This Lushmas, Lush came out with a new body lotion called "Celebrate". And, after sniffing it in the store, I fell in love with the scent. A citrus-y, rich body lotion that smells like how I wish champagne would smell. It's light, sweet, effervescent, and very moisturizing. The issue for me? I'm a student that works part-time, thus making the $30 price tag a little steep for a body lotion. This scent also comes in a bath bomb, the Golden Wonder, however I am not a fan of glitter or glittery baths whatsoever. So, the lovely ladies at Lush (alliteration!) kindly made me a substantial sample of Celebrate and I went on home to deliberate whether or not I wanted to splurge at a later date (rhyming!). However, Lush recently had a perfume chat party that I dropped in on where a Lush employee mentioned that Lush once sold a shower jelly in the same scent as Celebrate and Golden Wonder called Snowshowers! At this point, they hadn't made the jelly live on the website for December, but as soon as I saw on the site that Snowshowers was available (which I had no idea that it would be) I snatched it up on December 1st! The price tag, at $13 was much more appealing for my wallet, but I figured once I received my beloved jelly that I'd use my sample to compare both products to see which product is more worth it for my lovely readers if you enjoy the scent.
So on to the comparison!
This is Lush's description of the lotion:
"Celebrate has been a best-seller in Japan for years – and we’ve finally
brought it to North America, just for Christmas! A rich, creamy body
lotion, Celebrate deeply hydrates and softens with almond oil and cocoa
butter, while its intoxicating blend of orange flower, lime, benzoin and
cognac oil perfumes the skin with a champagne fragrance that lingers
for hours. Indulge in this decadent cream before going out for the night
or after a relaxing bath with our Golden Wonder Bath Bomb."
(Photo taken from the Lush Canada website)
First Impressions
Now, although I didn't pick up a full-size of the body lotion, let me tell you, from the sample I received a little definitely goes a long way. This lotion is very thick, almost like the body butters you would get at The Body Shop. Nothing too crazy-looking either... just plain white with a slight yellow undertone to it!
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Second Impressions
If this comes back next year I am definitely picking up a full pot of this. This is the sort of scent that I'd be happy to put on in the morning, noon, or night. It's nice and light when on the skin, but you can still smell it and it isn't cloying or unpleasant like some citrus scents can be after a while.
The lotion is also super-moisturizing and creamy on the skin. I usually have issues finding lotions for my skin that won't irritate it because it is very sensitive, but luckily I've had no issues with this lotion thus far! The only negative so far I could see to a full pot of this would be for sanitary reasons versus using a pump or lotion bottle. But, for this lotion? I don't think I'd mind. ;)
Lush UK even came out with and alcohol-free version (as there is some in the standard ingredients) for those who wouldn't want alcohol on their skin for personal or religious reasons, which I think is really thoughtful.
Lush Snowshowers Shower Jelly - $12.95
This is Lush's description of the jelly:
"Our snow white winter shower jelly returns! Oh, how we love the sweet
orange, cognac and lime oil fragrance, reminiscent of a bubbly, citrus
champagne. Take a piece and foam it up in your hands, or pop it into
your loofah and massage onto skin to cleanse and soften. This fragrance
is uplifting and fresh, perfect for waking you up in the morning or
getting you in the mood to party. Follow up with our brand new Celebrate
body lotion which carries the same bubbly citrus scent."
(Photo taken from the Lush Canada website)
Now, going into this I admit aside from in-store I had never tried a shower jelly before. It takes me ages to go through a shower gel, so I rarely see reason to purchase new ones unless I've finished all the products that I have. For something like Snowshowers, I made the rare exception to try something new in a scent that I figured from the description that I would love.
First Impressions
This jelly packs a punch! To my delight, this is the exact same scent as Celebrate. The one difference I can tell, however, when first opening the pot the smell is much sharper than in the lotion. In my mind, this is probably because the lotion has all the softening butters (and by proxy, scents) that the jelly doesn't have. Does this make my love the scent less? Heck no. It still smells scrumptious.
The jelly itself also reminds me a bit of the champagne... there's this bubbly texture on the surface I can't quite describe. So, luckily, I'll post a picture! Looks a bit like when you initially pour a carbonated drink a bit?
