LUSH product reviews (Updated 5/30)
To keep track of what I've tried, I'm doing LUSH reviews.
Bath ballistics::
Avobath:: Hands down, Avobath is one of the best products that LUSH makes. The color is a beautiful lime green, and the scent is very citrussy-- lemongrass and lime with a little orangey bergamot. It's invigorating, and will be perfect for cool baths in the summer. I have never gotten a glittery Avobath, though it's supposed to be all sparkly.
Big Blue:: Beautiful jeweltone blue water, an unimpressive scent, and tons of icky seaweed. I loved the color, but I wouldn't buy this again. And if I did, I'd sock the bomb so I didn't spend five minutes washing detritus down the drain.
Butterball:: I have to say, I didn't expect much out of this one. It's small and relatively colorless. The scent did surprise me, though-- a nice, creamy shea scent that really stuck to my skin. While I generally have to have some color to enjoy a bath, this was actually pretty cool. These would make wonderful gifts for LUSH newbies.
Chelsea Garden:: Eugh. Just eugh. Almost no color except for the decaying greyish pink of petals, which go soggy and gross inside of five minutes, then clog up your drain. Just say no.
Christmas Carol:: (Christmas discontinued.) This is essentially Fairy Jasmine (which has been unavailable in the US) in a different form. I was really surprised at how much I loved the scent, considering I can't wear jasmine in perfume oils. It works lovely in the bath, though! This one gave off almost no color, but with the right BBS, you can easily fix that. The main draw is the tons of glitter it puts out. A girlie treat if ever there was one.
Christmas Party:: (Christmas discontinued.) I really wanted to love this bomb, even though I knew it would have no color. The plastic star confetti in different colors was really fun, but the iridescent foil was not at all. It was scratchy and completely took me out of relaxation mode. Bah.
Jingle Spells:: (Christmas discontinued.) So far, my favorite. The scent is very nice, like sugared plums tempered with juniper, and the water turns a deep, relaxing purple. Tinfoil stars in silver, gold, and platinum fizz out of the ballistic as it dissolves for a nice, fun effect. This probably won't be available until next Christmas, so until then I'm going to try to swap for as many of these as humanly possible.
Lush Pud:: (Christmas discontinued.) The water appeared faintly brown, which was not terribly appetizing, but the scent was nice. It was gourmand, like pudding or cocoa, perhaps. Not my favorite, but nice enough for a candlelit bath where you can't see the water.
Rainbow Worrier:: (Discontinued.) My Rainbow Worrier was blue, and it turned the bathwater a beautiful chacedony color, milky and somewhat opalescent. I wasn't bowled over by the scent, but the sandalwood was nice, and the anticipation of the color was fun, indeed. I also like the idea of the fortune inside. Mine read, "Fortune favors the brave."
Sinterklaas:: (Christmas discontinued.) Faintly scented like spiced oranges. The bomb was okay, and the chocolate chips were a fun suprise, but the scent was not terribly strong, and there was no color.
Sex Bomb:: This is a fun little bomb-- a purply-pink color with a candy rose on top. The scent is jasmine-y, but also tempered by something heavier, more earthy. Overall, this was a really girlie bath that was nice. Not my favorite, but I'd buy it again.
Sakura:: Count me in the apparent small number who love Sakura. The cherry blossom scent was right on and left me yearning for springtime. The color was faintly pink, very appropriate, with the added bonus of bright blue sea salt. I want to keep this one in stock.
The Happy Pill:: I was expecting a bright citrus scent, and instead got something much more musky, which surprised me. Still, this is a bomb that works really well in cooler water-- a summer favorite. The water was a light peach color, and I passed the better part of an hour just soaking up. Not one of my absolute favorites, but nice, nonetheless. Also, it froths really nicely, so it's fun to bat around while it fizzes.
Think Pink:: A bright pink bath with a candy scent. A lot of fun.
Tisty Tosty:: Aside from giving these as gifts, I'm not too fond of them. They smell faintly of tea roses and give almost no color. Eh.
Twinkle:: (Christmas discontinued.) A small, pale blue bomb with the scent of American Cream. I expected a little more from this one-- the scent was faint, and there wasn't a whole lot of color or glitter. Meh.
