LUSH Shark Fin Soap for Charity
LUSH Shark Fin Soap ($5.95 for 3.5 oz.) just launched and is a limited edition soap that benefits Shark Savers, a non-profit organization that works for the protection and conservation of sharks. LUSH is donating 100% of the proceeds of the soap. It’s described as “packed full of softening seaweed, scrubby fine sea salt, and zest lime oil.”
It smells salty and zesty–very citrus-based with a definite tartness. You get a bit of the seaweed coming through when it’s actually be used (I used it as a body soap in the shower) but overall, the lime oil dominates. I like it, and it’s more of a unisex scent, too. There’s enough lather to enable it to glide over skin easily but don’t expect lots of soapy lather. Only the faintest hint of lime and salt (it has the crispness of the sea breeze–without the coconut and sunscreen) remained on my skin post-shower, which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your needs.
It seems similar to Sea Vegetable Soap, which also has lime, seaweed, and sea salt (and though Shark Fin isn’t described with lavender in it, it is in the ingredients’ list), which I haven’t smelled, so I can’t attest to how similar they may (or may not) be. The ingredient lists for the two aren’t exactly the same but the beginning of both are nearly identical. This was more to say – if you like that, you might like this, too.
Shaun, aka The Tech Guy, aka my boyfriend, is here with another must-read “manly” review. He’s twenty-eight with normal-to-dry skin and suffers from no more acne (much to my envy!). He has no dedication whatsoever to his writing duties here on Temptalia, given his absence of nearly seven months. He says it keeps the public wanting more.
Shaun enjoys long walks on the beach, vegging out on the couch watching chick flicks, and cuddling with Mellan. Or maybe not! He handles all the behind-the-scenes action here at Temptalia, from tech support to server woes.
The Evolution of a Bath Pouf
All right, what is this thing called? You know… The spongey-majig? Bath… Pouf… Seriously, what is it really called? Bath pouf… So, I’ve been using something called a bath pouf for over ten years? I don’t know if I can go on.
(2 hours of reflecting and soul searching later…)
Yes, it’s true; I enjoy myself a good… Bath pouf… It is highly effective for exfoliation and administering shower gel to the various parts of my flesh! Wait until they hear about this at the next man meeting. Here’s the thing: there’s no good alternative to this to use in the shower!
You could use your hand, but I find that my hand doesn’t want to go certain places… And it tends to use up soap like it was hoarding it to sell on eBay. There’s the wash cloth, but I just find that thing limp and disgusting. I could use a loofa but my skin IS SENSITIVE. Plus, it’s a plant, and I barely want to eat plants let alone scrub my supple body with one.
Don’t even suggest to me the bar of soap! That thing collects hair like a broom at a hair salon (BOOM). Plus, it usually slips out of your hands and drops on your foot, then followed by: expletives, slipping in the shower, breaking your neck, and you taking a dirt nap! Do you want to single-handedly be responsible for the downfall of mankind?! Bar of soap… Pfft!
Let’s get on to the bath pouf! The bath pouf has three life-cycles. First is the cocoon phase. It is way too tight and doesn’t receive shower gel quite right. The lather-building is poor and the scrubbing is made difficult because of its lack of surface area! This is very scientific. However, once you’ve worked in the pouf it becomes a wondrous thing.
This cycle we like to call: ????? The magic of metamorphosis renders the bath pouf into a being of utmost perfection. It builds lather like a champ and covers your body perfectly with the right amount of exfoliation to scrub ratio. It is the perfect device for delivering your shower gel to your body!
The third phase is the saddest of all: the sunflower phase. Right when you’re getting into the tender years of your showering with your pouf, it grows old and tired and begins spreading out further and further until it has become an amorphous blob of sponge that can no longer be rendered as anything useful. The little rope around it breaks and becomes gross and slimy. It doesn’t hold its shape and becomes less useful in terms of exfoliating.
Here are some tips for you and your loved ones–feel free to read them to each other while sitting in front of a fire drinking a fine bourbon or cognac.
- Always wash the soap out of your pouf! If you don’t, the rope gets really slimy and feels so disgusting that you might as well just throw it out.
- If the rope breaks you can kind of re-tie it around the pouf and maybe get a few more showers out of it before it becomes unbearable to use. The rope is the lifeblood of the pouf, once it is becomes useless, the pouf loses all its majesty!
- To build a good lather, rinse it before use, then pour your soap on. Douse it a bit more with water and squeeze it a few times. This will give you a nice lather!
- Give it room to dry! You don’t want this thing to act like a petri dish. Plus it will wear out quicker if it’s constantly soaked.
- Buy many, and buy a few in manlier colors. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to cry myself through the shower while washing myself with a lavender pouf. Your guy will use it, but he’ll be more covert-ops about it if it is the color of lilac.
Tell me what you and/or your man use for body cleaning in the comments!
