REVIEW of Lush's Pop in the Bath Bubble Bar

Hello chickadees!

I feel like I haven't written about Lush in such a long time. The truth is I haven't really been shopping at Lush or using any Lush products in a long time. But to get back into the swing of things, I think it's time I introduce you to my favorite Lush Bubble Bar... Lush's Pop in the Bath Bubble Bar.

Lush describes this bubble bar as having a floral/citrus scent thanks to notes of orange flower, bergamot, lemon oil and mandarin oil. Apparently it also has the same scent as their Olive Branch shower gel if you're familiar with that. For me, this bubble bar just smells soapy and clean. I think it's a nice light fragrance that's not too heady or overpowering and I do get the slight floral though not a lot of citrus. The bubble bar can be found in a Lush store in many different colors. I prefer to get the blue ones because I like the light aqua color they dye the bathwater.

The bubbles are the reason I love this product more than any of the other bath bombs or bubble bars. This bubble bar produces more bubbles than anything else I've tried from Lush. I've tried using just half of the bubble bar and also using the whole bar. Using the entire bubble bar is a delicious indulgence. You get loads of bubbles that last a decent amount of time, especially if you don't move around too much. They're the rich, foamy, dense kind of bubbles that remind me of the glamour goddesses and starlets of the 1950's and 1960's lounging around in claw foot tubs. Even after the bubbles have dissolved, the water feels slippery and luxurious. It may be because the bubble bar contains something moisturizing or it may just be that the soap changes the pH of the water and more basic substances can have a slippery feel. You can smell the scent in the bath and on your skin but it almost seems stronger once you're out of the bath. The scent is lighter than if you were wearing a perfume. The best way I can describe it is by telling you to imagine that you skin is actually scented and the scent is emanating from you. Of course it fades after a while so you needn't worry about it clashing with a perfume or scented body lotion.

When I just used half of the bar, I still got lots of bubbles and the bubble bar dyed the water but the scent was not as strong and the water didn't have that same slippery feel. I could just barely smell the scent in the bath and it didn't linger in my hair or on my skin afterwards.

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Lemon Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Mandarin Oil, *Limonene, *Linalool, Lilial, Hydroxycitronellal, May contain Gardenia Extract, Colour 14700, Colour 45410, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 42090:2, Colour 61570

REVIEW of Lush Superbalm

Hi chickadees!

I think ever since high school, I've had dry hair. When I was younger my hair was healthy and shiny but whether it's because of lifestyle or diet or environment or products, my hair is just generally a little dry and lifeless. But I was kind of OK with that. However, for the past year or two my scalp has been very itchy. I don't know what's caused it but it drives me a little crazy. I think it might be a dry skin issue because while my hair is wet when I'm in the bath or air-drying it, my scalp doesn't it. But as soon as my hair is dry, the itch is back. Also, I have a crazy amount of dandruff which is not the best condition to have when you have black hair. So in my attempt to resolve this problem, I decided to try out a product from Lush. The girls at my local store recommended one of their newest products, Lush Superbalm.

For about $20, you get a small, less than palm-sized metal tin containing green goop. When I started using this product, I found it seemed more solid like hair wax, and I would dig out a bit of the product, warm it in between my hands and massage it into my scalp. As I've continued to use it, I don't know if it's the steam in my bathroom or just the way this product changes over time but it has gotten much softer, more like a thick cream and also a bit greasier.

The product has a very strong, calming lavender scent that I quite liked. The best thing I can say about this product is that if you like the scent, it is very strong when you massage it into your hair and it only gets stronger when you're washing it out of your hair. I don't think it lingers too much after that but if you really hate the scent this product probably won't be for you as you are instructed to keep it in your hair for 20 minutes before washing it out.

Now, I was determined to make this product work so I set about experimenting to get the best possible result.

REVIEW of Lush Party Popper

Hi chickadees!

