(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) 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) Stardust: (née) Ziggy

 It's three days past Thanksgiving in the United States and already Christmas is in full swing!  Walking into work I'm blinded by cascades of twinkling Christmas lights, gigantic Christmas trees, and classic holiday carols assaulting my ears over the loudspeakers.  Shoppers have emerged from their turkey comas and have now begun scouring every store in sight for a sale or discount (because nothing says "I love you and Merry Christmas" like half off last season's merchandise!).  And of course for me, that means long hours working at my store, cough drops from near constant talking, and literal metric tons of caffeine.  While being a retail worker during the holidays pretty much kicks my ass up, down, and side to side, I have to say it's one of my favorite times of the year.

That being said, the ass kicking can take its toll, and when I come home all I want is something hot to eat, a bath, my bed, and Netflix before I drift off to dreamland.  I just recently moved into a new apartment and needed something special to "christen" my new tub so to speak.  Lucky for me, Christmas and holiday products had just been released, so I chose something simple and sweet!

I have to say, I really don't like vanilla scented things.  But something about Lush has gotten me hooked on their vanilla scented products!  There's no synthetic, sugary sweet undertone that other vanilla scented lotions and creams have, but it's just a nice true vanilla that is so hard to find in cosmetics.  Stardust has plenty of fair trade Ugandan vanilla and plenty of rosewood from Lush's own Peruvian rainforest concession.  Bergamot is also present, as is a pale blue mix of sea salt and cornflour to soften your water!  

Sometimes I just want my bath to be nice and simple.  No outrageous glitter or popping candies, no whirling lights and fireworks.  This particular night I was craving simplicity, so I popped Stardust into my awaiting tub and watched the magic happen!

Unlike most of the fairer colored bath bombs Lush offers (Ickle Baby Bot & Butterball for instance) this small guy made my tub look like I had just filled it with a rich heavy cream.  The opaque whiteness had a bit of a blue tint, which makes it look icy and cool toned.  I love my whites bright, and this was a beautiful clean, milky white!

My bath with Stardust was extremely relaxing even though there were no glittery bells and whistles to be had.  I always get customers coming into my store asking for simplicity, and this Christmas season, I'll definitely be steering them in this direction.  My skin felt soft and the vanilla fragrance was subtle on my skin afterwards.  And that true vanilla scent didn't make me feel sick, as if I had just eaten an entire cake by myself.

Overall Stardust was a great success and I will definitely be stocking up on this one when I have those no frills baths!  If sweeter scents and a low key turnout are what you enjoy in your bath, this is definitely for you!

What bath bombs are you loving so far this Christmas?  And if you've tried Stardust, how did you like it?  Let me know in the comments below!

 **Stardust bath bomb is certified Vegan

(Review) Amandopondo: Player One Defeated

There are many things I picture when I hear the word "luxury."  Most of the time it's over-exuberant things like solid gold toilets and diamond encrusted napkin rings.  You know, absolutely useless things that probably cost more than half a years rent that the upper crust of society deems something they absolutely need.  Luxury these days (to me at least) has gotten pretty obnoxious, bordering on delusional.  While I'm not a champagne sucking, yacht toting, more tiny dogs than I can count la dee dah member of the rich and famous (yet), I like to keep my luxuries simple.  Hell, even keeping a roof over my head that I pay for out of my own pocket is a luxury in itself.  At this point in my life, luxury is having the time and ingredients to make a home cooked meal, keeping my apartment clean, and actually going out and socializing with people where my mouth does the talking and not my fingers flying across a keyboard.  My luxuries are simple, but at the end leave you feeling like a million bucks.  Cue segue into bubble bar review.

Ironically being a Lush employee, I'm not too big on bubble baths.  I wasn't big on baths in general before I started working at Lush either.  But once in a while, I'll get this mad hankering for a movie starlet-esque bath, overflowing with bubbles and candles in every corner of my bathroom.  So when one of these cravings set in, I found it a good time to bust out the soon to be discontinued Amandopondo.
 

Amandopondo has an interesting backstory, and is arguably one of the favorite product stories of my staff at my shop.  Meaning "forgiveness" or "defeat" in a language I believe is spoken in Africa (I'm not sure what exact language it is though), Amandopondo was inspired after a lawsuit against Lush accusing them of plagiarism by a rival company.  Well that rival company lost, and when asked what Lush wanted in return, co-founder Mark Constantine (ever a total BAMF in my eyes) requested a dozen of the finest red roses money could buy, and a simple apology, or admission of defeat.  The company obliged, and Amandopondo was born. 

Described as floral yet citrusy, Amandopondo packs lemon, orange, and rose oils into a tiny ivory bar.  A tiny pink rosebud is all that decorates this simple but effective bar!

I'll admit, due to its simple appearance, I wasn't necessarily drawn to Amandopondo.  As someone who loves color and dramatics, I felt like Amandopondo didn't really jive with my "bath personality."  But when I heard it was on the discontinued list, I decided to give it a shot. 

