Avobath review: "Miracle Worker"

Avobath (£3.35) is a vibrant green bath bomb that is of citrus joy and lemongrass goodness.  And my favourite bath bomb.

Made with Fresh Avocado and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avobath is one of the most skin hydrating bath bombs Lush have to offer.  Extra Virgin Olive oil is packed with vitamin E providing good antioxidant properties.  Also packed with oleic acid and squalene, creating a moisturising and nourishing product that with no doubt will benefit the skin.
Avocado, like Extra Virgin Olive oil, contains vitamin E but it also has vitamins A, B and C.  These help to maintain skin and improve it's appearance.

In my opinion, Avobath is the fastest fizzing bath bomb from the bath bombs Lush offer all year round.  Since it doesn't have any rainbow magic (colour changes) or Cream of Tartar, the citric acid gets to work and within a minute this dissolves.

Avobath is my favourite bath bomb as it truly does refresh me and brings a smile to my face.  I recommend this for anyone who is feeling under the weather since it miraculously clears up the flu, the cold or any kind of bug I pick up.  It also perks up my mood.  I don't know how it does it but it does! I genuinely see it as a miracle worker.  This is also a pretty good alternative to Butterball bath bomb if you don't want as much greasiness and want a kick-ass fragrance.  Lemongrass oil has a sweet lemon like aroma and mix that with the Bergamot oil - this is a citrus wonder.  Due to the Avocado and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, this bath bomb is suitable for people with sensitive or dry skin as these are full of oil that hydrates the skin.

Coming out of the bath you should expect your skin to feel nourished and softer than before.  It leaves a discreet fragrance similar to the bath bomb before use, but it isn't identical to the bath bomb.  This is most likely because in build the most prominent thing you smell is the Lemongrass oil but in the bath it's most likely the Extra Virgin Olive oil and/or Avocado.  Avobath isn't Lush's best bath bomb for leaving a fragrance on the skin never mind a nice one.  So if you're wanting a nice scented skin outcome, Avobath may not be the one to use.  Avobath is definitely more for skin hydration and mood improvement.

Turning plain bath water into a luxurious green and giving a good bath experience, anyone who uses this will be in for a treat and be granted the promise of never having a dull or unsatisfying bath ever again when Avobath is involved.  





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Ingredients:

Sodium Bicarbonate,Citric Acid, Fresh Avocado, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Bergamot Oil, Rosewood Oil, *Citral,*Geraniol, *Farnesol, *Limonene *Linalool, Perfume, Gardenia Extract, Lustre Holly Sparkle

Photos of Avobath:

Avoshower shower gel review: "I'm not so fond"

For an entire year tonnes of Lushies repeatedly called upon the Lush Kitchen to make the highly sought after Avowash shower gel.  The shower gel that is released in American stores for special store anniversaries.  It's a rare product and is one you'll often find fallen victim to the leaches of eBay.  Approaching the Kitchen's first anniversary many of us hoped and willed for the Kitchen to surprise us with Avowash.  It didn't happen.  It happened the week after their anniversary, the devils.

Avoshower is supposed to be the adaption of Avobath bath bomb which is... questionable.  For some reason Avoshower smells more like Lush's Stepping Stone foot scrub more than Avobath.  Nonetheless Avoshower has a really invigorating and stimulating fragrance and is the perfect shower gel for a morning shower.  It gives off the same kind of feeling peppermint or spearmint give, that really awakening feeling.

Also, I've read a couple of comments from American Lushies who got their hands on a bottle of Avoshower saying this is indeed different to Avowash.  Learning they do smell different is a little disappointing since Avobath is my favourite bath bomb and as I wrote above, Avoshower isn't exactly identical to the bath bomb when that's what we were expecting and wanting.  

The addition of avocado oil is supposed to give Avshower a really nourishing and hydrating quality since it has vitamins A,B,C and E and a bunch of other great parts.  And avocado oil is actually believed to help the healing of scars too.  The present Rosewood Oil gives antiseptic and balancing benefits too.  Combine these oils with Lemongrass Infusion and citrus oils Avoshower gets it's really interesting fragrance. 

