It was during my first ever Valentine's Day release that Lush brought out the original Floating Flower Bath Bomb. This was the year of vibrant pink for the company, and this particular bath bomb was no exception: a vivid flower-shaped ballistic with layers of pink, orange and green. While not my favourite by far, it was definitely a factor that kept me interested in Lush after this point, and I was glad to see it re-released a few years later in the Lush Kitchen.
Fast forward to 2019 and Lush chose to bring out another bath bomb called Floating Flower. With absolutely nothing in common to the original release, this latest addition is far more subtly beautiful to look at, and the fragrance is perhaps one of the greatest, not delicate floral aromas that the company have produced in years.
Containing fresh chrysanthemum as the main ingredient, this limited edition Mother's Day bath bomb offers a gentle but very prominent floral aroma. If you're looking for something natural smelling, and something so naturally sweet that it brings tears to your eyes, this is definitely the one for you. Alongside this, the inclusion of lavender oil adds a beautiful herbal layer underneath, that just helps to thicken out the natural smell of the flowers.
I'll be honest and say that I couldn't really tell you why this bath bomb made such an impression on me: it's not as if I am a huge fan of floral smells. Yet, there is something so natural life-like about the aroma of Floating Flower, that I couldn't help but fall in love with everything that it had to offer me.
In the water, the bath bomb sends gorgeous rivers of pastel blue across the surface, while the cocoa butter decoration on top delivers an extra boost of moisture to indulge your skin with. You only have to bathe in the water for a matter of minutes to feel the difference this latter component makes to your body, and my skin felt super moisturised and nourished afterwards.
Once fully dissolved, the smell lingers in and around the tub: offering gentle waves of fragrance every time you move around in the water. The scent is definitely not what I would call potent by any means. However, it is strong enough that you'll be able to detect it on your skin, and around your bathroom, for a good hour or so afterwards.
There is something rather old-fashioned about the scent of this: something that makes you think of the little old lady that lives down the street from you. Yet there is also something so light and refreshing that makes it a very modern-smelling bath bomb as well.
Ultimately, Floating Flower wasn't a bath bomb that I was expecting to like, and yet I ended up falling in love with it very much. This would definitely fair well being released as a regular bath bomb, as the appeal of the aroma would make it a popular seller for certain. I can only hope that it makes a reappearance again, as I would love to buy a few more to enjoy in the warmer months.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Titanium Dioxide, Laureth 4, Fresh Chrysanthemum, Lavender Oil, Almond essential oil, Almond Oil, Water (Aqua), Dipropylene Glycol, Perfume, Colour 42090.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £5.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
coming soon!
First of all I should probably state that I have absolutely no reason at all to feel disgruntled by Lush as a whole. Their commitment to veganism, and the amass of items that they've released over the last few years, have surpassed that of any other company that I know of. However, I nearly always feel slightly miffed when a new product comes out containing honey or beeswax.
When Hunny Bear Massage Bar first made itself known last Mother's Day, I was slightly miffed that I wouldn't be able to try it out for myself. Smothering my body in something that would make me smell like a human dessert is my idea of heaven, and the fact that I'd only be able to observe this one from a distance, much like Scrubee, was a little disappointing.
Finding out that Lush had removed the honey from the ingredients list this year, and veganised the seasonal massage bar, made me super excited to try it out. In fact, no sooner had it arrived through my door, my skin was already being treated to a full body massage.
Sharing its scent with the Sea Salted Caramel Soap, Hunny Bear smells like a rich caramel pudding, laced with a generous sprinkling of brown sugar and a fresh drizzle of vanilla custard to finish. It is a delicious, sticky sweet smell: one where you can envisage the brown sugar gently bubbling under the heat on the stove, while a warm caramel sauce wraps itself around the fresh vanilla ice cream and melts it into a sickly sweet mess.
What is interesting is that when you first apply this massage bar to your skin, the vetivert is quite heavy in the mix. Therefore, you will find that there is an overpowering smoky smell that lingers around for a matter of minutes. However, once the oils begin to settle into the skin, this note disperses somewhat and the other key ingredients begin to make the fragrance more rounded and more delicious.
What I loved about Hunny Bear was that the bar was super easy to massage across the skin, and while very easy to melt, it wasn't too much of a problem to apply as much (or as little) as I wanted to use. Once the butters and oils had melted across a surface, I then used my hand to really massage the oils into the skin properly so that they were absorbed as quickly as possible.