The floral yet citrusy scent is super subtle, but pleasant.  I'm not one for floral scents, but this one was light enough to where I didn't mind it, and I do enjoy citrus so the pair went together nicely!  And I have to say, for a bubble bar with a simple appearance, it' a prime example of why you should never judge a book by its covered.  When I held this baby under the running tap, the bubbles produced were huge!  Instead of being clear, the bath water underneath all that foam turned a milky white, and the scent was slightly amplified.  I sank into my bubble bath feeling like a Hollywood starlet, except replace the red lipstick with a face mask and the champagne with an ice cold water and an iPhone.

I'm both happy and sad to say that Amandopondo exceeded all of my expectations in the bubble bar department, and I'm quite sad to see it go.  The bubbles it produced was voluminous and over the top, while the scent was subtle and as soft as my skin felt after I was done soaking.  It's perfect for those moments where you want to indulge in a little luxury, and forget that the dinner you're about to eat afterwards is a bowl of ramen.

 **Amandopondo is certified Vegan

(Review) Lonely Hearts: They All Beat the Same

Valentine's Day.  Single Awareness Day.  Or my personal favorite, Robyntine's Day (because self love is important children!).  Whatever you decide to call today, whether you look forward to flowers, chocolates, possibly a little nookie from your sweetheart, or spend a night curled up on the couch with your dog, Netflix, and a bowl of cereal as a companion, it's hard to ignore that today is the one day of the year where a sickening amount of romance fills the air.  Now me?  I worked a 9 hour shift today.

I've always been indifferent towards Valentine's Day, mainly because my love life has been dead in the water since my last relationship ended in 2009 and I've never kept a relationship around long enough for Valentine's Day anyways.  But this year I've been strangely reflective, especially with all of the pink and red products donning the refurnished wooden tables at my Lush shop.  As I stood behind the register, ringing up customers buying last minute gifts for their sweeties, hunger gnawing at my belly (I treated myself to a romantic breakfast of potato chips from yesterday's Panera Bread lunch), I noticed a lot of couples in line, smiling, kissing, snuggling each other close on what was arguably one of the coldest days of the year, and instead of wrinkling my nose and being the bitter pill that I am, it got me thinking about my own dead love life...and my own loneliness.

 

 

I don't really consider myself a lonely person by any means.  I have a loving family, great friends and coworkers, and am a very social, talkative person.  If you watch my Youtube videos, you know I never shut up.  But I guess sometimes, when I come home after working an 8 hour shift, my apartment complex is quiet, and it's dark and still outside, that I feel some loneliness stealthily gnawing away at my consciousness. 

There have only been two times in my life where I've felt crippling, depressing loneliness.  Once when I was a stupid teenager, hormonal and angry and taking it out on the person I cared about the most, driving him and most of my friends away, and when I first moved away from home.  I remember during that time thinking that if someone hugged me, I would probably burst into tears.  Talking to your friends and family on the phone isn't the same as seeing them in person, and being able to hug them.  I remember my limbs feeling heavy, and just wanting someone, anyone to look at me and pay attention to me.  Now, a few years later and a few years wiser (and a lot more gray hair and student loan debt), I've sworn to never let myself feel that horrible again.  Because I don't deserve that.  So one night, when I felt myself inching closer to that edge and feeling like I was in a crowded room screaming bloody murder without nary a glance, I decided to take a nice, soothing soak.

I almost had to laugh at the irony of Lonely Heart bubble bar being my favorite product in the Valentine's Day range.  It was inspired by the song "Lonely Hearts Still Beat the Same" by a band called The Research, which I think is an absolutely beautiful song title.  The fragrance is from the B-Side rarities of the Gorilla Perfume range, scented with the Love perfume.  Its notes are composed of Bergamot, Lemongrass, Jasmine, and Rose, which made for a refreshing and slightly floral scent.  It's a scent I immediately fell for!  So after a contemplative day about a side of my life I like to ignore, a 60 hour work week (oye!) and a roommate who is out of town for the weekend, I filled up my tub and crumbled this baby in.  It took a lot of work (this bubble bar is surprisingly sturdy!) to crumble it under the tepid tap water.

...wait...tepid?  That's not right...baths are supposed to be hot!  So to my annoyance, my apartment's water heater was crapping out, so back and forth from the kitchen to the bathroom I scuttled with a boiling kettle of water to further heat my lukewarm soak.  After four kettlefuls, my water was nice and pleasantly warm without being scalding hot, and I sank into my fruit punch colored, gold flecked bath, and forgot all of my troubles with a box of truffles and a good book.  The scent was HEAVENLY.  The combination is something I would've never thought of, and I can only hope that Lush releases the Love perfume one day again (well, one can only hope!).

 

Overall, Lonely Heart bubble bar was fantastic.  My only gripe lies with my building's water heater, which crapped out and left me working hard for a relaxing bath.  But taking that moment to myself was nice, and it helped me relax and remember that I have many loving people in my life, and that I should be thankful for them, and maybe talk to them a little more.  But I guess we can all get a little lonely now and again, even surrounded by those we love.  I like to think loneliness like that is a journey to discovering what and who we have in our lives.  If you're lonely right now, that's okay!  We've all been there, and most likely we'll all be there again!  But there's one thing I like to keep in mind, especially with this bubble bar's name.

