Lava Lamp Bath Bomb (Including 2016 reformulated version)

When Lush released pictures earlier on in the year showcasing some of their new up and coming bath products, the one that really excited me was Lava Lamp. As the name suggests, this bath bomb is a tribute to those wonderful contraptions that were originally invented back in the 60s, and seem to have maintained their popularity ever since. 

Sporting an orange facade with three circular, purple dots around the sides, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this ballistic is more of a tribute to the psychedelic 60s than the actual lava lamp itself, and you may be right. While I have never owned one myself, I was really excited to see what this beauty could do in the water and settled down to watch the performance.

Made from a combination of orange flower absolute, tangerine and mandarin oils, Lava Lamp is a bright, refreshing and highly fruity creation. Immediately upon removing it from it's bag, I could smell a beautiful and very sweet orangey aroma. In fact, the fragrance it gives off is almost identical to that of Brazilliant Solid Shampoo - a strong but not overly zesty citrus smell that is reminiscent of the orange starburst sweet. 

Probably the most important ingredient featured here though is the extra virgin olive oil. This is what works alongside the sodium bicarbonate and all of the other elements that make up this bath bomb, to create that intended 'lava lamp effect' across the surface of the water.
   

As soon as you pop this ballistic into the bath, it begins to fizz noisily and spew out a tide of orange colour across the tub. As the bath bomb dissolves, the three purple discs that have been held in place, break away and begin to release streams of oil that writhes and dances on the surface of the water. This oil splits into smaller puddles and tiny specks and creates a stunning display of colour that is reminiscent of the very product that this bomb is trying to replicate. 

What is particularly impressive is that some of the oil swirls around underneath the surface - occasionally rising up and creating little pockets of air that burst like bubbles. Whether this last feat was intentional or not, the effect is beautiful and definitely made the experience that little bit more impressive.

Once in the bath, the fragrance of Lava Lamp remains prominent throughout the entire experience. In fact, I was really impressed with how strong the aroma was and would definitely say that it's one of Lush's longer-lasting bath bombs. Furthermore, the scent remained on my skin for hours after I had left the tub and I could smell the wonderful orange scent every time I walked past the bathroom.

As you would expect, this bath bomb is also incredibly nourishing on the body. With all of the added olive oil, this is an experience that will cleanse and moisturise your skin and leave you feeling like a shiny new penny. The citrus oils in particular are a great addition to this ballistic and I can see this being a very popular choice in the warmer months, especially if your skin is feeling dry or damaged after a day out in the sun. 

Unfortunately, the amount of oils present in this product means that it creates a rather messy experience in the tub. Firstly, the purple oils tend to get on your skin and it can take some serious scrubbing to remove this before you exit the bath. Most notably, these puddles of oils also stain the sides of your tub, and as you can see from my pictures, it does make quite a mess that needs cleaning up afterwards. 

This latter problem is unfortunate as I would have probably awarded Lava Lamp full marks due to how amazing it looks and smells, and how soft and nourishing it makes the water once you're immersed in it. I will definitely use this product again but next time I'll probably only use half as while the performance is stunning to observe, it's definitely not worth the aftermath.   

Since the reformulated version has been released, I have noticed that the bath bomb is not as messy or as likely to stain as the original. While the ballistic still leaves puddles of purple oils on the surface of the tub, and they do tend to paint the sides of your bath tub, they are very easy to wipe off and nothing was stained after using one of these. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Perfume, Cupuacu Butter (Theobroma grandiflorum), Water (Aqua), Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Aurantium amara), Tangerine Oil (Citrus reticulata), Sicilian Mandarin Oil (Citrus Nobilis), Limonene, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides & PEG-60 Almond Glyerides, Colour 19140, Colour 60725.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £3.35 each.

2015 Price: £3.45 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.

Scent Family:

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