Get back on your horse and don't come back! (Lush Godiva Shampoo and Conditioning Bar)

Member Name: nursie_nursie

Product:	Lush Godiva Shampoo and Conditioning Bar
Date:	02/05/08 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lathers well, lasts well, multipurpose, not tested on animals, vegetarian.

Disadvantages: Stinks, left my hair feeling and looking awful.

<Background>

While on holiday our shampoo was quickly running out as well as my conditioner. I had thought it would last the holiday and that I would get some more of our favourite, I Love Juicy when we were back but it wasn't too be.

As some of you may know from my other Lush reviews, I usually send my other half off armed with a list and the money and he does the Lush run where he works not far from the shop, well not this time!

We were staying in St Austell in Cornwall and luckily we came across a Lush store in Truro. So in I went thinking that I would get our usual shampoo and I would treat myself to a small bottle of one of the conditioners I am yet to try.

<Making my decision>

Once in there I was as always dazzled by the possibilities laid out so gorgeously for my perusal. There is so much choice and lovely smells fill my nostrils and make me impulsive and a spendaholic!

I was one of only two shoppers in the store at the time and the shop assistant had way too much energy, happiness and general upness! It was early in the morning how could this woman be so happy! But anyway, she came over and offered her help so I said that we had run out of shampoo but that I also needed a conditioner and explained that as a Lush lover I was fine left to my own devices thinking she would go off and get on with something that she had to do but she stayed talking to me about Lush products and what she liked and recommended a few things which was nice.

Then the shampoo bars caught my eye. I have never really looked at these in much detail as where I have long hair I just thought they wouldn't suit me as my hair gets tangled if it isn't looked after properly. I did however suggest to my other half that they might suit him. Where he has very short hair I thought that a little swish over his head with one would be quick and easy and that it would probably last longer than a bottle.

I went over and started having a sniff of a few of the little bars. Being a frequent visitor to the Lush website (which I highly recommend) I know the names of most and the general premise.

There are ten in the range so there is plenty of choice and should be one to suit everyone's hair type. They are all rather attractive with the exception of soak and float.

Ultimate Shine contains small flecks of glitter and is to make your hair shine it is also meant to help balance sebum production.

Soft shampoo bar, which is for those in soft water areas that want extra volume.

Soak and Float, this is for people that suffer from dandruff, it contains anti-microbial cade oil to help fight the cause.

Seanik, this bar is to give you extra clean hair.
New Hair, this bar is to make your hair feel young again, removing build ups of styling products.

Karma Komba bar is for all hair types.

Jumping Juniper, if you have greasy hair this will help.

Hard shampoo bar, like with the soft version this is to do with the water for extra softness and shine.

Hybrid, this is a shampoo and conditioner but I don't know what hair type or hair solutions this is for.

Godiva, a shampoo and conditioner in one, a multi-purpose bar that can wash and condition your hair, skin and clothes.

As I like the smell of my Flying Fox temple balm the smell of this while I was in the store stole my heart (and nose) straight away.

It was hard to get the individual smell of each bar if I could smell anything at all. Where the pungent whiffs in the shop are so strong it is hard to pick up the true scent and be sure that you are smelling what you are buying and not another product nearby or a residue left on your hands.

I opted for the Godiva bar that way I didn't need to buy a shampoo and conditioner and the pennies saved were extra holiday spending money.

I took it to the till and paid the £4.75, my little bar was wrapped in the usual Lush paper and had a sticker stuck on telling me its name price the date and how to use it.

I was given a tester for Running to the Embassy, which was nice and made me want to slap the cheery lady a little less.

<My bar>

This little bar named Godiva is only small no more than 6cm in diameter and roughly 2cm deep. Although it doesn't look like much after being shown in the shop how easily the lather they (all of the bars are the same size and shape) will last a long time.

Godiva is a sunshine yellow with orange chunks obvious throughout the bar, the orange is cocoa butter to condition your hair. There are little brownish yellow bits through the bar which are Jasmine flowers. It looks rather edible but haven't tried it and don't intend to either!

The scent is the main thing to notice with this bar. In the shop I couldn't really smell it that easily but as I knew it had a Jasmine scent and was similar to my temple balm I went with it. Now I wish I hadn't unlike the temple balm this has more oils and extracts in it that alter the scent slightly to one that is very strong and sickly. It makes our bathroom full of the scent even though it is half the size now it still fills the air and even if the window is open you still smell it.

If I had been able to smell it as well in the shop as I can at home I would not have bought his as the smell now turns my stomach, to start with I could put up with it but now I am looking forward to it running out. I should bin it but hate wasting anything.


<How it works>

As well as the shampoo part to clean your hair the cocoa butter melts and conditions your hair while you are washing it in theory, saving you time and money.


