LUSH Holiday 2013 Bath Bombs, Bubble Bars, and Gifts Reviews & Photos Reviews Contains: Affiliate Links, Sample 10/25/13October 25, 2013 Lush Holiday 2013For the holidays, Lush has plenty of offerings to tempt you. Here’s a quickie overview of some of the products I recently tried:Melting Snowman ($5.95 for 2.1 oz.) is a bath melt, which are supposed to be used either in halves or wholes and tossed into the tub as you fill it with warm water. They’re supposed to add a hydrating element to your soak. He smells of chocolate, cinnamon, and orange. The “chocolate chip” eyes don’t fully melt and tend to float and smear on the tub (not so sexy to look at), and I did find myself needing to scrub those bits away post-bath. It’s definitely hydrating and makes the skin feel softer afterward.Cinders ($4.95) is a bath bomb that also has “crackling vegan candies,” so you’ll actually hear it crackle and pop a bit once the majority of the bath bomb has fizzed away (about a minute). It smelled like spiced cider, not too sweet or too spicy, and it really was like splashing around in a vat of cider. You can hear the candies crackling here and there for about five to ten minutes. This was my favorite of the bath bombs I tried this season. It turned the water yellow, and I think this might have worked better if it turned the water orange or tangerine? in terms of aesthetics.The Christmas Penguin ($7.45 for 3.5 oz.) is a bubble bar shaped like a penguin–and he’s a rather pricey bath bomb as a result! Crumble his little penguin body into a hot bath for some bubble action. When used, it will turn the bath water a light blue. It had a slightly tart, slightly sweet mix of citrus going on–a little fizzy and lemon-lime like.Golden Wonder ($6.95 for 7.8 oz.) is a larger bath bomb that has a treat inside–if you shake it around, you’ll here something rattling inside. It’s golden and has gold glitter on the exterior, and it fizzes away in about a minute and a half. It had a very strong, somewhat synthetic, sweet orange. I didn’t love it–it didn’t give me a really fresh orange fragrance, more cloying and syrupy sweet. Spoiler alert: the portion inside is a vibrant turquoise-blue and did leave some bluish residue along my tub, so be sure to scrub and wash down accordingly.Luxury LUSH Pud ($6.95 for 7 oz.) is supposed to be a lavender-scented bath bomb. When placed in a hot bath, it turned the water a muted, magenta pink with some foaminess. It took about two minutes for the entire bath bomb to fizzle away. It smelled like a mix of sweet vanilla and lavender.Sandy Santa ($9.95 for 4.5 oz.) is a body buffer in the shape of Santa. It uses sand and sugar to exfoliate dead skin sells, plus it’s in solid form, so it also contains coconut oil and shea butter for softening and hydration. I wouldn’t say it hydrated all that much, and it really melts very, very quickly. I highly recommend breaking off just a small piece, going over the skin lightly, but then rubbing what you’ve melted off in with your hands, not the bar itself, as you’ll just waste most of it. It smelled primarily of orange oil with a little lemon, and for me, it read synthetic. Breaking him into pieces, I was able to get three scrubs worth of mostly legs and arms but not much else. I was surprised at the price point, given how few uses I was able to get out of him.Let the Good Times Roll ($12.95 for 3.5 oz.) originally launched for the holidays but made it into the permanent range due to its popularity. It smells like incredibly sweet sugar cookies with a very, very subtle cinnamon spice. It contains maize flour and corn meal, so it is a gentle exofliator with fine bits that leave skin feeling soft but never raw, dry, or red. As a gentler exfoliant, I really liked it, and I’ve been feeling like there’s a void in exfoliators/scrubs in my routine lately, so this has been filling that void nicely. Of all the products I tried this holiday season, this was the only one I’d consider buying.Celebrate ($29.95 for 7.7 oz.) smells of champagne and citrus–primarily orange–and has a slightly whipped consistency that makes it seem lighter than it is, but it is a rather rich product, because even after two hours of my legs dangling (open to the air!), my legs still felt greasy and slippery. I ended up toweling off what wasn’t absorbing so I could go to bed. I tried it again, and I used the smallest amount possible, and I still felt somewhat greasy after an hour. I would actually say it could make a nice massage lotion, since it never seems to really absorb, so there’s a lot of slip, which is great for massaging! I will also mention that my husband really didn’t like this scent–he found it overwhelming (and he can barely smell, I swear). Like his reaction is encompassed by this scenario: I take one step into his office, and then he says, “What is that smell?” with this face that says, “Please step back.” It had an almost medicinal quality to the orange/citrus in it for me. We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks! Sephora Beautylish Ulta Nordstrom MoreSee more photos! Lush for Holiday 2013 Melting Snowman Melting Snowman Cinders Cinders The Christmas Penguin The Christmas Penguin Golden Wonder Golden Wonder Luxury LUSH Pud Lush Holiday 2013 Sandy Santa Sandy Santa Let the Good Times Roll Let the Good Times Roll Celebrate Hand & Body Lotion Celebrate Hand & Body Lotion Celebrate Hand & Body Lotion
zainabI love your comment about the aesthetics of Cinders… Intrigued by some of these, particularly Let the Good Times Roll and Celebrate. Were the bath bombs drying (to skin) at all?
