Soft Coeur Massage Bar

Out of all the products sold by Lush, the massage bar is probably my favourite. Whenever I go to a store or place a Lush order online, I tend to always add a massage bar into my basket. Usually I go for a Wiccy Magic Muscle bar, but after reading other people's reviews of Soft Coeur massage bar, I decided to try it out as the scent sounded like something I would really enjoy.

Massage bars are a block of solidified oils and butters, designed for body massage or alternatively for use as a heavy-duty moisturiser- which is what I use them for. They're much more portable than a bottle of massage oil, but you have to be careful keeping them in warm places, as they do have a tendency to melt easily. To use them, all you have to do is swipe the bar a few times over warm skin, then rub the melted oils in.

Soft Coeur is a little different from the other massage bars Lush offer, as it's presented as a small heart shape, and has a centre of honey and cocoa powder, which is also designed to melt on your skin. I'm not sure whether Lush released this as part of a Valentines day range and decided to keep it as part of the permanent range, but as it's also known as The Honeymooner massage bar, its obvious that this bar has been designed for couples.

The scent of Soft Coeur is a rich, honey-toffee one, very similar to the popular Honey, I washed the kids soap. But the slightly bitter-sweet cocoa powder core of the bar slightly tones down the sweet and sickly scent of the bar and helps to add a chocolatey undertone. I quite like the scent, it's definitely one for fans of foodie and sweet smells. It's quite strong and I also find it lasts a long time on the skin, so I think if you wanted to use it as a scent, you could apply a bit of the bar to your wrists as an alternative to a solid perfume.


When you are applying Soft Coeur, although it's not the most easily-melting massage bar from Lush that I have used, it does leave a fair amount of oil on your skin that is massaged in easily. I found that the first 3 or 4 uses of the bar were chocolate-core free, then after that the centre also began to melt, leaving streaks that could also be rubbed in with a bit more effort. I've heard a lot of complaints from people about the streaks from cocoa centre, however I didn't find it was too bad and it wouldn't stop me from enjoying the bar.

I found that although the bar didn't release oils as easily as the others, it didn't last as many uses and was halved in size by the 6th use. It is one of Lush's cheaper and smaller bars, but if I bought it again it would probably be reserved for the occasional use rather than a regular used product, as it proves quite an expensive alternative to a moisturiser.

For me, this wasn't the most hydrating of Lush's massage bars, but I did enjoy it. I have other favourites that I would generally pick over Soft Coeur massage bar, but I am glad I've tried it out and would probably buy it again if I was in the mood for a very sweet smelling massage bar.


6/10

Skinny Dip Buttercream

I had been waiting to try a Lush Buttercream since I had first read a review on their limited-edition Heavenly Bodies Buttercream. After having a look on Ebay, and realising how much Lush's limited edition products tend to sell for, I opted to wait until a Buttercream popped up onto the Lush Kitchen menu, so I could try out a fresh one for a more reasonable price.

Around a year ago, Lush Cosmetics decided to start up the Lush Kitchen to replace the 'retro' section of their old website. The Lush Kitchen is a project run by Lush to unearth long-ago products, and make fresh, limited-edition batches of them to offer customers who may not have shopped at Lush long enough to remember their old, discontinued products.

Personally, I think there is good and bad points to the Lush kitchen, but overall it is a nice way to have a chance to try something out that you may not have been able to buy before. The products are also at their peak of freshness- which is the best condition to use them in.

The problem that is caused by releasing limited amounts of products, is that there often isn't enough for everyone to buy-leading to lots of disappointed customers. As well as this, customers who do manage to buy something such as a limited-edition shampoo, might want to use it as part of their regular routine- which they can't do unless the Lush Kitchen decide to bring it back.

It is generally a total lottery what Lush decide to stock in the Kitchen range, so it is worth checking back every week when the new menu of products is put out.

