All Things Lush UK: Flutterby Bubble Bar

As an outsider, I often wonder what motivates Lush to redesign/repackage certain scents, and why some fragrances seem to slip off the face of the earth, only to reappear years later and completely dominate everything that Lush release after this point, for a while. Obviously, profit comes into play here - I consider myself fairly intelligent to know that sales, supply and demand, and brand longevity all play their part in this process.

However, that's almost my point - where does this consumer demand come from? Messages on social media platforms, in-store conversations, emails and calls, may run up in their thousands, but I doubt if very many reach a status that would encourage Lush to actually act upon it. While the Kitchen may heed to slightly different protocol, as they're only talking a couple of thousand products that would need shifting, it's unlikely that a handful of consumers would have any sort of influence over a national release.

So my questions still stands - what governs Lush's decision to focus on particular products/fragrances? Is it just the guarantee of consumer loyalty and the quality of their products? Is there some degree of trial and error taking place? Or is there a far more complex process taking place 'behind the scenes?'.

I only ask because this year's Mothers' Day range has a very obvious theme running through the products. Yummy Mummy Shower Cream, Flutterby Bubble Bar and the impending Roller Bath Bomb all share the same scent it seems, although there are obviously some minor differences between the formats as you would expect. And while not all released at the same time, the introduction of Peeping Santa Bubbleroon last Christmas, Drummers Drumming the year before, and last year's Mothers' Day being equally saturated with the fragrance, suggests that there must be some sort of guiding factor notifying Lush that the consumer clearly wants more Yummy Mummy!

Out of the above bath products, this would probably sit in joint first place with Peeping Santa Bubbleroon. The reason for this is simple - not only is this a very visually pleasing bubble bar to behold, but the fragrance it offers is impeccable. Along with the supporting shower cream, Lush have really gone all out on ensuring that the original Yummy Yummy Yummy scent is preserved in these new releases this year.

Annoyingly, this is an Oxford Street exclusive - which is fine for me because I have easy access to the store, but not so much for the thousands of fans across the globe that are unable to make a visit. For a bubble bar that looks and smells as amazing as it does, this is something that I believe should have been shared around, and would definitely be a very popular seller if it was part of the normal range. For those desperate to get their hands on this, I do believe it is coming out in the Kitchen in a couple of weeks time, so keep your eyes peeled for this announcement.

In simple terms, this year's release is far fruitier, and plays homage to the aforementioned original shower gel a lot more closely than last year's version. In the bottle, Yummy Mummy Shower Cream offers up a strong, robust collaboration of fruit and floral - a creamy, decadent pairing that smells like a rich man's strawberries and cream.

This bubble bar is a deliciously sweet and fruity collaboration - one that'll have your mouth salivating upon immediate contact. To me, it smells of homemade strawberry meringue - a layer of double cream sandwiched between fluffy sugary vanilla shells, topped with freshly-picked strawberries and finished off with light drizzle of caramel sauce.

While the bubble bar contains geranium in the ingredients list, and you can definitely detect a gentle floral aroma alongside the sweeter elements, this bubble bar is not as musky as previous Yummy Mummy offerings, and instead it is more of an afterthought - the strawberry note is definitely more prominent in this than in older members of this scent family.

On the bigger side, Flutterby will definitely last you through two to three luxurious baths - producing a generous helping of fragrant bubbles and turning the water into baby pink haven of colour. While the bubbles don't all remain until the very end, there is enough here to cocoon you in a warm blanket during your experience, and the fragrance remains as defined and as beautiful throughout.

Although not as moisturising as some of the other bubble bars I have tried recently, it is still really softening, and will leave you with smooth, supple-feeling skin. Disappointingly, I didn't find that much of a scent was left on my body afterwards, although I was able to top up with a coat of Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar to keep the smell lingering for as long as possible.

Overall, this would make a great addition to the regular range, and I think it's a bit detrimental to release such a wonderful product for such a short period of time. I will definitely be stocking up on a few more of these before they're discontinued - they'd make a great addition to an array of different cocktails, and would work equally well in the summer months.

Quantitative Ingredients: ?

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2016.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Olibanum Oil, Bergamot Oil, Geranium Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 45350, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2014 Price: £5.25.

Scent Family: