Yes, I'm one of those people: I'm truly dismayed when Christmas decorations and holiday items start showing up in stores in mid-October. What's the rush? One of the very few exceptions, in my book, is the annual holiday-season collection from Lush. I always look forward to buying a few bars of Snowcake soap, and this year I was desperate to grab a new bottle of Rose Jam Shower Gel. I also picked up two new items: So White Shower Gel and Yog Nog Soap. (I am weak.)
So White is the liquid counterpart to a bath bomb of the same name, which I never tried. It's a pearly white shower gel "with fresh apple infusion and cheerful neroli oil to leave skin bright and beautifully perfumed." I'm not normally a fan of apple perfumes or apple-scented products, but So White's apple fragrance is so crisp and tart and weirdly realistic that I'm enjoying it, just as I enjoy the smell of real apples that I buy at the farmers market. I can't really pick out the neroli or orange flower or bergamot essences that are also listed in the ingredients, but I'm sure they're in there somewhere, making things even brighter and tangier. What I do smell, although I don't know exactly what causes it, is a subtle woody-stemmy note that balances out the fruitiness. Like many Lush products, So White really shines when it's being used in a warm, steamy shower, although it smells pretty darned good straight from the bottle, too.
I wouldn't pick up Yog Nog Soap just for its name — a play on "egg nog," I get it, but it sounds odd and vaguely icky. However, once I'd sniffed a chunk of this buttery-yellow soap sitting on a display counter in a Lush store, I had to give it a try. It's strongly scented enough that you could just leave it sitting around a bathroom (or a drawer) for a while as a solid air-freshener. It has a gourmand scent, inspired by egg nog's rich mix of milk, eggs, liquor and spices, yet it's not as cloyingly sweet as other Lush soaps like Rock Star or Honey I Washed the Kids. The "yog" refers to soy yogurt, which happens to make this soap surprisingly gentle on skin. The ylang ylang oil adds a custard-y creaminess, and there's a little vanilla in there too, but the clove bud oil and an extra cinammon-spicy note add some zing. Each piece of Yog Nog is even topped with a dusting of real nutmeg powder, just like a mug of egg nog — but it's an easier indulgence, without the occasionally sick-feeling aftermath, than the real thing.
Lush So White Shower Gel is $19.95 for 8.4 oz or $29.95 for 16.9 oz; Yog Nog Soap is $6.95 for 3.5 oz.
If you're a Lush fan, have you had a chance to check out this year's Christmas/holiday line? Do you have any old or new favorites?
I bought exactly these 2 products on my latest Lush visit!
I actually bought So White without smelling it properly in the shop (the phrase “Limited Edition” just = buy. Right? 😛 ) I just assumed it was snow cake in liquid form. When I used it for the first time I exclaimed “Apple!?” so, Jessica I totally agree on the authenticity of the fresh apple fragrance. It was a nice surprise.
I also bought another soap: Reindeer Rock. Its a deep red, rich, spicy berry scented soap with fine silver shimmer. Do give it a try if your Lush offers it too!
“the phrase “Limited Edition” just = buy.”
Pleading the fifth! 😉
Mmm, the So White sounds delicious. I’m going to get it for my husband.
Thanks for the reviews!
I’ve been using it nearly every morning… at this rate it will be finished by Thanksgiving, never mind Christmas! It’s strangely addictive.
I feel really lucky I don’t have a Lush within 150 miles, otherwise, it would basically be a “just take all my money” situation. Sometimes I just huff Flying Fox like a fiend.
Oh, I know. When the shops first opened in NYC, I went slightly berserk. I got the situation under control after a while, but the Christmas collection still has strange powers over me.
Jessica, I always enjoy your scented body product reviews so please keep them coming. Thanks.
I ordered a bunch of bath bombs and bubble bars from Lush to give as gifts this year. I take them out to sniff them from time to time. I especially like golden wonder which smells like orange liqueur. I have a feeling I’ll end up breaking down and using it myself. I also got the so white bath bomb and I can tell it would make a very nice shower gel. I’ll probably get the 100 ml size for myself based on your review.
I did order four things specifically for myself though: cinders bath bomb, lord of misrule bath bomb, blue skies and fluffy white clouds bubble bar, and t for toes foot powder. The foot powder is amazing. It’s heavily scented with tea tree oil and lime oil and you’re just enveloped in the gorgeous fragrance while you apply it. Cinders was a disappointment. It just sank to the bottom of the tub. It didn’t crackle like a fire as promised and it turned the water the color of urine. I could barely smell it. I have high hopes for lord of misrule though (don’t you just love that name). It smells like earthy, spicy vanilla. Lush, make this into a shower gel please. Blue skies and fluffy white clouds is really nice. A quarter of the bar made a ton of bubbles and turned the water a pleasing shade of murky blue. It has a nice patchouli, frankincense and cinnamon fragrance. Now I just have to wait for smuggler’s soul to be released in North America.