When he left me heartbroken and crying in the driveway of that house almost ten years ago, my heart beat the same.  When I moved away from home for the first time and cried on the elevator ride all the way up to my first apartment, my heart beat the same.  In moments of doubt, sadness, and stress, my heart beat the same.  And now, surrounded by loved ones, friends, coworkers, and over 2500 blog followers, my heart beat the same as it did all those years ago.  Even in rare moments of loneliness and insecurity, it beats the same.  Every heart, lonely or lovestricken beats the same.  It's what keeps us connected, it's what makes us human, and it's what makes us wonder if we're ever truly alone in the way we feel in the first place.  And that, my darlings, is a very reassuring thought.

**Lonely Hearts bubble bar is certified Vegan

(Review) The Christmas Hedgehog: Snooping As Usual I See

I think I have a love/hate relationship with snow.  Growing up in the midwest, it was a given that we had at least one terrible, horrible, no good very bad snowstorm at least once per season.  One where you'd look outside to see fat fluffy flakes gently pillowing on the frozen ground, and depending on your age, would either whoop with joy or groan with annoyance.  Some days I love the snow.  I can just wrap myself in the fluffiest of blankets, park it on my couch with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, and relax with a movie, book, or video game.  Because there's a certain stillness about snowfall.  It's like all the sound outside is muted and it's so still and quiet.  It's peaceful and it's quiet.  Unless you have to drive somewhere.

I consider myself a very down to earth, laid back individual.  Very few things can spike my anxiety to critical mass.  One of those things is driving in the snow.  Back when I was a youth of 19 (get off my lawn) I was in my final year of community college, before I moved out to the city I currently reside in.  One snowy December night, my literature teacher dismissed us early, citing worrying weather as a reason.  "I don't want you getting into any car accidents!" he warned with a chuckle.  Oh the damn irony of that statement.  Twenty minutes later I was in a gas station parking lot with a busted right bumper, standing next to the girl I hit and the two of us glaring at the douche waffle (to be polite) who cut her off, causing her to slam on her breaks and me to skid into her through a patch of black ice.  Though the gas station attendant was nice enough to bring us paper cups of hot chocolate, I was still peeved...and scared.

Though I walked away with a slightly damaged bumper, a bruised sternum, and a doubled insurance rate, it was enough to put the fear of god in me when it came to driving in the snow.  Even years later (not that many, I'm not THAT old) it still scares me a lot.  So after one particularly rough morning where I white knuckled my steering wheel all the way to work, I knew I needed something to soothe my rattled nerves.  Enter this little guy!

 

 

The Christmas Hedgehog is a bubble bar I received in my staff box.  A new product to this year's Christmas range at Lush, Christmas Hedgehog has the same scent as last year's Noriko soap, which was composed of lavender and ylang ylang.  His little body has a thick layer of shea and cocoa butter "frosting" (from the Luxury bath melt) for supreme amounts of hydration for thirsty winter skin.  And when it comes to relaxation, nothing says it better than a hydrating, soothing bath with lavender and ylang ylang.

I'm quite fond of the two scents together, and when I came home I hastily took off my snow soaked boots, threw my coat off, and grabbed this guy out of my ceramic dish of Lush goodies, intent on sacrificing him to the bath gods (for good instead of evil of course).

 

So as some of you guys know, I usually only crumble half a bubble bar into my tub, because my tub is small and it seems to be enough for me.  Well, when I crumbled half of this little guy into my tub, I was met with a disappointing lack of bubbles.  I was actually quite shocked to find there were little to no bubbles at all!  So I did something I never do, and that was to use the entire bubble bar.  Even after the entire thing was dissolved, even after swishing my arms around vigorously to agitate the bubble mix, and even after the tub was filled all the way, there were still way less bubbles than I was used to.  Other small bubble bars that I used half of (like Dorothy) had given me plenty more bubbles than this guy.

The water was nothing too spectacular.  A cloudy snow color with a light dusting of bubbles.  I was disappointed with the bubble turnout, but I can't deny that the scent and the softness it left on my skin were spectacular.  Also it did calm down my anxiety from speeding home at a vicious 25mph in the middle of a damn blizzard, so I can attest to the relaxing properties!

Overall I have to say I was quite disappointed with this bubble bar.  While it worked great as a bath melt and stress reliever, it didn't live up to the notion of a bubble bar, having produced barely any bubbles.  But at my shop we've been selling out of The Christmas Hedgehog quite quickly, so it works for some people!  The hedgehog I got in my staff box was also quite a bit smaller than the ones available to the public, so that could've also been a deciding factor in my less than stellar experience.  Plenty more bubble bars where that came from though!

**The Christmas Hedgehog is certified Vegan
***Purchase The Christmas Hedgehog at your local LUSH store or online here