Big Blue Egg Bath Bomb

Sometimes I think that Lush are super creative and inspired, and that's why I love and support the company so much. Then there are other moments when they bring out a product that doesn't seem as if much thought has gone into it at all. Such is the case during Easter 2017, when the company released four bath bombs that were exactly like the regular ones you could buy in store, albeit shaped like an egg instead.                                                                    

While the novel idea made for some great egg hunts for those who didn't want to divulge in the chocolate variety, and they were certainly more ethically sound when compared to the sugar-filled rubbish that lined the supermarket shelves, for regular fans it filled four places that we'd rather have seen a handful of brand new releases instead.

Gripe aside, there is no denying that Big Blue Egg is a bath bomb that'll leave you feeling wonderfully pampered. Sharing everything with Big Blue Bath Bomb, this limited edition is the perfect product for those after something super soothing and moisturising on the skin. Pop one of these bad boys in the tub and you'll left feeling like you've brought the ocean into your bathroom.    

The bath bomb is packed with seaweed, so much so that you'll find yourself laying on a bed of the stuff when you're relaxing under the water. The type of kelp Lush use is called Arame seaweed, which softens in your hot bath water and helps you to relax. Not only is Arame rich in vitamins and minerals including iodine, which help to regulate the metabolism and help you to feel calm and collected, but its softening properties are impressive enough to leave an instant impression on the body.

Big Blue Egg also contains lemon and lavender oils, which both add to the overall aroma of the product as well as benefitting the skin as well. The former ingredient is known for cleaning out the pores, clearing and unwinding the mind, and gives the ballistic a sweet, citrusy scent. The lavender oil, which works as a cleanser, smoothens out your skin and leaves a slight herbal element in the mix. Those with sensitive skin will appreciate that this aforementioned ingredient also calms and soothes the body, and helps to reduce the redness of any forms of irritation.

Finally, the inclusion of the salt helps to remove dead skin as well as once again cleansing the pores even further. The inclusion of the minerals in salt adds to the softness of the water, and the reason why your skin will feel incredible after using one of these.

As to be expected from the colour of this bath bomb, the water transforms into a vivid blue, once Big Blue Egg has fully dissolved, and the scent and the colour stays with you for the entirety of the bath. My skin felt super smooth and soft after using this; it didn't feel tight or in any way dry. The fragrance lingered on my body and lasted until the following day, which was a nice surprise. 

My only problem with this bath bomb, as with her older sister, is that the seaweed becomes rather annoying trying to scoop it out of the water afterwards. For this reason, I would recommend little this dissolve whilst sitting in a sieve so that the seaweed is caught before it begins to pattern your bath tub. 

This is definitely not something I need or would want to buy again, simply because I have Big Blue to do that, and it appears cheaper than this seasonal special. However, there is certainly not anything about this bath bomb that I would change. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Coarse Sea Salt, Fine Sea Salt, Perfume, Arame Seaweed, Lemon Oil, Lavender Oil, Seaweed Absolute, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 42090, Colour 19140.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2017 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Big Blue Ballistic
Big Blue Body Conditioner
Big Blue Egg Bath Bomb
Bubbling Under Bubble Bar
Enchanted Island Bath Melt
Mermaid Ballistic

Sea Vegetable Soap  

Integgalactic Bath Bomb

It is most surprising that I have left it so long to indulge myself and use this bath bomb, given how much I gush over Intergalactic on an almost daily basis. Truth be told, the only reason I haven't used it before now is because of the time constraints my career has placed on my free time. Having finished writing my reports, I couldn't think of a better time to indulge in one of my favourite ballistics, and I was not disappointed. 

Sharing its scent with the original Intergalactic, the only difference between the two is down to their shape, size and price. Costing considerably more than the regular version, you might initially be a little put-off by the raised price tag. However, the extra 'product' you receive more than makes up for the extra pennies, and if anything I'd say Integgalatic Bath Bomb is even more superior when compared to its older sibling.

Released as part of Lush's 2017 Easter range, Integgalatic is a powerhouse of fragrance and colour - a bath bomb that guarantees you will feel as refreshed as you will relaxed. A product that is as cooling and uplifting as it is comforting: a bath bomb that offers a far more interesting and colourful experience than any other ballistic available to buy in a shop.

The first sniff revealed a lot of different layers, one of which was a slightly smoky/woody but also subtlety sweet aroma that ground the overall fragrance. While I have compared the scent of this bath bomb to Dirty Springwash in the past, I'd say that Integgalatic is far more potent, and has a dark, sultry layer of woodiness running through that makes it stand apart.  

