Forget Christmas, bring back Halloween right now!! (Lush Halloween Pumpkin Soap)

Member Name: calypte

Product:	Lush Halloween Pumpkin Soap
Date:	03/12/08 (170 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gorgeous smell, soft and creamy

Disadvantages: Halloween special edition :(

Go! Go now and grab some of this while it's still available! A Halloween limited edition, that there are still stocks of this left (on the website at least) is nothing but excellent luck - get some before it disappears!!

Are you getting the impression I like this soap? Well spotted! :) Thing is, back in October I actually picked this up in the shop, had a sniff - *and put it back down*! It really didn't smell of much, certainly wasn't impressive, and I decided to show a rare moment of self restraint. Luckily, my obsessive-compulsive try-everything Lushaholism soon reasserted itself, and when there was a small stack of end-of-stock on the counter during my next visit, I just shoved a last-minute block in the basket - last chance to try, after all.

And oooooooh (spooky Halloween effect there!) am I glad that I did!

In the shop, the only impressive thing about this soap is the appearance. It's moulded in life-sized pumpkin shape, and Lush are probably right in saying a whole one sounds quite appealing! However, the slices will have to suffice, and while I like the effect of the darker 'skin' toning as you get to the edge, as I said there's very little to make you want to take it home when you sniff it dry.

However, take it home anyway! My first pleasant surprise was when I took a knife to my slice to carve it down to usable size - it is very soft and creamy! That does carry through to the use: while Lush's new ethical palm oil-free base to their soaps means you're not going to get much froth, this still feels smooth and soft on the skin. While not overtly moisturising after you've rinsed off, nor did it leave my skin feeling dry or tight.

Of course, the softer the soap, the quicker it melts. This one is pretty good - it didn't disappear after a few goes, losing only what it felt like I'd used, if that makes sense.

Now, remember that unimpressive smell? That's about to change! In use, the pumpkin soap is *gorgeous* (well, I think so!). Despite containing real pumpkin, I couldn't really smell much of it. Instead, fresh orange and warming spices - yummy and comforting and just delicious! I love the smell of oranges, finding it very uplifting. The richness from the spices - cinnamon is the most obvious - makes the scent that much more comforting and cosy, perfect for the recent cold weather and getting a bit into the festive spirit. The whole thing is soft rather than citrus-sharp, and in case you hadn't noticed, I love it!

Alas, the smell - pleasantly subtle in use - doesn't linger too much on the skin or in your bathroom - which is just a good excuse to find more reasons to have another bath or shower! ;)


Boring bits:

Price: £2.75 / 100g
Availability: LIMITED! In fact, this Halloween special is no longer being produced, so grab some leftover stock while you still can - I managed to stock up this past weekend, so there is still some out there, or the website (www.lush.co.uk) is still listing it if your local store has run out!

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rapeseed oil; Sunflower oil; Coconut oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocos nucifera), Fresh Organic Orange Juice (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), Pumpkin puree (Cucurbita pepo), Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Cinnamon Leaf Oil (Cinnamomum cassia), *Eugenol, *Limonene, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Colour 45350, Colour 15510, Pumpkin Seeds (Cucurbita pepo)
* Occurs naturally in Essential Oils

Lush say:
"You'll want a whole one, but be warned; it's even heavier than a real pumpkin and it's not hollow inside. Probably best to get yourself a manageable slice or two. Mo's new soap is a lovely creamy pumpkin coloured affair with a scent that she borrowed from the gorgeous Almond Buttercream: sweet wild orange, lime, mandarin and spicy cinnamon."

I say:
I didn't think I could get so enthusiastic about a bar of soap, but I love this stuff! Such a shame it's a limited edition, as it's easily my favourite soap ever from Lush - now excuse me while I try and order all the remaining stock on the website ;)

Summary: For a soap, it was worth getting excited about!