A bit of tropical paradise in the shower (Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie)

Member Name: yummy87

Product:	Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie
Date:	24/09/04 (367 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gets rid of rough bits

Disadvantages: A bit messy

Us women will do anything to achieve great skin won’t we? How many potions, lotions and miracle creams have you tried in your lifetime that all promise the same thing – baby soft and smooth skin? Well I’ve tried a few over the years and have paid over the odds for a lot of jars and bottles that have not even come close to doing what they promise.

If I told you to take a pot full of almond and vanilla Angel Delight into the shower with you, then rub it all over your body as you are washing what would you say? The chances are you would probably think I was mad. Don’t leave yet though because my little tub of Angel Delight has made my rough bits smooth and my skin has taken on a silkiness that I have not experienced since I was a teenager.

May I present to you my little tub of wonderment, the Creamed Coconut and Almond Smoothie. It sounds like a gorgeous dessert rather than an accompaniment for my daily ablutions doesn’t it? Let me tell you the secrets of this wonderful little invention and the chances are you will be scurrying off to Lush to buy some.

I have suffered with dry skin around my elbows and knees for as long as I can remember. Nothing major, but there have always been small patches that are darker in colour to the rest of my skin, and they seem to drink in any lotion or cream I apply. About six months ago I was strolling around the Lush store, and ended up in the bath and shower section. Lush are reknowned for producing a wide range of bath and shower products using only the most natural ingredients, and all are packed with essential oils to moisturise the skin and leave it smooth and silky. Having long been a fan of the soaps, ballistics and bubble bars I decided to try one of the smoothies for the shower. Lush produce three smoothies at present, Coconut and Almond, Dreamwash, and the Gumback Express, so I decided to bring two home to sample. The Smoothie is only available in one size pot, and costs £5.50 for 200g.

As coconut and almonds are two of my favourite scents I was expecting a veritable blast of both when I opened the pot for the first time. Surprisingly enough there is not much hint of coconut, but the almond smell is divine. A gorgeous nutty aroma wafts from the depths of the pot, mixed with vanilla, to give a smell worthy of a luxury chocolate truffle. The Smoothie is a pale pinky peach colour, quite similar to salmon, and really does look like a pot of Angel Delight. I suppose you’re now wondering what benefit a tub of Angel Delight can possibly have on your skin? Then read on.

Lush describe the Smoothie as a shower soap. I prefer to call it a shower mousse as the texture is just like slapping Angel Delight all over the skin. Not that I’ve ever tried that of course but I can imagine! Dipping your fingers into the pot for the first time is a strange experience. The Smoothie is very cold and has a thick but light texture and it feels quite decadent to think this moussey stuff is going to be rubbed all over your body in the shower. It’s like taking a pot of expensive moisturiser into the shower and washing it off so how on earth is it going to work? Well read on and all will be revealed. I normally take a couple of fingers worth of Smoothie at a time and massage it into my skin whilst showering. The lather is immediate, but it is more of a cream than a soap, and absorbs into the skin beautifully, but leaves it feeling moisturised as well. A faint pink hue can be seen on the creamy froth and the smell of vanilla comes more to the forefront when it comes into contact with my skin, although the almonds can still be detected, as well as a really subtle scent of coconut. Sometimes you have to have a good old rub with a shower gel to feel clean, but not with a Smoothie. Any excess dirt is washed away as soon as its creamy lather hits my skin, and it is so gentle that my skin thinks it has been moisturised with baby lotion.

The Smoothie contains two forms of vanilla, a pod and essence, as well as coconut oil, jasmine, almond oil and ylang ylang, and the aromas of the oils and fragrances make this a veritable feast for the skin. It really does seem a shame to use this in the shower when it looks as though it would be more at home on the dessert trolley.

So, how does it compare with other shower soaps? I can honestly say that now I’ve used the Smoothie I will buy it rather than normal shower gel. The creaminess of the lather is glorious and makes me feel as if I have spent a fortune on my shower companion, when in reality I haven’t. Of course it is more expensive than normal shower gels, but a little of the Smoothie goes a long way due to the luxurious lather that it creates. After drying my skin feels soft and smooth and has a gorgeous aroma of vanilla, almonds and a faint hint of coconut for most of the day. I don’t need to use a body lotion or cream after showering, which is saving me more money, so I would say that a pot of this is wonderful stuff! Not only that, my has a silkiness that can only be compared with a baby’s skin, and my dry bits all but vanished within a week of using it for the first time. I really feel as though I have been pampered after a shower with my Smoothie. Who needs to go to the Spa for the day, when you can spend five minutes with a pot of Angel Delight?

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