Christina Alyce Beauty

I must admit, I never thought I’d ever become as huge a fan of shower jellies as I am. Though my collection is still small, or perhaps because it is so small, as soon as I saw that the Cold As Ice gift set from the Kitchen contained a jelly, I was sold. The scent description sounded amazing, and as the “celebrate” scent family is one I’ve wanted to try this season, that was a total bonus.

Upon opening the tub, I smelled a very citrus scent that smelled more of grapefruit to me, than of lemon and lime. I suppose that slight bitterness could be from the cognac oil. Once the jelly hit the warm water, the scent changed slightly, and I could smell a slightly sweeter lemon- lime aroma. I really like the scent in the water, it’s very cheery and the perfect winter citrus scent.

Like all shower jellies, Snow Showers contains carrageenan extract, which is derived from seaweed, to give it a jell-o like texture. Seaweed is quite moisturizing and nourishing for the skin, in addition to giving jellies a fun texture. the cognac and citrus oils help to tone the skin, while elderflower soothes and sesame oil hydrates. I would not say this is the most moisturizing shower product I’ve tried, my skin felt quite dry and tight after my shower and I wouldn’t have lasted the rest of the day without applying lotion.

I was also slightly disappointed in the lather. my Nightwing shower jelly produces lots of lather that is easy to spread, but I felt that it took a lot of product to get a lather on my netted sponge, and I had to top up my sponge by the time I got to my legs. Luckily after a few uses, I haven’t noticed any shrinkage to speak of, so this should last me quite a long time, even though I do require more product each use.

Overall, this is a fun product with a cheerful scent. I may not go out of my way to repurchase it, but it’s a quirky product whether you choose to freeze it, cut it up, or use it as is. I will certainly use it up, and I’m excited to try it alongside my Celebrate Bath Bomb and Celebrate Lotion, for a gorgeous citrus bath combination!

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: Part of gift set, not sold individually

Status: Lush Kitchen Exclusive

Scent Family:

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Sesame Oil, Glycerine, Elderflower Infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Perfume, Sweet Orange Oil, Cognac Oil, Lime Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Methylparaben. 

Out of the small fraction of Lush fragrances I have encountered, The Olive Branch has a secure place at the top of the list, right beside Yuzu & Cocoa and The Comforter. The Olive Branch was the very first Lush shower gel I tried, so I had no Idea what to expect. It’s a beautiful orangey amber color, with a thin consistency. I was surprised to discover that despite the watery consistency, just a couple drops on my netted sponge lathered beautifully.

This gel contains bergamot, olive, mandarin, and olive oils, which not only make for a moisturising and brightening wash, but mingle to create a warm and bright scent. The smell is more complex than just citrus, it has a complexity to it that is mature very sultry. This is one of the most glamorous smelling products I have ever smelled, and it’s absolutely stunning. Vine leaf infusion conditions the skin, and sea salt cleanses, leaving you with nourished, clean skin. 

This is an all around beautiful product, the only criticism I have would be that it’s a little too watery, and I know this puts many people off. I personally don’t find that it affects it’s overall performance, and as long as you are mindful of how much you’re using you won’t run out any faster than with thicker gels. This is the first shower gel that I’ve been tempted to order in a 1kg bottle, and that might just be what I ask for for Christmas…

Rating: 5 out of 5

Price: 

Status: Permanent

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase? Yes

Ingredients: Vine Leaf Infusion, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Fresh Mandarin Juice, Fair Trade Olive Oil, Perfume, Propylene Glycol, Bergamot Oil, Lemon Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Mandarin Oil, Fine Sea Salt, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Colour 14700, Methylparaben. 

Herbalism Face and Body Cleanser

The name Herbalism certainly suits this product to a T. Upon opening my generous sample, I got a lovely whiff of a very green, herbal smell, from the combination of rosemary, sage, nettle, and chlorophyll. Herbalism isn’t a typical facial cleanser, instead of being a liquid, it is a moist powder, exactly how you’d imagine the texture would be for a mixture of ground up herbs, almonds, and clay. To use, you scoop out a generous amount for my face, I use about a teaspoon worth of the product, and mix it with a few drops of water until it forms a milky paste. Apply the paste to your damp face, massaging in circular motions, outward from the nose, then rinse off.

In theory, this is a fantastic cleanser for tackling acne. It has antiseptic, astringent, and anti inflammatory properties from the sage, chamomile blue, nettle, and rosemary.Chlorophyll regulates sebum production, so this is fantastic for those with oilier skin. Kaolin and ground almond exfoliate, while vinegar balances the pH of the skin.

I felt that while this was very softening, balancing, and moisturising, it was “soapy” enough to cut through makeup, so I would highly recommend using this in conjunction with a makeup remover, or, since my current makeup remover doesn’t quite do the job, I reserve this for use in the morning when I have nothing on my face except the previous night’s skincare. I didn’t find that this particularly helped with acne, I actually think I might’ve broken out a little more after use with this, which was really disappointing. My skin is currently undergoing some changes, and I am incredibly acne prone a the moment, so while this was not the perfect fit for me now, I hope to pick up another sample in a couple of months and try again. This was a very natural feeling cleanser with a lovely exfoliant, so I really hope I can get along with it in the future.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Price: Small -  $13.95 for 3.5oz / £6.95 for 100g Large -  £17.35 for 250g / $33.95 for 8.4oz

Status: Permanent

Vegan?:Yes

Would I repurchase? Not until I sample it again

Ingredients:  Ground Almonds, Kaolin, Glycerine, Chlorophyllin Water, Nettle, Rosemary and Rice Vinegar Extract, Rice Bran, Gardenia Extract, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Sage Oil, Perfume.