They like jasmine over at Lush. Whenever I'm feeling particularly wealthy (a rare, and entirely delusional state) I pick up some of their Jasmine & Henna Fluff Ease hair pre-treatment (about $22 for 220g). My hair most certainly needs some pre-treatment, followed by some treatment and then perhaps some post-treatment, but I buy it for the (massive) wallop of jasmine, which lasts right through a shampoo (or two). Once, and only once, I bought a very small travel size of their Flying Fox shower gel ($10 for 100 ml, which mind you doesn't look like nearly so much product in shower gel as it does in perfume) — another decent wallop of jasmine. And then there's the Lust fragrance, which arguably out-jasmines both the Fluff Ease and the Flying Fox, and adds a hefty dose of candy to boot.
But their best known jasmine product is probably the Silky Underwear dusting powder. I love the smell,1 but I'm not a big user of dusting powder so I've never bought it. I was tempted when they released the same fragrance in a solid perfume,2 but I still didn't bite — the scent just stayed too close to the skin for my taste. Now they've got it out in a bottle. It's not the first time they've done a Silky Underwear liquid perfume, but it's the first time I've caught wind of it before it disappeared, and I'm glad I did: I'm hooked.
Silky Underwear is advertised as jasmine and vetiver, but it's mostly jasmine and vanilla, smoothed over with cosmetic powder. The jasmine is much lighter and less indolic than it is in Lust (and is almost certainly blended with other florals — Silky Underwear is not a wallop of jasmine by any means), and the sweetness is considerably more subdued. Silky Underwear wears like a jasmine comfort scent; the vanilla is creamy and has just the teensiest cocoa-ish edge, perhaps to match the cocoa butter that makes the Silky Underwear dusting powder so popular. After an hour or so, the jasmine calms to a whisper and the vetiver makes an appearance, adding an earthy undertone and a very slight — you'll have to smell deeply or you'll miss it — hint of smoke beneath the lingering powder.
Lush's body and hair products strike me as relatively expensive — perhaps it is because I'm not a body-product-hound, but in my world they are occasional luxuries at best. The fragrances, though, cost much less than comparable products elsewhere, and lately, they're often more interesting — and more fun — than niche fragrances that cost considerably more. They're certainly one of the last great bargains to be found in your local mall. I'm hard-pressed to think of another similarly priced fragrance that you can find in a chain store that smells like it might have been made with real, from-nature materials.
Lush Silky Underwear is $30 for 30 ml. It is a limited edition. It's still available on the US Lush website but looks to be sold out already in some countries. It's on my to buy list, and we'll see if I manage to get over to the mall before it's all gone.
Note: top image is Jasmine [cropped] by Martinliao at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. The same scent is reportedly found in their Fairy Jasmine & All That Jasmine bath bombs, and in the Alkmaar soap bars.
2. This review was mostly written before I realized that Jessica had already reviewed the Silky Underwear solid perfume, making my review pretty much superfluous. Oops. Actually, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often around here.
If I can bring myself to actually enter the nearest Lush store (which, for my money, is already too close for comfort), I will try to test this. It sounds lovely. I expect it’s sold out in London too, though.
I really dislike the stores — they’re too smelly, and the staff is way too attentive for my taste. It’s hard to get them to leave you alone to play. But, that said, it’s better than stores where people ignore you, I guess!
With all the Lush/Gorilla reviews lately, I really am going to have to go check it out. They just recently opened a Lush store here in San Diego, so I guess I need to go see what all the hubbub (good and bad!) is about!
Can’t hurt. Stay away from that jasmine hair fluff stuff though, it’s addictive and expensive.
I love a great big jasmine, and with added vetiver, this sounds wonderful! Fun review, Robin.
I wish there was more vetiver. It does have a woody-powdery-earthy dry down, but it’s hard to make something earthy enough to satisfy me. I may have to try layering it with some light vetiver fragrances.
And my sniffing plans for Saturday when I drive into nearby BigCity have now officially changed. L’Occitane, with your Immortelle, Eau de Beaux and sundry… sorry, guys, I’ll have to catch you later.
Kevin did love that L’Occitane. I’m lucky, my mall has both stores.
The Immortelle seems to have finjally arrived at my local L’Occitane (in Australia) and I’m heading there soon, with Kevin;s review in mind.
