Validation Shower Bomb

I cannot even tell you how ironic it is right now that I'm blogging about the Validation Shower Bomb, given the mental turmoil that I've put myself through these last few days because of this very reason. While my experience certainly didn't solve the predicament that I found myself in, it certainly sweetened and calmed my mood quite a bit. 

Sharing its scent with the Creme Anglais range, this beautiful little golden star is for those looking for a sweet, decadent experience in the shower. This is definitely one of those foody smells for sure, and fans of both Butterball and Yog Nog would appreciate the sentiments that have gone behind creating this fragrance.

To my nose, Validation offers a rich combination of vanilla and myrrh: the former of which gives the shower bomb a creamy, musky aroma; whilst the latter component rounds it off with its own resinous undertones. There is something very delicately smoky about the smell of this; something slightly burnt that helps to ground the aroma a little bit. In the past, I've described it as smelling a little like pudding. However, since the release of Yog Nog, I'd definitely say that this is a little spicier than the latest fragrance family, and this is perhaps a little more mature as well.

To use, you simply need to hold the shower bomb under the running water during your shower, where it will immediately begin to expand and create a fragrant foam in your hand within a matter of seconds. The heat of the water will then help to release the different essential oils that have gone into making the bomb, which is supposed to help alter your mood depending on the purpose of the shower bomb itself. 

In this case, Validation is designed to help calm your mind when all your brain wants to do is fixate on the external opinions of those around you. This shower bomb will help you to wash away those insecurities and hopefully find a peace in whatever it is that you are doing. While I used it without either of these in mind, I did find that it helped to relax my over-thinking mind for long enough to mediate for a good hour afterwards, which I consider to be a success.

Once the shower bomb has began creating its foam, the idea is that you can lather and massage this across the skin much like you would a shower gel. The inclusion of both the potato starch and the sodium alginate allow the bomb to soften and moisture the skin, while the different oils clean out the pores and leave your skin looking and smelling rather delicious.

If you're someone like me who was worried at first that the inclusion of the sodium bicarbonate and citric acid will irritate your skin, I can assure you that this is not the case at all. In fact, my only piece of advice when using this is to ensure that you haven't shaved after applying this to the skin, as it will sting a little because of the open pores.

While the consistency of the foam is slightly scratchy, and not at all like the silkiness of a regular Lush shower gel or jelly, my skin did feel really clean and soft after using the shower bomb. Furthermore, I was able to clean my entire body, from head to foot, and still have product left over afterwards. Because of this, it would be completely reasonable to cut one of these shower bombs in half and use them across two, perhaps even three, showers.

As with all of Lush's recent shower bomb releases, Validation left a lasting impression on the skin: both with how soft my body felt after I had towelled myself down, and with the wonderfully light smell that lingered on my skin for a short while afterwards.

While this wouldn't be one of my favourite smells, I enjoyed rekindling myself with a good old classic Lush smell, and I can imagine this one proving very popular if it was to make itself available across multiple stores. Shaped like a little golden star, this Liverpool-exclusive shower bomb is sure to brighten even the darkest of days.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar, Citric Acid, Potato Starch, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Calcium Lactate Gluconate, Sodium Alginate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Brazilian Orange Oil, Myrrh Resinoid, Vanilla Absolute, Synthetic Fluorphogopite, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Perfume, Colour 77492.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £2.75 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.