A Little Mischief for the Grown-Ups This Halloween

With Halloween falling on Saturday, the costumes are nearly ready and the sweets are stocked, but once the little ones are finally asleep, the evening can become a treat for the parents too. A cult-favourite autumn scent of patchouli, black pepper and vanilla has returned for the season, and its three pieces are an easy way to turn an ordinary bath or shower into a moment of dark, spicy indulgence.

Product Spotlight

Lush has brought back its full Lord of Misrule collection for Halloween, a limited edition range that its fans look out for every autumn. The scent sits somewhere between earthy and sweet, with patchouli and black pepper giving it warmth and depth and vanilla softening the edges. Lush also points to where some of those ingredients come from, with vanilla from producers in Uganda and Tanzania and patchouli oil from a permaculture centre in Sumatra. For anyone who has had their fill of pumpkin spice, it is a welcome change of mood, and every piece is available in store and online.

Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb

This is the one to save for a long soak once the trick or treating is done on Saturday night. The carved, pale green sphere fizzes and crackles as soon as it hits the water, thanks to popping candy in the mix, before turning the whole bath a rich merlot red. Lush says the colourful swirls are bolder than ever this year. Patchouli brings the earthy base notes while vanilla adds a creamy, comforting finish, so the bathroom smells as good as it looks. It is sold without any packaging and is self-preserving, with no added synthetic preservatives.

Lord of Misrule Shower Gel

For busy mornings when a bath simply is not happening, the shower gel brings the same distinctive scent into the everyday routine. A warm infusion of black peppercorn gives it its spicy kick, earthy patchouli adds depth, and vanilla rounds the whole thing off with a cosy sweetness. The creamy lather is designed to leave skin feeling soft and hydrated, helped along by wheatgerm oil, which is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids that help moisturise and protect. The glycerine in the formula is palm-free, and the black pepper comes from a farm in Guatemala that is being turned from cattle pasture into agroforestry. It comes in three sizes, so it is easy to pick up a small bottle to try before committing to a larger one.

To carry the scent beyond the bathroom, the body spray is the most atmospheric piece in the collection. Inspired by ancient midwinter celebrations, it pairs black pepper oil with dark Sumatran patchouli and creamy vanilla absolute, conjuring up woodsmoke drifting through the trees and leaves crunching underfoot. The patchouli is sourced from Gayo Lues in Sumatra, an area bordering the Leuser Ecosystem, one of the world’s richest spots for wildlife. It comes in a black recycled plastic bottle with a trigger nozzle, and because it contains alcohol it should be kept well away from naked flames, which is worth remembering if the pumpkin lanterns are lit.

Lord of Misrule Body Spray

A Little Something for After Dark

Halloween with children tends to be a whirlwind of face paint, sugar and sticky fingers, so there is a lot to be said for keeping a small treat back for when the house finally falls quiet. Whether it is a long soak with the bath bomb, a shower that smells far more interesting than usual, or a spritz of the body spray before a rare evening out, the Lord of Misrule collection is a reminder that the grown-ups are allowed a little mischief too. As a limited edition, it is only around for the season, and the full range can be found in Lush shops and online.

Some products featured in this article were kindly provided for consideration, with all views expressed remaining independent and genuine.

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