The main thing I love about the bath bomb is how moisturising and conditioning it is with an excellent refreshing fragrance.  And I don't feel Avoshower is a true adaption of this.  When I use this shower gel it doesn't moisturises my skin - I actually feel it dries my skin out which is saddening.  It does soften the skin as most shower gels do, but there is a roughness to my skin because it's dry skin.  No other shower gel by Lush's full year line up or Kitchen production has left my skin like this.  The best way to explain this to you guys is imagine using your facial cleanser but never applying your moisturiser.  I've washed my face for days on end before and never applied moisturiser.  The outcome? Really dried up skin and flakiness.

Whilst it lathers well and has a nice creamy look it isn't as good as it appears to be.  I think that adds to the disappointment if I'm honest.  This really does look creamy and would actually pass as a shower cream.  But it isn't.

I'd recommend this shower gel to anyone who is really fond of the Stepping Stone fragrance.  But please don't solely base a purchase on Avoshower thinking it smells like Avobath because it doesn't really.  I don't know if it's because it's got a lack of Lemongrass or a little more, lack of other ingredients like extra virgin olive oil or maybe it's the avocado oil in the shower gel when it's fresh avocado in the bath bomb.  They just aren't identical to each other.  It's fragrance is lovely and very uplifting and invigorating nonetheless.

I wished on the Lush star for an entire year and my wish eventually came true.  The kitchen did cook Avowash but I do have to say it wasn't what I expected - and sadly in a bad way.  When you first smell products by Lush you can fall madly in love with them and then two weeks later you can hate them.  It can also be the opposite where you hate them and then love them.  For me I loved this and now I'm not so fond.  With a lack of moisturising qualities, the only positive quality this has is a pleasant fragrance and an alluring colour.  Admittedly the only reason I would buy this shower gel again is if I didn't have my collection of gels.  I would buy it for it's fragrance but I wouldn't rush to do this if there was a better offer.  It isn't a really bad shower gel but it isn't really great either.  Avoshower definitely doesn't agree with my skin - drying it out isn't really good for an eczema sufferer.  Instead I'd recommend Back for Breakfast or Calacas citrus and sweet Kitchen gels.  

Don't make a sequel if you can't out due the original, as Kevin Williamson told me.  The same motto goes for Don't make an adaption if it isn't truly an adaption.  That's how I feel about this shower gel.  It's like having an idol (Avobath) and then you meet said idol (Avoshower) and it's utterly disappointing.  But maybe one day I'll get my hands on the true Avowash.





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Ingredients: Lemongrass Infusion, Water, Bergamot Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Rosewood Oil, Organic Avocado Oil, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Gardenia Extract, Frosty Green Glitter, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
*Occurs naturally in essential oils
Suitable for Vegans.

Curly Wurly shampoo review: "For it's scent alone this is a winner"

Curly Wurly (£10.25/220g) was one of those impulse buys from Lush.  I don't really have curly hair and I don't really need a moisturising hair shampoo either.  But yes, I bought Curly Wurly nonetheless.  I was actually going to buy Big shampoo but that didn't happen - until next time.

On the pot, it explains Mark Constanine gets really "cross" when companies make a coconut shampoo but don't actually have real coconut in them.  So Mark was inspired to do the complete opposite with his coconut shampoo and has put a hell of a lot of coconut in it.  You can actually see, feel and smell the true coconut inside this shampoo.