Dionne, L’Occitane has discontinued the Voyages line and (in the US, at least) the boutiques are currently shipping back the stock they have. Best to call ahead, in case they can set it aside? Conversely, if they’ve pulled them already, ask if they still have the tester in the back. Good luck!
Yeah, no more Immortelle at the L’Occitane in the downtown SF Westfield. The SA very helpfully suggested that L’Occitane outlets might have it.
I’m curious to try Jasmine & Henna Fluff Ease for its jasmine scent, but I’m not a beauty product hound, so I have to wait till I use up the stuff I currently use. My profligate accumulation is limited to books and perfume. 🙂
It’s really strong when you have it on your head, which you do for some time. That Oscar Blandi jasmine shampoo is nice too.
My hair is so trashed I’ve resorted to Living Proof’s Restore line. It works, but wow, is it a lot of money for shampoo!
I am finally going to be ordering from Lush this month, Robin, and I’ll be happy to add the bottle of SU for you. Just tell me where to send it.
Eventually we might get a Lush out here on the frozen prairie, but…doesn’t seem to be anytime soon, sadly.
That’s so kind, but I do think I’m going to hit the mall this weekend…I’ll see if I can find a bottle!
Ah, okies. What with Icon appearing (for however long) in solid form, my itchy trigger finger is twitching more than usual, here!
Is its powder like Dior Homme’s powder, Robin?
No, more like sweet cosmetic powder, a la Love Chloe.
Had to laugh at pre-treatment, treatment, post-treatment! Sign me in as needing constant treatment! I swear I’d dry up and blow away like tumbleweed in the winter without all my lotions, potions and notions! I love Lush products and the smell of their fig soap . . .I keep wishing they’d issue it as a frag. Very good quality stuff and I now have another fragrance to go chasing and a limited edition at that. . . .Thanks a heap Robin!!!!
Oh, what’s the fig soap called? and come to think of it, surprised they don’t have a fig perfume.
It’s called Figs and Leaves and another good one is Summer Pudding. It scents my whole bathroom just from the steam. Soooo pretty!
Thank you!
Add another fan to the pre- post- treatment.
I am careless about my own though, but “hairwise” mother nature has seen fit to bless me.
The scent sounds gorgeous.
Mother nature gave me what we used to call “bad hair”. Actually they probably still call it that, since that’s what it is.
Robin, are you Hispanic? My ex-partner was Puerto Rican, and he had “good hair” and his brother had more African-style “bad hair.” For white European-heritage me, it was quite an uncomfortable conversation whenever his family discussed it! I had never heard these terms before we met.
No…my hair is just an uncomfortable in-between curly and straight. It mostly just frizzes, and tends to get dry & yuck if I grow it past shoulder height.
Oh, and I find the name “Lush Silky Underwear” seriously ooky! Feels like a porn title or something!
I think it’s a fun name. Not as porn-sounding as some of Etat Libre d’Orange’s creations.
This one doesn’t bother me…actually kind of seems like a good fit with the scent.
You and your jasmines, Robin… 😉
I have neither a Lush store nor a L’Occitane within driving distance… nor Pacifica, either. I’d probably be haunting them if I did. As it is, I stock up on B&BW because that’s what I have access to – there are a few of their scents that I do really like, but by and large I’d say they’re probably less interesting.
I’m pathetic with my jasmines, no?
BBW puzzles me, they seem to be trying to find the right thing for their audience. I thought they were doing better a bit back, but now they’re going young & fruity again. Maybe they’re finding that that is what sells?
Well, not pathetic. Predictable, maybe. (Says she of the tuberose obsession… I’m just as bad. Which is why it makes me laugh when you’re doing jasmine again.)
Young & fruity is probably what sells. Though the last time I was in there (to pick up Dark Kiss for my daughter, who has taken to wearing it on dates because her boyfriend likes it), the SAs were all pushing the new “tropical” line, which is all frooty-coconut stuff. Dreadful. And I even liked the Lime Coconut Verbena, which had the advantage of not being terribly sweet! These are more like tiki bar smells.
I loved Lime Coconut Verbena too, but couldn’t find it last I was there, and last time I did find it, I didn’t think it smelled the same? It was a great cheap thrill scent.