Thank you, Jonas! Too bad about Cinders… but the rest of your items sound promising! Blue Skies is a Lush classic, and is T for Toes. I still miss some old favorites, like Gratuitous Violets soap and Smitten hand cream and Skinny Dip shower gel… but at least Snowcake keeps coming back!
I get their reference, as it means something different to those in the UK, but in North America, Lord of Misrule strikes a slightly odd note, given that Jaimy Gordon’s book of the same name so recently won the National Book Award in the US. I really want to smell like seedy, low stakes horse-racing and freakshow bookies!
I am so bummed that the Herald Square LUSH closed down and the one downtown takes extra effort to get to so I have not yet explored this year’s offering. The Yog Nog sounds fabuLUSHious 😉
When I saw your comment I became curious as to how many locations there are in NYC so I did a Google maps search and I found that the Herald Square location still exists. It looks like it relocated across Broadway.
Yes!! Jonas is correct. Hajusuuri, there’s a brand-new location on 34th, just across Broadway. The address is 44 West 34th. It’s bigger and brighter than the old space, and the staff seem very happy with the move. 🙂
The old store WAS teeny tiny. I’m looking forward to visiting the new one!
Thank you so much. I usually cut across to 7th by 35th Street except when I felt like going to Lush…now that I know the new location, well, I will just adjust my walk 🙂
You get an enabler’s pin(s) in advance.
34th can be a frustrating walking experience for NYC natives… but LUSH is worth a slight detour!
Why? Cause it’s clogged with tourists like me? Ha!
Thank heavens for Lush! Great review and I bought the So White in an instant last week! Have not used it yet, but from the bottle, it also has a bit of white chocolate to me. Aren’t those Lush catalogues exciting! I read every cinnamon, clove, bubble and bomb of it – and just lust for all of them.
Oh, I know. I can keep thumbing through the same “Lush Times” for weeks and weeks and weeks. My DH laughs about this habit.
So White sounds pretty good, Jessica. Thanks for the review. I may need to try Olive Branch shower gel too, as a friend mentioned it awhile back.
But the exciting news is that I can stock up on one or two new bottles of Rose Jam shower gel. That stuff is so yummy!
Olive Branch is a citrusy delight! — but Rose Jame is my absolute favorite. Except Skinny Dip, of course. (Please bring it back, LUSH! Please please please!)
http://www.lushusa.com/Rose-Jam/9999903910,en_US,pd.html#q=Rose%2520Jam&start=7
Oh, I meant that they should bring back Skinny Dip — but I’m probably just wishing in vain. 😉
And I thought I was going to be a hero! Sorry about Skinny Dip–never tried it!
Oh, not to worry! I’m so excited about Rose Jam being available even again, even as a limited edition!
Skinny Dip smelled like cream and cloves. It was magical. *sigh*
Favorite thing from the holiday Lush collections:
1) Rose Jam. Rich, sweet and luscious. Combines a rich rose attar with a vanilla/plum gourmand scent, and a bit of lemon. Taking a hot shower with this makes me feel like a queen. It is only available during Christmas, which is CRAZY, so I do try to stock and keep a bottle or two in the fridge in a plastic bag. A subtle, delicate rose scent will remain on the skin. If you are a fan of Chanel #5, Joy, Rose 31, or any incense scent, this rose wash is a great base to have.
2) Year round, I love Grass shower gel, Flying Fox gel and Karma Kream. .
I love Grass, too, especially in spring/summer. But everything you said about Rose Jam is true, true, true. It’s the best.
I’ve been avoiding the whole Lush thing but this mention of eggnog soap might be my downfall. I was even able to resist after trying one of their jasmine hair products but eggnog without calories is too tempting. I’m not a fan of the store that’s the closest to me. It’s incredibly small and the staff won’t leave you alone to browse. Maybe I’ll just go online and shop from the couch.
The LUSH staff can be, shall we say, a bit over-zealous in their sales approach. Sometimes it’s difficult for me not to shriek, “Yes, I know all about [insert name of product being recommended here], I was shopping for LUSH through the UK and Australia and Canada websites before the company opened any shops in the US, and I’ve tried pretty much everything by now!”
I’m sure they’re required to follow and assist and keep recommending more and more products (Have you tried…? Have you tried…? Do you need a toner to go with that cleanser? What about a conditioner to go with that shampoo?), but I wish they could suss out the “regulars” and just let me browse in peace once in a while. 🙂
Rant over.
Right after I read this review, I ordered the So White and the infamous Rose Jam shower gels. I have been reading for years on NST how people rave about Rose Jam. Now I can’t wait for it to arrive. If I like it, I will order more since it is a seasonal scent.
Oh good! I hope it will live up to our raves!!