This is a really personal product to me even though it probably isn't the best shampoo Lush can offer my hair type. Curly Wurly doesn't just leave a fragrance I like for my hair but a smell of a personal memory.  Every summer when I was a child, my family and I travelled to America where I would be at the pool everyday for two weeks.  I'm not kidding it was hours on end... 9am to 5pm everyday.  At the pool side there were certain things I smelt, just like at the seaside.  At the pool, I would smell chlorine, palm trees, hot air and coconut.  The fans around the hotel blew these scents in my face as well.  Curly Wurly delivers such a personal memory and experience of these fragrances that I've not experienced in years.  I swear I even smell chlorine in Curly Wurly but that obviously isn't possible when it isn't in it.
The coconut oil, vetivert oil and vanilla infusion come together to make a holiday destination, a really beautiful and sweet scented product.   For it's scent alone this is a winner.

Not only does the product smell a-freakin-mazing its pretty amazing itself.  It is a really moisturising product with all of the butters, oils and fruit.  Curly Wurly contains Papayas and Avocado butter - have I ever wrote before I LOVE both of these ingredients?  Avocado anything will receive my unconditional love.  Both of these fruits add nourishment and betterment to the state of hair.  Curly Wurly also contains eggs so unfortunately it isn't a vegan product for any vegans out there.  That kind of makes me sad that you'll miss out on this experience but then again it is personal, no one else may feel the way I feel about Curly Wurly.  But the eggs provide a conditioning and strengthening element to the product that will benefit hair, and lemon Juice provides a good clean by refreshing the hair.

Although Curly Wurly isn't a skin care product but rather a hair care product, I had it tested on my arm in my Lush store and it felt incredible.  It was super soft and gentle - which surprised me with the desiccated coconut.  It was also really thick and spread like a paste before water got involved.  It also felt really creamy and bursting with goodness.

The first time I used this in my hair I was a little apprehensive.  It was so thick and sticky I didn't know how it was going to lather, and I also felt nervous in case it wouldn't come out my hair! But, as usual, Lush products aren't to be underestimated or misjudged.  To be fair, Curly Wurly didn't lather as quickly as shampoo bars do (HIWMH being an example).  It took more than a couple of palms to bring its lather out but overall it's alright.  The shampoo made a thick white lather that felt really juicy and fluffy, full of goodness and being palmed into my head.  However, as I've wrote, it's lather is a little weak compared to Lush's shampoo bar.


Curly Wurly is the fourth shampoo I've tried by Lush and I opted for this over Big because of its smell.  I have found myself a little disappointed by the lather of this shampoo considering I used a generous amount.  Nonetheless, I'm rather thankful I bought this shampoo opposed to Big as I found Curly Wurly's desiccated coconut pieces a challenge enough rather than pieces of sea salt.  The coconut pieces were tangled in my hair and I spent more time brushing my hair to get them out.  I love the fragrance of this shampoo and if the pieces of coconut are necessary then dismiss my criticism.  But if the product could survive without, I'd be much, much happier.  I do recommend Curly Wurly shampoo as it is a really beautiful hair care product that stands out from the crowd.  With its incredibly sweet and emotion-tied fragrance this was a winner to start with.  But after using it, it's fragrance lingered in my hair naturally and I even had compliments from people.  My hair didn't feel as soft as I pre-thought it would without a conditioner, but it certainly felt nourished and not in need of moisture from a conditioner.  My hair was easier to brush out after using this compared to shampoo bars, and it also had a lot of bounce and lightness to it that it usually doesn't have.  I wouldn't say it adds volume to your hair but it definitely succeeds in lifting it discreetly to bounce about and also revives my childhood curls slightly.  Curly Wurly adds a look of health to hair and my hair certainly felt better using it.  

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Ingredients: 

Ammonium, Laureth Sulphate,

Desiccated Coconut

,

Cetearyl Alcohol,

Propylene Glycol

Water (Aqua),

Fresh Organic Lemon Juice

,

Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate,

Perfume

Linseed Infusion,

Fresh Papaya

,

Lauryl Betaine,

Fresh Organic Free Range Eggs,

Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

,

Shea Butter,

Organic Jojoba Oil,

Avocado Butter

,

Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute,

Vetivert Oil

,

Benzoin Resinoid

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil,

Alkanet Extract,

Lanolin

Cetrimonium Bromide

*Coumarin