Lush Christmas - I gave you my heart
- Isa van Zyl
- Nov 12, 2018
- 7 min read
Updated: Nov 17, 2018
All I want for Christmas (or any time of the year) is Lush! If you're familiar with the brand, you'll know why. When you walk into the store, you're greeted with a distinct aroma which your brain will forever connect to Lush - you'll start smelling the store before you even see it. Not only are their products heavenly scented; the ingredients are ethically sourced and they do no testing on animals! Lush has gone one step further and introduced naked packaging - providing a plastic-free alternative for some of their products. I love supporting brands that care as much about the environment and animals as I do!
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this year's Lush Christmas range contains some of the most creative and unique products and fragrances - we'll definitely miss them when the holiday season is over. The store has so many options to choose from, but a few sparkled a little brighter and sparked my interests.
Here is my Ultimate Lush Christmas Gift Guide 2018!
SNOW FAIRY SPARKLE JAR
This is number one on my wish list! This baby pink little star is a cocoa butter moisturizing bar that gives you a shimmery sparkle. It smells divine - like cotton candy and magic! The little dents need to be poked open because inside this little beauty is - MORE GLITTER. After applying the sparkle jar, you shake some glitter onto your skin and voilà! You are the new dazzler of any room. The fragrance stays on really well - after I had it applied in the Lush store, I could still smell the candy heavenliness for at least 4 more hours. (R145/£8.50)
This was my first purchase of the Christmas range because the bear is so adorable and smells so sweet - and I have a bath bomb obsession. The cocoa butter moisturizes your skin really well - leaving it soft and silky after the bath. It feels like you received a bear hug from a bear made entirely out of moisturizer. The description says “Bear hygge” and it’s so fitting! For those not familiar, hygge is a Danish word to acknowledge a moment which encompasses a feeling of coziness, contentment, charm and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. (R45/£2.75)
I've purchased The Little Book of Hygge (http://bit.ly/2B3FZm5) to learn more of this concept of comfort, warmth and togetherness. Also a great gift for anyone.
LUXURY LUSH PUD
When I saw this video, I couldn't resist buying this bath bomb. The web description says it's a "confetti of colors cascading across the waters" - how beautiful is that? Just be sure to have your phone ready to film this explosion of color. The scent is sweet and floral, thanks to the lavender, tonic and ylang ylang. It also has anti-inflamatory and refreshing properties. If you want something aesthetically pleasing (and calming) - this is it! (R69.50/£4.95)
Up next, we have Santa Bomb Bomb and his friends, Princess and Snowman. These bath bombs come in two parts (the heads are detachable), so you will get double the fun and double the use out of one (hence the name: Bomb Bomb - "so nice, you say it twice", to quote Mojo Mojo from Madagascar). Santa has soothing vanilla and cocoa absolutes - creating a warm and tingly sensation. The Princess has a sweet bubblegum aroma, and contains uplifting and cleansing bergamot oil, as well as toning and balancing cedar wood oil. Snowman smells like peppermint, and will ensure you have a very refreshing bath. (R135/£9.95 each)
This was one of the first Christmas products I encountered this year and I am in love! The Holly Berry massage bar smells fresh, festive and fruity. It contains skin-softening mango butter and buchu oil to soothe the mind. I haven't purchased this little bar of goodness yet, but had a little store demo, and my skin felt so nourished afterwards. I'm still pining after this bar... Maybe I'll find it under the mistletoe? (R125.00/£7.50)
MAGIC WAND - make a wish and swish
To be carried away by candy floss bubbles and fairy dust dreams, the Magic Wand reusable bubble bar will do the trick! I would recommend breaking off a small piece and crumbling it under running water, then letting the bath fill a bit more until it's foaming with bubbles. The more water you add (after the crumbled bar has been rinsed under the tap), the more bubbles will appear. I only mastered the bubble bar after a failed attempt and then going back to the store for a demonstration. Practice makes perfect with this little shimmery star. (R105/£6.95)
The Yog Nog Yule Log is what Christmas smells like to me. I wish I could duplicate this scent and have it fill me apartment the whole year round. Do yourself a favor and make sure you pop into any Lush store just for this bubble bar - you'll want to eat it. It reminds me of a combination of Christmas cookies and vanilla cupcakes and egg nog - thanks to the warming cinnamon and nutmeg powders. I bought this along with my Butterbear and I am really smitten with it. I managed to get four glorious bubbly baths from this log. The shea butter and soya yoghurt ensure that you indulge your skin in moisturizing magnificence. (R79.50/£5.95)
