I can't quite believe we are at the time of the year again where the LUSH stores are graced with the Halloween products - has this been a quick year or is it just me? Halloween is one of my favourite LUSH releases as this collection includes some of my favourite products and it means the count down to Christmas really is on!
I visited my local LUSH, which you can find on Instagram @carlislelush with my friend and fellow Lushie, Beth (@mermazingbaths). I was actually really good this trip, I kept to my list and only bought what I wanted from the Halloween collection and my ride or die product, American Cream as I'm nearly out. This is almost unheard of for me, I usually spend a small fortune on products I didn't intend on purchasing, so I was quite pleased with myself. I set myself a budget of £100 as I have loaded money onto a gift card to use at the Showcase. I also ended up taking a perfume back as it didn't work very well on my skin, so £35 was taken off my total too. Overall, I spent £73.85 with my the money for the returned product taken off. I'll get into cost a little later in the post, I know you all want to know about the products!
Firstly, I love that LUSH have named this shower cream a 'shower scream,' I believe they once labelled Lord of Misrule shower cream a 'shower scream' too, what a cute touch! I was very curious to try out Ectoplasm shower cream, I wanted to know how the scent came across in this format and I wanted to see if LUSH had finally perfected the shower cream formula. I have been pleasantly surprised with this product, as I will admit I didn't have great expectations. Firstly, the consistency of this shower cream is perfect, the cream isn't so thick that you can't squeeze it out of the bottle but also isn't so runny it's like water. I think LUSH have finally got it right! As for the scent, it's definitely not what I expected. The Ectoplasm scent that we had last year in the one lonely jelly bomb, I remember being quite lime strong with a herbal note, a little like the way Marmalade was orange but with a heavy undertone to it. The Ectoplasm shower cream is very heavy on tangerine, including this ingredient in oil and juice formats. Ectoplasm smells just like the orange juice drink Sunny D, which is a drink I used to love as a kid and takes me right back to Saturdays that I would spend at my Grandas house as he used to make sure he had plenty of Sunny D for me. The scent almost makes me thirsty, it's such a gorgeous fruity scent with a tangy twist that makes your mouth water. I can already see Ectoplasm becoming one of my favourite shower creams/gels and I need to stock up on this before it's gone forever!
I always get excited for new bath bombs as they are one of my favourite products that LUSH sell. Eyeball is a product that I was looking forward to, until I saw it. I was expecting a bomb filled with colour and really gruesome (to a point) bath art. I guess I forgot that an eyeball is white and I didn't put two and two together and work out that the majority of the bomb, would be white.. I picked up only one Eyeball as I wasn't sure about the scent. The scent is definitely one I have smelt before, but I just can't place the product. A combination of Brazilian orange oil, rose absolute, lavender oil and ylang ylang oil makes for a strange scent, not a one that I would have chosen to format as a bath bomb. I used Eyeball last night as I was curious to see if there was any amazing bath art hiding inside this ball of bicarbonate. I wouldn't say it was the most boring bath bomb in the world, but it's not a bomb that I would stock up on or probably purchase again. I'd much rather grab a Lord of Misrule or Monsters Ball.
I am so pleased to see that Monsters Ball is back this year. Monsters Ball is up there with being one of my favourite bath bombs, it's perfect. From the gorgeous and super strong Calacas scent that this bomb carries, to the beautiful purple and blue bath art, I'm not surprised that Monsters Ball is popular and is back for the third year running. This is a bath bomb that I never get bored of, it can be paired with so many other products to make a brilliant bathing experience. I really can't understand why LUSH haven't capitalised on the Lushie love for the Calacas scent and made a permanent product with the same zingy lime ingredients. They could make a foot powder in this scent family and it would sell out on the first launch day! Monsters Ball will be a bath bomb that I will for sure, be stocking up on. I bought a few last year and they lasted very well into the year.