They have changed it, I think. It’s far less limey.
The last time I was in B&BW ( a week or two ago), they has some new (I think) spring scents that seemed to be floral without all the fruit. I liked Spring and Flower Shop. I think they may only be room fragrances (candles, sprays, and wallflowers), not body products.
Are they the BBW room fragrances, or the Slatkin? Not that I can use either without triggering a massive migraine. Most of the Slatkin fragrances…i don’t know what it is, they all smell mostly the same to me, just with varying degrees of pain.
I think they said “Bath and Body Works”, but aren’t at lot of their things made by Slatkin? I didn’t notice who actually made them. I just thought it was nice to see some florals that weren’t fruity florals. I get so tired of everything having to have a big wallop of berries or coconut or mango or whatever.
I’ve been stalking Lush for years, but have NEVER purchased anything from them!!! No store here, but whenever I travel and see one, I peer through the windows. I’m on their mailing list, and get that big newspaper thingy that’s so much fun. I also periodically go through their website, drop things into my cart that I think sound fun, then abandon it. No idea why I haven’t plunged in. Afraid I won’t like the scented products that I think sound good. I really should spend some time in one of their shops. Or perhaps I’ll get their fragrance sample pack…hmmm…
I do think the fragrance sample pack is worth it…they have a very particular style, so you might or might not like them, but they do a good job.
Just went to the website, and don’t see the sample pack. Perhaps it’s not available any longer. Guess it will be awhile before I try any of these…
Here it is:
http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/gifts/wrapped/gorilla-perfume-exclusives-miniatures-set
It doesn’t have everything though.
Oh cool! Thanks, Robin!
I stopped by Lush at Herald Square NYC looking for Silky Underwear but it is only available online:-(….The SA had me try one of the “regular” scents (I forgot which one) and it was just NASTY – I told her it smelled like mothballs! Not wanting to leave empty-handed (since I don’t often go by that area or if I’m near there I am rushing somewhere), I got the Sample Pack and 25:43 (in 9mL) so I am a happy camper, albeit one with a lighter wallet.
Thanks, that figures — might have to buy online. I really like the 25:43 too — enjoy your buys!
The only thing I’ve ever purchased from Lush was their Grass shower gel, which smells like…yup, fresh-cut grass. Actually, it smells like lawnmower mulch, the stuff that gathers in the blade housing after cutting the whole front lawn. Vegetal and greeeeeeeen. If you’re after that high-summer suburban cut-grass smell, you need look no further than Lush’s Grass, and you’d better stock up before they discontinue it.
I tried Lust, and it was Death by Jasmine on me. Try as I might, I just can’t warm up to jasmine, and Lust is the jasmine mother lode. It’s jasmine for those who think jasmine boiled in jasmine syrup and served on jasmine-soaked jasmine rice cakes isn’t quite enough jasmine. It’s the kind of jasmine that makes me long for a whiff of tuberose, which is like trading a hot poker for a cat-o’-nine-tails. Props to those who can handle it, and mercy on those who can’t.
I swear, the Norma Kamali Jasmin is even MORE jasmine than Lust. It might kill you.
The nice UPS man just now delivered a box from LUSH containing Silky Underwear powder (an indulgence, but I do love it so) and my 1 oz. bottle of Silky Underwear spray. You know, I do believe I’m enjoying a little bit of heaven right now — it’s reminding me of some impossible-to-pin-down scent from childhood. I’m so happy I couldn’t even wait for the drydown to write this! Even if I just spray this on before bed, to enjoy while I’m nodding off, it’s worth the $30. There are many frags I’d happily pay that for if only they were offered in 1 oz. bottles. Sigh.
I understand many people sprinkle the powder on their sheets, so the perfume might also make a nice linen spray? I’ll have to try.
Robin, have you procured a FB yet? I’d consider spraying it on my pillowcase — esp. since the powder wouldn’t look so hot on my burgundy bedding. Still loving it, by the way. I’m hoping it has a long life in the bottle, since I bought two. (Felt the need to maximize shipping.)
I did buy, but haven’t tried it on sheets yet. I tried to order a mini of the 25:43 so I could also maximize shipping, but they were out of it. Now that I’ve been reading more about the powder, I’m considering buying that as well, we’ll see.