The title is deceptive! (Lush Chai Shower Gel)

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	Lush Chai Shower Gel
Date:	07/05/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Really softens the skin and hair

Disadvantages: Doesn' smell like chai tea!

I'm a huge fan of Lush's shower gels, so much so that I have quite a few bottles all half full in my shower. I just can't get enough of them! Especially the retro ones, which seems to be actually better than the current ones!

I received a huge bottle of Chai for Christmas last year and was incredibly pleased as when I read the description on Lush's website I thought I was in for a real treat! I wanted that nice, warm festive feel in and out of the shower so what best than with a shower of chai! As soon as I pulled the bottle out from its box I loved the retro white label and the beautiful deep pink colour that was chai! However I was soon to regret my initial positive thoughts!

Chai is not a favourite of many, the recipe of soothing chai tea, astringent lemon, and warming cinnamon, allspice, and ginger is a bit of an acquired taste -- in part because it's overbearing, but also because it imparts what can range from a smoky to medicinal air. Where is the festivity with that scent?! I was expecting a warm, flavour full shower but instead I had something which reminded me of an old fashioned cough syrup. Needless to stay I felt incredibly let down, I wanted to smell that sweetened chai tea but instead got something very different. Then again I should know Lush better than to name a product after its scent rather than its ingredients.

In my opinion chai should be reserved for winter, and used when you're chilled to the bone and need to snuggle up to this Shower Gel's fire red heat, lest its fragrance and aroma therapeutic effects strike you as rather off-puttingly out of place during warmer months. As much as this shower gel was slightly off putting I did come out of the shower feeling incredibly warm and invigorated, there was no need to increase the water temperature or stay in the shower for hours to get warm.

What never goes out of season, however, is chai's unmatched ability to soften and smooth both skin and hair, this being one of few Lush gels that actually lives up to its hype of doubling as a shampoo for all hair types. Chai lathers up really well on a bath pouf, creating a candy floss pink lather which goes over your skin so softly, you only need to use a small amount as it can over lather!. My hair felt so incredibly silky after blow drying it I was really impressed and what's even better is that the quite overpowering scent does not linger on your hair or skin!! Instead you get quite a subtle hint of the cinnamon and ginger. It does soften your skin but it certainly isn't the greatest at keeping it hydrated and I had to use a separate body lotion quite soon after.

If you can just bring yourself to acquire a taste for chai's intense, smoked spice aroma (for those who haven't yet done so, please postpone your attempts until November at least, or you'll be guaranteed to fail), you might find yourself better able to appreciate the fact that this is actually one of Lush's better shower gels when it comes to caring for the body and mind. So definitely do not buy in an attempt to use it throughout the summer as it certainly won't be appreciated!

What Lush say:-

Chai is our spiced tea shower gel.
Tea is an astringent so it tones your skin (that's why strong tea feels as if it's sucking your mouth inside out when you take the first sip). We mix ours with fresh lemon juice, which is also a very cleansing astringent, plus a stash of spices, including warming ginger, allspice and cinnamon leaf. It's for times when you need the refreshing feeling of a cup of hot tea - on the outside.

Chai was originally discontinued in 2005 and brought back as a retro product. It can be yours for £11.74 for a big 500g bottle. Yes it is expensive and I probably won't be buying another one as it isn't a shower gel you can use all year round. But if you ever receive it as a gift only use it in the winter months!!!!

Summary: Don't get your expectations up just try and enjoy it