<Washing my hair>

The general instructions are to wet your hair and swish the bar around your head two or three times.

I wet my hair and swish it round about five times and make sure I rub it back and forth once over the underneath of my hair to make sure I get it all clean. I have very long, thick hair and that is still a little too much and gives me mounds of thick rich foam and I massage it all through my hair and over my scalp as I do with all shampoo.

Rinsing is easy, no more difficult than with any form of shampoo.

I use it twice half the time but not all the time like I do with regular shampoo.

The bar gives a lot of foam, more than I expected even after having seen it demonstrated in the shop. Just a few swishes are all you need. My other half has found that he only needs to go around his head once to get his hair covered.

The scent filling the bathroom even more when it is in use.
The jasmine flowers are only small so don't cause any problems with the plughole or drain but they do end up being left everywhere but not in your hair, they rinse out very easily.


<The results>

I always wrap my hair and leave it for a few minutes to absorb the excess water.

After I unwrap my hair and try and comb it the state it is left in is easy to see and feel. The amount of knots is absurd! It is just left a massive tangle and takes me some time to comb through. Until it is dry there are constantly more knots forming and it seems like a never-ending task.

Even when my hair is dry it still gets tangled very easily and needs to be brushed several times throughout the day.

My ends are rather dry and my hair is in need of being cut but the fact this has a conditioner in it should mean that it is left in a better condition than it is with just regular shampoo but I have recently tried using a different shampoo with no conditioner at all and my hair was left feeling far better than with this bar.

When dry my hair was no left feeling much better and wasn't as shiny as I am used to it being with a multitude of other products I have tried both from Lush and other stores.

The scent did linger on my hair and at times I would be able to catch a waft of it and others did notice, some liked it some didn't.

My hair was certainly left clean, I cannot say anything against the cleaning power when it comes to washing out hairspray and greasiness this shampoo excels.


<Using on my body>

As this bar can be used for three purposes I have been using it as soap to use it up. If used just with my hands it lathers up easily and with a puff even easier still. The amount of foam created with a puff means that only a tiny amount is needed.

It leaves my skin feeling clean and doesn't dry it out.
The scent doesn't linger as strongly on skin as it does on hair but is subtly left behind.


<Using on clothes>

While we were away I did use it on a couple of small items and found it rather easy to use. After wetting the fabric I rubbed it over a little and then used it to rub the fabric against itself, as you would normally hand wash clothes.

It rinsed out of fabric quite easily.

They were left looking as good as with any hand wash, there were no soap marks and were left clean. The fabric seemed quite soft but not like it does at home with my usual Lenor conditioner.


<My overall opinion>

I dislike the smell and it leaves me hair looking and feeling awful, do I really need to give you any more than that?

There was no conditioning done by this product the chunks seem to be raising compared with the yellow part or the bar where they are not being used up as quickly as the shampoo part.

When it comes to cleaning hair this is a good product and I cannot say that it isn't, if you want your hair conditioned though use a separate one.

As a soap this is no different to any other.

It is fine for washing clothes and left mine looking and feeling clean so on that front I have no complaints.

However you end up using this bar it does last very well because you only need a tiny amount of it for everything. The amount of foam a few rubs gives is completely amazing.

I am now just using this as a soap and will not be buying it again but it hasn't put me off of trying some of the other shampoo bars that Lush offer.


<Do I recommend?>

This is a hard one, I have to say no in this instance. If you have short hair, which is in good condition and will use a separate conditioner then yes but as the product is meant to be a 2 in 1 it doesn't live up to the claims.

It is a Lush product that I am completely disappointed with and that is a first. I have had some that I am not all that keen on but never that I have really disliked, well until now that is.

It would be handy while you are on holiday as it saves valuable packing space.

I am only giving this one star because of the way it left my hair. I expect any 2 in 1 to do better than this did!

<Extra information>

Lush is a great company that makes cosmetic products that are as natural as possible, only adding chemical preservatives when they feel it necessary to make the products better or to make them last if there is not a plausible alternative.

They do not test on animals or deal with companies that do, or with companies that deal with companies that do. I know that just sounds confusing but it means that they take their responsibility to those who are against animal testing seriously. The fact that their products have not been animal tested doesn't mean they are any less safe to use than any others just that no animal has suffered, they still have to meet rigorous standards set out by law.

A lot of their products are vegan and all are vegetarian.
Lush has a conscience so that you can sleep easier, making their packaging as minimal as possible so that there is less waste. A lot of their packaging is also recyclable or reusable.

Lush has stores all round the world, to find your nearest one or to buy online take a look on their website www.lush.co.uk (or www.lush.com for international). There is lots of information about them, their products and even a forum so you can talk to other Lush lovers.

Full ingredients list can be found on the lush website.

Summary: Far from good, save your money for something else!