Calacas shower gel review: "It's magical and creepy!"

I think many of us Lushies from time to time (not at all every week...) have the dilemma of deciding what our favourite Lush shower gel is.  Is it Snow Fairy? Is it Twilight? Or maybe even Rose Jam?  I think we're all a little guilty of loving almost every single one.  

One of Lush's shower gels that are high on my list is Calacas.  I got a bottle of Calacas the first time it ever came up in the kitchen because everyone else got it.  Yes I do admit, I bought this because everyone else did.  I want to blame it on peer pressure and lack of self control but maybe it was a higher calling.  Why? Because I'm certain Calacas is my favourite shower gel by the Lush Kitchen.  And I picked up two more when it recently featured online.

On one hand Calacas has a really indescribable fragrance because it's just so strange.  But it's clear this is a sweet citrus scented gel.  The Lush Community like to compare Calacas' fragrance to gummy bears and whilst this is a very good comparison, I think Calacas to be much sweeter.  Think of gummy bears, pear drops, tooty frooties, fruit pastilles all together and then you've got Calacas in one.  Basically, it's candied fruit.  Something else to bare in mind I've found Calacas to be like Back for Breakfast shower gel but much, much sweeter.  Other than that description there aren't many other products I can compare this to as it's fragrance is a one of a kind creation by Lush.

Arguably the most fascinating quality Calacas possesses is it changes colour! One minute it's orange, next it's green and then suddenly becomes yellow.  It's magical and creepy!  Anyone who searches Calacas on Instagram will see loads of posts of Calacas being different colours which is absolutely brilliant.  That's the novelty of Calacas.  It may also be seen in a different from too - Calacas was first released as a green skull shower jelly in Lush's halloween seasonal line up.

Containing Lime oil and Neroli oil to perk up our moods along with toning and protecting our skin, Olibanum oil adds a protective film over the skin which softens the skin.  And Aloe Vera Gel gives a protective and soothing quality to the gel making it perfect for sunburn or redness from the cold.  And I also praise how soft my skin is because of Calacas and how gentle it is on my eczema too.
  

I find using Calacas always enjoyable since it isn't harsh on my skin and also leaves it smelling yummy since the delectable fragrance of fruit candies lingers on the skin for hours.  As well, the gel is a little thicker than most gels which I suspect is because of the Aloe Vera but it lathers and glides over the skin effortlessly.  Afterward, my skin is left smelling edible, very soft and in good condition.  This is one of the only gels by Lush I've found effective for redness from the cold.  And whilst the UK doesn't get a lot of blistering heat where I'll fry - I'd definitely use this if I got burnt since it is really good in cooling me down.

A shower gel inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), and presumably named (and designed shower jelly) after the Calaca skull,  Calacas captures an awakening, phenomenal and memorable fragrance.  It really is no surprise Calacas is a sweet candy fragrance since sugar in the form of sugar skulls, sugar coffins and other sugar treats are a massive part in the celebrations.  Lushies across the world can honour this sweet Mexican festivity with a sweet shower gel.   There isn't anything else like this by Lush which makes me cherish the gel even more, and I cannot recommend this enough to anyone reading - it is the best shower gel the kitchen has to offer.

Top Tip - If you combine Red and Green FUN you'll create the Calacas scent! I do believe you need to use more Green than Red.

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Extra photos:

Ingredients: water (aqua), Aloe Vera Gel, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Lime Oil, Olibanum Oil, Neroli Oil, Lactic Acid, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45410, Colour 45350, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
*Occurs naturally in essential oils
Suitable for Vegans

Daddy-O shampoo review: "Hypnotic without a doubt"

Daddy-O sweet violet shampoo

Daddy-O was the first shampoo I ever used by Lush and I have strayed and returned to it many times.  When I gave it up I had much lighter and blonder hair to what I have now, so I didn't think this was the best match for my hair.  Daddy-O assures people this isn't just for blondes and greys but is also suitable for brunettes too.  With the promise this will make hair bright and shiny, and it's metallic purple colour, who wouldn't be tempted by this?

Daddy-O smells like parma violet sweets.  It's nothing like Lush's Ultraviolet bubble bar, Kerbside Violet perfume, Hoppity Poppity bath bomb or any other kinds of violet products.  It stands alone in the fragrance department which is rather sad.  It's a sweet violet opposed to an earthy one.  But! Lush Oxford Street have created a counter part in a hair conditioner for this shampoo.  It's called Super Daddy-O and is a little purple solid block.  But yes Daddy-O shampoo does actually smell like parma violet sweets.  Exactly like them.

Even though Daddy-O isn't my favourite smelling shampoo it appears (so far) to be the best one to match my hair type (fine, frizzy and curly hair that can occasionally be thick).  It helps battle the frizz my hair always has and tends to mold it to a better shape for my face rather than big, bouncy and uncontrollable hair.  Daddy-O seems to make my hair flatter and less curly which I haven't made my mind up if I like or not.  But what I can't argue is how soft my hair is afterwards and how long my hair remains clean.  With Daddy-O I don't need to do anything to my hair - straighten, curl and so on - as my hair naturally responds to it.  It's like the shampoo gives my hair orders and it obliges.  

Containing fresh lemon and seaweed infusion to give the hair shine and body whilst being gentle to the scalp, extra virgin coconut oil conditions and adds moisture to the hair to ensure locks will be super soft.  Whilst lime juice, violet leaf absolute and cananga oil come together to give Daddy-O an uplifting and joyful fragrance.

I've heard some rumours here and there about Daddy-O dying people's hair purple.  And whilst I'm sorry for the people that experienced these problems - I've never experienced this and want to encourage people to not be discouraged by these horror stories.