Second Impressions
Trying a shower jelly first the first time is definitely an... experience. In using it, I decided to use the way that was recommended to me by some friends and employees from Lush, which is to pinch off a bit and smush it into a loofah. I was also recommended to try freezing it then using it, but I figured for the purposes of this review I'd try it in the simplest, most basic way possible.
Pinching off a little chunk wasn't necessarily hard, just very bizarre. It didn't so much feel like jelly than it did like some sort of goo. I've been told jellies sometimes are easier to use once they're dried out a bit as they become more firm... but ain't nobody got time for that right now.
Once I got a piece into my loofah, lathering this up was not at all an issue. Bubbles galore, lather for days. No issues there. However, my let down was the scent. I really was hoping for the scent to FILL my bathroom and to really wake me up like shower gels I've tried like Ponche or Grass ... but I got nothing. In the pot it was so sharp and awakening, but even now (post-shower) I can't smell it on my skin. Maybe very faintly, but probably mostly on my hands from handling the product. Even when lathered in the loofah, the scent was gone. No citrus, no sharpness, no effervescence. Only would really be able to smell it had I left the pot open for the duration of my shower, which I wasn't exactly keen on doing.
Needless to say, it was a bit disappointing. Maybe it's just me but if any of you guys reading this know if there's a way to use these where the scent is just as strong, let me know!
In the end, if I were to choose I'd probably go with the Celebrate body lotion. And it pains my wallet to admit that. For a scent that lasts, Celebrate wins hands down. In general it's just easier to use, and along with the moisturizing properties it's pretty obvious as to why Japan loves it so much. *sigh*
Fingers crossed it comes back next year?
Which one would you go for? And do you have any Lush holiday/permanent line favourites you'd recommend? Let me know!
Stay sweet.
x,
Mickie
Side note: Be still my heart... Lush, you cheeky company, you.
(Disclaimer: All products shown were purchased with my own money.)
First Impressions
This jelly packs a punch! To my delight, this is the exact same scent as Celebrate. The one difference I can tell, however, when first opening the pot the smell is much sharper than in the lotion. In my mind, this is probably because the lotion has all the softening butters (and by proxy, scents) that the jelly doesn't have. Does this make my love the scent less? Heck no. It still smells scrumptious.
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Trying a shower jelly first the first time is definitely an... experience. In using it, I decided to use the way that was recommended to me by some friends and employees from Lush, which is to pinch off a bit and smush it into a loofah. I was also recommended to try freezing it then using it, but I figured for the purposes of this review I'd try it in the simplest, most basic way possible.
Pinching off a little chunk wasn't necessarily hard, just very bizarre. It didn't so much feel like jelly than it did like some sort of goo. I've been told jellies sometimes are easier to use once they're dried out a bit as they become more firm... but ain't nobody got time for that right now.
Once I got a piece into my loofah, lathering this up was not at all an issue. Bubbles galore, lather for days. No issues there. However, my let down was the scent. I really was hoping for the scent to FILL my bathroom and to really wake me up like shower gels I've tried like Ponche or Grass ... but I got nothing. In the pot it was so sharp and awakening, but even now (post-shower) I can't smell it on my skin. Maybe very faintly, but probably mostly on my hands from handling the product. Even when lathered in the loofah, the scent was gone. No citrus, no sharpness, no effervescence. Only would really be able to smell it had I left the pot open for the duration of my shower, which I wasn't exactly keen on doing.
Needless to say, it was a bit disappointing. Maybe it's just me but if any of you guys reading this know if there's a way to use these where the scent is just as strong, let me know!
Verdict
Fingers crossed it comes back next year?
Which one would you go for? And do you have any Lush holiday/permanent line favourites you'd recommend? Let me know!
Stay sweet.
x,
Mickie
Side note: Be still my heart... Lush, you cheeky company, you.
(Disclaimer: All products shown were purchased with my own money.)
Slice the shower jelly with a sharp knife into four 'bars' and use it directly on your skin like a bar of soap. The part you pinched from may fall apart sooner than those left in tact in my experience, but I find using them this way you really get the 'jelly' experience as well as a good scent payoff on your skin afterward, and filling your bathroom... and the hallway...
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