Christina Alyce Beauty: christmas

I think I have discovered my ideal scrub. So far, everything I have tried from Lush has been either too harsh or to crumbly to use 100% effectively, but oh my goodness, this beauty is perfect. Not only does this product gently exfoliate your skin with sugar and sand, but it is combined with many oils and butters to leave you with soft and hydrated skin as well. I love scrubs and body butters, so a product that combines the two is always a winner.

This deliciously tropical scrub is packed with all the best hydrating ingredients out there - murumuru butter from brazil to hydrate and protect your skin, organic shea butter to absorb easily into the skin, coconut oil to hydrate, and illipe butter to richly nourish and even combat a multitude of skin problems.

When using this scrub in the shower, I found that this is the first that I’ve used that I have not had to cut up or crush first, in fear that it will fall apart during use. Normally Lush scrubs either fall apart very easily, as Sugar Babe does, or they are much too harsh to use without crushing them up first, like with Sugar Scrub. I found that this was the perfect consistency to rub on my body as is, and got an effective exfoliation and perfect dose of hydration, simultaneously. I use this as the very last step in the shower, after washing. This paired deliciously with Beautiful Shower Gel. While this does stay together very well, I will cut it into single-use segments next time to preserve it more effectively, otherwise it’s at risk of dissolving too quickly. This is a dense scrub that will last many showers, but it’s pricey (and limited edition) so I don’t dare waste it!

Of course, since this product is a body butter, the scent absorbs into your skin and lingers long after you have left the shower, and it really is a fantastic fragrance. Inspired by sand sculptures, this body butter’s scent conjures up images of warm, tropical beach. Coconut oil, rosewood oil, orange oil, and sandalwood oil combine to mimic the aroma of a tropical cocktail or high-end suntan oil. I don’t think I could imagine a more beachy and inviting smell.

My only complaint with Sandy Santa is the red of his hat tends to make a bit of a mess in the shower, but it is easily rinsed off the shower and skin. I would love to see this product released in the summer months in a different shape (and without the annoying red) so that I can stock up on this Holy Grail of a scrub. I am very disappointed I didn’t gab more when I had the opportunity, because this is now a solid favorite.

Rating: 6/5 (yep, it’s that good!)

Price: £5.75 ($8.59)

Status: Discontinued Christmas Product, Kitchen Exclusive

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients: Sugar, Murumuru Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Organic Shea Butter, Illipe Butter, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cream of Tartar, Sand, Lauryl Betaine, Brazilian Orange Oil, Rosewood Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Methyl Ionone, Perfume, Colour 14700.

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FUN is an incredibly cool product from lush that can be molded like Play-Doh, crumbled under the tap for bubbles in your bath, or used as soap or shampoo. Magic of Christmas is perhaps even more exciting, because unlike most other colors of FUN, this one is coated in gorgeous luster.

This festive fun comes in 4 colored segments- Blue, magenta, gold, and white, each with an exterior coordinating shimmer, giving them a beautiful pearlescent effect. All four segments share the same beautiful scent, that of Jingle Spells Bath Bomb, which is composed of Juniper berry, Tangerine, Fennel, and Ylang Ylang. Strangely, I thought this smelled much more like the Honey I Washed the Kids scent family than Jingle Spells, because while the bath bomb is quite herbal, this FUN bar is sweet, warm, and more of a berry & honey scent in my opinion. Either way, it is a gorgeous scent nonetheless and would pair beautifully with products from either scent family.

I usually use my FUN as a bubble bar, and I decided to use a mix of the blue and white segments for my first bath with this. I used about 1/3 of each color, popped them in a strainer, and upon contact with the water mounds of bubbles formed and the water turned a gorgeous turquoise blue. I was sad to see that the luster didn’t make much of an impression in the water, but the multitude of bubbles and the soothing color made for a pretty bathing experience nonetheless.

I do find that with FUN, the bubbles do tend to disperse much faster than with a traditional bubble bar. Also, I did notice the scent of this was very strong once it mixed with the water. I have not used this to mold or roll up and slice, but this seems to be a much nicer consistency than my Aliens and Monsters FUN, so I think it will stick and hold its shape much better than that did.
Overall this was a nice, gentle product that was pretty and kind to my skin, but not overwhelming in scent. I would probably repurchase this, and I look forward to using the remaining colors!

Rating: 3.5/5

Price:

UK - £5.00 for 200g
US - $6.95 for 7oz

Status: Limited Edition, Christmas 2015

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients:Cornflour, Talc, Glycerine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Juniperberry Oil, Tangerine Oil, Fennel Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Radiant Gold, Gold Glimmer and Pearl White Lustre, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Colour 42090, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.