I think I've finally found a Lush bath bomb that I really love. The website describes Party Popper as follows...
Our bright pink and blue bathing scent-sation is bound to be a hit this season. It fizzes around the tub, snapping due to the popping candy and releasing a 'dry champagne' perfume of bergamot, tangerine and rose oil. Then, out pops our special 'confetti' that is made of dehydrated honeydew melon soap flakes. Melt those into your skin to wash yourself and smell simply divine!

Scent: I'm terrible at describing scents but I found this bath bomb smelled warm and spicy with a slight touch of citrus. From that description, it almost sounds like what is classified as an "oriental perfume" but it's not that deep or sexy. It's much more subtle and pleasant. Perhaps that is due to the rose oil. The scent is part of what I love about this bath bomb. It smells gorgeous just sitting in your house. I can smell it as it dissolves, in the water after it has dissolved, on my skin and hair in the bath, and in my hair afterwards. Lack of scent is not going to be a complaint with this bath bomb.
Experience: This is not one of those bath bombs that puts on a big show. Both the pink and blue components are fast dissolving, fizzy formulas. They don't leave behind much in the way of bubbles or foam. I did like the popping candy which continues to pop after the main bath bomb has dissolved. The "confetti" consists of one pink piece and one blue piece. I hadn't looked at the website before using the bath bomb so I had no idea what these were. I just let them dissolve into the water. They're not really shaped like anything (kind of like a square that's folded over into a rectangle). They had a squishy, jelly feel. I'm not sure if I would melt them into my skin because they might stain.
Color: The bath bomb dyes the water in the tub pink and blue as it dissolves. However, pink quickly overpowers blue and the tub ends up pink. It kind of reminds me of the conflict between Flora and Merryweather in Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Anyway, the water definitely turns pink, not purple. So I guess Flora wins. The bath bomb did stain a ring around my tub which hasn't happened with other bath bombs. Also, it stained part of my skin which I guess was in direct contact with the bath bomb as it dissolved. However, that easily washed off.

CONCLUSION: My one negative about this bath bomb is that it stained my tub and my skin but since those are minor gripes, I would definitely recommend this bath bomb and I'm probably going to repurchase it.

REVIEW of Lush So White Bath Bomb

Hello chickadees,

Well, this was a massive disappointment. I wanted this bath bomb last year when I first started to get into Lush products but I missed my chance. Wasting no time, I grabbed this as soon as it appeared at my local Lush store.

SCENT: It smelled divine. Yummy and fresh and sweet. Like crisp apples and clean soap with a dash of feminine richness. This is one of those bath bombs that smells strong in its bath bomb form but fails in the water. I could kind of smell it as it dissolved but once every piece of bath bomb had dissolved into the water, I couldn't smell a thing. I couldn't smell it in the water and I couldn't smell it on my skin or in my hair either in the bath or once I was out of it.
EXPERIENCE: I'm not one of those girls who needs a massive show when it comes to bath bombs. But since So White was a letdown on scent, it had a chance to make things up on experience. But it dissolved just as you would expect it to. The white outer shell is fast-dissolving and creates more of a foam. The pink inner crystals are slow-dissolving and fizz in little bubbles. As they dissolve, they leave white and pink foam/bubbles but once the solid bath bomb has dissolved, the bubbles quickly disappear. There is not enough pigment to tint the water and as far as I can tell there is no glitter. On a positive note, I did think it gave the water a kind of silky/slippery feel which may or may not be moisturizing.

CONCLUSION: I wish they could use this scent in a perfume or a home spray. As it is, the strength of the scent and experience leave a lot to be desired. I really love the scent so much that I might give it another chance but right now, I'm counting this one as a dud. I would skip it.

Inside (Bath Bomb cut in half)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at Lush Soho

Hi chickadees!

I stopped by my local Lush (Lush Soho at 529 Broadway b/n Prince St. and Spring St.) because I just couldn't wait until November to see if the Christmas items had started to come in. I chatted a bit with the girls who work there and they told me they've gotten about half of the items they expect to get and the rest should be coming soon. If you'd like to see what they've got in stock right now, keep reading.

