The countdown to the spookiest night of the year has officially started! And if pumkpins, hot chocolate, October flowers and cozy sundays under the blanket aren’t enough to make autumn the BEST of seasons, Lush’s Halloween collection comes with the perfect timing. In fact, I certainly am in love with the brand all year round, but it is no secret that it’s the Lush Halloween & Christmas launches that really bring the A game when it comes to creativity, colours and scents.
Therefore a few days ago, armed with A LOT of time (and a maximum budget set with a big effort!), I popped in store, sniffed every single thing and eventually came home with my favourite picks from this year’s Lush’s Halloween collection(plus a cute Christmas intruder!). So, why wait any longer?
LUSH HALLOWEEN COLLECTION
Just by coincidence (or not?) the 2018 collection here in Italy includes thirteen bath and body products plus three spooky gift wraps and three selected kits, while to my sadness there aren’t any hair, face or hand products this year. Here’s what you will find in store:
- Three shower products (Ectoplasm: Shower Scream | Naked Shower Cream | Washcard)
- Two shower body wash & scrub (Magic Crystals | Scrub Scrub Scrub) – Not available in the UK
- One glow-in-the-dart soap (Ghost in the Dark)
- Four bath bombs (Lord of Misrule | Monsters’ Ball | Eyeball | Ectoplasm)
- Two bubble bars (Sparkly Pumpkin | Bewitched)
- One solid perfume (Ectoplasm)
Basically if you want to “trick and treat yourself to a spooktacular offering of ghosts, witches, and things that go pump-kin the night”, this is what you need to go for!
SPARKLY PUMPKIN – Bubble Bar
Amongst my favourites in Lush’s Halloween collection, I place Sparkly Pumpkin, the most glittered bubble bar with a warm and enveloping aroma that makes it the perfect plan for misty sundays. Sadly, I must warn you that the only resemplance to a pumpking is in the shape as its main essences are grapefruit, juniperberry and lime, but I promise that once you get over the hump, the journey is delicious. You just need to crumble it under the water jet so that the whole bath tub is filled with its citrusy scent and then it’s officially SPA time. You only need to go with the flow and enjoy the balancing, toning and uplifting powers of juniperberry, lime and grapefruit. But make sure you rinse well your hair and tub (unless you are attending a Halloween party straight after, in which case we love glitters!) and possibly remove the cinnamon stick before it goes down the drain. Other than that let the sparkle shine!
Before choosing Sparkly Pumpkin, I also tried Bewitched but the Olibanum essential oil makes it a bit too sweet and wooden for me, so nothing. And then, how can you resist to golden glitter?!
Price: €6,75
MAGIC CRYSTALS – Shower Scrub
For the Potterheads out there, Magic Crystals really looks like a potion coming out of one of Snape’s classes. Could I maybe say no? Colour aside, I’ve fallen in love with its fresh sent of mint, which might actually be more suited for summer than autumn, but I just couldn’t resist. In fact, as soon as I opened the pot a super strong mint aroma spread all over the shower – just forget any cold and stuffy nose for the rest of the season guys. And rosemary, sage and star anise oils come to the aid here. Now, unfortunately Magic Crystals (along with its twin Scrub Scrub Scrub) is the only product that isn’t available in the U.K. but if you are planning a visit to Italy you might really want to have a sniff at this.
I honestly love this stuff but again, there are a couple of things to take into account when using it. First of all mint: the scent is delicious, but because it is so strong if you have a small shower as I do, you can find yourself with burning eyes, so I’d definitely go for bigger spaces such a tub or a large shower. Also, using it in the morning is best cause the mentholated effect creates a curious combination of fresh and warm on the skin that is super energising, especially if the world feels like a hostile place when waking up. Sea salt is the final “issue” as any scrub of this type, cause it can be a bit too agressive if applied with a vigorous massage. And salt burns a lot!
Price: €14,95
Speaking of Snape, if you are a Harry Potter addicted you totally can’t miss out my magical OCTOBER BULLET JOURNAL – have a look! While if you are into autumnal beauty, MY BEAUTY CABINET FOR THIS SEASON IS WAITING FOR YOU HERE!
GHOST IN THE DARK – Soap
Moving to the real tidbit of Lush’s Halloween collection, let’s talk about Ghost in the Dark, the glow-in-the-dark soap! Yep, you’ve read it right, a natural and safe fluorescent soap. You know when, as kids, we loved the fluorescent stars we stuck everywhere to make our bedroom look like a big starry sky?Yes, Ghost in the Dark transforms the bathroom in the perfect spot for some bergamot and lemongrass ghost sighting. What I love the most of this soap is the citrusy fragrance that leaves my hands super scented and yet hydrated. And then let’s face it, sometimes is nice to be child again and enjoy even the smaller things that life brings in the way!
Price: €7,95
EYEBALL – Bath Bomb
I know, amongst all the available bath bombs, I have surely chosen the creepiest (not the most poetic thing to throw an eye into the tub), but Eyeball actually hides a gentle soul enriched with Brasilian orange, rose absolute, lavander and ylang ylang that really got me. Again, the flowery arome isn’t too strong or sweet and it turns out to be a real treat thanks to the refreshing and calming properties of its ingredients.
Lush advises to use it all in once by dipping the bomb into the water and leaving it to frizz until the end, however I usually like to split bombs in half or in four pieces and enjoy them for more than one bath. The scent doesn’t get too much intense either.
Price: €6,50
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY – Solid Body Scrub
Last but not least, out of the Lush Halloween athmosphere and right into the Christmas magic, here comes Sugar Plum Fairy the body scrub. Still perfect for autumn, it doesn’t come as a suprise if I say it has a delicious fragrance: basically it is the exact kind of perfume I imagine when thinking of autumnal fruits. And although it only contains plum and wild orange essential oils, I smell sooo many red berries in it, I could spend the rest of my life sniffing one of these and I would be happy forever (did I ever mention I have a slight red-berry addiction?!).
Thanks to its combination of sugar and salt, I find it more gentle than Magic Crystals but I still reckon it should be used sparingly as it has a more abrasive power than a normal scrub. When in store, the shop attendant actually told me it should be used all in once, but after a couple of uses its volume isn’t even halved and I’m more than happy as it is, as crumbling it all would just mean wasting it down the drain. The essential oils then leave the skin soft and scented, but please take the extra care of avoiding the application after you’ve shaved as it’s still made out of salt. Of course I did it and it was not the best idea, you guys!
Ghost in the Dark
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