Unexpectedly successful (Lush Shampoo Bars)

Member Name: jennikitten

Product:	Lush Shampoo Bars
Date:	12/06/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See review

Disadvantages: Storage

There are several Lush products that I automatically think aren't for me, and I think it's because I dislike the shower jelly so much (but really, really want to like it in principle!!). The shampoo bars fit into this category, mainly because I was really sceptical about non-liquid shampoos - surely if the alternative was good, tons of brands would have developed the idea?

So the first time I used it was at a friend's house. I hadn't brought any shampoo and this was the only thing on offer - I think it was a white one but I can't remember the scent. My friend just told me to rub it on my hair like normal shampoo, then wash it off. Again I was dubious, mainly about the lathering and whether it would be good enough. Also I wasn't sure about whether it end up being concentrated all in one place, making my hair too greasy, missing washing parts of my hair as it's quite long, etc.

However, I was impressed with the bar. It lathered up well, smelled lovely, and even washed my hair pretty well. Nothing too outstanding performance-wise, but it did the job and made my hair look shiny.

Fastforward to last weekend, and I was in Lush getting the '10 products for a tenner' deal. Of course it didn't stop there - the assistant told me there was a promotion to spend £20 and get a £20 goody bag free, which of course I couldn't refuse! So this bar was amongst the things I picked up to boost my total to £20.

At £5.19, it wasn't the cheapest product ever, but I can see it lasting a long time. Also, there are lots of different scents available, from more traditional lavender type scents, to 'woodsy' type ones, to clean, slightly floral ones like the yellow bar I picked up. They are quite small, about a circle that fits in the palm of my hand, but they are slightly on the chunky side. Even though I've used it a few times now (I like to alternate shampoos), there's no noticeable difference to the size of it.

However, I can see this not lasting because of the lack of packaging. I do appreciate Lush reducing packaging where possible, and I know they have small tins to put these in when you buy 2 bars (also available separately), but I like to buy a lot of products at once and this ends up being quite expensive. At my parents' I could use a soap dish, but then I'd have to go and buy one, the products would get mixed up, etc. At my house I don't really have this option as I have a closed in shower with no storage space to stop the shampoo getting wet. Additionally, even if I did have a tin, it would be almost impossible to open literally in the shower.

So in summary, I want to be able to buy a product as a whole, not have to buy two things separately and add to the cost. But I do like these shampoo bars, and I'm surprised and pleased that they work. The only other disadvantage is that hair can stick to them easily - depending on the ones you buy - which can make them difficult to share (especially if you're living with people with different coloured hair). Overall, I will be buying these again and nothing bad has happened to mine, but they do seem a little fragile and it's so important to keep them dry that I wish there was a cheaper and more convenient alternative to storing them. For example, bigger tins which have slots or compartments for 3 or 4, which would save on waste whilst keeping them safe.

Summary: Will buy again