(Review) Unicorn Horn: They DO Exist!

I'm not gonna lie...I have NO idea how to start this blog entry.  I've kind of just been staring at this page eating ravioli, pondering and chewing...pondering and chewing.  Because how do you explain to your readers the link between unicorns and Valentine's Day?  Is it because unicorns are mythical beings, much like my single, bitter heart wants me to believe true love is as well?  Is it because unicorns will protect hurt souls by stabbing the hearts of their cheating spouses with their majestic horns?!  What DO beautifully majestic, heart stabbing unicorns and Valentine's Day have in common?!

Well I have no idea and neither do you, because there's no link between the two (lol rhymes).  It baffled me last year when a bubble bar called Unicorn Horn was being released along with the pink, frilly, and sweet smelling products Valentine's Day usually dishes out.  Little did I know the effect it would have on Lushies everywhere...

Unicorn Horn first made it's pastel swirled appearance last year, wrapped in star shaped sprinkles and finely milled silver shimmer.  It sold like crazy in my store...to the point where we only had it two days for the entire month-long campaign!  So when Unicorn Horn came back this year, brighter than ever with not a sprinkle to be seen, I warned every customer, every friend, every blog follower I had to pick it up while you can!  And thankfully this year Lush was a little more prepared for the demand of this ever popular bubble bar (last year's Valentine's Day also saw the upswing in sales from the "galaxy bomb" going absurdly viral).

Despite a brighter appearance and less sprinkles, Unicorn Horn still shared the same lavender, ylang ylang, and neroli scent that makes this bubble bar much more subdued than the bright hues would lead you to believe.  Unicorn Horn was also inspired by unicorn poop cookies (spoiler: they're not made from actual unicorn poop.  That's just silly) and is a permanent product in Lush Japan.

Seeing as I didn't get a chance to try out Unicorn Horn last year, I was excited to see what all the fuss was about!  I always save my more herbal bath goodies for rough days at the "office" or post-workout treats, so after a grueling day of work followed by an even more grueling workout, I decided there was no time like the present to bust this baby out.

Even though I didn't use Unicorn Horn last year, I demoed it plenty of times to know the turnout in both color and scent, and I was very surprised to see the water turn more of a fruit punch color rather than the icy silver/lavender color it was last year.  As I mentioned in other reviews, Lush has really amped up the saturation in their products, and this is something I don't mind at all.  I didn't mind the color last year, but this year's turnout was quite a refreshing change.  The fragrance smelled very light and relaxing, but there was some type of almost synthetic "after-scent" (is that even a thing?) that I sniffed shortly after all the herbs came into play.  I have a hunch it was the soapy scent of the bubbles, but it didn't make my night time bath any less relaxing!  The hot water running out halfway through did that!

Overall Unicorn Horn definitely lived up to its expectations.  Like all things majorly hyped up I did find it a bit overrated, but that's not a bad thing!  It was definitely an enjoyable bathing experience and really relaxed me after a day filled with tons of physical labor and oddly cranky customers.  Definitely stock up on this baby, as it won't be around for long!

**Unicorn Horn is certified Vegan

(Review) So White: Seven Dwarves Optional

As I mentioned in my review of Stardust, I'm a big fan of occasional simplicity.  Most of the time I enjoy the bells and whistles that come with bath bombs and bubble bars, but sometimes I just want something plan.  No muss, no fuss, no thrills, no frills.  Maximum satisfaction with minimal effect and effort.  Sometimes I don't want to wash down my tub from a turbo glittery bath bomb, and sometimes I don't want to bathe in brightly colored water.  Sometimes I just want something nice and simple.  But there's always a fine line.

I feel like there's a fine line between simplicity and boredom.  For me, there always has to be a little something special to keep me interested.  Like if I'm curled up on the couch reading a book.  For one thing, that couch better be really damn comfortable, as there's nothing worse than a rock hard couch or a busted spring poking your buttcheek.  And that book had better being entertaining as well.  Full of plot twists and romance, with just the right amount of action to keep me teetering on the edge of that oh so comfy couch.  Believe it or not, a lot of work goes into something being considered "simple."

