Citrus stamina for the Year of the Horse: Lush goes bright, fast, and a little feral

If your New Year pep talks already sound tired, here’s a cleaner fix than manifesting on Instagram: Lush has a Year of the Horse gift set that actually smells like motion. The duo is called Prance and Prosper, and yes, the name is cheeky, but the mood is simple - bright citrus, on the run, zero brooding.

The star is the Gallop To Success Bath Bomb. It fizzes hard and fast, a citrus burst that feels more peel than pulp. Think effervescent grapefruit-lime energy rather than syrupy orange. It’s one-and-done - bath bombs always are - but the payoff is that zingy, celebratory plume that floods the room before you can even find your audiobook. If you crave the clean crackle of citrus without sugar, this hits the flank.

Then there’s Sunrise Shower Gel. It’s the more practical half of the duo and the one you’ll reach for on Tuesday mornings when ambition needs scaffolding. The texture is classic Lush - slick, satiny - and the scent leans juicy and uncomplicated. I read it as mandarin-forward with the usual Lush sparkle, a soft lather that leaves a whisper of brightness rather than a heavy trail. If you want your shower to feel like a light turning on, this is it.

Value check: $22 at Lush USA for a mood-lifting bath bomb plus a citrus gel is a fair gamble if you’re already team citrus or gifting for Lunar New Year. If you prefer incense, tea, or woods, this set won’t convert you. It’s unabashedly sunny, almost athletic - more running shoes than silk cheongsam.

What I appreciate: no cloying gourmand detour and no muddled florals. Just an energetic, good-tempered citrus pairing that does what it says. For a holiday drowned in red envelopes and hollow “prosperity” copy, Prance and Prosper earns its name by delivering actual lift. If the year is a race, this is the warm-up lap that wakes your legs.