Alongside this is a strong thread of peppermint oil, which intertwines with the grapefruit oil perfectly and creates a mint-dominated aroma with a very subtle thread of citrus running alongside this. This latter ingredient dampens the harsh kick that you would normally expect from a minty product and instead offers something invigorating and refreshingly beautiful, yet very rounded at the same time.

Just like its older sibling, this limited edition explodes into a cloud of colour as it hits the water - sending out waves of deep blues, pinks and yellows across the surface of the water. At the same time, the popping candy descends to the base of the tub and offers a background of noise reminiscent of a crackling fire. 

Once the bath bomb has fully dissolved, you are left with a beautiful tub of dark blue water that glistens as the lustre swirls around under the surface. Not only this but the water itself is so silky soft and inviting: one that is guaranteed to leave you feeling very moisturised and smooth afterwards. 

As if this wasn't enough, the fragrance also remains prominent throughout the entire experience and lingers on your skin for a while afterwards. The bath
water rinses away with ease, leaving you feeling nothing but refreshed, clean and ready to face the day. 

While the price tag is a little higher than a regular Intergalactic, this limited edition is definitely worth investing in, if only for a single indulgence one day when you really need it. Although I would rather have had a brand new bath bomb as opposed to a few regulars just spruced up a little this Easter, I cannot say anything negative about this ballistic whatsoever.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Popping Candy, Peppermint Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Vetivert Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Cream of Tartar, Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Snowflake, Lemon Ice and Gold Glimmer Lustre, Colour 42090, Colour 45410. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:
Intergalactic Bath Bomb

Integgalactic Bath Bomb
Nebula Bath Bomb

Flopsy Face Wash Jelly

'Jen, why are you smothering your face in a rabbit-shaped jelly mask and pretending to be Thumper from Bambi?' An odd question perhaps, but one that gives you a little insight into what I was doing the other evening, when I thought no one was around to witness such an odd scenario being played out with my thirty-one year old self.

Needless to say, the face wash jellies seem to be something that Lush are steering towards as a possible regular feature within their range. I say this because not only were we gifted with Papa Noel last Christmas, but the Lush Summit event a few months back also heeded a further five possible jelly-based products that are potentially making an appearance at some point in the near future, all of which were aimed solely for the complexion.

Flopsy Face Wash Jelly is the second official release of its kind, and while it seems to have gone largely undetected on social media - in favour of the more colourful bath bombs, I for one believe it is a step up from Papa Noel in many ways. Never would I have imagined that one day I would be relying on a rabbit-shaped piece of jelly to brighten my complexion, but the world works in mysterious ways.

Firstly, I happen to think that it is incredible value for money. Each mask would easily heed over a hundred washes, and this is only a lose estimate based on how little mine has shrunk compared to how many times I have used it so far. I have complete faith that a single tub would last me well over a year, and this is with constant, daily use.

Linked to the above point, Flopsy is also incredibly generous with its softening abilities, yet it seems rather reserved when it comes to generating lather. Normally I would slate a product that was stubborn when in use. However, I found that this facial jelly didn't need to coat my face in a thick layer of soap because, after rinsing away the minuscule amount of 'foam' it did create, I discovered that my face felt both silky-soft and smooth. My complexion also looked far more radiant than it had done so beforehand, without leaving it looking particularly greasy or feeling at all oily.

While it is a little fiddly to handle, and the design is a novelty that doesn't last much longer than the initial couple of uses, the principle behind the product is sound. To use, I would recommend that you ensure your face is damp, and if possible, exposed to the heat of a warm shower to open the pores beforehand. You can then either massage a piece (or the whole thing!) across your face a couple of times, and then use your fingers to massage the light coating of suds across your complexion.For great results, I found that leaving Flopsy on for a few minutes just allowed the oils to soften and smoothen out my skin a little more, before I held my face under the running shower and rinsed away the product.

What I found was that my face felt immediately clean, cleansed and radiant. My skin felt smooth to the touch, without feeling greasy, and I didn't need to apply any moisturiser or toner on afterwards because the product left my complexion incredibly soft.as well. Furthermore, the fragrance lingered around long enough to make me feel really uplifted and happy, which should be deemed as a miracle first thing in the morning. 

Smell wise, this seasonal special contains lemon, bergamot and buchu oil, and shares its scent with both the Snowman FUN and Snowman Shower Jelly. The former two ingredients give this jelly a bright, spritzy fruity smell, which as I've mentioned in other reviews, creates a scent much like the outer layer of a Solero ice-cream, with an added note of tartness that makes this almost sour.