With its simplistic, white as snow appearance, So White from what I'd heard in years past was a simple treasure.  Blindingly white and hard as a rock, So White hides within a petal pink core that supposedly melts down into a rose colored bath.  When demoing this at my shop, myself and my coworkers would eagerly gather around and take in a deep breath of the crisp apple fragrance.  Ironic that it would smell so much like the fruit, when not a trace of apple is in So White at all!  Bergamot, rose absolute, neroli, and orange flower absolute are the oils that make up this refreshing fragrance.

I have to say, I'm not one for apple fragrances.  After smelling the same synthetic, sickeningly sweet apple fragrances in everything from lotions to candles to potpourri, I had had enough of anything apple scented (however, apples...granny smiths to be exact, are one of my favorite fruits!).  So White was a breath of fresh air for my nostrils, and smelled just like the joy I feel when I take that first crunchy bite (okay...sounds a little cheesy, but I really like apples, okay?).

The night I chose to use So White was a night smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, where my eyes were so tired they burned and I could hear my body screaming for pillows and blankets.  But I desperately wanted a bath and So White was the closest within reach.

I've heard of people smashing this lovely bomb on the bathtub bottom, much like a snowball, but I chose to just drop it in and watch it fizz.  It didn't take long to get to the baking soda packed, pastel pink center, but my goodness did it take forever to fully dissolve.  I actually timed it and this bath bomb clocked in at a full 20 minutes before the last of it fizzled away!

After peering into my tub after it dissolved, I was surprised and a little disappointed to find that the promised rose colored bath was nothing than a slight rosy tint to my water.  In the bowls at work it was a vibrant pink, and while I knew it was more concentrated in bowls than in tubs, I didn't realize the color difference would be so drastic.  Nonetheless, my bath was nice and cozy warm, and the intoxicating apple scent filled my bathroom for hours afterward.

Overall, my feelings on So White are mixed.  While So White smells absolutely beautiful, the final turnout was something I found to be a bit underwhelming.  To me, So White toed and fell over the line between simplicity and boredom, into boredom.  Even last year I wish they kicked up the color in the middle a bit, and this year I was still disappointed to find it was still such a dull color.  Still, So White is a Christmas favorite and has been coming out every Christmas for the past few years.  While the bath bomb wasn't one of my absolute favorites, it could be that minimal amount of simplicity you've been craving for your bath!

***So White is certified Vegan

(Review) Yog Nog: Sugar & Spice

Whenever I wake up and see the sun shining through my blinds, I always smile and snug a little bit closer to my blankets and pillow.  There's something about a nice, cloudless sunny day that just puts me in a good mood.  My apartment is bright and cheery, I can hear kids outside playing...there's just something about sunshine that makes the days a little bit better.  And then I go outside and am met with the sharp wind at my cheek, the cold air numbing my nose, and the sudden chill creeping through my clothes down to my bones.  And then I remember it's December.  And I live in the midwest.  And winter sucks.

Cold weather is all well and good when you're inside with your blankets, a hot mug of cocoa, and a good book or Netflix marathon to keep you warm, but when you're running around outside and actually have to leave the house, the minutes become hours and the thought of a warm fire and your PJs will never leave your mind.  That, and the sharp, biting cold and wreak havoc on your skin.  I know for sure it's wreaking havoc on mine!

Where I live in the summer is always sticky with humidity and sweat, but a complete 180 happens when the weather turns cold.  From dry skin to chapped lips to nosebleeds on the regular, I dry out from head to toe.  So one lone night when my skin felt as dry and tight as a finely tuned violin string, I decided my nightly post-work bath needed to help remedy this problem.
 

I wasn't surprised in the slightest to see Yog Nog make a return in a different form.  I recall the buttery, cinnamon sprinkled blocks of soap practically vanishing before my eyes last Christmas.  This year I've noticed it's been selling a little more slowly, but I've been seeing the bath bomb of the same name being sold in droves.

Yog Nog bath bomb is essentially a triple threat.  The standard bath bomb formula also contains grated bubble bar mix, which makes for a slower, frothier fizz, and a bath melt tucked in the middle makes this creamy, spicy bath bomb a much needed moisturizing treat!