Ahh!!! So happy this is finally in. I smelled it and immediately fell in love with it. It's like a breath of fresh air...that is apple-scented. It's so pure and light and feminine. I can't wait to try it and write up a review. If I like it, I might need to run out and stock up on more before they're gone again.

This was the other bath bomb I wanted to try last year but missed out on. I definitely get that cinnamon richness that people have described. Scents like this can go a bit wrong though so I'll be interested to see what happens to the scent when I plop in it my bathtub.

Christmas Eve is back and it has a mustachioed friend. I like the scent of Christmas Eve but when I tried it, I didn't get much impact from it in the bath. The design seems a little different now. I remember the crescent being a different piece on top of the blue before. The mustache bubble bar smelled pretty but faint. I may still end up getting it but $9.95 seems like a bit much. If I ever go to England, I am stocking up on Lush products. 

Close up so you can see the pretty shimmer.

Melting Snowman is supposed to smell like a hot toddy, cloves, and cinnamon. I'm sure other people will love it but it's a bit too much for me. I like a very particular kind of spicy smell. No Leaves candles or any of that. I prefer cinnamon and baked goods. 

Q&A on the Lush Emotional Brilliance Makeup Collection

Hi chickadees,

Here's a quick post paraphrasing the conversation I had my local Soho Lush store about the new Emotional Brilliance Makeup Collection. FleurdeForce has already written a great post detailing her opinion of the products and based off of that, I focused my attention on the lip products in particular. I mainly just went in to ask questions on this visit (I can't find the thing I use to charge my camera, so sadly no pictures of the products in store, though I do have some lip swatches at the very end of a pretty fuchsia lip product they let me try.
Q: Can the products be used all over the face or are there specific products for specific areas of the face?
A: The products can be used for different things but certain products are recommended for certain parts of the face. It is written on the label.

Q: What is the finish of the products?
A: The products have different finishes. Matte, shimmer, etc.

Q: How do you apply the product?
A: Each product comes with a built in applicator but you can also ask for a bunch of applicators when you make your purchase or use your own lip brush, eyeliner brush, etc.

Q: Are the lip products moisturizing and can/should they be used with another product?
A: The lip product is reasonably moisturizing but if you want more moisture you can use a lip balm over the product. It should not smear the color around.

Q: Are the products very pigmented? Can you build up color or sheer products out? (specifically lip color)
A: The products are mostly very pigmented but you can sheer out lip color by using a lip balm.

Q: What is the base of the makeup?
A: The makeup base is mostly wax.
Q: Are the products scented? Do they have a taste?
A: The products should not have a taste or scent. If there is any scent it is probably a very light scent from the rose oil wax used as one of the ingredients.

I found the lip product I tested to be very pigmented and a tiny bit drying for a wet product but reasonably on par with other wax-based lipsticks. Full disclosure, it wasn't a great day for testing because my lips weren't in perfect condition. I like to give products a fair shot by only swatching and testing when my lips are moisturized and there is no peeling, chapping, etc. But my initial impressions were that the lip products are highly pigmented, longwearing, and a bit drying. How longwearing? Well, admittedly I chose a very bold color, but a full day later even though I had wiped most of it off, some pigment still clung to the center of my lips.

SWATCHES

RAVE REVIEW of Lush's Ultimate Shine Shampoo Bar

Now that I have almost completely depleted my bar of Lush's Ultimate Shine Shampoo Bar, I think it's time that I write a review. If you knew me, you'd know that I find it very difficult to use a product that I know I do not like. I will half consciously/half unconsciously let a product sit in my house unused if I've tried it and found it not to my liking. If, say I have a heavily fragranced hand cream that I dislike using on my hands but could just as easily use on other dry patches of skin on my body, I will probably let it sit there until it expires instead of going through the trouble of using it. So when I deplete a shampoo bar that I only need to run over my hair once after a few months, I really like it.