As soon as I heard the rumours that LUSH were releasing a perfume as part of their Halloween collection and that is was going to be Ectoplasm scented, I was hooked. I don't have the biggest perfume collection in the LUSH world and I don't have many that I would really like to get my hands on, but I do want to grow my collection and grab all the gorgeous bottled scents that LUSH have to offer. I couldn't quite see how Ectoplasm would come across as a perfume, citrus scents don't tend to last long on the skin and being honest, Ectoplasm is no exemption. After myself and Beth shopped in LUSH we headed to Costa for a drink. I rubbed some Ectoplasm solid onto the back of my hand to see how long the scent would last and if the throw was good. As soon as I pulled my hand away from my nose, I couldn't smell the perfume at all. What is the point of a perfume if your nose has to be in contact with the skin you have applied it to, in order to smell it? About half an hour later, I could smell a trace of the perfume on my skin and an hour after application, I couldn't smell a thing. When you first apply the perfume, it smells lovely, different to the shower gel and definitely more reminiscent of the bath bomb, but what is the point in wearing a perfume that you would have to reapply every hour and can't even smell once applied? I am quite disappointed with the Ectoplasm solid perfume as some of my other solids last for hours and the scent is very strong. I do believe that the perfume having a citrus scent is probably a large reason as to why the scent doesn't linger, but in that case, if it was my company I wouldn't have released it. This is also my first solid perfume in the newer glass packaging and I already know I'm not a fan. Less product for the same price plus a heavier component that will be awkward to retrieve product from when you're nearing the end of it? It's a no from me!
Another one of my favourite bath bombs has came back for another year and I am so pleased. I adore the Lord of Misrule scent and I remember once upon a time when the bath bomb was the only way to indulge in the gorgeous combination of patchouli, black pepper oil and vanilla. I love that LUSH have grew the scent family to include Rough with the Smooth and Monsters and Aliens FUN within the regular line, the shower cream as an online exclusive and with the releases of the body conditioner and the body lotion through the LUSH Kitchen or whatever you want to call it nowadays. I could see there being a public outcry if Lord of Misrule didn't come back, I think it would be nearly as bad as if LUSH were to ever remove Snow Fairy from the Christmas collection. I am hoping that Lord of Misrule keeps a bit better this year. With it being one of my favourites, I of course stocked up last year but was very disappointed when the bombs turned to total duds after a very short time. I can't wait to jump into a Lord of Misrule bath, I've been craving one for a while and I was waiting for a nice fresh bath bomb! Lord of Misrule is another product that I will stock up on, especially if it stays around till Christmas and ends up in the Boxing Day sale.
Pictured - Ectoplasm jelly bomb (Price: £5.25)
I am really not the biggest fan of the jelly bombs and I'm not afraid to say so. I find them so messy, they're a pain in the bath when they don't work well and you end up with jelly lumps floating around your tub and sticking to the sides, the jelly takes forever to dissolve so I have to keep my head way above water as I have nightmares about getting the jelly tangled and stuck in my hair and they also don't photograph well at all, the bath art really isn't all that. I wish that LUSH would have released a normal bath bomb in this scent, as the scent is the only part that I really enjoy. I didn't go out of my way to purchase an Ectoplasm jelly bomb, it came in one of the gift sets that I bought. If I hadn't have bought the gift set, I wouldn't have picked up one of these at all. I have only just used my extra one from last year a few weeks ago and that was purely because I was running out of bath bombs and didn't want to use my last Christmas Sweater!
Pictured - Sparkly Pumpkin (Price: £4.75)
I feel like 2018 will be the last year that we see Sparkly Pumpkin. I really don't see why this bubble bar has kept coming back, I don't think there is anything special about the scent, which doesn't correlate to the depiction of a pumpkin at all. I think that the price hike on Sparkly Pumpkin will be the death of it, nearly £5 for a tiny bubble bar that most people would probably get one, possibly two baths out of, is quite frankly ridiculous. I feel like the price is going to put people off for such a small product and I don't think the scent will do much to entice people to pop one in their basket, therefore stores won't sell it very well and we all know what happens when a product doesn't sell well, it doesn't come back. I honestly wouldn't be bothered if Sparkly Pumpkin retired and we got another bubble bar in it's place next year.
