Are You A Trichomaniac? (Lush Solid Shampoo)

Member Name: karenuk

Product:	Lush Solid Shampoo
Date:	28/02/02 (311 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: gorgeous smell, works brilliantly, soft, clean, shiny hair

Disadvantages: a bit tricky to use at first, not cheap

When I went to Bath last weekend with my friends, I was really pleased to see a Lush store there, as we haven’t got one near us. You can smell the shop from a few metres away and I was expecting it to be a bit over-powering, but it is a wonderful place to be and smells divine.

I had a good look round and discovered that I actually wanted to own every product there! However, I decided to be very good and decide which products I most wanted. I had tried the Bath Ballistics previously (Thanks, Kathryn!) so I fancied having a go with one of the solid shampoo bars.

The choice is impressive, with the back section of the shop I was in filled with small bars, bottles and huge blocks of things which look suspiciously like cheese! As I was obviously looking rather lost and awestruck, one of the assistants came over to help.

I explained my hair was dry from being dyed blonde, so she recommended one of the cheeses which turned out to be called Trichomania (it means 'lover of hair'). This is a conditioning solid shampoo, ideal for dry or curly hair.

I asked for around £3’s worth of it and – just like on a cheese counter – the slab was weighed, cut, weighed again and then wrapped up for me. It costs £26.50 per kg, mine was only 0.115 kg and cost £3.05. I was assured it would last a long time.

Incidentally, I was very impressed by all the staff there who were helpful, knowledgable and all very enthusiastic about the products. They also took time and care to explain how to use each product. The three solid shampoos available are Trichomania, Chamomile Lawn and Gentle Lentil.

The shampoo looks like a slab of mild cheddar, it is a yellow-white colour and is cut into a rectangular shape. It smells absolutely gorgeous though, a kind of mild, creamy coconut – definitely smells good enough to eat, but don’t! All Lush products are made with natural ingredients, suitable for vegetarians and
not tested on animals.

When I first washed my hair with this, I found it a bit strange and tricky to use. You can use the shampoo bar directly on wet hair or you can get a lather in your wet hands, then apply to the hair. I tried both methods and first of all, it seemed difficult to get a lather formed. However, I persevered and it does become easier.

As this is a conditioning solid shampoo, I was told I wouldn’t need a separate conditioner, but I was a bit sceptical about the claim. After washing my hair, it felt a bit lank and I wasn’t sure if I had used enough to clean it properly.

When I brushed it through, I was impressed though as it was hardly tangled at all! It took me only ten minutes to wash my hair, which saved me twenty minutes of a morning that was already very rushed, so I was grateful for that.

After blow drying my hair and brushing it again, I looked in the mirror and my hair looked wonderful – clean, shiny and healthy. It felt very soft and had a faint smell of coconut too.

After using this shampoo bar, you leave it in a dry place to harden then rewrap it in its paper and store it in a cupboard or somewhere similar. If it gets wet and stays like it, it can become mushy. I had no problems with mine though, it hardened quickly and I was also impressed to see that hardly any had been used.

So overall, although it does take a bit of getting used to initially, I am very happy with this and will look forward to buying more solid shampoo bars from Lush in the future. Check out their website for details at www.lush.co.uk and enjoy a whole new way of being clean and beautiful!

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