Although this is an Easter release, I feel as if this product would compliment the summer months really well. The light, fruity scent would give that refreshing, invigorated feeling in the morning, while the warmth would elevate the fragrance and help to coax you out of your morning slumber.

I can genuinely imagine using this as part of my regular routine, and have been doing so since its release a number of weeks back. If this is a sign of things to come from Lush, I am excited to see what the future has in store. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Carrot Infusion, Glycerine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate Propylene, Glycol, Carrageenan Extract, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Perfume, Kaolin, Almond Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Gardenia Extract, Lemon Oil, Bergamot Oil, Buchu Oil, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £7.95 for 200g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Lava Lamp Egg Bath bomb

If we excuse the fact that this limited edition looks like the extended head of an alien creature, we can still appreciate the craftsmanship that went into designing and creating both this season special, and the original Lava Lamp Bath Bomb that first made an appearance back in 2015. 

Appearing as one of the exclusive, limited editions on the opening day of the flagship store on Oxford Street, this gorgeous looking bath bomb was one of the most exciting purchases of the day. That was until I tested it out in the bath for the first time and was horrified to discover that it painted both my skin and my entire tub, and it took a good hour of scrubbing to remove the purple debris that was left behind. 

After a short disappearance, it was back for sale the next year - staining visibly reduced, and in 2017 was tweaked so that it could play a starring role in the Easter egg collection that the company chose to go with for their seasonal range. 

Sporting both the same concept and the same fragrance, this bath bomb is only different in shape, and is also a little heftier in size. Just like the original, Lava Lamp Egg sports an orange facade with three circular, purple discs plotted across the surface. As the name suggests, this bath bomb is designed to replicate a lava lamp, and does so when these blue discs begin to melt in the water and create tiny threads of oils across the surface of the water.

Whereas these oils would once linger around the edges and on your skin - staining near on everything in sight, the oils in this bath bomb don't seem to have the potency anymore, and can sit on your skin before being washed away with ease. However, I will say that if you have any limescale around the outside of your tub, these oils may still cause unwanted smears if precaution isn't taken.

Made from a combination of orange flower absolute, tangerine and mandarin oils, Lava Lamp Egg is a bright, refreshing and highly fruity creation. Immediately upon removing it from its bag, I could smell a beautiful and very sweet orangey aroma. In fact, the fragrance it gives off is almost identical to that of Brazilliant Solid Shampoo - a strong but not overly zesty citrus smell that is reminiscent of the orange starburst sweet.

As soon as you pop this bath bom into the bath, it begins to fizz noisily and sends out a tide of orange colour across the tub. As the bath bomb dissolves, the three purple discs that have been held in place, break away and begin to release streams of oil that writhes and dances on the surface of the water. It doesn't take long for the tub to be filled with a deep orange water that seems instantly warming and inviting. 

Whereas a lot of fruity fragrances can dispel quite quickly once the product has dissolved, I found that Lava Lamp Egg Bath Bomb had much more longevity than I was expecting. Whether the size of the other components used to create this product, I felt as if the water appeared thicker and far more robust, and there was a rounded feel about the scent that I thoroughly enjoyed.

As to be expected with the excess oils used to create the 'lava lamp effect', the bath bomb was extremely moisturising. Yet it was not at a level that I would describe as being too greasy or too oily for most people. Put it this way: I would have happily washed my hair in its waters, and I don't think I would have had any problems in doing this. 

Once in the bath, the fragrance of Lava Lamp Egg remained prominent throughout the entire experience. In fact, I was really impressed with how strong the aroma was and would definitely say that it's one of Lush's longer-lasting bath bombs. Furthermore, the scent remained on my skin for hours after I had left the tub and I could smell the wonderful orange scent every time I walked past the bathroom.

Despite its price, I do think this is worth an investment - if only to try out once before they've been discontinued. For fans of Lava Lamp, you are going to love the fact that this is a bigger, weightier version of your favourite bath bomb. Ultimately, while I wont be rushing out to buy too many more of these any time soon, I will be getting a couple more of these before the season is over. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Perfume, Orange Flower Absolute, Tangerine Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Water (Aqua), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Castor Oil, PEG-6 Caprylic / Capric Glycerides & PEG-60, Almond Glycerides, *Limonene, Colour 15985, Colour 60725.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

Lava Lamp Bath Bomb

Lava Lamp Egg Bath Bomb

Which Came First? Bath Bomb (2017 Edition)

No one aside from the Lush team knows why the name of a product is ever changed. Don't get me wrong - I can understand why a design might be tweaked and improved upon: whether to appear better suited for a seasonal range, or just because it needs a little updating to cater to current consumer needs. However, I've never understood why the name of a product needs to be discarded and replaced, unless it caused offence in any way when initially released. 

