Festive Fiesta

I've got another Lush gift set to review for you all! This one comes under the name of Festive Fiesta, and as it suggests, is another christmas gift. However, unlike the 'Best of Wishes' set that I reviewed a couple a weeks ago, you can get a few of these products all year around. I would first like to make a note of the tin itself, which is stunning. I love the packaging of Lush gift sets, almost so much that I don't want to open them because it usually requires ripping off the pretty paper and ribbons. However, this little treat comes is a brightly coloured, happy santa tin designed by Cath Hookey, which means I can tuck into its contents without feeling horrendous about destroying its packaging. 

Festive Fiesta is a tin of 8 products which are all inspired by Mexico, which means they're all wonderfully refreshing, super bright and uplifting. And I assure you, they are. The second I opened its lid, I was hit by a wave of citrusey goodness that seriously woke me up. 

Santa's little tin includes two shower jellies (Whoosh and Sweetie Pie), two shower gels (Ponche and Slammer), two soaps (Northern Lights and Snow Globe) and two scrubs (Sandy Santa and Rub Rub Rub) 

Whoosh Shower Jelly 

Lush have two shower jellies in their collection, this and Sweetie Pie which I've used previously. They're quite the novelty, one which I personally enjoy. For those who haven't used these before, they are a multi-purpose product that you can use as a soap, shampoo or even a shaving foam (for this take a small mound of it and rub it in your palms as fast as you can to make a foam). You can also chill it or pop it in your freezer to make a solid version but I really don't like the idea of rubbing a block of ice over myself in the shower. Whoosh is a sea green coloured jelly made from fresh organic lemon, grapefruit, lime juice and rosemary oil. In the tub it smells of lemon and lime cordial which is ridiculously refreshing, however as soon as you take it out of its casing and start to use it, the scent becomes less predominant.

would I buy it again? Maybe if I hadn't used it's sister Sweetie Pie before. It's a nice little product, but for me it just doesn't live up to expectations. It doesn't foam up as much as I wanted it to, nor does it wake me up which it assured me it would. It does smell nice though? NOTE it's so much easier to use as a block than to break it up, as you'll spend more time chasing it around the shower than using it.

price? £3.50/100g. If you had the choice, go for its twin. 

Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly 

This is my favourite of the two jellies, however I don't think it has it's place in the Fiesta tin. I say this because the whole point of the tin is to be refreshingly uplifting (i.e citrus, let's face it!) This isn't a medly of oranges and lemons, but one of cherries of coconut and I just think that maybe it deserves a more suitable home. However, this is the most i'm going to slag off this product because that's the only bad point I can pick at! Like Whoosh this is a palm sized jelly but this one is deep purple in colour, with little flecks of iridescent glitter and it smells like heaven. 

Despite the cherry and coconut combo, this smells more like sweet blackcurrent. In spite of its sweetness it doesn't cross the line of being sickly, and it doesn't linger on your skin after you've used it. 

would I buy it again? Oh definitely. I love it. It doesn't irritate my stupidly sensitive skin (I was a bit worried about the glitter and the 'snowflake lustre' in it), it softens my skin to no end and doesn't leave any residue (again, that glitter!)

price? Ever so slightly cheaper than Whoosh at £3.10/100g 

Ponche Shower Gel 

The two shower gels in the set are pretty similar, in look and smell yet this one, Ponche, is much more effective. This one is the christmas edition and comes in the standard Lush bottles. It's a slightly brighter orange colour than Slammer. In it is a development of plum and cinnamon infusion, orange juice, davana oil and a shot of tequila. When I first smelt this I was quite disappointed, as it smells less of tequila but more of cointreau, which I once got hideously drunk off at Sophie's birthday quite a few years ago and I now can't stand. However, I stood by it and gave it a chance and I'm glad to report than it smells so much better in use than it does in the bottle! Thank God, or else I don't think I'd be able to use it.

would I buy it again? It's much, much more tangy than Slammer and thus, a lot more refreshing and I now use it regulary in the morning to revitalise me during these cold and dreary months. When this comes around again at the end of the year I will definitely think about purchasing it. 

price? £4.45/100g 

 Slammer Shower Gel 

I was excited to use this as this is part of the Lush Retro collection, which means it's back from the grave. So it must be good, right? Hm. 