Skinny Dip buttercream is a soft body soap that has been designed particularly for dry skin, as it's very hydrating and packed with tons of oils and butters to nourish and repair your skin while gently cleansing it. As the name suggests, this soap has a creamy and thick texture, which does replicate the popular cake frosting. Reading back on the history of this soap, it used to be sold in solid bar form, but Lush have changed the formula since then, and now the softer version is sold in 240g tubs.


The scent of Skinny Dip is not one I would usually go for, and if I had smelled it in the shop, I probably would have put it back on the shelf. It's packed with cloves, violet and vetivert oil, and these combined result in a very earthy, musky,  almost savoury fragrance. It's not too strong in the tub, but once used under the stream of water it becomes heady and possibly overwhelming for those who aren't fond of the scent. Personally, I didnt particularly like it, but I think fans of products such as Tramp shower gel might like this. It's also quite a manly scent, so I think it might be more popular among guys.

To use Lush's buttercreams, simply scoop a tablespoon-sized amount out and use it as you would a shower gel. Due to buttercream soap being packed with so many oils, it won't lather up like regular soap or shower gel. Some people might be ok with this, but I didn't feel completely clean using it by itself, so I topped up with some of Lush's Happy Hippy shower gel afterwards. However, after using this, I still found the strong clove smell of Skinny Dip lingered on my skin for a while. If you are a fan of the smell of Skinny Dip Buttercream, the longevity of the scent could be seen as a positive, but as I didn't like it, it was personally a negative for me.

Saying this, my skin did feel softer, though not as baby-soft had I just used my regular shower gel and topped my skin with a massage bar afterwards, which is what I do regularly. I feel that the buttercream would be a good option if you are pressed for time and is an ideal in-shower body moisturiser. But if you do have the time, using a proper lotion or massage bar afterwards is what I would prefer to do.

Although I personally wouldn't buy this variety of Lush Buttercream again, I am still eager to try their Heavenly bodies version, and am keeping my eyes peeled in the kitchen for them to make a reappearance. For those who enjoy earthy and woody scents, I would recommend Skinny dip buttercream, but for me, I won't be trying it again.

4/10

Sultana of Soap

I have been meaning to try this Lush soap for a while, but due to the fact it's one of the more boring-looking varieties on offer, I have often pushed it to the bottom of my 'to-buy' list in favour of shower gels or bubble bars. But last week, I decided to buy an 100g slab of Sultana of Soap to test out and see what I thought.

Sultana of Soap is presented as a white slab topped and laced with berries and sultanas, which make the slab of soap almost look like a bar of nougat. These are used as a decoration but also act as a mild exfoliator. Although this soap is plainer than some of Lush's other offerings, it has a really fresh and mild scent, with the slight sour note of the berries lingering in the background. This, for me, is a scent I would associate with the spring and summer months, as it's light enough and not cloying in the slightest. It's not the type of scent I would usually go for, but makes an interesting change from the gourmand scents I like best.

The texture of Sultana of Soap is a really creamy, moisturising one. It's so soft and squidgy that when you press down on the bar lightly, you leave a dent. When I washed with it, it didn't create a thick lather, but instead a light cream that felt nourishing as well as gently cleansing on my skin. The fruits studding the top of the bar of soap exfoliated gently, but they soon began to fall off and fishing them out the water so that they wouldn't clog the drain was slightly annoying. But once I had rinsed the soap off, my skin felt fresh and clean, and I noticed the scent lingered for a while afterwards which was pleasant.

Due to this soap being a rich and creamy variety, Sultana of Soap does tend to melt and dissolve easily when left around water, so the best thing to do is to pat it dry after every use, and cut your bar into thirds or quarters so you aren't using the whole piece under running water at once.

Overall, although this soap isn't perfect and isn't one of my absolute favourites scent-wise, it did make a nice change from my regular soaps and is one I will turn to if I need something soothing and moisturising for particularly dry skin- in fact, I would go as far to say it's the most moisturising soap from Lush I have ever tried. Recommended.

