Thundersnow Bath Bomb

Gone are the days when you can just waltz into a store and discover a new bath bomb for the very first time. The last couple of years have seen Lush move away from merely bringing out a handful of seasonal products every couple of months. Instead, the company are now all about exclusivity, as well as innovation. Bath bombs are usually introduced in limited edition batches - at key events or flagship stores, and nobody is ever really sure about whether or not they will ever make a public release, until they do. 

Thundersnow Bath Bomb made its debut at the Lush Summit event between the 8th and 9th of February, 2017. Sporting a mesmerising green and blue striped coat, this is the product that I found myself gravitating towards as soon as I caught sight of the limited edition products. Described as being a storm of peppermint and cocoa, this beautiful item stole my heart immediately, and I couldn't wait to get home and try it out for myself in the tub.

What I noticed straight away about this ballistic is that it appears to be slightly heavier than the average bath bomb that Lush offer. The reason for that, I believe, is the inclusion of both the cocoa absolute and the popping candy that feature inside this limited edition. The former ingredient especially, makes this product very compacted and rather dense, and I worried that perhaps it wouldn't be a bath bomb that would be able to stay afloat in the water.

Whatever the inspiration behind Thundersnow, there is no denying that this bath bomb offers a beautiful combination of smells. The peppermint oil is surprisingly gentle on the senses - it's not as cooling or as potent as it is in something like Intergalactic. In a way, it almost takes a back seat in this product - allowing the creamy elements of the cocoa absolute to come forward. You can definitely detect the peppermint from the get-go, and it helps to make this bath bomb as refreshing and as clarifying as you can imagine it being. However, it it far gentler, and a little more like Abominaball in the sense that the mint is blanketed by the creamier elements featured.

Alongside the mint, and easily the strongest note overall, is the cocoa absolute. This rich, slightly burnt component is what makes me salivate each and every time I raise one of these bath bombs to my nose. Whereas I was expecting the usual buttery, creaminess of the absolute to come through, I was surprised to find that instead you get an intense, rather powdery, and very rich chocolately smell. In a way, it smells very much like the cocoa absolute has been roasted slightly, and there's a subtle twinge of bitterness that helps to make this bath bomb one of decadence and opulence. 

In the water, this bath bomb is in its element - brewing up a storm of colour and smell that will entice even the stubbornest of winter bodies to enjoy its warmth. To begin with, it fizzes and froths across the surface, sending out thick, fluffy waves of green and blue into the water and turning the tub into a rich haven of turquoise. What is great about this bath bomb is that it spins violently across the water, so it really does look like an icy storm is being replicated in your tub. Furthermore, the featured popping candy begins to crackle and pop under the surface, and just adds those much-needed sound effects to make this bath bomb a well-rounded sensory experience.

Once Thundersnow has shed the outer layer, it settles down and begins to project a thick blanket of white foam across the surface. This is obviously where it gets its name from, and combined with the green and blue colour already present, creates beautiful swirls of colour and fragrance for the user to enjoy. This latter part of the experience continues for a long while as the bath bomb takes a good 10 - 15 minutes to fully dissolve. For this reason, I would recommend that you submerge yourself below the blanket of chocolately, minty goodness at this stage, and enjoy the show from your front row seat.

While I wouldn't say that this bath bomb is anywhere near as strong as the aforementioned Abominaball or Intergalactic, it does retain its scent in the water, and leaves you feeling clean, refreshed and silky-smooth. The inclusion of the cocoa absolute means that the ballistic is a little softer than some of Lush's other bath bombs, and I was impressed to find that my skin felt and looked really radiant after I had towelled myself down.

Finally, I could detect a subtle hint of the scent on my skin afterwards, but I wouldn't say that it was anything to write home about. However, the bath bomb was great at helping me to unwind whilst clearing my head, and I can see this being a favourite of mine in the warmer months, when I'm looking for something a little lighter and more refreshing to use in my bath.   

Rumours are circulating that this will be making its way into Oxford Street in the near future, with the potential of it being a worldwide release soon after. I really hope for the sake of Lush fans across the globe that it does, as I feel this is too good a product to be made in such small batches. Thundersnow is definitely one of the highlights for me from this year's Lush Summit event, and a bath bomb that I will pick up regularly if it makes its way into shops.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Popping Candy, Perfume, Cream Of Tartar, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract, Cocoa Absolute, Peppermint Oil, Limonene, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Lauryl Betaine, Colour 42090, Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.25 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.