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »They weren’t drying, not really hydrating to me? but I have fairly dry skin (for legs) so it’s rare that anything that isn’t a legit cream feels hydrating!
DanielleNow I really want to try Let the Good Times Roll. I am getting a bit tired of the exfoliators I have here.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »It’s a nice gentle exfoliator that never felt harsh, so I think it’s a good one to try!
Alessandra Light, Pink undertones. Oily skin. »Any idea when these will be showing up in stores? I was in Lush a few days ago and they didn’t have them.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Really?! I’m surprised. Seems like holiday comes earlier each year! I don’t know when it’s launching in-stores but it’s gotta be soon.
AprilMy husband went to Lush for me last week (there’s one near where he works) because I wanted him to get me some of the Christmas stuff. They had some of it in, but not everything on my list. They said they would be getting the rest of the holiday stuff in the beginning of November.
Melissa CI always buy Cinders – I just love the scent. I did not realize Let the Good Times Roll had made it into their permanent line – I reallly enjoy it too. It smells very nice, like kettle corn I think, and does leave my skin very soft. I absolutely agree about the Santa. I got him in a Christmas box last year and was thorougly dissapointed. Try the Clinique scrub for an awesome scrub – worth the money.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »He’s cute, but wow, pricey!
Mich TThanks for sharing. The “Cinders” seems like a perfect gift for my girlfriend. She’s really into seasonal smells. And the product sounds great for a romantic bath!
JessieI’m happy to see you did some Lush reviews. I love their Xmas bath products but hate anything with glitter in it. Thanks for the info 🙂
Kiss & Make-upI looooove Lush, and every year I get really excited over the Christmas collection! I actually bought a couple of these products last weekend, and I am busy reviewing them 🙂
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »What are your favorites so far?
Emma JeanI have been pretty disappointed by Lush overall these past few years – rapidly increasing price points coupled with plummeting quality and size of items. I used to love their stuff, but I have decided I’m going to use what I have and then look for another natural soap and cleanser company :/
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Have you felt like the quality has decreased in existing products? Or how so? I don’t use a lot of Lush products (I’m not much of a bath person!), and my favorite product is their Fresh Face masks but since I don’t live near a store, don’t get those often!
ZoeAs a former Lush employee, their official answer for decreasing quantity and increasing price is that their ingredients and naturally sourced materials have been growing in cost, thus they want to be ‘good’ to these companies and pay them fairly. Sometimes their suppliers run out (many of them being co-ops or small businesses), or they source their ingredients from multiple places, leading to the same item having differing qualities/smells/colors. Their best example is honey, as honey can be different colors and smell depending on the hive, flowers, and locations. So one of their shower gels, It’s Raining Men, will be darker in the UK than in the US and Canada, because of different honey sources. However, I would not be surprised if there are more factors at play. For instance Lush has taken great strides to market themselves as a more high end brand, placing more stores in higher end malls, and producing more decadent, higher-price-point (~10$/bath) products. They also increase pricing every year on a consistent basis, sometimes decreasing sizes simultaneously. I think these moves are both done in tandem, to appear more luxurious, but in the process they alienate loyal customers who remember paying much less in the past. They also alienate environmentally conscious people that cannot afford expensive bath goods, possibly forcing them to buy un-environmentally safe products out of necessity.
ChristineThank you for sharing some behind-the-scenes info, Zoe! It is very, very hard to change your price point to cater to a different clientele without alienating your original clientele (which is why most brands pick a price point and stay there – e.g. you can’t start cheap, get popular, and jack up prices!).
Cat Fair, Yellow undertones. Normal skin. »I used to love Lush but now that I have to use my own money versus getting the stuff as gifts when I was a teenager, I notice it’s soooo expensive!The bath bombs are always a treat, I think, mostly because I love the smells and the ones that make the water feel softer. I’ve never had one that had something it in that didn’t melt completely though, I would NOT be interested in something like that!But really, I pass on so much of what they have to offer now because of their high prices and how soon the products get used (maybe they’ve decreased sizes on things?). My favorite product of theirs is the Chocolate Whipstick but I even passed on that the last time I was in store.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »It can definitely get pricey if it’s something you use often! I think if you don’t take too many baths then it’s not so bad since it’s here and there.
furandlaceI’m curious to try Cinders but did lol at the image of ‘splashing around in a vat of cider’. I have mixed feelings about lush bath bombs and bubble bars. Some of them turn the water a really nasty, gross colour…not something that I like to see myself sitting in. And some of them leave horrible residue in the tub.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Yep! I’m right there with you – I do not like when they leave residue in the tub!!
Snail PolishLush products just aren’t worth the scrub-down of the bath afterwards! They smell nice, though. Make great air fresheners 😉
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Yeah, I’m like, “Wait, relaxing bath… and then clean the tub??”
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »They are super cute! xo
AmyI used to buy lots from Lush, but I stopped being a fan when they started shoving their politics down their customer’s throats. It’s not like it used to be with Charity Pot, if you didn’t care for the charity, you simply didn’t buy the pot. When they discontinued my favorite Yummy Yummy Yummy, that was it for me. I’ve been tempted by Let The Good Times Roll, but there are tons of great dupe recipes on the internet.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Hopefully you’ll have a chance to make your own!
IreneI am so silly that I don’t think I could bring myself to crash the Christmas penguin’s body. Ugh, I hate it when disposable items look cute!
LauraI was just at Lush yesterday and picked up the penguin for my daughters. I loved the scent of Cinders and will probably go back for that soon. I also tried the Celebrate lotion and agree about the greasy feeling! I love Lush’s Helping Hands cream and even though it is very rich, it absorbs quickly. Celebrate was still on my hands an hour later.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »So glad I’m not the only one who felt like Celebrate lasted and lasted!
Lisa Light, Yellow undertones. Very Oily skin. »I got some Sandy Santas last year during the after Xmas sale, and they were AMAZING. Moisturizing, really scrubby, and the scent was heavenly (orange+sandalwood+rosewood=best scent ever. I’m a sucker for rosewood.) But the website says they reformulated this year, which worries me–I wonder if the melting you’re talking about is related to the new formula with coconut oil and “butters”, because last year it was hard as a rock. I also wish it was just a bar instead of a santa, because the weird nubbly bits make it harder to use, and the red dye sometimes sticks to my tub.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Hmm, that might be why! It seems like a TERRIBLE value for 3-4 uses. Like melting your money away, lol!
ZoeI used to work at Lush and am lol-ing at your comments about synthetic scents. They pride themselves so much on only using natural ingredients so this is such an ironic blow. Also I would be careful with their facial skincare: http://www.paulaschoice.com/beautypedia-skin-care-reviews/by-brand/lush?sort=none&direction=asc&pageNumber=1&pageSize=25&brand=lush Let the Good Times Roll is softly abrasive, but the oil in it can make you break out in a major way! Test it out before committing to it.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Thanks for the heads up!
StephanieThe reason as to why Celebrate is so thick and lasts so long on your skin is because there are no parabens (preservatives) in it. So because a lot of people are used to getting a thick glob of their regular lotion that contains the parabens and they are doing it for this product, hence they feel greasy. A little goes a long way. I guess everyone’s smell buds are different because I just love the scent of this. It’s light, citrusy………. smells like a bag of Skittles!!! I’m rationing it because it’s LE for the holidays. Love LTGTR cleanser!!!!! Exfoliates and moisturizes. It’s not like a greasy feeling, but more like a barrier especially for the extra dry winters we have here. Smells like toffee/vanilla/carmel. Everytime I smell it I just want to eat it.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Hi Stephanie,I used VERY little – not at all a lot – and I still had issues with it. I used as *little* as possible to spread across the area.
_An_ Light, Yellow, slight yellow undertones. Combination skin. »Thank you for this quick review! I’m new to LUSH and I’m planning on making my first haul soon so I needed some ideas. ^^Btw, this review isn’t tagged under the ‘LUSH’ brand, which was the way I tried to find this post at first.
Christine Light-Medium, Neutral, slight yellow undertones. Normal-to-Dry skin. »Thank you! Should be fixed now 🙂