Watching Yog Nog fizz away in the tub was like watching a cadbury cream egg dissolve.  Even though the Golden Egg bath bomb from Easters past is more inspired by the treat than this one, it looked a lot more like the actual chocolate candy that makes my teeth sting.  The foam was yellow and white, and the bath melt in the middle looked like a pat of butter on toast.

I'm always wary of yellow bath bombs since they tend to look like...well...you know, but I feel like Lush is getting their yellow pigments down so that won't be a problem!  The yellow was more neon rather than earthy toned, and looked bright and vibrant.  Sinking into the tub was a definite treat...like being wrapped in a spicy knit blanket!  And when I popped out, the water beading on my skin was a good indication that I was well moisturized and soft to the touch.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with Yog Nog and its turnout.  I'm not one for food smells, and spicy cinnamon and clove scents remind me of any and every baked good at Christmas, but this one really took the cake (yes that was a pun and yes I'm very proud of it).  The scent was warming and comforting, and it really moisturized my all over dry, scaly winter-lizard skin.  If you're a fan of the bar soap, you definitely need to get the bath bomb!

***Yog Nog bath bomb is certified Vegan

(Review) Fluffy Egg: Sweet Sugary Goodness

And so another Easter has come and gone.  Between violently competitive Easter egg hunts with my sister (even though we're both twenty somethings), baskets full of chocolate, a snappy pair of Simon Pegg earrings, and a stand still traffic jam in which you put your car in park and devour the plate of cupcakes Mama Llama packed for you on your way home, this years Easter was eventful and slightly exhausting.  Upon coming home from my nearly 4 hour commute to my parents' house, I unpacked everything I needed for the next day and went straight to bed, face full of makeup and all, snoring the night away until my alarm blasted me awake at 6 in the morning for inventory.  

Easter's never been a big holiday for my family, but it's always been fun.  Memories of shiny black buckled shoes, white tights, floral dresses and straw hats always come to mind when I think of Easter as a kid.  Papa Bear would always hide the Easter eggs we colored the night before while Mama Llama filled our Easter baskets with sidewalk chalk and bubbles.  Dark chocolate for my sister and milk chocolate for me.  But after a few days of gorging on the stuff, you kind of get sick of it after a while.  Therefore I decided to indulge my infamous sweet tooth in a different way.  With a sweet pink bath!

 

 

If you're still heartbroken over the fact that Christmas has come and gone, along with every Snow Fairy scented product on the planet, have no fear!  Fluffy Egg has the same fragrance!  Invented in the days of Cosmetics to Go, Fluffy Egg was originally created because customers were requesting an Easter egg shaped bath bomb.  Mo Constantine, one of Lush's cofounders, refused to do it, but as the requests kept pouring in, she caved and created Fluffy Egg.  It was a huge hit and has been an Easter classic ever since, coming back year after year!  Despite getting many a box of Fluffy Egg, my store was barely able to hold onto it, selling out of the sweet pink bomb within days of receiving it and facing the wrath (well not wrath...more like minor annoyance) of customers wanting one of their own but coming in to find them gone.  Lucky me, I happened to snag two before they were cleaned off the shelves!

 

Fluffy Egg is quite a decent fizzer.  Not too fast, but not painfully slow to the point where your water is cold when you finally dip your tootsies in.  The Snow Fairy scent to me is one I've had a turbulent relationship with.  While the scent is similar from product to product, I find some variations to be more sweet and others to be more tart.  Fluffy Egg is one of those tart variations.  Anything too sweet and I start to get a headache. 

 

Bathing in Fluffy Egg is a nice and sweet experience.  With the vibrant pink color, I reveled in my girly side and the bright color and fragrance overall boosted my mood.  The fragrance, aptly named Candy Fluff, sat nicely on my skin and didn't smell like a box full of marshmallow peeps, which are the one Easter candy I truly despise.  And when I got out of my bath I felt refreshed, revitalized, soft as a fresh spring flower petal and as sweet as a freshly frosted cupcake (with rainbow sprinkles...otherwise it's not a true cupcake).  And if you didn't manage to snag a Fluffy Egg bath bomb, dry your tears!  MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt and Godmother bar soap have the same exact scent AND are sold year round! 