7/10

Twilight Bath Bomb

When I visit Lush, I usually tend to lean towards buying their bubble bars, soaps or skincare products. I rarely pick up a bath bomb- in fact, I think the last time I bought one for myself was in the Christmas 2014 sale. But when I visited earlier this week I decided to try one that I hadn't used since 2012- Twilight bath ballistic.

Twilight is a pretty, lavender-scented bath bomb that is relaxing and ideal for bedtime, or anytime you want to wind down, really. It's not your typical floral lavender scent- it's more creamy and sweet, and has been described as being a malty, softer alternative. It's quite a girly scent, and I would imagine it being popular with all age groups,

The design of this Twilight is again, quite girly- being a large pale pink sphere with moon and star shapes moulded into the top. The design also encourages you to think that this is a ideal bath bomb for night time use, when you are trying to relax. It's one of Lush's biggest bath bombs, and I've seen people split it into half so they get more than one use, but for the purposes of the review I decided to use the whole bath bomb at once.

To use a bath bomb, just run your bath, and when it's ready, get in and drop your chosen bath ballistic in- then watch it fizz and release colours and nourishing essential oils. 

When you drop Twilight into the bath, it is quite a slow fizzer, first releasing a dusky pink foam to reveal the pale blue inner core of the bath bomb. When the blue fizzes, it releases a blue foam, which mixes with the pink to create a pretty bath mix of blue, pink and soft purple. There is also a little bit of glitter in this bath bomb, but it's not the sort to stick to your skin or the bath. As well as this, little nibs of what I assume is shea butter are released into the water, which helps it feel soft, though not as silky as I was hoping.

 Lush say that the colours of the bath are meant to remind you of the sky becoming darker, and that this will help you to feel soothed and relaxed. The bath from Twilight will not be as brightly coloured as results from some other bath bombs available, and doesn't contain tons of added extras such as paper (dragons egg bath bomb, sex bomb bath bomb) or seaweed (Big blue bath bomb), but for me this is ideal, as I am not keen on the products which leave the bath in a mess afterwards.

Afterwards, although the water had felt reasonably soft, I still had dry skin and had to top up with moisturiser from a massage bar.

Overall, for £3.35, although this bath bomb left me feeling relaxed and I enjoyed it, it's not up there with my favourites so it wouldn't be a regular purchase for me. However, I would recommend it to anyone who is stressed and wants to chill out, as it does work well for that and is a real classic from Lush that is popular among lots of people. A reasonable bath bomb from Lush.

6/10

Book Review: Me Before You-JoJo Moyes

In my spare time, I do read quite a lot, ranging from teenage fiction to more adult titles, so I thought it might be a good idea to write reviews on some of my favourite, and least favourite titles. If you have any book suggestions to read, comment either below the post or in the guestbook, and I will do my best to write about them.

Will Traynor is a highly successful businessman who travels, makes lots of money and has a pretty girlfriend. He is used to having money, girls and being in charge, but when he is on his way to work one day, he gets hit by a motorcycle- his life is about to change forever.

Lou Clark is a young woman in her twenties who lives at home with her Mum, Dad, sister and nephew. She is happy working shifts in the local cafe, and hasn't really ventured out of the small town she lives in. She has a pretty quiet life, and, apart from problems with her long-term boyfriend Patrick, she is fairly happy in the routine she is in.

But when the Cafe shuts down and Lou is out of a job, she ends up down at the job centre, and after considering the few options she has, she gets an interview to be a carer for a paralysed man for a 6-month period. Although this isn't what she was expecting, she gets the job.


When Louise meets Will, they don't get on well at first, due to Will's consistently negative and rude attitude, however when they realise they have a similar sense of humour, it breaks the ice between them and they begin to warm to each other. However, as they get closer to each other, Lou soon finds out about Will's past, and the shocking reason why she will only be working for him for 6 months.