At first, Ultimate Shine and I were not friends. I was extremely skeptical about the capabilities of what appeared to be a smaller than palm-sized round bar of soap that seemed to be composed of little granules. The first time I tried using it, it lathered up impressively and I loved the strong, feminine scent. It was light and creamy like white flowers and creme brulee. (Hey, I've told you I'm terrible at describing scents.) Then, I kind of freaked out. The shampoo had made my hair oddly stiff, impossible to work with, and, well, squeaky. My hair made a very distinct squeaky noise when I ran my hand over it. Panicking slightly, I washed it out with my regular Garnier shampoo and my Garnier conditioner. This restored my hair to its normal texture. I was less than thrilled with this initial experience until I noticed that when my hair dried it seemed shinier. And it was still shiny the second day after washing.

After a while, I developed a routine.
1. Head and Shoulders shampoo for dry scalp
2. Lush Ultimate Shine Shampoo bar- pass it over the hair from scalp to ends once only, lather up, and rinse out, will make hair stiff no matter what
3. Garnier shampoo
4. Garnier conditioner

Results: Soft, shiny hair with volume (my hair is normally dry, dull, and flat)

The people at my Lush kind of lie when you ask them questions and can sometimes give you a hard sell. I have fine, thin hair. I would suggest having another shampoo and a conditioner handy just in case this shampoo bar makes your hair stiff like it does with mine. Once I run out of Ultimate Shine I'm going to switch to another Lush Shampoo Bar just to try it out but I think Lush Ultimate Shine is staying in my routine after that.

Conclusion: I DEFINITELY recommend this product.

Lush Bath Products Round Up

Hi darlings!

So I've been sitting on a bunch of reviews for Lush bath bombs and bubble bars for a long time but I haven't really felt like I've had a lot to say about each one individually. I finally decided to do a round up review of all the bath bombs I've been trying for the last few months in one big Lush Bath Product Review post. Let's get started, shall we?

(Note: in my conclusion I'll wrap up my main points and say that I recommend the product, don't recommend the product or that I'm neutral on the issue.)

TWILIGHT BATH BOMB

With the Twilight bath bomb, I broke up the sphere roughly into halves.

For the initial testing, I used all the broken bits (less than half) of the bath bomb. I found that the blue portion dissolved much more quickly and bubbled up while the pink portion dissolved much more slowly and foamed which made me think that maybe it was more moisturizing. The pink portion of the bath bomb dissolved so slowly that eventually I had to break it up by hand. I don't know if it was a question of there not being enough water to react with the product or some issue with surface area but I don't think it would have continued dissolving if I hadn't done that. I didn't really find that the half of the bath bomb colored the bath water but it dif leave small blue glitter particles which might be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your personal preference. The scent and look of the bath bomb is supposed to be soothing and relaxing to carry you into pleasant dreams. Using half of the bath bomb I didn't find the smell very noticeable in the bath though I could smell it incredibly faintly in my hair as it dried.

Using the rest of the bath bomb for my second testing, I found that it dyed the water a faint dusty purple color and produced a lot of blue glitter. It was pretty but I would be worried about it lingering on my skin. I have never understood the appeal of body glitter and I certainly wouldn't want the glitter to catch in my hair. The blue and pink portions dissolved the same way and the scent of the bath bomb was still not very apparent but I could smell it faintly on my skin after the bath. The good things I can say about this bath bomb are that the water felt luxurious and almost silky (I would guess this was the contribution of the pink portion of the bath bomb) and that it did produce a lovely effect as it dissolved, though it looked less like twilight and more like a dark cloud constellation.

Conclusion: Mild scent, blue glitter, beautiful effect as it dissolves, gives water a silky feel. Neutral.