It's metallic purple colour is what attracted me to Daddy-O in the first place.  I was like King Candy in Wreck-it Ralph being drawn into the cola bottle mentos mountain.  It's colour adds to how exciting Daddy-O is to use since it's so peculiar.  It's kind of like spilled petrol where all the colours mesmerize people.  Hypnotic without a doubt.  Rubbing Daddy-O between the hands gets a good and big lather building quickly which somehow gets even bigger when applied to the hair.  A little amount (like in the picture above) is enough to do a shoulder to chest length hair style.  And when hair dries the fragrance lingers for hours on end.  I wouldn't say it's as strong as Curly Wurly where the fragrance remains for days, but it is strong and will surely capture attention from all angles.

After using Daddy-O once, there's a noticeable change to how soft hair is which I found impressive.  Daddy-O leaves hair soft and conditioned without following with a conditioner too.  It's a lovely fragranced shampoo, great design outside and inside and will leave your hair in a much healthier and happier condition than what it was before Daddy-O stepped into the shower.










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Ingredients: 

Fresh Organic Lemon and Seaweed Infusion, 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate,

Sodium Laureth Sulfate, 

Fresh Sea Water, 

Perfume, 

Cocamide MEA, 

Propylene Glycol

Glycol Cetearate, 

Fresh Organic Lime Juice, 

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 

Violet Leaf Absolute,

Rose Absolute, 

Bergamot Oil, 

Cananga Oil, 

*Limonene 

*Linalool 

*Citronellol, 

Coumarin

Isoeugenol

Alpha Isomethyl Ionone

Benzyl Alcohol

Hexyl Cinnamal

Colour 42090

Colour 17200

Methylparaben

Propylparaben 

Sonic Death Monkey review: "The hype is real"

Sonic Death Monkey (£11.95/250g) is a cult classic by Lush and when the Lush Kitchen made it a couple of weeks ago, Lushies went mad.  It's a product loads rave about or simply talk about and was surely a sell out product - which it was FYI!  I've been eager to try this shower gel since missing out on it almost a year ago when the Kitchen just started up.  Naturally, when the Kitchen announced this on their weekly menu, I jumped for it and got two bottles.

Mysterious in appearance and a mind-boggling fragrance, Sonic Death Monkey is a delight.  Just like Hot Toddy this is like a layered cake and maybe more so.  From the bottle the first thing I smell is the citrusy notes of Tangerine Oil and Sweet Orange Oil.  And both of these are rounded off by the addition of Fresh Lime Juice too.  It is lovely and refreshing but becomes so bewitching when the chocolate fragrance shines through.  Together they create a really unique smell and you're either going to love or hate it.  And I love it!  I very faintly smell the thread of coffee in the bottle too - I smell a depth to the sweet and citrus notes presented by the addition of the coffee.

In the shower this shower gel is a totally different story.  The most prominent smell in the shower, for me, was the ground coffee.  I genuinely felt as though I was showering with a cup of coffee.  And somewhere in between the chocolate mixed with the coffee to create a beautiful cocktail.  It's sweet and sour - the chocolate makes a delicious sweet smell that makes you swoon whilst coffee centres you and brings you back from cloud nine.  And in all of that goodness there are citrus products that are nowhere to be detected.  Maybe slightly but not much.

The benefits of Sonic Death Monkey provide an uplifting fragrance through the tangerine oil and sweet orange oil, both of which tone the skin too.  You should step into your shower with a grey cloud over your head but step out feeling on top of world.  Or at least your mood.  The best part of SDM though is the black horse of the product - hemp oil.  Hemp Oil is known to be a medicinal oil used in traditional Chinese medicine and is thought to help conditions like varicose veins.  It is also believed to be a natural pain reliever and anti-inflammatory which we are all in need of from time to time.  So, albeit there are incredible oils that present good moods and delicious smelling ingredients - the best thing about Sonic Death Monkey, in my opinion, is this little hidden product within.

Attractive by name, attractive by reputation and attractive at first glance.  The colour of Sonic Death Monkey is peculiar enough to spark interest.  As you can see! The milky top hat to the shower gel adds a good quality to the overall opinion of the shower gel.  Because as much as we may not like to admit it, packaging and presentation are very, very important. It makes you more curious and drives your want to test it out.

I wouldn't say it's very skin conditioning or softening but rather refreshing and cleansing.  The likes of Snow Fairy shower gel is a good example of making skin soft from the Carrageenan Extract.  Whereas with this, the outcome wasn't really like that.    It gives a really clean feeling which can be a must have in the morning.  This will definitely be one of my top used summer shower gels.  That doesn't mean it isn't suitable for winter or the harsher months - granted I do prefer hydrating gels during these months though.  The squeaky clean feeling this gives you will make the clammy and hot air during summer more durable. 

Sonic Death Monkey is one of the best shower gels I've purchased from the Lush Kitchen.  I didn't expect to love it like I do but I do and I think others will too.  I am of the opinion that this shower gel is more in the aromatherapy bracket than skin benefiting but do remember this does have its merit.  I find this a really comforting fragrance and go as far to say its actually my "comforter" fragrance opposed to the real thing.  As I've also got Heavenly Bodies and do not take such comfort from it as I do Sonic Death Monkey, I believe my attachment to SDM is largely based on the blend of chocolate and coffee.  These two smells coming together as one is a magical experience for your nose.  Hogwarts has nothing on this!  I do recommend Sonic Death Monkey for its uplifting citrus oils and juice, it's comforting chocolate and awakening coffee fragrance.  It truly is the best shower gel I've bought from the kitchen and will buy more when needed and where possible.  It was the most surprising shower gel I've come across too and admittedly wouldn't have given it the time of day if it wasn't for the hype Lushies gave this product.  But do believe it! The hype is to be believed! The hype is real!

                             

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