Will she be able to change Will's mind, or will she support Will's choices?


-What I thought- (Spoilers)

I first picked up this book, as it was highly recommended by Tanya Burr, another Blogger and Youtuber. Honestly, I hadn't read anything about what this book was about, and assumed it was another generic romance novel. But once I had started it, I realised that although it has a fair amount of romance in, it deals with the much darker subject of assisted suicide, that is not often talked about.

There is also a lot of humour in this book, and the sarcastic jokes between Lou and Will are funny. The characters play off each other very well, and despite coming from very different backgrounds, have a lot in common with each other.

Although a few of the characters personality traits sometimes annoyed me in this book (Patrick- Lou's boyfriend, and occasionally Will's Mother), generally I think all of them came to life and their personalities were well written. My favourite character was probably Will's other Carer, Nathan, and I enjoyed the chapter of the book that was written from his point of view, as it gave you a chance to find out how he viewed Will and Lou's friendship from someone else's perspective. Will's Mother also has her own chapter from her point of view, but this I found less interesting,

The ending of the book where Lou has to decide whether to support will's decisions or not is pretty emotional, and despite how she tries to change his mind, he still wants to travel to Switzerland and go through with what he has planned. Although it is one of the saddest things she has gone through in her life, I think her choice in the end to support Will and accompany him to the Dignitas clinic was the right one.

I think lots of people hoped for a happy, romantic ending - but the Epilogue I found enjoyable and moving, as it shows how Lou is trying to move on by doing lots of the things Will had wanted her to do, to experience more from life.


-Overall-

I will definitely be buying the follow up novel to this when it's released, as this is one of the top books I have ever read and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to others. Don't judge it by the slightly girly front cover- this is an emotional book that deals with a dark, controversial subject
that can be read and enjoyed by anybody. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Me Before You by JoJo Moyes to people who enjoy weepies- and I'm not surprised it's been given 5/5 stars online.

9/10 Highly recommended.

Glorious Mud body mask

Around a year ago, Lush Cosmetics decided to start up the Lush Kitchen to replace the 'retro' section of their old website. The Lush Kitchen is a project run by Lush to unearth long-ago products, and make fresh, limited-edition batches of them to offer customers who may not have shopped at Lush long enough to remember their old, discontinued products.

Personally, I think there is good and bad points to the Lush kitchen, but overall it is a nice way to have a chance to try something out that you may not have been able to buy before. The products are also at their peak of freshness- which is the best condition to use them in.

The problem that is caused by releasing limited amounts of products, is that there often isn't enough for everyone to buy-leading to lots of disappointed customers. As well as this, customers who do manage to buy something such as a limited-edition shampoo, might want to use it as part of their regular routine- which they can't do unless the Lush Kitchen decide to bring it back.

It is generally a total lottery what Lush decide to stock in the Kitchen range, so it is worth checking back every week when the new menu of products is put out.

Glorious mud is a rhassoul-mud based body mask released by Lush in their Kitchen range. It's presented as a large, cubed, brown slab, which doesn't look immediately appealing. However, with products such as these, it's important not to judge the look of them before they are used.

The scent of Glorious mud is part of Lush's Creme Anglais scent family- a strong, layered scent with lots of vanilla. But for those who are into plain vanilla scents, this is a little different. There is also a large helping of Frankincense in here, and this adds a smokiness to the scent which makes it quite heady and overwhelming. The Glorious mud scent is a little weaker than the Pot O' Gold shower jelly, but it't still pretty strong. Personally, I am not a fan of this scent, and I didn't realise they shared the same scent until I had already bought the product.


To use this body mask, you can do one of three things.

You can crush the mask up in a pot and apply it as fine grains. This may be the easiest way for some people, as the slab of Glorious mud contains sodium bicarb and can therefore dissolve easily under water.

You can also cut a piece off. I think this would be the most difficult method as the mask is quite grainy and crumbly, and I think a lot could be wasted this way.

