JUNKBOXJULES GETS FRUITY IN THE SHOWER (Lush Bamboo Soap)

Member Name: junkboxjules

Product:	Lush Bamboo Soap
Date:	28/12/02 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Leaves skin feeling silky smooth, Wonderful refreshing fragrance

Disadvantages: Only available from Lush, Scent may be too overpowering for some

It's hard to believe it as I'm an addict now but this time last year I was a Lush virgin - since being introduced to Lush through reading opinions on Dooyoo I am now a regular visitor to the Southampton Store and am gradually making my way through a long list of products to try.


Before I start I must apologise for this review being in the wrong place - the product I am reviewing is actually the Lush Carmen Miranda Soap and not the Lush Bamboo Soap as the category suggests.

I normally purchase the bath ballistics and bubble bars but as I've built up quite a nice stock I decided to opt for something different this time, there were so many wonderful products begging me to take them home but in the end the Carmen Miranda soap won.

Lush have an extensive range of hand made soaps to chose from, all contain only natural ingredients and essential oils and as such they only have a relatively short life - however once you've tried any Lush product once I'm sure you will love it and have no trouble using it up before the use by date. Lush products are not tested on animals are therefore suitable for use by vegetarians and vegans.

Unlike most shops who sell their soap products in pre-wrapped bars Lush sell theirs by weight. The soaps are made in a large mould and are sold by the slice. Each variety of soap is displayed as a large block and each block contains an information label which advises the consumer of the price per 100g, the product name and ingredients. Prices vary but on average a 100g slice of soap costs around £1.70 - £2.00.

I was attracted to the Carmen Miranda soap bar because of its attractive colouring a wonderful fruity fragrance. When you look at the Carmen Miranda soap on display you will note that the soap is primarily an opaque pale sage green colour, however on closer inspection you will notice that it does actually contain small patches of different colours - however once you have
used the soap it retains the sage green colour but the other colours disappear.

The soap contains kiwi fruit, ylang ylang petal oil, myrrh and juniperberry oil and has a very intense fruity aroma, I love the smell but as it is quite "in your face" it may not suit everybody. The fragrance reminds me of blackcurrant and liquorice sweets - I can't imagine why as it doesn't contain blackberry oil or liquorice but I definitely think that it smells much more like blackberry and liquorice than of kiwis, having said that I love blackcurrant and liquorice sweets so I guess that is why I love this soap.

Once wet the soap lathered really well and a little bit went a long way. The soap is mostly smooth, however as you use it you will become aware of a slightly abrasive surface underneath - however if you use it on a sponge you certainly won't find it irritating your skin.

After I have used the soap I immediately feel totally refreshed and wide awake - I have also noticed that my skin felt instantly softer which is probably down to the kiwis as they are packed with Vitamin C.

As the scent is strong it lingered on my skin for a considerable amount of time and left me feeling and smelling fresh and clean for a good few hours. As an added bonus I have noticed that whilst the bar is wet the fragrance becomes very apparent and fills the bathroom with a wonderful aroma too.

The soap is considerably more expensive than a bar of Imperial Leather or something similar, however it is crammed with natural products and essential oils and is hand made - unlike the usual mainstream soap products that are available. Because of the essential oils and natural ingredients you will notice a marked improvement in the condition of your skin and as such I feel that the price can be justified.

Unfortunately Lush products are only available from Lush, as my husband found out to his embarrassment, (he tried to purchase
me a glittery bath ballistic from the Body Shop and nearly had a heated argument with the assistant who kept telling him that they didn't sell glittery bath bombs, whilst he insisted that they must do as I bought them there every week - it was only on Christmas day that it became apparent to him that I purchased mine from Lush and not the Body Shop - bless, I was very impressed that he'd tried so hard even if he did get it wrong).

Don't despair if you don't have a Lush Store near you as you can order any Lush Product from the Lush website which can be found at www.lush.co.uk.

I hope that you have all had a lovely Christmas and that you have a great New Year.

Thank you for reading.

Julie

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