Christina Alyce Beauty

Who would have thought I would fall so deeply in love with such a seemingly silly product? At first glance, the concept of shower jellies seems like nothing more than a childish product that won't really be all that useful, or even effective, but oh how wrong that sentiment is. I have grown to adore the silky lather, rich scents, and alternative uses of this wonderful product, and Happy Blooming is my new favorite.
Upon opening the pot of Happy Blooming, you are greeted with the stunning aroma of cherries, slightly softened by a sweet, almondy note. This striking red jelly reminds me so much of a red, heart shaped cherry lollipop, which I used to love as a kid. Aside from citrussy scents, Lush tends not to do very many other fruit-scented products, so this one is certainly welcome.
Compared to other jellies, this one has just as wonderful of a lather, and the carrageenan extract lends a wonderfully slippery and smooth texture making it perfect to use while shaving. Shower jellies are my absolute favorite product to shave with.
Setting this jelly apart from the others I have tried- perhaps in a slightly negative way- Happy Blooming is not nearly as moisturizing as you would expect. I have tried quite a few jellies now, and they all leave your skin feeling very soft and much less stripped than when you wash with soap or shower gel. This, on the other hand, has more toning properties that do leave your skin feeling a little taut. Also, I noticed that my pot of jelly (and this may have been a one-off issue, either with just mine, or the batch) contains some strange, rough component that tends to be slightly scratchy. I am really not sure where these little flecks come from, and I don't think they are meant to be there because jellies are not the best format for an exfoliating product. Whatever the cause of this, it is not harmful, just a little strange, and it does not take away from the absolutely mouthwatering scent.
I enjoy using this product, and I hope to try another batch in the future to see if the little bits were just a fluke, because I have not read any other reviews with this complaint!

Vegan?  Yes

Ingredients: Glycerine, Cherry Infusion (Prunus cerasus), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Coconut Water (cocos nucifera), Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Coconut Cream (Cocos nucifera), Perfume, Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Colour 17200, Colour 73360, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

As someone with incredibly curly, thick, and unmanageable hair (picture Merida from Disney's Brave with light brown hair), I feel like I'm on a never-ending quest to find that one product (or multiple products, even) that can soften, define, and control my mane. And to my utter joy, I think I may have found it.

Most curly hair is incredibly dry, so using a traditional shampoo can be detrimental to what few oils your hair can produce, and many conditioners aren't nearly moisturizing to replace what was lost, plus what it already lacked. Many curly girls opt for either the No-Poo method (skipping shampoo altogether, often substituting with vinegar, or something similar) or Co-Washing, which is a single product that cleanses gently while it conditions your hair. Avocado Co Wash is obviously the latter.
It is smart to stay away from sulfates and other stripping ingredients when you have curly hair, and this is where I'm a bit unsure of Avocado Co Wash. While it does contain multiple sulfates, it still feels incredibly nourishing, and leaves my hair in better condition than anything else I've tried. This is due to the other ingredients that make up this super moisturizing product

Rosemary, lavender, and nettle infusion soothes and clears the scalp, while cider vinegar cleanses and balances the pH of your scalp. Many oils and butters are found in this product, including cupuacu butter, cocoa butter, olive oil, which all nourish the hair and scalp by adding moisture and protection. Fresh avocado is present, to lend it's intensely hydrating properties to the hair.

I find that using Avocado Co Wash on it's own with no other shampoo or conditioner gives my hair the perfect amount of moisture. Using this product does tend to be a little tricky at first, because it is a solid product that does not produce much lather. If using Lush's solid conditioners leaves you frustrated, this one wont be much better. I do find that pinching off a small piece, wetting it, and mashing it into my palm til it forms a paste is more fruitful than trying to lather the whole block. After forming the paste, apply it to your hair and gently comb through with your fingers or a wide tooth comb to distribute. This does not contain silicones like traditional conditioners, so your fingers will not glide easily through your hair. Leave on while you finish up your shower, then rinse out. I find that I do have a lot of residue left on my hair after using this, but that works perfectly for me. My curls don't look greasy, just lightly defined, and this lets me skip any additional styling products. If you have fine or straight hair, this will likely be too rich of a conditioner for you, and leave you with heavy, greasy locks. This works best for those who severely lack moisture, and was specifically designed for those with curl types 3B-4C, or those with generally damaged and severely dry hair. Those with type 4 curls may even want to follow this with an additional conditioner.

Overall this product has been fantastic for me, it has cut my hair product use from 3-4 different products to 1, making the higher price tag worth every penny. And I can't forget to mention it leaves my hair smelling like lemon pound cake!

*Cinnamyl, Alcohol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Red Wax

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