As the name suggests, the sole intention of these bars is to replace the liquid oils that someone may use when giving a massage. The consistency of nearly all of Lush's massage bars means that you get the same results, just without having to rely on a product that comes with packaging.
However, if like me, you don't always have someone to give you a massage, you can also use these bars in replacement of your regular body lotion. Although there is a difference: these solid bars are definitely more oily than a lotion or cream, they offer your skin a chance to absorb some good quality butters and oils, without anything else featured that may clog up your pores.
When using Hunny Bear, I did find that the oils and butters took a short while to absorb into the skin, so you'll need to allow the product at least ten minutes to settle before putting any clothes over the top. However, I found that my skin looked and felt instantly more nourished and soft, and this lasted for the most part of the day.
Scent-wise, the wonderfully sweet aroma also remained present on my skin for a good while, and I did receive a few comments during my day at work about my 'perfume', so it does hold longevity. Pairing this with perhaps Yog Nog or Butterball Liquid Perfume would only serve to intensify this wonderful foodie experience for longer, although there may be people compelled to lick you as you will smell simply divine.
Overall, I am really happy that Lush have veganised this, without seemingly losing any of the skin-softening properties that the original massage bar held. This is definitely one I will be buying a few more of, before the Mother's Day range disappears for another year.
Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Almond Oil, Perfume, Clove Leaf Oil, Tonka Absolute, Brazilian Vetivert Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Organic Agave Syrup, Vegan Dark Chocolate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, *Anise Alcohol, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Coumarin, *Eugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 77499.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £5.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
After a long first week back at work, I couldn't wait to get myself home and into the bath. Searching for a bath bomb that would tick all of the boxes in regards to the scent, colour and how it performs in the bath, I chose this limited edition in the hope that it would be as impressive as the other two Butterfly Bath Bombs. I wasn't left disappointed.
Lemon Butterfly is one of three limited edition bath bombs to come out for Mother's Day this year, shaped like the beautiful winged creature featured in its name. While not the most beautiful to look at, I simply adored the fragrance from the moment I sniffed it, and it lived up to my expectations in the bath as well.
While probably my least favourite out of the three colour schemes, what stole my interest with this one was that it was described as having the same fragrance as the regular From Dusk 'Til Dawn Massage Bar - which just so happens to be one of my all time favourite scents that Lush have ever moulded into such a product.
Rich and fruity notes of both lemon and orange oil combine together to make something robust and strong, while also tantalising your tastebuds with sultry fruity notes across the tub. The lemon oil creates a slightly zesty aroma that makes the smell of this seasonal special both warming and uplifting, whilst the orange oil adds depth and juiciness.
If you're a fan of the aforementioned massage bar, you'll be able to appreciate that this bath bomb mimics the scent beautifully. Although there are mild differences between the two - as I find the smell of the bath bomb to be a little powdery and slightly less sultry - those of us who love this fragrance will appreciate the sentiment that has gone into making this bath bomb.
Much like the other two butterflies, this one is a quiet fizzer, and tends to disperse and dissolve very quickly. While my pictures might suggest that this beauty will sit on the surface of the water, the bath bomb tends to break into two very quickly, and quite often some of the product will sink.
What I do know is that Lemon Butterfly paints the surface with beautiful streaks of orange and yellow, and once fully dissolved will leave your tub full of mandarin coloured water. Whilst the bath bomb is fizzing away, the notes of lemon and orange circulate around the room like a scented bumblebee and settle into a delicate fruity aroma throughout the rest of the experience.
Definitely not the strongest bath bomb I have used, I didn't find that the fragrance was as robust as it could have been, and I certainly wasn't able to detect it on my skin afterwards. Furthermore, the water wasn't as moisturising as other bath bombs I have used. Although my skin did feel clean and smooth afterwards, I still felt the need to moisturise with a body lotion to nourish my skin a little further.
Overall, this is a wonderful design and definitely offers a vivid experience in the bath tub. Fragrance wise Lemon Butterfly is definitely one of the loveliest I have had in a while. However, I would have liked there to have been a stronger scent during my time in the bath, and it would have been even better if my skin had felt even more moisturised after my experience as well.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Water (Aqua), Cream of Tartar, Dipropylene, Glycol Sodium Coco Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 42090:2, Colour 19140:1, Colour 77491, Colour 47005:1, Colour 19140, Colour 59040.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £4.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
coming soon!
Many years ago, I remember a few Lush fans saving their money to buy an entire wheel of Lush soap at the end of the Christmas season. Grandfather's Clock and Snowcake Castle were just two of the designs that sparked people into calling it artwork as opposed to simply blocks of soap, and the discussion inspired me to envisage which of the thousands of Lush products I would preserve as artwork, if I was given the opportunity to do so.