Overall, Fluffy Egg was a nice, simple and sweet smelling bath bomb.  It's a good one to crack out when I'm feeling extra girly and in the mood for something bright and sweet to soak in.  It's one of those scents I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy, but when I'm in that mood, I make sure to bask in its sugary sweet glory.  Though the turnout is a gorgeously vibrant spring pink, it's an easy bath bomb to cocktail with, and one I will definitely pick up again if it comes out for Easter next year!

***Fluffy Egg is certified Vegan

(Review) Luxury Lush Pud: Effective for Grinchiness

There's something magical about the holiday season at the mall.  Kids excitedly lining up to see Santa Claus, the smells of cinnamon, peppermint, and pine in the air, Christmas carols blasting from the loudspeakers...battling through a crowd of sweaty mall-goers with your Starbeetus praying to any god that will hear you that you aren't late for work so Bossman won't follow you around calling you "Felicia" for the rest of your 8 hour shift.  Oh yes...there is something so very very magical about being a retail worker during the holiday season.  Bumped up hours and fantastic paychecks are definitely a plus, but when you're on your feet for most of the day nonstop talking and dealing with grouchy customers, the holiday grinchiness can sneak up on you pretty fast.  Go into any retail store right now and you'll see behind that smile is a human being who is desperate for a homecooked meal, a clean apartment, and a nap.  At least that's what you'll see when you look at me.  That and caffeine withdrawal.

I don't want you all to get the wrong impression.  I love my job.  LOVE it.  My coworkers, Bossman, my customers, the products I sell, I love all of it.  And as we approach the end of the year, I can't help but reflect and be so thankful that a place like Lush chose me to work for them.  I couldn't be happier.  But oh my goodness my feet hurt and I'm tired!  You might have noticed the lack of posts here lately, and that's mainly because I've been so tired I've gone right to bed after eating, and I might just drown if I take a bath right now.  Caffeine and the will to live are what's been keeping me vertical since Thanksgiving, and so far it's working quite well. But after one painfully long and draggy shift, all I wanted was a nice hot bath.

 

I chose Luxury Lush Pud for my nice, soothing bath since it shared its scent with Twilight bath bomb, one of my favorites and one of Lush's top five bestsellers.  The soothing lavender and tonka scent was practically beckoning me to my tub, and I immediately obliged, kicking off my work shoes and outfit and filled the tub with steaming hot water.  It had been a long day at work, the first busy Saturday in a while, the store filled to the point where I was walled in more than once between customers and could barely move.  My feet hurt, I was covered in dried sweat (because it gets hot in a small store and sometimes human bodies are gross) and I just wanted a bath and my bed.

So I sat on the toilet, watching my Luxury Lush Pud (sidenote: anyone actually know what a Pud is?  Because I have no clue) dissolve into a mellow, sweet smelling hot pink bath, and my mouth practically watered at the sight.  I was thankful for the color change from last year, since Luxury Lush Pud was originally lavender in color with the same polka dots.  I found the pink to be more eyecatching, and the bright color made me forget that it was a grey and dull winter outside. 

Once fully dissolved I sank right into the tub...and promptly popped back out.  The hot water had shut off halfway through and the water was that gross lukewarm temperature it becomes 3 hours after you fill the tub.  I drained the tub, toweled off, and stomped my naked butt back to my bedroom, going to bed in a well deserved huff and wishing I could have nice things.

 

 

So the next day at work I picked up another Lush Pud and decided to try it out all over again.  By some Christmas miracle, I had gotten two days off (in a row!) and decided to use it then.  So all weekend I worked (I like to call it "soap hustlin' ", looking forward to the wonderful day where I could take a nice hot bath and not worry about having to go to work or giving up the bathroom so my roommate could use it (she was out of town).  So the next time I used it was much more enjoyable, the water so hot the steam was wafting up from my damp arms when I lifted them out of the water.  The smell was very potent, but not in a cloying way, in a very relaxing put you to sleep sort of way.  I caught up on my reading, shaved my hairy neglected legs, washed my dirty hair, and smoothed on my Pearl massage bar.  By the end I felt like a sleepy pampered princess...a sleeping...beauty...if you will (shut up my jokes are funny). 

 

 

I have to say Luxury Lush Pud is probably my favorite holiday bath bomb.  It has one of my favorite scents included and the result was a simple, but effective turnout.  No glitter or pop rocks or anything, just a nice hot pink bath that will soothe even the grinchiest of souls and have their hearts grow three sizes that day.

