Despite the sun still shining gloriously outside of my window, there was something about the idea of a comforting bath that led me into having one for the first time in months. While self care is incredibly important, I've had neither the mental capacity or the practical means to actually have a bath, even if I wanted to - making this particular experience extremely special. I can honestly say that there is something incredibly magical about this release and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction back into the world of Lush.
Santa’s Grotto is a brand new bath bomb featured in Lush's 2019 Christmas range, and was made available earlier for the select few hundred consumers who were able to buy the company's limited edition advent calendar before it sold out.
Offering a fragrance that I wouldn't describe as being strictly festive, this limited edition is one of those wonderful bombs designed to compliment the winter weather as opposed to being 'too Christmassy.' However, I should probably point out that the scent of this bomb is definitely more of an acquired taste, and definitely not suitable for anyone who dislikes heady smells. This one will stick to your nose and your bathroom like an overly loyal dog.
Sporting a pastel green design, Santa's Grotto offers beautiful, chunky pieces of sea salt on top, some of which have been coloured a sparkly golden colour to add a beautiful glimmer. Alongside this, little rocks of red popping candy have been embedded in the surface to add an extra feature to marvel.
Featuring a combination of everlasting flower absolute, ylang ylang and tagetes, the scent of this bath bomb is quite difficult to describe, and certainly doesn't do it justice at all when I do so. What I will say is that despite other descriptions, I do detect quite a distinctive floral aroma. It's very powdery and heady and features both a herbal twist that deepens and intensifies the fragrance of the everlasting flower, and a slightly grassy edge that gives it more of a 'green' feel as well.
Despite there being nothing in the ingredients list to suggest where it comes from, there is also something naturally sweet and almost citrus-like about this smell as well. It's almost as if the ylang ylang has been turned up a notch in this bath bomb which clashes slightly with the other components. However, there is something about these different components that just work.
While my description might seem rather negative, I actually happen to love the scent of Santa's Grotto. It's definitely not the smell you would expect from the name of the product, and I actually think it's shame that the name will prevent it from becoming a permanent feature in shops. Fans of outdoorsy types of smells will probably really appreciate this release.
As if the design and smell weren't gorgeous enough, this wonderful bath bomb begins to fizz and crackle as soon as it hits the water. Very quickly Santa's Grotto fills the tub with a stunning shade of turquoise colour, with streams of mauve exploding from its centre to offer a wonderful visual display.
Once the bath bomb has fully dissolved, you're left with a gorgeous shade of water that features a light dash of silver lustre sparkling under the surface. Not only this but the inclusion of the salt makes the water extremely moisturising, and it only took a matter of minutes for me to notice a huge difference with the condition of my skin. In addition, the scent lingered throughout the whole experience and stayed on my skin for a good while afterwards.
This is one of those bath bombs that offers you everything you could want: a strong, robust smell; a beautiful display of colour in the water; and nourishing qualities that will leave you feeling like a new person. While I think this bath bomb will divide the Lush community like Marmite does, I happen to think there is something rather special about this release, and I would love to experience this again before the end of the year.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Coarse Sea Salt, Extra Large Sea Salt, Popping Candy, Everlasting Flower Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Tagetes Oil, Cream of Tartar, Cornstarch, Titanium Dioxide, Water (Aqua), Sodium Coco Sulfate, Dipropylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Cocamidopropyl, Betaine, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Silica Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 42090:2, Colour 19140:1, Colour 77491, Colour 15850:1, Colour 45410:1, Colour 42090.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £?.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
coming soon!
If you're not already aware, face wipes in all of their many formats are one of the biggest polluters of our beaches, with scientists concerned that they may also be contaminating our waters and the environment with their synthetic and very harmful ingredients.
Due to their plastic-based composition they can’t be recycled or flushed away. They won’t rot or break down. Instead they’ll continue to clog water systems, with facial wipes making up 93% of the material found in sewer blockages, according to Water UK.