Or you can do as I do, use the mask as a scrub by rubbing it into your skin by holding the cube in your hand. As long as you keep it out the stream of water, this is a fairly easy method and is ideal for when you are applying in the shower or standing up.



As I previously mentioned, Glorious Mud is quite a grainy scrub- although it has oils and gentle skin-softening ingredients, it can feel a little harsh when applying, if like me, you have sensitive skin. However, when you run it down your skin a steady trail of body mask melts onto your skin and you can then massage it in, either with a scrub mitt or just your bare hand. This body mask is also quite messy as it is rhassoul mud-based, so be careful not to get it on the walls, and if you do, rinse it off right away.

Unfortunately for me, the smell of this mask (which I didn't like from the start), elevated in the shower and became overwhelming almost unbearable. It became richer and quite strong and sickly- something which fans of the scent would no doubt love- but I hated. In fact I had to rinse it off quite quick and then rinse the shower and open the window too, just to try and get the smell out of the bathroom.

The one positive thing I can say about this body mask is that for the brief time after I had rinsed it off, my skin did feel really soft after all the oils and butters had sunk in. It obviously does it's job well as a product- but the scent just doesn't agree with me and the mask made a lot of mess, which I wasn't too happy about.

I have read lots of reviews from people who love this body mask, but for me, it seems to be a love or hate product, and unfortunately I am in the latter category. I just wish Lush would come up with the product in a different scent and then maybe I would be willing to overlook the mess problem. Overall, it made my skin feel nice- but I won't be buying Glorious Mud body mask again.

2/10

Butterball bath bomb

I was given one of these bath bombs as a gift yesterday, and although I vaguely remember buying one a few years ago, it was nice to have a fresh one so I would be able to analyse it in more detail. I've heard lots of great reviews of this particular bath bomb from other bloggers and vloggers that I looked forward to using it right away.

When you go into a Lush store, you will see a colourful array of bath bombs and bubble bars sitting on plates ready to be bought, and Butterball may seem a little dull and uninspiring in comparison. It's a bit smaller than your typical bath bomb, and is a white shade, speckled with creamy patches of cocoa butter. Butterball is one of Lush's cheapest bath bombs, but it works as well as most of the bigger ones.

The scent of this bath bomb is quite creamy and reminds me of fresh vanilla, with a little added musk and mild floral notes to help it seem less cloying and lot more fresh. You can also smell the cocoa butter in there, which adds an almost chocolatey element.

Although all Lush bath bombs are water softening, this one tops the list of being the most moisturising bath bomb offering from Lush. Despite the small size and lack of added extras, such as glitter and colour, this bath bomb is stuffed with chunks and flakes of cocoa butter, which moisturise your skin and leave it feeling soothed and softened. Although it doesn't claim to be made specifically for it, I think Butterball would be an ideal choice if you suffered from sensitive skin, or sunburn.  I generally do have quite dry skin, and I can't always be bothered to moisturise, so I hope the oils in this would be ideal for that.


Using a bath bomb is easy. Just run a hot bath, and throw it in the water and watch it fizz away. This bath bomb does not make much of a change to the water colour wise, except turning it a little more cloudy. But the golden chunks of cocoa butter inside float on the surface and around the sides of the bath. These are the best bit of the bath bomb, and can even be scooped up and rubbed into particularly dry skin if you feel like doing so.

As this bath bomb has got a lot of oils in, be careful getting out as it can make the surface of the bath quite greasy. However, this is a minor problem and doesn't take away from it's performance.


After use, my skin felt really smooth and silky, and the musky vanilla scent remained on my skin. I topped it up with a little of my Demeter vanilla ice-cream cologne, which went well with the scent of Butterball.

Overall, although this bath bomb is not showy in any way, I think it's one which is really well-suited to my skin, and I understand why so many Lush fans adore the Butterball scent. I will definitely be picking it up again and has been good to be reintroduced to it.

8/10