Philosophy Butterscotch Bliss Shower Gel
Rich Comfort with Butterscotch Bliss
Philosophy Butterscotch Bliss 3-in-1 Shower Gel ($16.00 for 16 fl. oz.) is rich and buttery with a swirl of vanilla sweetness. It smells exactly like hard butterscotch candies. This is definitely a food scent, and it is pretty sweet, though not nauseatingly so.
my thoughts on the formula: They lather up well and leave skin feeling clean without any tightness or dryness. If you prefer your body wash to leave behind a long-lasting scent, these won’t be for you, but if you like to enjoy the scent while you shower but don’t want it to linger heavily beyond, then these are perfect. (I belong to the latter category!) I don’t find them to lather quite as well in the hair, and they work in a pinch to clean hair, but I prefer many other shampoos over this one. It does, however, work well as a bubble bath, too–a little goes a long way.
final thoughts: Philosophy hit the scent of butterscotch dead-on, and if that’s a scent that appeals to you, I think you’d love this.
where to buy: Philosophy
Philosophy Orchid Blossom Shower Gel
Spring Florals with Orchid Blossom
Philosophy Orchid Blossom 3-in-1 Shower Gel ($16.00 for 16 fl. oz.) is soft, sweet floral that bursts with fragrance as soon as it lathers up but doesn’t linger on the skin. The overall scent seems lighter and subtler than many other Philosophy scents, particularly their food-based scents, though still seemingly less fragrant than ones like Unconditional Love.
Philosophy describes the scent as:
inspired by the delicate essence of orchid blossoms, this shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath embraces classic beauty and elegance. the extra rich and creamy formula provides a moisturizing lather that caresses your body as it gently cleanses and softens skin and hair. the delicate, whispering scent of orchid blossoms inspires a compassionate, beautiful experience that is meant to be cherished.
my thoughts on the formula: They lather up well and leave skin feeling clean without any tightness or dryness. If you prefer your body wash to leave behind a long-lasting scent, these won’t be for you, but if you like to enjoy the scent while you shower but don’t want it to linger heavily beyond, then these are perfect. (I belong to the latter category!) I don’t find them to lather quite as well in the hair, and they work in a pinch to clean hair, but I prefer many other shampoos over this one. It does, however, work well as a bubble bath, too–a little goes a long way.
final thoughts: It’s a pleasant floral scent, and out of the four spring offerings from Philosophy, I think this is probably the best – it has enough strength to make for an enjoyable shower.
where to buy: Philosophy
Philosophy Orange in Bloom Shower Gel
Spring Florals with Orange in Bloom
Philosophy Orange in Bloom 3-in-1 Shower Gel ($16.00 for 16 fl. oz.) is a companion to Cherry in Bloom, but it is noticeably more fruit-dominated than the latter. Initially, it smells like a burst of orange creamsicles. I don’t mean that in a bad way but that is exactly what it reminded me off: the sweetness of vanilla mixed with the citrus of orange.
Philosophy describes the scent as:
orange in bloom shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath showers you in the delicate, citrus essence of orange blossoms as you lather from head to toe.
It seems too heavy with orange to mimic the orange blossom scent–the florals don’t sing quite enough here. After lathering for a few minutes, the sweetness seems to disappear and then I get hints of the underlying floral quality of the scent.
my thoughts on the formula: They lather up well and leave skin feeling clean without any tightness or dryness. If you prefer your body wash to leave behind a long-lasting scent, these won’t be for you, but if you like to enjoy the scent while you shower but don’t want it to linger heavily beyond, then these are perfect. (I belong to the latter category!) I don’t find them to lather quite as well in the hair, and they work in a pinch to clean hair, but I prefer many other shampoos over this one. It does, however, work well as a bubble bath, too–a little goes a long way.
final thoughts: If you like the scent of sweet oranges, perhaps orange creamsicles but something not quite as sweet, this might be for you. It’s less than full-blown orange food-based scent but not wholly reminiscent of orange blossoms.
where to buy: Philosophy
Philosophy Cherry in Bloom Shower Gel
Spring Florals with Cherry in Bloom
Philosophy Cherry in Bloom 3-in-1 Shower Gel ($16.00 for 16 fl. oz.) is another spring scent I spotted on Sephora that I had to try…
Philosophy describes the scent as:
cherry in bloom shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath showers you in the delicate, sweet essence of cherry blossoms as you lather from head to toe.
Like Lilac Blossom, the design of the bottle’s packaging along with the deep pink of the shower gel are well-done. With Cherry in Bloom, however, the scent is more successful and in line with Philosophy’s formula, though I did feel like it was a bit subtle in comparison to the many other scent varieties I’ve tried by the brand. Overall, it’s a light, sweet floral with a touch of brightness that accompanies the first bloom of spring. It has an underlying current of the mix of sweetness and tartness of actual cherries that differentiates it from Lilac Blossom, which is also easily described as a sweet floral.
my thoughts on the formula: They lather up well and leave skin feeling clean without any tightness or dryness. If you prefer your body wash to leave behind a long-lasting scent, these won’t be for you, but if you like to enjoy the scent while you shower but don’t want it to linger heavily beyond, then these are perfect. (I belong to the latter category!) I don’t find them to lather quite as well in the hair, and they work in a pinch to clean hair, but I prefer many other shampoos over this one. It does, however, work well as a bubble bath, too–a little goes a long way.
final thoughts: I do not think this scent is particularly unique, but it is pretty and appropriate for spring. True floral scent lovers may find the scent too subtle, though I personally preferred it as heavier floral scents tend to give me a headache.
where to buy: Philosophy