SEX BOMB

Pros

• a lot of color
• strong smell

Cons

• strong smell
• rose effect

You will like this product is you like the scent of the product and the color pink and don't mind that the main effect is kind of pathetic. Unlike other bath bombs, Sex Bomb produces a lot of color in the bath, dyeing the water an intense magenta pink. It produces a very strong smell in the bath and on your skin and hair after you get out of the tub. However, like all (or at least all of the ones I've tried) Lush bath products, it doesn't stain the tub. You will find the strong scent a pro or a con depending on your personal preference. I used the whole bath bomb for testing because I wanted to see the rose effect but since that was pretty lame, I'd suggest just cutting the bath bomb in half and using it twice so the scent isn't as overwhelming. The effect of this bath bomb is that when it dissolves, it will release a rose trapped in the bath bomb. My rose didn't really bloom. It just popped out of the bath bomb and then floated around limply. It had a sort of jelly-like texture so I didn't understand how the petals could have separated and bloomed anyway.

Conclusion: Intense pink color, strong scent, sad rose. Recommend if you like the scent and color.

DRAGON'S EGG BATH BOMB

I wanted a bit more of a luxurious experience so I used the entire bath bomb for this review instead of just half. And, well, I was still a little disappointed. Lush's Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb turns your bath water a golden/orange color that is incredibly inappealing like urine or silt-filled water but with golden shimmer. The bath bomb dissolves quickly at first and then once it is halfway dissolved it slows down. Eventually I had to break it up into smaller chunks by hand. It foamed up like the Twilight Bath Bomb and gave the water a slippery feel (maybe because the ingredients were basic?). I could not detect a scent when I was in the bath or out of the bath which was incredibly disappointing because the bath bomb had a very pretty and strong scent just as a bath bomb before I plopped it in the water. What I did like was the way it dissolved. This bath bomb dissolves in two parts, kind of like an egg white and yolk so you get a mix of white, orange, and liquid gold that is absolutely gorgeous. Other than that, it didn't seem to dry out or moisturize my skin.

Conclusion: No scent, dissolves prettily, water feels slippery. Do not recommend.

ROSE JAM BUBBLEROON

I adore the scent of these bubbleroons. They look nothing like a macaron but they are very cute nonetheless. I bought two bubbleroons, first using each half separately and then using both halves in the same bath. They break apart very easily. The rose jam bubbleroons have a beautiful light floral scent and are supposed to work the same way as a bubble bar though they feel a lot softer than a traditional bubble bar. You just crumble them under running water and they will create bubbles. (You can also crumble a bit into a container filled with water and transfer the water back and forth between containers but that seems like too much work.

Using only half, the bubbleroon managed to turn the water a milky/cloudy light pink color. It produced a small amount of bubbles but they dissolves ridiculously quickly. I could smell the scent of the bubbleroon on my skin but I couldn't smell it in the bath or in the water. After the bath I could smell the scent faintly in my hair but not on my skin. So overall, that was a disappointment.

Using both halves/the whole of the bubbleroon I was even more disappointed because I thought for sure I would get more of an effect. I still didn't get a lot of bubbles and they were soapy bubbles as opposed to foam bubbles and dissolved very quickly. Again, I could smell the scent of the bubbleroon on my skin but I couldn't smell it in the bath or in the water. After the bath I could smell the scent faintly in my hair but not on my skin.

Conclusion: Love the scent, can't smell it in bath, can smell it in hair after bath, few bubbles. Do not recommend.

AVO BATH BOMB

I cut this one in half to use twice. I found it to be very pigmented. Half of the bath bomb was enough to dye the water in the tub a strong light green color. There was also a decent amount of fragrance so I could smell it faintly in the water and on my skin in the bath. The Avo Bath Bomb smells very clean and fresh. I found it calming and not too intense though it might be different if I used the whole thing. Other than coloring the water and producing some green shimmer/glitter, this bath bomb doesn't have much of an effect. I'd say this is a classier bath bomb. I'd put it in a gift basket for someone not interested in all the frills who just wants a light, refreshing scent.

Conclusion: Dyes water green with green shimmer, light calming fresh scent. Recommend.