Wild Butterfly Bath Bomb would definitely be one such product that I would embalm and preserve if I had the skills to do so - if only to decorate the walls of my house and turn it into a sanctuary for colourful butterflies. Not only one of Lush's more innovative bath bombs to date, this limited edition also happens to be one of the most beautiful, and I would happily marvel over this one on a regular basis.
Sporting an orange and yellow design that reminds me of a beautiful sunrise, this limited editions supposed to share its scent with the Berry Berry Christmas Shower Gel that came out for Christmas two years ago. Whilst this is definitely the case to my nose, there are also a few differences which set this bath bomb apart.
To me, this bath bomb offers a light, crisp fruity aroma - one in which the orange and petitgrain oils work together in unison to produce something fresh and different. Whilst the warmth and the zest of the orange creates a fruity base to work from, the petitgrain gets to work at adding a gentle almost earthy component, that gives this bath bomb a bit of a twist.
As with all three of the Butterfly Bath Bombs in this year's Mother's Day range, this one is a quiet fizzer in the bath tub - instead floating across the surface of the water in an elegant and very colourful dance until it has fully dissolved. Beautiful trails of both orange and yellow colour paint the water whilst Wild Butterfly is dissolving, and what you're left with is a warming shade orange to wash away any stresses you may be carrying at the time.
As with the Rose Butterfly Bath Bomb, Wild Butterfly wasn't as instantly moisturising as some of the other bombs from this year's Mother's Day range. It took a good while for my skin to start feeling moisturised whilst I was in the tub. That's not to say that this product was in any way drying, just that it was not as quick to nourish my skin as some of the other bath bombs have proven to do.
Having said that, my skin did feel clear and clean after I had bathed for a good hour in its waters, and there was an element of radiance to my skin that I very much appreciated. My complexion in particular really appeared more vibrant and healthy than it had done before, which was an added bonus.
Despite this, I didn't find that the scent was a strong as I would have liked it to be in the water. Perhaps the very nature of the fragrance meant that it was never going to be a smell that resonated outside of the tub. However, I was a little disappointed to find that I didn't smell much on my skin after I had dried myself down, and I still felt the need to moisturise afterwards, so any remaining scent would have been lost after this.
Ultimately, Wild Butterfly Bath Bomb is an innovative design that proves that Lush are once again upping their game in terms of design. And I really appreciated that Lush chose the Berry Berry fragrance to use, as I did enjoy using the shower gel when it was still available. Fans of grounded, more green-like fruity smells will no doubt appreciate the smell of this bath bomb very much, and I only hope that it will make a reappearance sometime in the new future.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Petitgrain Oil, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Olive Leaf Absolute, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Cream of Tartar, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Coco Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, *Citral,*Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 77491, Colour 14700, Colour 19140:1, Colour 47005:1, Colour 19140, Colour 15850:1.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £4.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
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.
As I've said before in the past, sometimes the aesthetics of a product can influence how you feel about it just as much as it's fragrance and productivity. When it comes to this updated soap, I definitely gained much more of a rapport with the product this time around, and I'm glad that Lush chose to bring it back for a second season.
Lush have said in the past that raspberry-scented products are actually rather difficult to make, as the the current components available to create such a smell are not very vegan friendly on the most part. Therefore, consumers haven't seen too many products with the raspberry fragrance brought out over the years.
This makes Raspberry Milkshake Soap an amazing feat in itself then, as the scent of this limited edition is simply divine. However, much like I stated in my review of the original soap, this product doesn’t exactly smell like a raspberry milkshake: more like a wonderful fruity cocktail or a rich and rather expensive smelling juice made from nothing but raspberries and lemon juice. This is not at all creamy or ‘milky’ - instead offering a bright and very juicy aroma that will have you fighting yourself not to take a big bite of the soap.
This is not like anything that Lush have released before. With very little to compare it to, I can safely say that it is nothing like the Mumkin scent at all, although there is a berry-esque element to the soap that comes out in the shower and reminds me of the same note that Mumkin offers: Raspberry Milkshake is far richer and much more sultry on the senses.
What makes this soap so effective is the impressive list of ingredients that have gone into making it. As well as adding to the overall scent, the lemon oil brings clarity to the skin, cleans the pores and helps to add a little radiance; the inclusion of the almond milk calms the skin and reduces the appearance of rashes or irritated skin. The davana oil is a natural relaxant, to calm any tensions in the shower, whilst also acting like a antiseptic to clean the skin thoroughly.
