Dashing Santa Ballistic

When Lush announced that Father Christmas would be coming back, I was really happy as I had recently used up my last one, and given that I consider it to be one of my favourite bath bombs, I was looking forward to stocking up for the year ahead. However, my excitement was quickly dashed when I realised that it would be coming back with a different scent this year. 

While I was initially upset by this, my annoyance temporarily diminished when I found out that Lush would be bring out Dashing Santa - a new ballistic to look at, but one that shares its scent with an old favourite, Satsumo Santa. 

This quirky little bath bomb is not as large as a regular ballistic - coming in at a size similar to that of the Snow Angel Bath Melt, but it's compact enough to make an impression in the tub. 

Packed full of bergamot and mandarin oil, as well as orange flower absolute, this bath companion is a zesty offering for those of us who love our citrus scents. However, unlike Avobath or Dragon's Egg, this ballistic is not as tart and 'in-your-face'. While I won't say it smells identical to Golden Wonder, it does remind me of this scent a little as it's quite a gentle, orangey aroma. 

Lush describe its smell as a 'cheerful and uplifting scent of satsumas' and for the most part, I agree with this statement. I would just add that I think this scent is more like mandarin sherbet than a ripened satsuma, as it does't have that element of bitterness that the fruit would naturally have. 

For a name like Dashing Santa, you would expect a fast dissolving ballistic. Instead, this bath bomb takes almost ten minutes to fully dissolve, and it's a very wonderful and therapeutic experience to watch it as it gets to work. As it hits the water, it begins to foam and froth and spew out mounds of white and red velvet across the surface of the tub. Minutes in, the water reaches the golden edges of his boots and sack, and this is when you begin to see the beautiful patter of golden lustre weave trails of radiance across the bath water. Once the bath bomb has fully dissolved, you are left with a thin layer of white silk on the surface, which looks very much like a blanket of snow.

Although the bath bomb is not as strong as other Christmas ballistics, I was hoping that the heat from the water would elevate the fragrance somewhat. Unfortunately, the scent disperses quite quickly in the water and you're left with a rather weak smell that has been diluted too far to really be appreciated.

While Dashing Santa is perhaps my favourite smelling Christmas product in the packet, it's probably my least favourite when it comes to being used. While I did feel soft and well-pampered after I had left the bath, not to mention feeling uplifted and refreshed, this is probably to do with the other products I used in the bath rather than this ballistic itself.

Although I love this scent enough to have bought a few of these, it's not one I will be stocking up on and not one I would purchase again. The fact that Lush have so many amazing products this year, really shows up this ballistic's weakness, which is a shame as it started off with so much promise.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Cream of Tartar, Titanium Dioxide, Mandarin Oil, Bergamot Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Water (Aqua), Perfume, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, Snowflake Lustre, Radiant Gold Lustre, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes

2015 Price: £2.95 each.

Scent Family: 

Dashing Santa Bath Bomb

Santa's Postbox Soap

Satsuma Bath Bomb

Satsumo Bath Bomb