Bubble Bars::
Amandopondo:: A very nice mix of citrus and rose-- romantic and refreshing at the same time. I enjoy things that are not cloyingly floral. And the little rosebud on top is so cute!
Bathos:: Oooh, violets. Very relaxing and sensual at the same time. The purple tint was nice, and there were tiny green sparkles throughout. Half a bar was sufficient for plenty of bubbles. I will definitely buy this one again.
Blue Skies:: A massive BBS, but be careful to store it well, or the blue will fade to purple. One of these will easily last four baths. The scent is musky and earthy-- not my favorite, but good for a change.
Hot Milk?:: Kind of nondescript, but produces lots of bubbles and a little bit of scent like milk. Very comforting after an emotional wringer of a day.
Ma Bar:: A crumbly graham-crackery treat. Too bad it turned the water kinda brownish. If I had the lights off, this would be heaven.
Ruby Red Slippers:: (Christmas discontinued.) Talk about a magical bath. I never saw a BBS that could make a bath all on its very own. The water was a beautiful pale orangey red and full of very fine glitter, carnation scented. If these re-emerge next year, I'm snapping up a bucketful.
Turbo Bubble:: (Discontinued.) Up with Bathos for my favorite BBS, and waah, it's discontinued. It had a little of the Fairy Jasmine scent and some iridescent glitter, and it produced loads of bubbles. RIP, beloved Turbo Bubble.
Two Timing Tart:: (Discontinued.) The scent was very synthetic strawberry, but the color was very strong-- a brilliant hot pink. I'll miss this one for cocktailing.
Soap::
17 Cherry Tree Lane:: My favorite LUSH soap, if only for the Sakura fragrance.
Angel's Delight:: (Christmas discontinued.) Kinda smelled like Kool-Aid. It was very pretty, though.
Banana Moon:: Meh. Not much scent, not much moisture.
Honey, I Washed the Kids:: A dead-on honey scent, with overtones of caramel, almost like a Sugar Daddy lollipop. It was very good as an emollient, and I may look forward to getting this in full size.
Rock Star:: Fun pink color, and it kind of smelled like red vines or some childhood confection. Synthetic, though. Lathered well enough, and the scent lingered quite awhile. Not exactly my thing, but nice all the less.
Sea Vegetable:: It kinda dried me out and had no scent. Lush's soaps are overall kind of a disappointment in the moisture area, so meh.
Snowcake:: (Christmas discontinued.) Very nice and sweet, like almond frosting or marzipan (it reminded me a lot of BPAL Dana O'Shee). It really did lather very creamily, almost like bath milk. Watch out for the glitter though, it can be scratchy.
Massage Bars::
Amazonian:: This one is massive, and it smells truly unique. To me, it smells like sandalwood, patchouli, orange, and just a hint of rose. Either way, it smells more some a magical blends I've sniffed than a perfume scent. It really does set the mood, but it has to be a particular mood. I was sad that since I mail ordered, I didn't get the orchid on top, though. Eta: Smaller chunks of this also make an incredible bath melt.
Each Peach:: A very attractive pale yellow bar. I was startled that this was not at all peachy, but it was a very uplifting citrus blend of orange, lemon, and grapefruit. I use this on my legs fresh out of the shower. If there was a lotion or spritz of this, I would be the happiest girl ever.
Shimmy Shimmy:: I actually don't use this as a massage bar at all. It's pleasingly vanilla, full of iridescent glitter. I rub this on one my shoulders and collarbone before going out for just the right amount of glitz.
Soft Coeur:: Guhhhh. A cute little heart made of honey, cocoa, and vanille. Sticky, sticky, so lay down a towel first. This one is divine.
Wiccy Magic Muscles:: A really lingering cassia scent with scrubby beans in it. I didn't expect to like this, but it's kind of addicting.
Bath Melts::
Ceridwen:: Me + Ceridwen = love. This is just so herbal and luxe. What really makes it is the cloth baggie it comes in-- you can save the sachet for more than one bath, and it's good for scrubbing.