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Licorice has never been one of my favorite scents or flavors, but recently it has been growing on me. I decided to give Lush’s new licorice scented Christmas bubble bar a try, and I’m really glad I did. At first sniff, this small, swirly purple bubble bar appears to have a much more complex scent than what I anticipated. While the licorice is most definitely present, a sweet, lemony note of bergamot stood out to me the most. In the water, the lemon subsided and the fennel and tarragon became much more pronounced, and the air filled with a much more traditional aroma licorice. I found it smelled very comforting and cozy, perfecter winter bath.

When filling my tub, I decided to use the entire bubble bar at once, since it is on the smaller side. Also, I enjoy using an entire bar the first time I try a product just to see how vivid the water can get, and how many bubbles it can produce. Bar Humbug did not disappoint! I put my bubble bar in my strainer, and stuck attainder the tap. As soon as the water hit it, rich pinky purple water started to fill the tub, and the bubbles started to grow. By the time the bar was fully dissolved, I had a mountain of bubbles and incredibly bright and pigmented water. Between the color and the scent of this bubble bar, I think it would pair beautifully with the herbal and fuchsia Jingle Spells bath bomb.

The bubbles this created lasted a long time in the bath, and were so plentiful. I will probably only use half a bar the next time I use Bar Humbug, since it was so effective. I was really pleased with the scent and color, and it softened the water as well as most of Lush’s bath bombs. Overall, it was a fantastic and unique new addition to this year’s Christmas range.

Rating: 5/5

Price:

UK - £3.65
US - $6.95

Status: Limited edition, Christmas 2015

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Cornflour (Zea mays), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Fennel Oil (Foeniculum vulgare), Tarragon Oil (Artemisia dracynculus, Synthetic Fluorphogopite, Silver Glimmer Lustre (Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Colour 77400), Citral, Coumarin, Limonene, Colour 45410, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 77226.

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Before discovering Lush, I never used bar soap. I hated the feeling on my skin, and it was only once I received a sample in an online order that I realized how fantastic a good soap can be. I’m so glad I changed my mind, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have ever tried this truly magical soap.

Old Father Time was introduced this year as part of the Christmas range, and while it’s doesn’t boast a particularly “Christmassy” smell or look, it is festive nonetheless. In store, you will see it in the form as a giant maroon clock with numbers, cogs, and the gold face of Old Father Time himself. Each piece cut from the clock is unique, mine is gold and maroon with luster covering the outside.

I have honestly never smelled something like this soap before, and I quickly became enamored with it. My 100g bar, tucked away in my bathroom closet, fragrances the entire bathroom more than any other product, especially soap, that I’ve used from Lush thus far. It fills the air with a sweet, incense smell that is strong, but not sickening or overpowering by any means. This soap is composed of some beautifully aromatic ingredients, such as Myrrh resinoid for a warm amber note, and Opoponax oil for a dash of balsamic, honey scent. Sage and Thyme come together to offer a green note. Rosewood and tuberose add a warm, woody, and slightly floral aspect. Redcurrants are perhaps the most apparent scent in the mix, giving this soap a fruity and sweet fragrance. I love sweet and incencey fragrances, and I find that this is the perfect balance for me.

Using this in the shower did prove to be a bit tricky, because this may just be the most slippery soap I’ve ever encountered. I will admit, I dropped this a number of times trying to lather it! Also, when in contact with water, the soap becomes quite messy, and leaves a burgundy puddle wherever you rest it, which made quite a mess of the side of my tub. Luckily, it does not stain, and the gorgeous lather and fragrance make up for this inconvenience. I just needed to rub this on my netted sponge a couple of times before I had a generous helping of suds to take care of my entire body. And, of course, the beautiful aroma was amplified in the steam of the shower, though it did not linger long on my skin afterwards, or leave my skin particularly hydrated.

Overall I think this is a gorgeous wintertime soap, and I want to stock up on another block or two to see me through the never ending New England winter. This has a beautifully complex scent that I imagine would be enjoyed by many, so this would make a fantastic gift for any soap lover on your list.

Rating: 4.5/5

Price:

UK - £3.50 for 100g.
US - $7.95 for 3.5oz

Status: Christmas 2015 Limited Edition

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients: Fresh Sage and Thyme Infusion (Salvia officinalis;Thymus vulgaris), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus;Cocos nucifera), Sorbitol, Water (Aqua), Perfume, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Redcurrants (Ribes rubrum), Myrrh Resinoid (Commiphora myrrha), Opoponax Oil, Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Tuberose Absolute (Polianthes Tuberosa), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Radiant Gold Lustre; Gold Glimmer Lustre; Glacier Blue Lustre; Yoshi Yellow Lustre

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Christina Alyce Beauty

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