REVIEW of Lush's BB Seaweed Mask

Before I get into this product, I feel like I should let you know what my skin is like and my particular skin concerns. I have very dry skin and this winter I find myself plagued by dry patches of flaky skin. Usually I am fairly blemish free excluding one or two stress pimples but I think my heavy duty moisturizer...or something else in my routine...is breaking me out because I have been getting a lot more breakouts on my forehead, cheeks and nose. At the start of using this mask I had quite a few (around 5) large, inflamed zits and a redness around my cheeks and forehead. My skin is generally not oily though so I can't give an opinion on how this product works for people with oily or combination skin.
Overall Impression
I'm not quite sure how I feel about the ratio of price to shelf life to amount of product. Given that you have a short window in which to use the product (about 2 weeks for the container I got) I appreciate that there isn't a ton of product which would go wasted. At the same time, I can think of a lot of things that cost about the same amount which last a great deal longer and which can be used multiple times.

Scent: I don't mind the scent but I don't love it either. It doesn't really smell like seaweed to me, or at least the kinds of seaweed I'm familiar with. It smells more like they tried to mimic the smell of the fresh air at sea with herbs. It's not an assaulting smell but it's definitely present during use and after you've washed the mask off so you should definitely decide if you like the scent before using it.

Texture: The texture of the product is relatively thick like cake batter where the flour isn't fully incorporated or a sludge of wet sand. It is definitely thicker than lotions and masks I've used in the past. There are pieces of seaweed mixed into the batch but I feel like they don't really serve a purpose. They are large pieces so they mainly fall off your face and it seems like they would be more useful incorporated/blended into the product instead of kept in large chunks.

CONCLUSION
I don't detect any major results. I know the website is full of good reviews about a immediate difference but I don't see it. My skin feels soft but then it always feels pretty soft, especially after being rinsed with water. My skin might be marginally less dry but it definitely isn't noticeable and it still has that papery dryness. It wasn't flaky before using this product so I can't say if it would affect flakiness. My blemishes are still present and inflamed though some of the larger ones might be a little less inflamed.

Just applied

Almost dry

Mini Lush HAUL

I dropped by Lush today to smell all the Valentine's Day products I've been hearing about. I didn't really find the mushroom bubble bar (though adorable) or the frog bath bomb very fragrant or terribly appealing but the girl was so nice that I ended up getting some other things instead.

3 products purchased, 1 free sample of Lust soap, 1 sample of moisturizer, 1 sample of cleanser

Free sample of Lust soap which should go nicely with the Lust perfume I already own

In hand (for size comparison)

Small size of Lust perfume (heady and delicious jasmine scent)

Avobath Bath Bomb

Among the other ingredients, Lush says this contains avocado to soften skin, and lemongrass and citrus scents. My nose isn't great at picking out citrus notes but I was immediately drawn to this. It's a mild, pleasant, clean scent. It reminds me of the best clean, almost unisex perfumes.

Cut in half. This took freaking forever. I thought I was going to slice my hand open from exhaustion. This is large bath bomb so I decided to cut it in half to use twice.

Rose jam bubbleroom.

These are tiny and fairly expensive given their size, but I couldn't resist once I felt the texture and got a whiff of the scent. These smell delicious and I hope they'll be more moisturizing that the bath bombs have been so far. I comfort myself with the thought that I spend about as much on these as I do on real macarons (which is what they're based on).

 The bubble bar has a really pretty, delicate but definitely detectable rose scent. It's held together loosely by some kind of paste. I barely had to exert effort to pull the two halves apart.

Twilight bath bomb

If this had anything to do with glittery vampires I would have put it back. Thankfully, it does not because I love the scent of this. Usually I hate lavender, but this is very light and more floral than herbal and musky. The outside is a light pink bath bomb speckled with an irregular yellow pattern.

Mine has a hole in it. I don't know if that's customary. Anyway, the inside of the bath bomb seems to contain a smaller light blue orb. The salesperson told me that together they are supposed to evoke the colors of twilight. Whatever that means. Really, some of these things are a little too high concept.

This was very easy to split open but as you can see, it didn't split evenly. I'm guessing it was because of the layers.

