Supherb Toothy Tabs

Since I was about seven years old, my favourite colour has always been green, and more specifically a forest shade of green. While my initial preference was linked to my obsession with a Power Rangers character, it has since grown on me as the colour that I associate with life and vibrancy and the environment. I seek solace and find comfort in these shades of green and unconsciously gravitate towards them on most occasions. 

When I first read the description of Supherb Toothy Tabs, I assumed that I would love them because of their green design and shoutout to nature. Described as being a wintergreen, pine and parsley concoction, these herbaceous tabs sounded like something so natural and exciting and fresh. And they are. It's just that my tastebuds have yet to forgive me for using these solidly for almost a week. 

I'll start by saying that these are not toothy tabs for the faint-hearted. If you're looking for something sweet and gentle to clean your teeth with, you'll want to avoid these at all costs. Supherb packs a punch that'll leave your teeth shiny; your breath as fresh as a coastal breeze; and your tongue hanging out somewhere near the floor while it tries to escape your mouth. They are STRONG.

Containing more ingredients than any other toothy tab, these Liverpool exclusives are a handful (and a mouthful) of smells and tastes. From the bottle, the smell of wintergreen, peppermint and pine chase up your nose like a rabid dog, clearing your airways immediately with how fresh it smells. There is something so crisp and green about the smell that reminds me of a vibrant, leafy forest that's been doused in mint. The fragrance is dripping with potency and only continues to offer more, the longer you continue to sniff. 

Underneath these three key components, you can make out the herbal element of the parsley, coriander and marjoram, and these tend to come out even more when you begin to brush your teeth. With a slight reference to the lemon and clove bud oils, there is an awful lot going on here, and some consumers might find themselves very overwhelmed by how thick and complex the fragrance is.  

When it comes to how they taste, you probably won't be surprised to learn that Supherb Toothy Tabs are definitely for those who prefer a stronger tasting toothpaste. All of the above elements come together in full force as soon as the tab begins to get to work and you can taste every single component in all of its strength. It's really herbal and minty and pine-like all at the same time, and any smells or germs that may be present in your mouth before brushing certainly don't stand a chance at being there when you have finished.

These toothy tabs will leave you with the freshest breath and a mouth that feels like the cleanest it's ever been. Your tongue will also feel slightly tingly after you've rinsed your mouth out, although this strangely didn't happen every time for me.

As with all of Lush's new toothy tabs, these particular tabs feature a number of ingredients that I was unsure about and had to research before trying them out for myself - not only to understand how and why Supherb work but also to educate others about the benefits they possess. Firstly, these tabs feature  dicalcium phosphate anhydrous - the main component used to help supplement the body's calcium intake, not to mention preventing the build up of tartar in the mouth. Sorbitol is also used - a natural alternative to sugar which allows Lush to add flavour to this product without adding anything that'll rot your teeth; Lauroyl Sarcosine not only helps the product to foam up in the mouth, but is also used to remove unwanted bacteria that may cause problems in the future.

If I'm honest, I couldn't really tell you if I actually liked Supherb Toothy Tabs or not. I am not for one second faulting the product by any means, as they left my teeth and mouth cleaner than most of the other toothy tabs I have been trying as of late. However, I don't think I would describe the smell or taste of these as being anywhere near pleasant. 

Ultimately, oral health care is about looking after your teeth and gums which these toothy tabs will help you to do. And if you're looking for a toothpaste that'll give you fresh breath alongside this, perhaps these are the tabs you've been looking for. However, I do think that I can achieve all of that without feeling as if I've just stuffed my nose and mouth in a vegetable garden so I probably wouldn't use these again.

Quantitative Ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate Anhydrous, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sorbitol, Lauroyl Sarcosine,  Kaolin, Xylitol, Wintergreen Oil, Pine Needles Absolute, Pine Oil, Parsley Seed Oil, Aniseed Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Coriander Seed Oil, Geranium Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Marjoram Oil, Peppermint Oil, Angelica Oil, Nettle Powder, Horsetail Herb Powder, Menthol Crystals, Water, Gardenia Extract, Stevia, Chlorophylin, Citral, Citronellol, Eugenol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2019 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Spearmint Bubblegum Toothpaste Jelly

What I love about Lush is that they always seem to be one step ahead when it comes to both the ethical and creative side of the cosmetics business. While there are times when I may suggest that a new invention appears more as a gimmick than anything else, the company usually proves me wrong by showcasing the thinking process behind said product. Nowadays, I am learning to simply swallow my words before they escape my mouth.     

Having settled into the idea of toothpaste jellies being a 'thing' now, I couldn't wait to try out my second flavour: Spearmint Bubblegum. Sporting a gorgeous shade of green, this naked jelly boasts being both self-preserving and a great travel companion for those not wanting any irritating spillages from ruining their adventures.

One of ten brand new inventions, this exclusive is only currently available in two of Lush's biggest stores: Liverpool (England) and Shinjuku (Japan), although rumours circulating online suggest that it's only a matter of time before they make their way into the Lush Labs release. Ultimately, I hope that these brand new inventions appear on the website and in all stores, because it seems a shame that something this good is limited to so few consumers.

