Needles and Pines shower jelly

This is a product I had overlooked on many of my recent trips to Lush stores as I didn't think the earthy,pine smell would appeal to me. But, on my last visit something compelled me to pick up the sample jelly and give it a sniff. I'm so glad I gave it a chance because I was pleasantly surprised and I just knew a pot had to find its way into my basket. Especially, as I have been indulging in Lush's shower range more and more over recent months, as I have found it hard to find time to fit baths into my hectic life.
I don't know about anyone else, but when I am smelling products in the Lush stores I find it difficult to fully appreciate the complex layers of scent until I get the product home and smell it in my "neutral-scented" bedroom. Once I got this jelly home I feel in love with the smell even more, as I was able to detect the background notes of the scent. I feel this jelly has quite a masculine scent which in some, strange, way reminds of Lynx deodorant which I think comes from the cypress leaf infusion. That being said, I can see both genders enjoying this product and I certainly wasn't put off by this.

In the shower I feel the scent of this product intensifies when it comes in contact with the hot water and the steam fills the bathroom with the refreshing pine scent. I found this jelly to be incredibly versatile in the sense it is perfect for both morning and evening showers. I like to use a really invigorating shower gel or jelly for my morning shower, to wake me up, and this jelly does have a really refreshing note which comes from the inclusion of grapefruit oil, which gives it a citrusy undertone. However, there is something about the scent which is relaxing at the same time so it is equally suited to evening showers.
This jelly does lather fairly well, although I find the lather from Lush's jellies is never on par with that of a shower gel. Nevertheless, it provides enough lather for me to feel I am thoroughly cleansing my skin. My skin feels soft and clean when I exit the shower and I don't get the horrible dry feeling I get on my skin when I use one of Lush's soaps to wash with. The moisturising qualities of this jelly come from the inclusion of a type of seaweed called Carrageenan extract. Thankfully the smell of the seaweed is not detectable! I can't say that I noticed this shower jelly leaving a lingering scent on my skin however I don't mind this as I don't want it to interfere with the perfume I am wearing.
There are a numbers of ways Lush's shower jellies can be used. I have tried putting a piece of the jelly onto a loofa/shower puff however I find the jelly just ends up on the shower floor. So I generally just cup the piece of jelly, I have ripped off, in my hand and rub it directly onto my skin. I feel this produces a lovely thick lather and although I do end up dropping it on a number of occasions, it is the easiest way to use it.
People have recommended I put the jelly into the freezer for a few hours before use for a super refreshing experience, however I am yet to try this but I will give it a go if, and when, the British summer decides to make an appearance!

Angels on Bare Skin

I decided to purchase Angels on Bare Skin (AOBS) after reading so many positive reviews on Instagram. Generally, I use 9 to 5 cleanser on a daily basis and then Ocean Salt about once a week to exfoliate my face. That in mind, I felt AOBS would fit into my collection quite nicely because I could use it when I just need a gentle exfoliator.

AOBS is inspired by a mediaeval recipe and is made with 100% natural ingredients. Ingredients which have been used for years for their benefits on our skin. The main ingredient in this cleanser is ground almonds. The ground almonds act as a gentle exfoliator while also softening and hydrating the skin. Lavender oil is known for its skin healing properties so if you suffer from acne this could be the perfect cleanser to help your spots to heal faster and reduce scarring. Rose oil is thought to balance our skin tone. Kaolin (naturally occurring soft clay) helps to absorb grease and cleanse the skin.

Although I don't suffer from sensitive skin I think this cleanser should be suitable for very sensitive of skin because it contains 100% natural ingredients.

After reading about the benefits of the ingredients I felt like I couldn't go wrong with this cleanser and I wasn't wrong! After the first use I was sold because the results were amazing! It leaves my skin soft, smooth and feeling hydrated.

To use AOBS I take about half a teaspoons worth in to the palm of my hand and add the tiniest amount of warm water. I then mix the water in to produce a paste which I then apply to my face. I gently massage the paste into my skin in circular motions. I then wash it off either in the shower or with a warm flannel, followed by toner and moisturiser as normal.

The smell of AOBS is one I can tolerate but I don't love it. I tolerate the smell because it leaves my skin feeling amazing. To me this cleanser has an oaty, earthy and slighty nutty smell which I think must come from the ground almonds. Despite being sprinkled with lavender flowers I can only detect a very faint smell of lavender.

I bought a 100g tub which costs £6.95 and I can see this lasting me for months if I use it a couple of times a week. I always purchase the 100g tub, as opposed to the 250g tub, because this product only has a 3 month shelf life and with my current usage I would never get through a 250g tub in that time frame.

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

This review is a bit of a strange one for me because it is the first review I've written where I haven't liked the product. However, I would like to say that these reviews are simply my opinion and I can only comment on how the products work on my skin. Therefore, I can never say a product is rubbish because what doesn't work for my skin might be perfect for somebody elses. Waffle over, I shall begin my review. I bought this body conditioner because I thought it would be the perfect accompaniment for my tub of Turkish Delight shower smoothie as they both share a beautiful rose scent. After massaging a small amount of body conditioner over my skin it was time to rinse it away. But due to the large array of oils in this conditioner it is quite difficult to wash it away as the water just beads off your skin. On leaving the shower my skin felt incredibly greasy even after I had towelled myself dry. It just wouldn't absorb into my skin. Perhaps this issue can be explained by the fact my skin is never dry and therefore doesn't 'drink' up the moisture. Update: Because I don't like to waste my lush products I always try to find a way of using up the products I don't like. With this one I have found I can tolerate this product in tiny amounts so slowly but surely I am using it up. If I do happen to apply too much I have found I can counteract the greasiness by using a dusting powder after towelling myself down. Even when used in tiny amounts this conditioner still leaves a beautiful scent on the skin which can be enjoyed for hours after leaving the shower. I imagine it would be lovely to layer this scent with the rose jam liquid perfume.