Pictured - Ghost in the Dark soap (Price: £5.95)
I am never interested in soap, I have a drawer full of the bloody stuff and I never reach for it ever. Last time I was remotely interested in soap was Easter of 2017 when Chocolate Easter Egg soap was leaked and I had a scent in my head of white chocolate heaven, which was destroyed once I smelt it and it was very much LUSH's favourite, citrus. I think Ghost in the Dark had so much potential to have a loved scent, the clue really is in the name! I was certain that this soap was going to smell like the Ghost scent family, which would make sense seeing as the shape of the soap is an actual ghost! I also thought that this could smell like the Demon in the Dark scent family, hence the name also. I have heard a lot of people saying that they think Ghost in the Dark is part of the Avobath scent family, but I disagree! I think this soap smells identical to You've Been Mangoed, the bath melt. As lovely as the scent is, I would have much preferred a Demon in the Dark scent as another citrus product is just what we need, right? Push the boat out why don't you LUSH!
Pictured - Bewitched bubble bar (Price: £4.95)
I am not surprised at all that Bewitched has come back for another year, this bubble bar was a massive hit with the Lushies last year. Bewitched combines two of the things that Lushies wanted the most, a product to give us black water and the Sultana scent. I'm not a massive fan of the Sultana scent family and the scent is very strong in this format. I still have two bubble bars left over from last year as I find it quite hard to pair this bubble bar with a bath bomb that will give me pleasant water. LUSH have also been going in on the Sultana scent family lately, releasing the long awaited shower gel and a lotion too. It's a shame that Blackberry was discontinued as Lushies would have been able to have an entire Sultana bath now!
Overall, I think there are some brilliant products available within the Halloween collection this year, but I also think there are some disappointing products. I know a lot of people are disappointed that Lord of Misrule shower cream isn't coming to stores. I know it can be purchased on the UK website all year round, but this just adds to the frustration of the question as to why it isn't in stores. There is also a lot of confusion about the liquid version of Ectoplasm perfume being available to purchase in other countries, but not within the UK. Apparently the UK factory stumbled across some production issues and for some reason has been unable to solve the issue before the launch date. I have heard that Ectoplasm liquid perfume should be with us by the end of September.
I think the biggest issue I have heard people talking about is the price hike. Products have gotten so much more expensive this year and people literally just cannot afford it. Most of the bath bombs are just shy of £5 now, which is unfathomable to some people. I remember when all bath bombs were around £2 or £3 and you could get so many products for your money. I actually stumbled across a very old blog post of mine where I reviewed some LUSH products way back in 2013 and the Secret Santa bath bomb, which was huge, shaped like a grotto and could be split into two for two baths, was £5.75. For a bath bomb that size now, you'd be looking at easily £8 or more! I understand that inflation is a thing and that with Brexit happening, this will effect prices considerably, but the pricing is becoming ridiculous and not affordable to a lot of people, which sucks when LUSH is something that they enjoy so much. The prices are only just going to rise from here on out and before we know it, LUSH will be an extreme luxury and even more people will be heading to indie brands. I'll always love LUSH, but if I can't justify the prices I simply just won't buy it.
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Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post, it is very appreciated! Make sure to follow so you can see the next time I post! ♥ xo
**Disclaimer: All views, opinions and photos are my own.**
I am really not the biggest fan of the jelly bombs and I'm not afraid to say so. I find them so messy, they're a pain in the bath when they don't work well and you end up with jelly lumps floating around your tub and sticking to the sides, the jelly takes forever to dissolve so I have to keep my head way above water as I have nightmares about getting the jelly tangled and stuck in my hair and they also don't photograph well at all, the bath art really isn't all that. I wish that LUSH would have released a normal bath bomb in this scent, as the scent is the only part that I really enjoy. I didn't go out of my way to purchase an Ectoplasm jelly bomb, it came in one of the gift sets that I bought. If I hadn't have bought the gift set, I wouldn't have picked up one of these at all. I have only just used my extra one from last year a few weeks ago and that was purely because I was running out of bath bombs and didn't want to use my last Christmas Sweater!