Something Wicked:: (Old version.) I don't really remember the smell, but 1/4 of the bar was plenty to get myself plastered in chunky pink glitter. Not my favorite.
Hair Products::
American Cream conditioner:: Does it work? Meh, not really. Do I buy it anyway because the scent sends me into paroxysms of joy? You betcha. I cut some of this into my normal conditioner for a lingering scent of cream and vanilla. Yum.
Big! Shampoo:: This kinda weirded me out at first. It's chunky and smells kinda like seaweed. However, boy does it do its job! I had full on Marilyn Monroe hair each time I used it, and it completely degreased sweaty summer hair. A winner, for sure. Just be sure to follow up with a good conditioner, as it can be a bit drying.
Fuel solid conditioner:: A complete waste of time. Did not work for me whatsoever.
Jungle solid conditioner:: Nada. I could not work it into my hair. Smelled nice, though.
New! shampoo bar Mmmm. Smelled wonderful, like spicy cassia. Got pink dye everywhere. But that was part of the fun for me.
Ultimate Shine solid shampoo bar:: This latered extremely well and left squeaky clean hair, along with an interesting herbal scent that really lingered on the hair. After a few washes, I certainly noticed better shine and manageability. I will want to keep this one on hand!
Cleansers::
Angels on Bare Skin:: I just tried this, and it is wonderful! I have combo skin with a very oily T-zone and dry, flaky skin around my nose. This baby took care of everything, and my skin is so soft! It's a little unwieldy, though. You have to keep moistening it and squishing it together as you scrub, but it's very worth it. A full size will be in my next order.
Ocean Salt:: I swear by this being the best exfoliator in the world. It's scrubby, detoxifying, bright blue, and smells like a margarita. I use it twice a week.
Misc::
Chocolate Whipstick lip balm:: Edible. Orangy chocolatey edible emollient goodness.
Honey Trap lip balm:: Really sweet, but not quite white chocolate. Kind of honeyish, with maybe a little bit of vanilla almond. Very moisturizing.
Ring of Roses Buttercream:: Very creamy, with a lemony-rose scent. Made for a very decadent, girlie pampering-bath. Makes a great gift. Thumbs up.
Bath ballistics::
Avobath:: Hands down, Avobath is one of the best products that LUSH makes. The color is a beautiful lime green, and the scent is very citrussy-- lemongrass and lime with a little orangey bergamot. It's invigorating, and will be perfect for cool baths in the summer. I have never gotten a glittery Avobath, though it's supposed to be all sparkly.
Big Blue:: Beautiful jeweltone blue water, an unimpressive scent, and tons of icky seaweed. I loved the color, but I wouldn't buy this again. And if I did, I'd sock the bomb so I didn't spend five minutes washing detritus down the drain.
Butterball:: I have to say, I didn't expect much out of this one. It's small and relatively colorless. The scent did surprise me, though-- a nice, creamy shea scent that really stuck to my skin. While I generally have to have some color to enjoy a bath, this was actually pretty cool. These would make wonderful gifts for LUSH newbies.
Chelsea Garden:: Eugh. Just eugh. Almost no color except for the decaying greyish pink of petals, which go soggy and gross inside of five minutes, then clog up your drain. Just say no.
Christmas Carol:: (Christmas discontinued.) This is essentially Fairy Jasmine (which has been unavailable in the US) in a different form. I was really surprised at how much I loved the scent, considering I can't wear jasmine in perfume oils. It works lovely in the bath, though! This one gave off almost no color, but with the right BBS, you can easily fix that. The main draw is the tons of glitter it puts out. A girlie treat if ever there was one.
Christmas Party:: (Christmas discontinued.) I really wanted to love this bomb, even though I knew it would have no color. The plastic star confetti in different colors was really fun, but the iridescent foil was not at all. It was scratchy and completely took me out of relaxation mode. Bah.
Jingle Spells:: (Christmas discontinued.) So far, my favorite. The scent is very nice, like sugared plums tempered with juniper, and the water turns a deep, relaxing purple. Tinfoil stars in silver, gold, and platinum fizz out of the ballistic as it dissolves for a nice, fun effect. This probably won't be available until next Christmas, so until then I'm going to try to swap for as many of these as humanly possible.