Not the best name in the world. She tried this on me in the store but I wanted to see how it would stand up to real makeup (as opposed to the light foundation she put on my hand). I've never tried a cream cleanser but it wasn't too bad. It feels very light, like a whipped lotion. I massaged it into one eyelid (because my heavy-duty makeup is mainly on my eyes) and it sort of dissolved my eyeshadow and Maybelline gel eyeliner into pigment which got mixed into the cleanser. I didn't really have it on too long and I was careful but it didn't sting my eyes. After everything was dissolved, I wiped it off cleanly with a wet paper towel. Now, a bit of water on a paper towel can remove my eyeshadow but it won't take off my eyeliner or mascara. That was my control. The Ultrabrand cleanser didn't remove my waterproof mascara either. Now, I'd have to try it out with drugstore mascara or even Clinique because Fairydrops kind of has a crazy thick formula that makes the mascara wash off in flakes. Still, I think a good cleanser should be able to remove mascara so I'll keep testing this one.

I also picked up a little container of BB Seaweed Mask (apparently only good until February 13) so I guess I'll be using it pretty frequently over the next few weeks to get 6-8 uses out of it. It's sitting in the refrigerator and I don't want to take it out. I'll probably take pictures for the review.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my haul. Please leave any comments below as always. ;)

REVIEW of Lush's Phoenix Rising

http://www.lush.com/shop/products/bath-shower/bath-bombs/phoenix-rising

      This is probably my favorite of the Lush bath products I've tried so far but that's not saying much. It had a beautifully rich cinnamon and apple scent which made me very happy after realizing I had missed out on Cinders, a holiday scent. Who releases fairytale scents just for the holidays? Fairytales are enjoyable year-round.

        Anyway, I kind of wish I had just left this in my bathroom instead of using it because it made the room smell marvelous. As you can see from the picture, it's a deep purple bath bomb covered in gold glitter. Well, I chose one that was covered in gold glitter. :) The reason I liked this bath bomb was in part because of the scent which was much stronger and more pleasant than the others and because it was more of an experience. It perfumed the bath water more, dyed it a purple/red color and took a good long time to dissolve. The bath bomb is named Phoenix Rising because it initially sinks to the bottom of the bath and then as the center dissolves, it rises to the top of the water. When it rises up, you're left with a hollowed out container that floats with or without water in it. I could try and work out the physics of all of this but I'm sure it's just some nonsense about buoyant forces and density. As it dissolves the color of the bath bomb changes, I'm not sure if the purple is just a surface dye but when it's almost completely dissolved it's a white solid with specks of red, blue, and pink.

       For a pleasant bath experience I think I would recommend this product, though I'm not sure if it would rise if you cut it in half so you might have to use the whole thing at once which I understand is a little expensive. My other issue is that I still don't think these do much for your skin. My skin doesn't feel any softer and it feels a bit drier after using all these Lush products in my baths. I couldn't really smell this one in my hair or on my skin afterwards which was odd considering the fact that the scent was stronger than the other items I used and I used the whole thing instead of half. But that might be a positive for some people. It didn't leave any dye or glitter residue in my tub and probably made it cleaner given the ingredients.

REVIEW of Lush's Rose Queen

I adore the scent of roses. They grew along the side of my childhood home and remind me of sunny, summer birthday parties. Maybe it's because I'm so familiar with the scent of fresh cut roses that I haven't been happy with any of the rose-scented products I've tried. I have a bottle of rose perfume from L'Occitane that just sits in my drawer and I just finished the last of my Rose Queen Bath Bomb from Lush. I chose it because while I wasn't 100% sold on the scent, it was fairly strong which was what I wanted after the barely there scent of the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar. Rose Queen ended up being just another dud.

Pros: Dyes water pink, fizzles and dissolves effectively, strong scent...half was enough to perfume skin and hair after drying
Cons: Flower petals and objects inside are hard and sharp and jab you in the bath. Also, as strong as the scent was it changed over time. It lingers on my hair and skin and has become harsher. You know the abrasive, harsh quality of cigarette smoke or ammonia? It's like that. It's become something murkier and it sort of assaults your nose.
Possible effects: I think it may have dried my skin out instead of softening it.