I feel like 2018 will be the last year that we see Sparkly Pumpkin. I really don't see why this bubble bar has kept coming back, I don't think there is anything special about the scent, which doesn't correlate to the depiction of a pumpkin at all. I think that the price hike on Sparkly Pumpkin will be the death of it, nearly £5 for a tiny bubble bar that most people would probably get one, possibly two baths out of, is quite frankly ridiculous. I feel like the price is going to put people off for such a small product and I don't think the scent will do much to entice people to pop one in their basket, therefore stores won't sell it very well and we all know what happens when a product doesn't sell well, it doesn't come back. I honestly wouldn't be bothered if Sparkly Pumpkin retired and we got another bubble bar in it's place next year.
I am never interested in soap, I have a drawer full of the bloody stuff and I never reach for it ever. Last time I was remotely interested in soap was Easter of 2017 when Chocolate Easter Egg soap was leaked and I had a scent in my head of white chocolate heaven, which was destroyed once I smelt it and it was very much LUSH's favourite, citrus. I think Ghost in the Dark had so much potential to have a loved scent, the clue really is in the name! I was certain that this soap was going to smell like the Ghost scent family, which would make sense seeing as the shape of the soap is an actual ghost! I also thought that this could smell like the Demon in the Dark scent family, hence the name also. I have heard a lot of people saying that they think Ghost in the Dark is part of the Avobath scent family, but I disagree! I think this soap smells identical to You've Been Mangoed, the bath melt. As lovely as the scent is, I would have much preferred a Demon in the Dark scent as another citrus product is just what we need, right? Push the boat out why don't you LUSH!
I am not surprised at all that Bewitched has come back for another year, this bubble bar was a massive hit with the Lushies last year. Bewitched combines two of the things that Lushies wanted the most, a product to give us black water and the Sultana scent. I'm not a massive fan of the Sultana scent family and the scent is very strong in this format. I still have two bubble bars left over from last year as I find it quite hard to pair this bubble bar with a bath bomb that will give me pleasant water. LUSH have also been going in on the Sultana scent family lately, releasing the long awaited shower gel and a lotion too. It's a shame that Blackberry was discontinued as Lushies would have been able to have an entire Sultana bath now!
Overall, I think there are some brilliant products available within the Halloween collection this year, but I also think there are some disappointing products. I know a lot of people are disappointed that Lord of Misrule shower cream isn't coming to stores. I know it can be purchased on the UK website all year round, but this just adds to the frustration of the question as to why it isn't in stores. There is also a lot of confusion about the liquid version of Ectoplasm perfume being available to purchase in other countries, but not within the UK. Apparently the UK factory stumbled across some production issues and for some reason has been unable to solve the issue before the launch date. I have heard that Ectoplasm liquid perfume should be with us by the end of September.
I think the biggest issue I have heard people talking about is the price hike. Products have gotten so much more expensive this year and people literally just cannot afford it. Most of the bath bombs are just shy of £5 now, which is unfathomable to some people. I remember when all bath bombs were around £2 or £3 and you could get so many products for your money. I actually stumbled across a very old blog post of mine where I reviewed some LUSH products way back in 2013 and the Secret Santa bath bomb, which was huge, shaped like a grotto and could be split into two for two baths, was £5.75. For a bath bomb that size now, you'd be looking at easily £8 or more! I understand that inflation is a thing and that with Brexit happening, this will effect prices considerably, but the pricing is becoming ridiculous and not affordable to a lot of people, which sucks when LUSH is something that they enjoy so much. The prices are only just going to rise from here on out and before we know it, LUSH will be an extreme luxury and even more people will be heading to indie brands. I'll always love LUSH, but if I can't justify the prices I simply just won't buy it.
**
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post, it is very appreciated! Make sure to follow so you can see the next time I post! ♥ xo
**Disclaimer: All views, opinions and photos are my own.**