Until you go back to work after your weekend off and have a customer harass you about shower jelly.  But oh well, you take the good with the bad ;)

**Luxury Lush Pud is certified Vegan
***Purchase Luxury Lush Pud at your local LUSH store or online HERE

(Review) Cinders: Snap! Crackle! Pop!

When I woke that morning, it was with a pit of dread in my stomach.  The moment my eyes opened, I knew something was amiss.  I crawled out of my massive pile of blankets and pillows and stood stock still in my pajamas.  The apartment was oddly silent.  I could hear people outside walking...the odd clang of the radiator pipes every so often.  Everything seemed as it should be.  But when I threw up the blinds in my window, I saw what was wrong.  My stomach dropped and my heart ceased to beat.  With a cry I fell to my knees in despair, gazed up at the heavens and cried:

"SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!"

...okay, so maybe I was a little overdramatic.  But if you lived where I live, you'd understand.  Being in a Midwestern state in winter takes a strong, rugged sort to survive.  The cold is biting, it takes forever to clear your car of the smothering white powder, and people magically forget how to drive.  But there's a certain coziness to it I guess.  On my rare days off, I like to snuggle in my blankets in my pjs with a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate, a book or video game, and just forget that winter exists.  Freshly fallen snow is also the perfect weather for a nice, hot (and I mean HOT) bath!

 

I will admit that I'm one of those people that's always freezing cold.  When at work, I'm constantly apologizing to customers for my cold hands, to which they laugh and say it's no problem.  I've been in hot, 80 something degree weather and have been frigid.  I might just be one of those lizard people everyone in those conspiracy theory videos rants about.  So when I take a bath in the winter, I essentially boil myself alive, to where I can see steam rising off of my flushed skin (and it's cool...makes me feel like a dragon!).  So that one fateful day of our first snowfall, I was feeling especially comfy cozy, and longed for a nice hot bath with a spicy winter scent.

 

Cinders to me smells exactly like winter.  With a spicy cinnamon scent, Cinders is like a down comforter for your nostrils.  First released in 2009, Cinders was inspired by Cinderella, as well as a crackling fire burning away in the warmth of your home.  Cinders is supposed to smell like hot fruit punch, but to me it just smells like straight up cinnamon.  Which makes sense because of the cinnamon leaf oil infusion, which warms you up after a chilly day shoveling snow.  I actually managed to snag one last year, but ended up swapping it away for something else, as I wasn't interested in baths at the time.  And if I could go back and kick my butt for giving it away, I'd gladly go and wear steel toed boots.

 

My excitement for this bath bomb was pretty high, since I positively love the scent and found it perfect for winter.  But when I dropped it into the tub, my excitement dwindled a bit.  The smell was quite strong, permeating my bathroom with that spicy warm scent of cinnamon and chai, but the visuals were less than stellar.  Now I've already used a few yellow bath bombs like Golden Egg and Honey Bee, but there was something about this one that just grossed me out.  When I think of warm crackling fires, I think of the orange gold glow of the flames, or the red orange glow of hot coals.  Not neon yellow with a red smear on the bottom from the popping candies.  And I know we're all taught to see one's inner beauty, but with this one...well, let's just say it has a "pretty face" or "nice eyes."

Still determined to take my piping hot bath, I sank in and soaked.  The smell was intoxicating!  It was a nice warm clove blanket on a cold winter's eve.  But when I opened my eyes from my meditative soak, the color snapped me out of it.  I still feel awful about not liking the color, I mean it's such a petty thing to not like about a product, but it was just something I couldn't get over.  When I explained my dilemma to Bossman, he told me the girls at his old shop described it as rust colored water, and I think they matched that description perfectly.  Another coworker of mine informed me to turn the lights off and light candles, which I suppose I could do (I call it the "brown paper bag" of bathing).  But I will admit that despite the color, my spicy cinnamon soak was nice and relaxing and put me in the winter spirit...at least until I had to get up the next morning and drive through snow-ridden roads to work.  But it was nice while it lasted!

 **Cinders bath bomb is certified Vegan
***Purchase Cinders at your local LUSH store or online here