Originally known as The Immaculate Eggception, this bath bomb was updated and re-released under the guise Which Came First? for the Easter 2016 range. This year has seen it undergo yet another transformation in the form of its new design. However, the name and indeed the scent has remained the same as its predecessors. 

Containing grapefruit, lemon and vanilla as its key components, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this bath bomb was going to be a bright, citrusy affair. Surprisingly, it is very far from the fragrance I envisaged upon first reading the ingredients list. In fact, it is sweeter and far lovelier than I originally expected it to be.

The inclusion of the latter ingredient is what gives this bath bomb its smell, although the vanilla absolute is not the dominant scent at all. Both the grapefruit and the lemon give Which Came First? its wonderful fruity aroma. However, it is the vanilla that rounds these two components together and gives the overall musky scent that you experience when you first smell this ballistic.

As with The Immaculate Eggception, Lush have included the grapefruit oil to help clear the mind and refresh the body, while the lemon oil is added to brighten, tone and cleanse the skin. Together, they create a beautiful fragrance that invigorates the senses whilst leaving your body feeling velvety soft and clean. There is something rather complex about the aroma of this bath bomb - one that comes alive when it meets the water and lasts on your skin long after you've left the bath.

This year's renditions feature two of the same colour bath bomb, yet both have been etched with slightly different markings that set them apart from each other. As to be expected, both varieties perform the same in the bath tub - sending out an array of vivid colour that immediately darkens the water and creates a sultry pink haven to submerge yourself beneath.

As I mentioned in my other review of this bath bomb, I always felt as if the pink variation was a little more pleasing on the eye, and I found the scent appeared a little more rounded in this format. For this reason, I am very pleased that Lush has seemingly replaced the yellow version of this ballistic in favour of the pink version. 

The only downside I found with Which Came First? is that the bath bomb tends to dissolve very quickly, so its not one that you get much of a show out of. Furthermore, if you're someone who enjoys snapping shots of your baths, you might find this one is fairly difficult to photograph, hence why my pictures are not up to the standard that other bath bombs might heed. 

Ultimately, I really enjoyed using this ballistic, and it's one that I would buy again if Lush choose to release it next Easter. Priced at £6.95, it is a little on the expensive side. However, I think that as a seasonal product, you can justify purchasing it as a one-off luxury treat for either yourself or a loved one. It's definitely something that I would rather receive as opposed to a chocolate one.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Grapefruit Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Water, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 47005, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 45410, Orange Pip.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017 (for this version)

Chocolate Easter Egg Soap

It's been many years since I have associated the Easter celebrations with chocolate - this was even before I became vegan and the options for seasonal sweeties was drastically reduced. The truth is that, aside from Christmas, I barely acknowledge other celebrations that occur throughout the year. So this brand new soap is the first time in a while that I've combined such decadence with this time of year.

If I'm going to be honest, Chocolate Easter Egg Soap is a pretty uninspiring name for a product. Lush must have been having a difficult/lazy day in the office when they decided upon giving this limited edition its name. As the company are normally fairly well known for their wittiness and play on words, the simplicity is almost disappointing. However, this isn't really a valid reason for slating a product, and as it turns out, the soap is rather good. 

Sporting a vivid yellow body, with oval red spots and zig-zag green lines, this soap doesn't give you any indication about how it smells from its physical design. In fact, I was almost taken back upon smelling this initially, as it wasn't like anything I was expecting to come from such a bright and colourful product.

Featuring vegan white chocolate as one of the key components, I was hoping this soap would smell good enough to eat, and it didn't take me long in the shower to attempt the little nibble that I'd been possessed to do ever since I smelt the product for the first time. It's easy to recognise the power that the white chocolate has on the aroma, as the soap offers a rich, sickly-sweet fragrance that I associate with the confectionary.

In a small way, this soap reminds me of the Yog Log Roulade that came out last Christmas, albeit less musky smelling and far creamier. The inclusion of the vanilla definitely helps to give Chocolate Easter Egg Soap a rich, sultry smell - one that I would say has an element of caramel to it as well. While it's difficult to make out the grapefruit and lemon oil in the scent, I can appreciate how both of these components no doubt elevate the sultry, foody smell that we're able to appreciate overall. 