As environmentally conscious as they are, product inventor Helen Ambrosen and product inventor Gary Shears set about creating a Lush product that would eradicate the need for these wipes altogether: creating something so pioneering that it will only be a matter of time before other companies follow suit. Unfortunately, this product seems to have been pushed aside because of the sheer volume of other items being released at the same time, which is a shame because my experience using 7 to 3 Naked Cleansing Wipes has been nothing but incredible.
Frsitly, what is great about this brand new invention is that it shares its scent, and its benefits with one of my all time favourite Lush creations: 9 to 5 Facial Cleaner. Featuring a fresh dove infusion as the key ingredient, these little circular pads offer a delicate but rather pretty floral aroma: a spot on replica of the original bottled version. And much like the aforementioned classic, these little wipes are equally as versatile.
Firstly, they can be used to remove make up, and they work exceptionally well at doing this without the need to scrub your face red-raw in the process. As they feature a cannellini bean base, there is also a gentle exfoliation when you massage 7 To 3 across your face - which removes excess dirt and grease. Clarifying fresh dove orchid infusion works at calming the skins and reducing any redness present, while the carrageenan nourishes the skin and leaves it feeling super smooth and soft.
To use, you need to dampen your face with a little warm water and then run the pad across your skin until you have the desired amount of product. Then simply rinse your face with water and pat it down to finish the process. What you find is that your skin feels instantly plumper, more radiant, and definitely far smoother than it was a few minutes before.
You will notice that there is a smoother side to the pad and a coarser side, due to the cannellini beans being present. This gives you the freedom to choose which side you use at any given time, which is an added bonus for a product so very small to begin with.
The only downside to these wipes is that they hold a short shelf life, and Lush recommend that after a handful of uses the pads will disintegrate and will need to be replaced. While only £2 each, this still appears rather expensive when compared to how many months it can take me to get through a regular-sized bottle of 9 to 5. However, it is really easy to get around this short shelf life.
After experimenting over the space of a month, I found that the pad can easily last a good six to eight weeks, with daily use, and here's how I did it. I would suggest that you cut your pad into eight smaller pieces and store the remaining pieces until you need to replace the one you have. Then simply use one of the pieces across the space of a week (or two) and then replace it when you feel you need to. Using it this way made 7 To 3 Naked Cleansing Wipes an absolute steal of a price, and perhaps the best value for money product that Lush have ever created.
Aside from the price, these cleansing wipes work wonders at instantly rejuvenating your skin; removing make up with very little fuss; and leaving your complexion feeling and looking far more radiant in the space of a few seconds. Given the nature of their design, they are also super easy to transport around when you are travelling, and they're not a problem to store in between uses, so you don't have to worry about any sticky mess being created at the side of your sink.
After using this across the last month, it has become a staple in my household, and myself and my partner use it almost every day. For the price of half a coffee, you can enjoy wonderfully smooth and radiant skin, without the worry that your actions are causing any environmental damage.
Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Dove Orchid Infusion, Talc, Glycerine, Sodium, Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Propylene Glycol, Ground Cannellini Beans, Carrageenan Extract, Everlasting Flower Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional Cinnamyl, Alcohol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, *Linalool, Perfume.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £2 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
UP
Santa’s Grotto is a brand new bath bomb featured in Lush's 2019 Christmas range, and was made available earlier for the select few hundred consumers who were able to buy the company's limited edition advent calendar before it sold out. 
Featuring a combination of everlasting flower absolute, ylang ylang and tagetes, the scent of this bath bomb is quite difficult to describe, and certainly doesn't do it justice at all when I do so. What I will say is that despite other descriptions, I do detect quite a distinctive floral aroma. It's very powdery and heady and features both a herbal twist that deepens and intensifies the fragrance of the everlasting flower, and a slightly grassy edge that gives it more of a 'green' feel as well.
As if the design and smell weren't gorgeous enough, this wonderful bath bomb begins to fizz and crackle as soon as it hits the water. Very quickly Santa's Grotto fills the tub with a stunning shade of turquoise colour, with streams of mauve exploding from its centre to offer a wonderful visual display.