This, slightly darker, orange lava smells of lemon and limes and is similar to Whoosh. Also similiar is it's lack of oompf. Lush are so assured of this product, even to the point where they say they've 'excelled themselves', i'm not so sure though.

 In it is fresh lime peel, sea water, organic lime juice, lime and lemon oil, and honey.

would I buy it again? Probably not. I much prefer Ponche, so it's a shame that I'm going to have to wait months for it to come back. There's something in it that smells quite chemical so i'm very disappointed. 

price? £4.50/100g. Not worth the hype. 

Northern Lights Soap

I'm just going to note now that the photo doesn't do justice of how bright this soap is. It's hyper bright, almost blinding in fact, but I like it as there's nothing better than an eye-catching product. A lot of thought has gone into the look of this soap, which maybe has meant that the rest of it lacks something. The product story goes as follows

'This soap was made by Wesley, who perfectly matched the colours of the auroras he watched on the internet, and then found a special way to pour the soap to represent the natural light show.'

  

I adore the neon yellow, orange and green light show that's going on in the soap and it smells great too. It's made with rapeseed and coconut oil, pine needle, cypress and lime oil and gives off a real zingy and forest-like fragance. 

would I buy it again? I would like it if I got it another set but I don't think I would go out of my way to buy it. I say this because it doesn't really give much of an impression whilst using it. It sheds a kind of pulp when washing with it and the smell literally disappears as soon as it comes into contact with water. This could be a pro or a con depending on your preference but something as dramatic looking, should be a little more dramatic at performing. Unfortunately I'm not sure how much this was as it's not unavaliable, sorry! 

 Snow Globe Soap 

This soap is, obviously, inspired by a christmas snow globe. Lush set this like a globe, with balls of white so whatever cut you get it'll be 'interesting'. Maybe not so from the look of it in the photo. 

I'm not a massive fan of this soap, after you get over the underwhelming layer of grapefruit oil and lemon, you get a not-so-nice afterthough of just 'soap'. You know the really traditional soap smell you get? Well, that. 

would I buy it again? We'll get straight to point with this, no. There's just nothing special about this at all!

price? £1.33/100g. It's one of the cheapest, so i'll give it that. There's a reason it's so cheap though. 

 Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub 

I'm saving the best ones til last! I have used this before I got it in this set so I was thrilled that i've now got a back up, it's that good. I do love shower scrubs as they are usually salt or sugar based. Salt and sugar = superb exfoliator. They're so easy to use too, all you need to do is a scoop up a handful and work it into your skin (and hair!) as much as you want, and then wash it off! This one is a bright blue scrub made of sea salt, lemon juice, jasmine, mimosa absolute and orange flower. It's so refreshing and smells of like the ocean that's next to a forest, due to the woody nature of the mimosa. 

would I buy it again? Over and over again. I don't own a better exfoliator than this, and if you are not so sure about rubbing fresh sea salt into your skin than you don't have to use as much! You can literally exfoliate as much or as little as possible, whatever your preference. Not only this but my senstive skin can tolerate the salt and all that lemon and makes it feel hydrated. 

price? £7.95/330g. Buy it. Buy it now. 

 Sandy Santa Sugar Scrub 

I'm not going to lie, I was a been worried about using this at first. Firstly because it's packaging completely fell away from Santa the second I picked it up and it doesn't hold it's shape very well. Since using it, I've kept it in it's little mold but thrown away the label as it doesn't nothing to contain it. 

I've never used a sugar scrub in it's natural form before (only in facial or shower scrubs, which are more paste like) but if the rest are anything like this, i'll definitely be buying more. They're so easy to use, so don't be put off by my first comment. All you have to do is get yourself soaked, grab a bit and use it as an exfoliator than wash it all off! 

My Santa smells of a very subtle orange, which I like also. 

would I buy it again? If that isn't clear already, than yes. It pretty much gives me the same impression as Rub Rub Rub- I was left with very smooth, hydrated skin. The best.

price? £1.48! I wish it was christmas all the time, just so I can buy this. 

 OVERALL:  I think they could of got away with not putting Snow Globe in it, as it doesn't really give much to the overall set but i'm glad i've tried it just so I know never to buy it again. However, I'm really impressed with some of the products in here, so much so that they've become my favourites. These are Sweetie Pie, Ponche, Rub Rub Rub and Sandy Santa. If you come across them then I really think you should invest in them, as you won't be disappointed. Promise!

XXX