I can see why some consumers would be a little disappointed with this product, as I do think that the aroma is rather soft, and not perhaps as strong as you might like if you're into your chocolate. At the same time however, I don't quite know whether or not the smell would be too overpowering and sickly, if it was elevated any more in this format.

What I think works quite well is the fact that the smell is very subtle and gentle - meaning you can really appreciate the richness of the white chocolate and the vanilla in the mix. Much like opening a bar of chocolate, there is enough here to satisfy your tastebuds, without making the scent too overwhelming.

While this is quite stubborn in the shower, it does produce a lovely thick, yellow lather - that smooths over your body with ease and leaves a gentle smell on your skin. This fragrance lingers for a short time after you've towelled yourself down, but tends to fade once you use any other products on your body.

Surprisingly, I did find that my skin felt smooth after using this, although those with dry or sensitive skin may find that this leaves them feeling a little dry afterwards. This worked really well with Formulae Known As, as this discontinued body lotion complimented the chocolate element quite well. 

Overall, this is not a soap that I want to rave about, but it definitely gives chocolate lovers another chance to indulge themselves, especially if they're looking for alternatives that don't involve eating too many easter eggs. Thankfully, this 200g block is really robust and will easily last me until the end of the year, where I can only hope that Lush have released some other decadent products to enjoy until this makes a reappearance the following year. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sorbitol, Perfume, Vegan White Chocolate, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45350, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.20 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb

It's hard to believe that The Experimenter Bath Bomb has been around for near on two years, ever since the doors of the flagship Oxford Street store first opened in 2015. While not the biggest selling product, this ballistic has become a firm favourite within the community, and offers one of the most vibrant and impressive displays in the bath tub.

2017 saw the release of The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb - a product with the same scent and colours as the original ballistic, but one that is bigger, and as the name suggests, a different shape. While the concept is a novel idea for the Easter period, I was slightly disappointed that Lush didn't attempt to be a little cleverer with their words and call this The Eggsperimenter.

Containing a combination of vertivert, vanilla and tonka, this bath bomb is both sweet and sultry, as well as rich and smoky. The vertivert offers the smokey component, which gives this bath bomb a robust and slightly overwhelming resinous fragrance to begin with. However, the generous inclusion of the other key ingredients means that The Experimenter Egg is equally as sweet. The tonka in particular adds a burnt element that compliments the vertivert, whilst removing a little of its strength' the vanilla adds a powdery note to the overall smell - making this one of the most powerful bath bombs available at the moment. 

If the scent wasn't enough to win you over, the display it puts on in the bath tub should. Upon contact with the water, it immediately begins to fizz and froth on the surface - sending out wave upon wave of bright, vivid colour across the bath tub. Blues and whites, yellows and pinks - every colour fizzing loudly as they spread out across the water, interweaving with each other to form patterns and bubbly puddles on the surface.

As the bath bomb dissolves further, the water begins to change colour: first to a light green and then as more and more colour integrates into the water, a darker shade of turquoise green. Each colour makes its mark on the water so you're left with multicoloured swirls while the popping candy crackles at the bottom of the tub - like an open fire waiting to warm your body up. 

Despite the price tag being far higher than the original Experimenter, this limited edition egg works out the same price, gram for grams, as the bath bomb. For this reason, it might be more suited to grab one of these and half it, if you were looking to conserve your spending, as you'll get more out of half of the egg than you would the ballistic.

Much like the aforementioned bath bomb, the smell stays prominent throughout the entire experience - offering short, sharp bursts of fragrance that help you to feel really relaxed and calm throughout the whole process. Furthermore, once you leave the bath, you're left with a gentle smoky smell on your body that makes your skin smell beautiful and seems to compliment most perfumes that Lush offer.

My only qualm with The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb is that it can leave your skin and hair feeling a little bit on the greasy side, because it is a very moisturising bath bomb. In fact, I can imagine some people disliking the feeling of using this one because the water does become very thick and slippery on the skin.

Overall, there is nothing hugely different about using this compared to its older sibling, but it does make a nice seasonal change for a few weeks of the year. Those who love The Experimenter will no doubt appreciate the added weight that this bath bomb offers. However, there is still a big part of me that wishes Lush had bought out new bath bombs in the shape, rather than transferring current ones.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Popping Candy, Vetivert Oil, Tonka Absolute, Vanilla Absolute, Cream of Tartar, Water,  Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Limonene, Calcium, Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide, Colour 42090, Colour 45410, Colour 14700, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: 5.95 each.

Year of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

The Experimenter Bath Bomb

The Experimenter Egg Bath Bomb