Hollywood Bubble Bar

There are times when products epitomise the very essence of their name - when you can look at the bath bomb or bubble bar and understand how or why Lush have chosen to call it what they have. And then there are odd moments when you wonder what the company were thinking when they decided to gift such a title to something unworthy or just downright odd. 

Hollywood Bubble Bar is one such product that stumped me when they first arrived in the post. When I picture Hollywood, I imagine the glamour; the colours; the lights; the excitement - nothing that this plain white bubble bar seemed to epitomise physically. While I understand that the fragrance itself is very reminiscent of the 1950s, and definitely in-keeping with the glamorous theme, I’ve yet to figure out why Lush didn’t throw in some much-needed colour and lustre to give this bubble bar a little more vigour.

Sharing its scent with the Fever range, Hollywood contains a heady combination of rose, jasmine and sandalwood. Potion Body Lotion, Almond Kisses Facial Moisturiser and Ruby Red Slippers are just three of the many products that possess the same smell, although you’ll have to be patient as not one of these are available regularly to buy in stores nowadays.

This is definitely a floral scent with a heavy kick to it, and there is something very old-fashioned about the fragrance that will either entice or deter consumers from loving the combination. The rose absolute offers a strong, musky sweet layer that encompasses the rich, floral fragrance that you can smell immediately upon taking one of these bars out of the packet. The jasmine interlaces itself around the rose and adds to the sweet hit natural cloudy floral aroma; the inclusion of the sandalwood grounds all three note and offers a wholesome but very musty floral aroma. 

While the design didn’t exactly immediately bowl me over to look at, I was really impressed by just how soft the bubble bar is to use. I only had to press down gently and the bar crumbled between my fingers. This was a sure sign of what I could expect in the bath because Hollywood created an impressive mound of thick, fluffy bubbles and the water was incredibly soft.

Although the product wouldn’t win any awards for its lack of colour in the water, this is a great bubble bar to use in the winter months - as your skin will feel silky-smooth and velvety after bathing with one of these. Furthermore, the sweet, floral fragrance will linger on your skin for a while afterwards - offering you a winter hug that you’ll want to experience again and again. 

As there is an absence of colour with this bubble bar, you may wish to use a Bath Bomb alongside it. Not only will you get a much richer and far more fragrant experience, but the scent of Hollywood is strong enough that it won’t get lost behind another product. To conserve your products, you may also wish to break this Bubble Bar in half and use it across two baths. The aroma is just as strong if you decide to do this, and you don’t lose any of its moisturising properties in the process.

While the bubble bar may not look like it's come from Hollywood, you sure feel like royalty after using one of these. If you love this scent family, you’ll want to get your hands on some of these when the opportunity next arises, and although I wouldn’t rush out to buy any more, any time soon, I will definitely be enjoying the many I have stashed away for the future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Titanium Dioxide, Cocamide DEA, Perfume, Rose absolute, Jasmine absolute, Sandalwood oil, Candy Star. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £3.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2004.