Lush Pud:: (Christmas discontinued.) The water appeared faintly brown, which was not terribly appetizing, but the scent was nice. It was gourmand, like pudding or cocoa, perhaps. Not my favorite, but nice enough for a candlelit bath where you can't see the water.
Rainbow Worrier:: (Discontinued.) My Rainbow Worrier was blue, and it turned the bathwater a beautiful chacedony color, milky and somewhat opalescent. I wasn't bowled over by the scent, but the sandalwood was nice, and the anticipation of the color was fun, indeed. I also like the idea of the fortune inside. Mine read, "Fortune favors the brave."
Sinterklaas:: (Christmas discontinued.) Faintly scented like spiced oranges. The bomb was okay, and the chocolate chips were a fun suprise, but the scent was not terribly strong, and there was no color.
Sex Bomb:: This is a fun little bomb-- a purply-pink color with a candy rose on top. The scent is jasmine-y, but also tempered by something heavier, more earthy. Overall, this was a really girlie bath that was nice. Not my favorite, but I'd buy it again.
Sakura:: Count me in the apparent small number who love Sakura. The cherry blossom scent was right on and left me yearning for springtime. The color was faintly pink, very appropriate, with the added bonus of bright blue sea salt. I want to keep this one in stock.
The Happy Pill:: I was expecting a bright citrus scent, and instead got something much more musky, which surprised me. Still, this is a bomb that works really well in cooler water-- a summer favorite. The water was a light peach color, and I passed the better part of an hour just soaking up. Not one of my absolute favorites, but nice, nonetheless. Also, it froths really nicely, so it's fun to bat around while it fizzes.
Think Pink:: A bright pink bath with a candy scent. A lot of fun.
Tisty Tosty:: Aside from giving these as gifts, I'm not too fond of them. They smell faintly of tea roses and give almost no color. Eh.
Twinkle:: (Christmas discontinued.) A small, pale blue bomb with the scent of American Cream. I expected a little more from this one-- the scent was faint, and there wasn't a whole lot of color or glitter. Meh.
Bubble Bars::
Amandopondo:: A very nice mix of citrus and rose-- romantic and refreshing at the same time. I enjoy things that are not cloyingly floral. And the little rosebud on top is so cute!
Bathos:: Oooh, violets. Very relaxing and sensual at the same time. The purple tint was nice, and there were tiny green sparkles throughout. Half a bar was sufficient for plenty of bubbles. I will definitely buy this one again.
Blue Skies:: A massive BBS, but be careful to store it well, or the blue will fade to purple. One of these will easily last four baths. The scent is musky and earthy-- not my favorite, but good for a change.
Hot Milk?:: Kind of nondescript, but produces lots of bubbles and a little bit of scent like milk. Very comforting after an emotional wringer of a day.
Ma Bar:: A crumbly graham-crackery treat. Too bad it turned the water kinda brownish. If I had the lights off, this would be heaven.
Ruby Red Slippers:: (Christmas discontinued.) Talk about a magical bath. I never saw a BBS that could make a bath all on its very own. The water was a beautiful pale orangey red and full of very fine glitter, carnation scented. If these re-emerge next year, I'm snapping up a bucketful.
Turbo Bubble:: (Discontinued.) Up with Bathos for my favorite BBS, and waah, it's discontinued. It had a little of the Fairy Jasmine scent and some iridescent glitter, and it produced loads of bubbles. RIP, beloved Turbo Bubble.
Two Timing Tart:: (Discontinued.) The scent was very synthetic strawberry, but the color was very strong-- a brilliant hot pink. I'll miss this one for cocktailing.
Soap::
17 Cherry Tree Lane:: My favorite LUSH soap, if only for the Sakura fragrance.
Angel's Delight:: (Christmas discontinued.) Kinda smelled like Kool-Aid. It was very pretty, though.
Banana Moon:: Meh. Not much scent, not much moisture.
Honey, I Washed the Kids:: A dead-on honey scent, with overtones of caramel, almost like a Sugar Daddy lollipop. It was very good as an emollient, and I may look forward to getting this in full size.
