Want To Believe Bath Melt

Back when I would spend my entire monthly salary on eBay 'bargains', I never filtered what I would and would not invest in. Therefore, I found myself quite quickly building up a collection of, what I can only describe as relics: products that were clearly passed their best, but still excited me enough that I wanted them in my life.

One of those less than perfect items was the interesting-looking Want To Believe Bath Melt - which isn't the most attractive product to begin with, so you can only imagine what they would look like 3-4 years past their best before. To say that they were a royal flop in the bath is an understatement. Having said that, I actually quite enjoyed the unique idea behind the bath melt, and was a little disappointed when I couldn't give it any more than an embarrassing one-bottle rating.

When Lush released them in the Kitchen in late 2016, I was really excited to finally discover how a fresh one would function in the bath, and how the fragrance would fare on the skin. Having already had a lot of positive experiences with products that feature charcoal, I was expecting quite a lot from this item, and I can honestly say that I was impressed with the outcome.  

Taken from the idea of naughty children getting coal in their Christmas stockings, this bath melt is for those who haven't quite made Santa's 'nice' list this year. Packed with an array of ingredients to soften and replenish the skin, this seasonal treat is a gift that keeps on giving.

Firstly, the inclusion of charcoal makes this far more effective than most of the other Lush bath melts that I have tried before. Not only is charcoal known for drawing out toxins and bacteria from the skin, it is also great at balancing out oily skin and leaving it looking radiant without any excess grease. Although I have dry skin, I did notice that my complexion looked and felt far more radiant within a short while of being in the bath. In fact, my face felt noticeably smoother and more radiant for a good 24 hours after I had used one of these. 

Alongside the charcoal is fennel oil, which is not only one of the key components in the overall smell, but also uses its antiseptic properties in the water to calm and clean the skin while you're bathing. Furthermore, the soya milk softens the water and offers a creamy respite in the tub, while the cocoa butter and starflower oil, which evidently is known for its anti-aging properties, only adds to the experience, and ultimately makes this a feast for the skin.    

Described as having a liquorice scent, Want To Believe offers quite a dry, aniseed-like smell. Yes there is the fennel element present, and you get a slight sweetness from the starflower oil. However, the charcoal does play a part at grounding the scent - which is rather gentle to begin with, need I say, and giving it an almost powdery fragrance. In addition, the inclusion of the granulated sugar adds a gentle syrup-like note to the bath melt, which is lovely.

Despite the black attire, this bath melt is a real softy at heart, and I was thrilled to see how much of an impression it made in the water. Within a matter of seconds, the bath melt was dissolving across the tub - sending out both swirls of creamy white foam and glistening flecks of black and silver lustre. It certainly wasn't the most interesting of experiences to watch, but it was something very different, and I appreciated that.

While I used the whole melt in a single bath, this would easily last across two or three, if you wanted to stretch your money a little further. Given how silky-smooth the water was after using an entire one, I can safely say that you'll definitely get the full-body moisturising session you're craving, using only half of this. In fact, if you don't enjoy baths that are too nourishing and silky, you may wish to segment this bad boy to prevent disappointment. 

Although no one wants a piece of coal in their Christmas stocking, I would happy to have a handful of these in mine. Despite being very different from the usual fruity bath oils/melts that Lush pride themselves on, I really appreciated how well this worked in the water. It may not have a fragrance that will bowl you over, but it does have enough butters to leave your winter-kissed skin soft and ready to face the day ahead.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, PEG–6 Caprylic / Capric Glycerides & PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, White Granulated Sugar, Perfume, Cold Pressed Organic Starflower Oil, Powdered Charcoal, Fennel Oil, Soya Milk, *Limonene, Silver Glimmer Lustre.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.75 each.

Year Of Original Release: ?