Ice Hotel Bubble Bar

While I love the concept of the Lush Kitchen, and I obviously invest a lot of money into their wonderful products, there are times when the magic is lost a little when recreating some of Lush's older products. Although the smell and initial appearance may bowl you over when it comes to first impressions, the stories behind some of the company's retro creations are sometimes lost in translation. Such is the case with this bubble bar.

As the name suggest, Ice Hotel was originally more than just a product to crumble under some running water. Inspired by the famous sculpted hotel in Sweden, this limited edition is one of Lush's few bubble bars that had to be carved off like you would expect them with a piece of soap. These gorgeous creations were available for a short amount of time in stores, where you could buy as little or as much as you wanted. 

Containing a strange collaboration of lavender and mint, I wasn't expecting to appreciate the fragrance as much as I ended up doing. There is something rather refreshing and almost uplifting about the scent of this bubble bar, while it also retains a certain number of comforting qualities as well.

To describe the scent in a way that most Lush fans would be able to recognise, I will start by stating that this bubble bar smells like a combination of Dream On Bath Bomb and Freeze Shower Gel. While the mint is perhaps a little more dominant in the overall scent, there is definitely a pronounced lavender note present as well.

This thread of lavender is a very herbal one, so don't expect it to mimic the rich, sweet undertones of Twilight, or even the more powdery, floral properties of French Kiss. Instead, the natural lavender smell adds a light but very calming floral component, while the mint is cooling as well as refreshing. Together, both ingredients work together in an odd but successful pairing, and are the perfect bathing companions in the warmer months of the year.

To look at from afar, Ice Hotel isn't exactly the most eye-catching of bubble bars. Even up close, I cannot say that I was bowled over by the gentle, iridescent shade of artic silver that it comes in. While the indented window was definitely a sweet touch to give it some character, I can see why consumers would opt for other, more colourful variations over this one.

Even in the tub, the lack of any colour in the water would probably deter a lot of people from wanting to invest in more than one of these gems. However, what it lacks in character, it more than makes up for in productivity. For starters, this bubble bar produced a lot of bubbles, and these bubbles stayed present for the most part of my experience. 

Secondly, the water was super-softening, even when I opted to use only half of the product in a single go. I was amazed by how quickly my skin began to feel silky-soft while I was bathing, and the effects of this lasted a good many hours after I had exited the tub. Finally, the fragrance was very much present throughout the whole experience, and I was able to detect gentle hints of both lavender and peppermint on my skin for a short while afterwards. 

Whether it was the physical or phycological effects of the peppermint oil, my skin still felt really refreshed after bathing in the waters of Ice Hotel. Much like Christingle does to the body, this bubble bar felt really cooling on the skin, and it would be the perfect choice to use after being exposed to the heat all day. While the lack of presentation was an initial barrier for me, I would happily use this again - after a hot day on the beach, or after a particularly sweaty session at the gym.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Bicarbonate, Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax benzoin), Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Perfume, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2004.