STAR LIGHT STAR BRIGHT bath melt My little star of wonder! When I close my eyes and picture dreamland, this is what the sky looks like. Another Christmas product I've already added to my cart. This glittery bath melt has a murumuru and cocoa butter base which is an absolute dream combination to moisturize your skin. When I saw it, I thought a silver bath would be so ethereal - then I was told there's a kaleidoscope of colors hidden inside, which slowly becomes exposed as the star floats in your tub. And there are so many glorious oils in this melt to create a soothing and smoothing end result as you step out of the lavender bath water. There is, in fact, lavender oil to create a calming effect and to help you sleep - sweeping you off to dreamland. It also contains refreshing ginger oil, toning and brightening lime oil, and almond oil which hydrates your skin and hair. Star Light Star Bright will make all your wishes come true, or else ensure that you have a sweet, sweet slumber. (R69.50/£4.95)
You know sometimes when people tell you you're supposed to smell the apples in a product (especially when tasting wine), and you don't, but pretend you do? With this shower jelly, you don't need to pretend at all! The apple smell is crisp and clean, and it is infused with star anise to put you in the ultimate Christmas spirit, whilst you're busy cleansing and exfoliating. (R95/£4.95)
That's a wrap for the individual products - now onto the exciting and oh-so-pretty gift boxes!
SPARKLE - like the star you areThis gift is perfect for anyone who loves sparkles and luster. With a Star Light Star Bright bath melt, Snow Fairy sparkle jar and Twilight bath bomb, whoever receives this will be dazzled and will glisten like the bright star they are. (R375/£19.95)
SNOW FAIRY
The answer to why this gift is perfect? It's pink and it smells like candy. You'll be transported into a magical world with the Snow Fairy jelly bomb, and carry that fairy feeling with you when using the Snow Fairy shower gel and body conditioner. And we agree that the Magic Wand is a sweet treat. (R525/£27.95)
GOLDEN WONDER - gold, glorious gold
I love gold just as much as I love pink. This little treasure chest contains the most incredible scented bath products - my beloved Yog Nog Yule Log, Perle de Sel (it contains African black salt and is very toning) and the Golden Wonder. Wow, I can actually smell these bath products as I'm writing this. The Golden Pear soap contains pear puree (the scent is spot on), and the murumuru butter will moisturize and soften your skin. And it's wrapped with a little bell on the bow - jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! (R545/£29.95)
JOLLY HOLIDAYS - saved by the sleigh bells
This gift comes in a novelty lunchbox (that can be used as a make-up storage box afterwards). Along with the Santa's Belly shower jelly, you get three amazing Christmas bath bombs - Santa Bomb Bomb, Holey Night and The World's Smallest Disco. An added bonus is the Naughty Elf bubble bar (not being sold in South Africa). This little elf contains mango and violet leaf absolute and the lemon myrtle oil is very uplifting and calming. (R695/£37.95)
If you (or the person you're gifting) are not a bath fan, don't worry - there is the perfect shower gift: Christmas Cheer. Buck's Fizz body conditioner is made with soothing orange blossom water and pink grapefruit decoction that will make you (and your skin) feel uplifted, and it goes perfectly with the Sugar Plum Fairy body scrub that contains refreshing sweet wild orange oil. The Rose Jam shower gel has a floral and fresh scent - it reminds me of Turkish Delight. Finished off with the Golden Pear soap, this gift box will leave you feeling rejuvenated and as if you're walking through orchards. (R445/£25.95)
There is, of course, one ultimate gift - Wonderful Christmas Time: a 24 piece gift box made up of best of the Lush Christmas range - and a Gingerbread Man sparkle jar (another goody not sold in SA). If you really want to show someone that you love them, this is the gift to get. Not dropping any hints, but this is my dream gift... (R2650/£150)
This has been an extremely fun post to write - and it's making me sit on my hands so I don't rush off to Lush to purchase more festive treats. I hope you've had just as much fun reading it, and be sure to share it with anyone you're hoping to receive gifts from - they can't go wrong with this guide!
A big thank you to the Lush UK Twitter team for being so friendly and being so helpful in providing the best recommendations. And a huge shoutout to the Cavendish Lush team for patiently explaining all the different products to me and for the demonstrations. They are definitely my favorite Lush store in Cape Town.
Comments