GRL Power Bubble Bar

It's strange to think that I was only nine when the Spice Girls broke out onto the scene, because I still remember so vividly how much they changed my life. Suddenly, I had a project to focus all of my attention on: I had other females who I found myself looking up to and modelling my behaviour on: and I can never forget the buzz that they generated and instilled in my peer groups, for years to come. 

So when I saw GRL Power Bubble Bar featured in this year's Mother's Day range, my immediate reaction was to try and remember what the 90's smelt like to me - a task that proved impossible, given my selective memory. What I will say is that this limited edition bubble bar doesn't hold a fragrance like anything I remember about that period in my life, but it definitely made an impression on me nevertheless. 

Sharing its scent with last year's Princess Bomb Bomb Bath Bomb, this bubble bar is very far removed from the fruity aroma that you may have assumed it would hold given its vivid design. Instead, GRL Power has a delicate and very light floral aroma, with just a touch of woodiness to round the fragrance off.

Similar to the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar from a few years ago, this limited edition is far from offensive, and I honestly cannot imagine anyone saying that they dislike it, aside from perhaps finding it a little boring. This is for consumers who want a gentle scent with their warm water: one that holds a lasting impression in the water, but one that equally doesn't cloud the senses.

The smell to my nose is a wonderfully sweet, floral aroma – one that combines the bergamot, cedarwood and ylang ylang together so delicately and beautifully.  Together, these three components create a fragrance that is slightly powdery, slightly musky, sweet but natural, and one that is subtle yet makes a strong enough impression in the bath tub. What I will say is that I actually preferred the scent of this in the bubble bar format, as I found it a little more robust, as well as being more pronounced in the water, so I was able to appreciate each component more.

It was a little stubborn to crumble under the tap, but once its exposed to water it tends to soften a little. Once you've crumbled all or part of the bubble bar, the aroma engulfs the bathroom for hours, without being at all overbearing. You can detect the scent for the entirety of the time you remain in the tub, and there are even remnants left on your skin and afterwards. Furthermore, the water is beautifully sultry and silky, and left my skin feeling replenished and super healthy afterwards.

Given its size, GRL Power will easily stretch across four separate baths, making it good value for money. Furthermore, the bubble bar will turn the water a gentle shade of translucent purple, although you may wish to add a bath bomb if you want a more vivid colour to bathe in.

After using a piece of this, I enjoyed a very relaxing bath with a wonderfully prolonged scent and a tub of water that left my skin feeling really clean and smooth afterwards. This may not remind me of my Spice Girl days, but it definitely uplifts and empowers me before a long and productive day.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Cornflour, Perfume, Bergamot Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Cornstarch, Benzyl Benzoate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 42090:2, Colour 17200, Colour 45410, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.