winter product. I however always have a pot around whatever the season as its scent (named by Lush as the ‘Celebrate’ scent) is one of my favourites.

Lush Cosmetics master scents. Once a scent is mastered, over a very long period of time (sometimes years) they create an abundance of products that share that mastered scent. This is where the Lush term ‘scent family’ comes from, if a product shares the same scent as another new or old one, it’s a part of that scents family.

The Celebrate scent that Snowshowers has, can also be found in a wide range of other Lush products. There’s the Golden Wonder bath bomb which happens to be the product that first introduced me to the Celebrate scent, the Celebrate shower gel and the Celebrate body lotion to name just a few.

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Snowshowers shower jelly is a fairly robust product, some of the Lush shower jellies such as the Bouncy Bunny tend to break up really easily but not Snowshowers. I like to use my shower jellies in the same way as you would a bar of soap. Some people however prefer to chop their jellies up, using one piece at a time. It’s all about personal preference, I just prefer to use mine as a whole as I feel it gives me a much better, much creamier lather, plus I love how it feels being worked along my skin, it’s so, so relaxing. Especially on the soles of your feet.

*This is the point of the review where my husband regrets secretly using my Lush shower jellies. ha, ha, I use them on my feet!*

I have found that even with frequent use, Snowshowers takes a very long time to start showing any signs of wear and tear, it takes a good few weeks before it starts to get noticeably smaller which is quite rare for a shower jelly, the only one that I have used that has been as robust as this was the Santa’s Belly shower jelly. Unfortunately nothing lasts forever, I do however find that the Snowshowers shower jelly still lathers up just as well as it did from day one after every use, its quality doesn’t depreciate with age, its scent also remains just as strong right up until the very last slither is left.

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Unfortunately I find that the Snowshowers shower jelly leaves my skin quite dry and in need of a little extra hydration after use. I’m not quite sure why it does make my skin feel so dry as I normally always find that the shower products that lather up as well as Snowshowers does the most moisturising.

This problem is however easily solved as a quick dab of Celebrate body lotion once I am out of the shower bounces my skin back into a tip top, perfectly hydrated condition. As the Celebrate body lotion and Snowshowers shower jelly share a scent, using the both together intensifies its gorgeous fragrance further, leaving its scent to stay on your skin for the best part of the rest of the day, which is more than perfect for me as I’m a huge fan of the Celebrate scent.

Overall I am very impressed with the Snowshowers shower jelly, it’s a great product that lasts well beyond 10 uses. I know some people shiver at the thought of a Lush bath bomb only being used in one bath, instead maybe a shower jelly is the product for them? If you’re looking to convert someone like this to the Lush side, this shower jelly could just be the product that wins them over!

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Bouncy Bunny Shower Jelly from Lush

Bouncy Bunny Shower Jelly

When I found out about 2016’s brand new Lush Easter product the Bouncy Bunny Shower Jelly, I was so excited. What got me the most excited is its ingredients. Much like the Down the Rabbit Hole bubble bar, Bouncy Bunny’s main ingredient is Brazilian orange oil which is one of my personal favourites.

Now that Winter and all of its tingly, skin-warming Lush products are becoming a distant memory, I am standing waiting with open arms for all of the spring time, zesty and energising Lush goodies!

Bouncy Bunny Shower Jelly has an energising, summery scent that I find incredibly refreshing, especially after an early morning hydro session. I’ve had to cut caffeine completely out of my diet now, (not that I ever drank a lot of it) but since trying to tackle my insomnia head on I have had to become very strict with myself, anything that could help my energy levels without drowning myself with caffeine is gold dust to me.

Using this shower jelly gives me a much needed boost when my energy levels are wavering, it’s perfect for me when I think only a cup of tea or 4 will get me through the day.

Brazilian orange oil is particularly good for the brightening and toning of skin too, pairing Bouncy Bunny Shower Jelly up with a soft exfoliator will ensure that your skin is more than summer ready.

My only negative on this shower jelly is its shape, I however do not dislike the shape, I think it’s cute that they’ve used the exact same mold for the Bouncy Bunny as the Spring Bunny bath bomb. I just find shower jellies that are the standard shape a lot easier to use if you prefer to use them whole like me. The character shaped ones are very tricky to keep a hold of. Trying to keep it in your hand while using it is quite the challenge.

I am sad that this shower jelly didn’t come back in 2017’s Easter line, it is however making an appearance in the Lush Kitchen on Monday (17th April 2017) so at least some of us can still get one if we want!

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This post was originally posted on this website on the 31st of March 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 ♥

Pink Custard Shower Jelly from Lush

My love for the colour pink is almost as strong as my love for Lush Cosmetics. When I see that they were releasing a new shower jelly in the 2017 Mother’s Day range that was called Pink Custard, I just couldn’t help but get ridiculously excited about getting my hands on a pot or two.

Not only is it bright pink but it’s also jam packed with some of the most gorgeous ingredients. Lush have stated that the Pink Custard Shower Jelly shares its scent with the Think Pink bath bomb. While they both share key ingredients such as; vanilla, lavender, neroli and tonka absolute I can’t quite get my nose to identify them as the same.

At one point I thought a good description for its scent was a mixture of the Unicorn Horn bubble bar and Prince Charming shower cream, after however using it every other day since getting my pot in February I have changed my mind. There are elements to it that are similar to the Unicorn Horn but the addition of vanilla seems to make it a more rounded and almost musky scent. I think initially it was also the vanilla that made me think of it as similar to Prince Charming.

The Pink Custard shower jelly lathers up much quicker than any I have used before. There is however a bit of a downside to this, the jelly doesn’t seem to stay intact for very long, falling apart after just the one use.

There are so many ways to use a shower jelly, I prefer to use mine in the same way as you would a bar of soap, whole. Some people however chop their shower jellies up using a few pieces at a time. Although it’s not my favourite way of using a shower jelly I think chopping it up is most probably the best method when it comes to using Pink Custard. I’m not sure what it is that makes its consistency that little bit more weaker than other shower jellies, it being chopped up is however a perfect solution to stopping it from crumbling.

Pushing the Pink Custard shower jellies frailer consistency to one side I am still very pleased with it as a product, so much so that I’ve put it in pride of place in amongst my other top shower jellies; Santa’s Belly, Big Calm and Twilight. It lathers up well, leaves my skin soft and lightly scented for the rest of the day and it’s my favourite colour, pink!

What better qualities could I possibly want in a shower partner? 😉

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