Northern Lights Ballistic

I can't say that I was particularly enamoured by this ballistic when Lush first showcased this and The Sparkler last month. While it sports a pretty purple coloured design, and the sprinkling of stars across the surface does make it a fairly attractive product, it just doesn't have the 'wow factor' that I would normally look for in a bath bomb. 

In fact, Northern Lights looks like a slightly more elongated version of Lush's FUN bars, which initially didn't incite a huge amount of excitement from me. It was only when I realised that the ballistic shares it's scent with the wonderful Christmas Eve Bubble Bar, that I began to warm to the idea of this product a little more. 

One of two new ballistics in this year's Halloween range, Northern Lights' design is centred around the theme of magic - the bath bomb shaped to represent a mystical, mythical magic wand. Unfortunately, this product seems to be particularly fragile and breaks really easily - meaning that I ended up with all three of mine breaking during the transit from factory to my house. This is a product that needs to be handled with particular care.

You only have to peel the wrapper back before you're engulfed with a wonderfully sensual and slightly powdery floral smell. Unlike the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar, this bath bomb is slightly stronger and more heady - yet it's not so overpowering that it takes away from the gentle nature of the original fragrance. 

While my friend describes it as an 'old lady smell', there is something rather modern and almost youthful about this combination of ylang ylang and jasmine. It's a very comforting smell, and reminds me slightly of the bubble bath I used to use as a child. Although it wouldn't win any awards for the complexity of the scent, there's something rather wonderful about the simplicity of the fragrance.

What is most impressive about this bath bomb is how it performs in the tub. As soon as it hits the water, it begins to froth and foam and produce a stunning trail of creamy purple suds. As Northern Lights continues to slowly dissolve on the surface of the water, it offers you a spectacular array of yellows, blues and greens - all of which fill the tub with a gorgeous coloured display that the consumer will no doubt enjoy. 

It takes a good five minutes for the ballistic to completely dissolve and there's something rather magical about the patterns and swirls that you're left with. It definitely lives up to its name, and while a bath bomb cannot replace visiting Norway and seeing the real thing, it does offer a great experience for those who simply want an interesting bathing experience. 

Once the foam has dispersed across the tub, the water remains a vivid purple colour. The aroma also remains rather pungent throughout your experience and I found that I could still smell it on myself and in the bathroom for the rest of the day. 

While the combination of jasmine and ylang ylang made it a really relaxing experience, and one that actually helped to dispel a headache that was threatening to erupt at the time, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a very soft bath at all. I recognise that a lot of Lush bath bombs tend to be less moisturising than their bubble bar counterparts, but this one was not very nourishing at all and I found that I had to moisturise afterwards. 

Despite this, I can see Northern Lights being a very popular product this year. While there are a couple of improvements that could be made, I would happily buy this again - albeit in my local store so I can make sure they're not damaged before being used. Go and grab yourself one of these bad boys - I can guarantee you'll have a magical bathing experience if you do. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Linalool, Limonene, Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Lilial, Colour 45410, Colour 42090, Colour 59040, White Edible Stars. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.95 each.

Scent Family:

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar

Northern Nights Ballistic

Updated Northern Lights Ballistic

Santa FUN