Recently

24 April 2014

Orange Jelly Soap


When I heard that Lush were releasing an orange-scented soap, I was so excited; alongside blackcurrant, orange has been one of my favourite smells since I was a little girl. Sometimes companies can 'overdo it' when it comes to the scents of their products; layering multiple fragrances over each other to give off a 'complex' smell, when all it really does is create a horrible heavy smell that permeates almost everything. So when I saw the simplicity of this soap's scent, I was really looking forward to testing it out.

Orange Jelly is a new soap released as part of Lush's 2013 Christmas range. Despite it not initially seeming to fit in with the Christmas theme, it does compliment many other products featured in the seasonal range; Golden Wonder, Ponche Shower Gel, Celebrate Lotion and Secret Santa are just some of the items that boast a citrusy scent, and Orange Jelly is perfect for anyone who may not like the complexity of these fragrances, and want something simple to try out. 

This soap is orange, pure and simple. It has freshly squeezed orange juice and Brazilian orange oil, both  packed with minerals, vitamins, and plenty of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant for the skin and will leave your skin toned, revived and resilient. Furthermore, this soap even contains fresh orange slices preserved in the top layer of jelly, and softening seaweed extract to beautify your skin even more.

What I loved about the soap is it's simplicity - it smells of fresh oranges - nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes it's lovely to appreciate a natural smell in it's natural form, something Orange Jelly does well. It's a very summery smell, which confuses me slightly as to why Lush decided to release this in the winter.However, one thing that disappointed me a little was the absence of a strong smell; with all that orange oil and juice added to make the soap, I was expecting a stronger smelling soap, at least when the soap is being used under hot water. I found that I was only able to pick up the zest of the orange, when I brought the soap close to my nose. 
Another aspect of the soap that puzzled me, was the decorative layer of jelly that featured on the top of every 100g piece. I'm guessing that it was put there just so that the soap could be given the name Orange Jelly, as it served no other purpose in the shower. I thought perhaps that you could use it to produce lather, like you would with other Lush jellies. However, I found that it was very unresponsive when I rubbed it between my hands. I'd much rather have had a slightly bigger slice of the soap, than a pointless piece of jelly on one end.

In the shower, Orange Jelly didn't do too badly at lathering up, although it produced more of an oily lather than a foam one. I found that once the soap's been used a handful of times, the lather does increase ten-fold and by the time I got halfway through the bar, it was producing lashings of soft foam to wash myself with. Furthermore, I found it best to use this before using a fruity shower gel, such as Snowshowers or Ponche, to give you that added feeling of softness.

Ultimately, this soap had a lot of potential which I don't think was quite reached here. It's a lovely idea, the scent was wonderful (when you could smell it), and it does leave your skin wonderfully smooth and gentle. However, Lush could do with making the scent stronger so that it stays on your skin longer. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Glycerine, Fresh Orange Juice, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Brazilian Orange Oil, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Colour 15510, Orange Slice.

Vegan?: Yes.

No comments

Post a Comment


UP