What is also great about this soap is that the design naturally works well when using it in the shower. Too often I find that blocks of soap slide around in my hands, and I'm constantly playing a game of 'how many seconds can I clean my skin before I drop it again' - which isn't fun at all. However, this limited edition fit perfectly in the palm of my hand and was super easy to lather up. Even when the soap began to shrink a little, I didn't find it at all fiddly to use, which is definitely a step up from last year's pink slab.
Aesthetically pleasing, this soap also worked well at leaving my skin really clean and crisp, without it feeling parched or dry. While I still had to apply a body lotion afterwards, this is more a reflection of my skin's needs as opposed to the product itself.
Finally, I was impressed to find that I could still smell a gentle raspberry aroma on my body afterwards - an experience I wish I could extend in the form of a lotion or perfume. This is definitely a lovely addition to the wonderful Mother's Day range this year, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before other products with this fragrance make an appearance, which gets my backing completely.
Quantitative Ingredients: Almond Milk, Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Fresh Raspberry Juice, Davana Oil, Tagetes Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Titanium Dioxide, Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45410, Colour 17200, Colour 19140, Colour 42090.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £7.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
I remember when I first discovered Zen Soap at the bottom of my Oxford Street Haul, how excited I was about the brand new fragrance that greeted my nose. As a huge fan of patchouli aromas, the soap left a lasting impression on me and I couldn't wait to see what else Lush would bring out with the same scent.
Fast forward almost five years and the Goddess Bath Bomb appeared on the scene like a hurricane - promising the same aroma but in a brand new format. While I appreciate the premise, I wasn't as bowled over with the fragrance as I had been with the original soap, and I certainly wasn't left as excited as I had been when it came to Zen.
When the Goddess Liquid Perfume finally made its way to me, I honestly didn't know what to expect, and I'll be honest and say that it took me three weeks of travelling around India with my little bottle to truly appreciate what the perfume had to offer. While I'm still not completely bowled over by this release, I can definitely appreciate it a lot more than I did when I first gave it a sniff.
What I will say is that this may not be a smell that you appreciate to begin with. From the bottle, Goddess is far from the fairly light and tame aroma that the bath bomb has to offer, and instead feeds your nose with a very strong, dark, woody aroma. The oudh oil is thick and resinous on the surface, combining with the sandalwood to create a strong, wholesome note of woodiness. In addition, there is almost a slight earthiness to the perfume as well, that saturates the smell and adds a thick note to the initial spray.
Given time, these key components settle down on the skin, and that's when you can begin to appreciate the other notes that are present. The rose oil and jasmine absolute brings a delicate natural sweetness, that takes some of the initial sting away from the oudh oil; the osmanthus adds a subtle fruitiness that adds a much needed uplift and helps to elevate the other notes a little more.
What I will say about this fragrance is that it is both exotic and alluring, and definitely not a delicate perfume in the slightest. A Goddess exerts dominance and strength to give her such a title, and this perfume does just that. If you want something pretty and simple, this is not the perfume for you as Goddess makes a statement for anyone choosing to wear it.
Having said that, I did find that the fragrance didn't last as long as I expected that it would, and I was no longer able to detect it on my own skin after a couple of hours of wear. However, I was able to prolong the life of this perfume a little by spraying it directly onto my clothes, where I could still smell remnants of it after a full working day.
While not a favourite perfume of mine, I do really appreciate how unique and interesting the smell of Goddess is. It's definitely a smell that will evoke a reaction of some kind, whether that be negative or positive, and the strength and depth of the key notes here only serve to empower all who choose to wear this - in true Goddess form.
Quantitative Ingredients: DRF Alcohol Perfume, *Linalool, *Limonene, Jasmine Absolute, Osmanthus Absolute, Rose Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Oudh Oil, *Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Citral, *Citronellol, *Eugenol, *Farnesol, *Geraniol.
Vegan?: Yes.
2019 Price: £45 for 30ml.
Year Of Original Release: 2019.
UP
Fast forward to 2019 and Lush chose to bring out another bath bomb called Floating Flower. With absolutely nothing in common to the original release, this latest addition is far more subtly beautiful to look at, and the fragrance is perhaps one of the greatest, not delicate floral aromas that the company have produced in years. 
Once fully dissolved, the smell lingers in and around the tub: offering gentle waves of fragrance every time you move around in the water. The scent is definitely not what I would call potent by any means. However, it is strong enough that you'll be able to detect it on your skin, and around your bathroom, for a good hour or so afterwards.