Rock Star:: Fun pink color, and it kind of smelled like red vines or some childhood confection. Synthetic, though. Lathered well enough, and the scent lingered quite awhile. Not exactly my thing, but nice all the less.
Sea Vegetable:: It kinda dried me out and had no scent. Lush's soaps are overall kind of a disappointment in the moisture area, so meh.
Snowcake:: (Christmas discontinued.) Very nice and sweet, like almond frosting or marzipan (it reminded me a lot of BPAL Dana O'Shee). It really did lather very creamily, almost like bath milk. Watch out for the glitter though, it can be scratchy.
Massage Bars::
Amazonian:: This one is massive, and it smells truly unique. To me, it smells like sandalwood, patchouli, orange, and just a hint of rose. Either way, it smells more some a magical blends I've sniffed than a perfume scent. It really does set the mood, but it has to be a particular mood. I was sad that since I mail ordered, I didn't get the orchid on top, though. Eta: Smaller chunks of this also make an incredible bath melt.
Each Peach:: A very attractive pale yellow bar. I was startled that this was not at all peachy, but it was a very uplifting citrus blend of orange, lemon, and grapefruit. I use this on my legs fresh out of the shower. If there was a lotion or spritz of this, I would be the happiest girl ever.
Shimmy Shimmy:: I actually don't use this as a massage bar at all. It's pleasingly vanilla, full of iridescent glitter. I rub this on one my shoulders and collarbone before going out for just the right amount of glitz.
Soft Coeur:: Guhhhh. A cute little heart made of honey, cocoa, and vanille. Sticky, sticky, so lay down a towel first. This one is divine.
Wiccy Magic Muscles:: A really lingering cassia scent with scrubby beans in it. I didn't expect to like this, but it's kind of addicting.
Bath Melts::
Ceridwen:: Me + Ceridwen = love. This is just so herbal and luxe. What really makes it is the cloth baggie it comes in-- you can save the sachet for more than one bath, and it's good for scrubbing.
Something Wicked:: (Old version.) I don't really remember the smell, but 1/4 of the bar was plenty to get myself plastered in chunky pink glitter. Not my favorite.
Hair Products::
American Cream conditioner:: Does it work? Meh, not really. Do I buy it anyway because the scent sends me into paroxysms of joy? You betcha. I cut some of this into my normal conditioner for a lingering scent of cream and vanilla. Yum.
Big! Shampoo:: This kinda weirded me out at first. It's chunky and smells kinda like seaweed. However, boy does it do its job! I had full on Marilyn Monroe hair each time I used it, and it completely degreased sweaty summer hair. A winner, for sure. Just be sure to follow up with a good conditioner, as it can be a bit drying.
Fuel solid conditioner:: A complete waste of time. Did not work for me whatsoever.
Jungle solid conditioner:: Nada. I could not work it into my hair. Smelled nice, though.
New! shampoo bar Mmmm. Smelled wonderful, like spicy cassia. Got pink dye everywhere. But that was part of the fun for me.
Ultimate Shine solid shampoo bar:: This latered extremely well and left squeaky clean hair, along with an interesting herbal scent that really lingered on the hair. After a few washes, I certainly noticed better shine and manageability. I will want to keep this one on hand!
Cleansers::
Angels on Bare Skin:: I just tried this, and it is wonderful! I have combo skin with a very oily T-zone and dry, flaky skin around my nose. This baby took care of everything, and my skin is so soft! It's a little unwieldy, though. You have to keep moistening it and squishing it together as you scrub, but it's very worth it. A full size will be in my next order.
Ocean Salt:: I swear by this being the best exfoliator in the world. It's scrubby, detoxifying, bright blue, and smells like a margarita. I use it twice a week.
Misc::
Chocolate Whipstick lip balm:: Edible. Orangy chocolatey edible emollient goodness.
Honey Trap lip balm:: Really sweet, but not quite white chocolate. Kind of honeyish, with maybe a little bit of vanilla almond. Very moisturizing.
Ring of Roses Buttercream:: Very creamy, with a lemony-rose scent. Made for a very decadent, girlie pampering-bath. Makes a great gift. Thumbs up.