You may be intrigued to know that this particular Toothpaste Jelly contains a parsley infusion as the main ingredient, alongside both spearmint and orange oils underneath as well. Having said this, these ingredients are very obviously placed when you sniff this product out for the first time. 

As its name suggests, this jelly really does smell like spearmint bubblegum. There is something really rounded and slightly sugary about the mint aroma that reminds me of Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing Gum, just without the strong and slightly sharp mint aroma. It's a wholesome and very thick and sultry smell, which is what makes it stand apart from a regular mint-scented product.

What I will say is that you can very easily smell the herbal layer of parsley in this jelly, which sits at the forefront of the paste and makes a big impression on the senses. Strangely however, I think it is this very element that gives the spearmint its 'bubblegum' properties and makes the mint a little more warming and rounded because of this.

Once you've begun brushing, the main taste you experience is a creamy, minty one, with the parsley infusion padding out the taste with a little herbal underbite. There is a delicate shout out to the orange oil as well, although this is more in the fact that the overall taste is very crisp and refreshing. While all three of the main components can be tasted, even if it's just a delicate hint, the overall taste is still very much spearmint bubblegum.

The idea with all of these new tooth jellies is that you simply scoop your toothbrush across the top of the surface of the product and a small amount (or however much you wish to use) will rub off onto the bristles, and this is what you use to brush your teeth with. With all ten of these new jellies, I found that it was very easy to apply only the smallest of amount to my brush: I barely dented the surface at all to begin with, so these little 60g pots will last you a very long time. In fact, I would even say that they may outlast that of a regular-sized 200g tube of toothpaste.

Once I began brushing, I found that it 'lathered up' exactly like a regular toothpaste and at no point did I feel or experience any jelly pieces still in my mouth. The product dissolved very quickly and then worked exactly as you would hope a tooth paste would do so. Furthermore, I was able to spit the paste out multiple times and never once ran out of foam on my toothbrush. These jellies are super generous when it comes to how much foam they produce in your mouth, despite how little product you need to use. Whereas I would normally use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, I was able to use a piece the size of a grain of rice and yet heed the same results.

What I would say is that as the product is self preserving, it's important to keep your toothbrush fairly dry when you run it across the product. Adding moisture of any kind to these naked cosmetics could reduce the shelf life of the jelly and may open up the possibility of bacteria multiplying over time. For this reason, it's also essential that the lid is left on so as not to attract any unwanted germs. Given that I can imagine one of these pots lasting me a good 3-4 months as a minimum, I certainly wouldn't want the paste exposed to any bacteria, if I can help it. 

After rinsing my mouth out, I found that Spearmint left my teeth, tongue and entire mouth feeling really clean and refreshed, without the intense minty bite that many regular toothpastes can sometimes offer. While there are those that probably enjoy feeling as if they've scolded their mouth of any unwanted bacteria, I really enjoyed the fact that I managed to experience such long-lasting results WITHOUT needing an overwhelming minty taste burning my mouth. 

As I will say in all of my toothpaste jelly reviews, it's also nice not to have to prepare myself for annoying lumps of tab when I rinse my mouth out afterwards. Spearmint Bubblegum simply dissolved as soon as I started brushing and there wasn't any wastage from bits getting stuck in my teeth or falling out when I spat into the sink.

As with most of Lush's new toothpaste jellies, this one contains many key ingredients to actually help this product to act like a toothpaste. Hydrated silica works well as a whitening and teeth cleaning agent: helping to remove the stains from the surface of your teeth without damaging the enamel. Then there is xylitol, which is a natural sweetener that doesn't contain any fructose, so will help to protect your teeth from damage, and will hopefully help to reduce your risk of cavities over time.

If you love the idea of the toothpaste jelly concept but don't fancy moving too far away from the minty genre; or if you're just a big kid at heart and fancy trying something a little more playful, Spearmint Bubblegum Toothpaste Jelly may be the one for you. It's certainly going to be staying in my bathroom for a long time and be used on a regular basis.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Parsley Infusion (Petroselinum carum), Sorbitol, Glycerine, Silica, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Xylitol, Spearmint Oil (Mentha spicata), Brazilian Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Cassia Oil (Cinnnamomum cassia), Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana), Agar Agar (Gelidium cartilagineum), Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Menthol crystals (Menthol), Titanium Dioxide, Water (Aqua), Cinnamal, Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Citral, *Limonene, Flavour, Colour 19140, Colour 42053.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2019 Price: £ each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019. 

Cool Beans Shower Oil

As a teacher, I can sometimes be disheartened when I hear what I term 'sloppy language' being spoken in and around my classroom. I'll openly admit that I have a disliking for those who drop their letters or use words such as 'innit' and the like. Yet despite my slight snobbery, I understand that the beauty of language is that it evolves over time: new words are created and given meaning to, and phrases find themselves slotting into every day life and being shared globally.

When I first saw that this shower oil was called Cool Beans, it took me right back to high school, where I remembered it being an expression myself and my best friend would use to show our appreciation of absolutely everything. You fancy meeting up in the park after school? Cool beans! The new System Of A Down album is amazing! Cool Beans! etc...

A play on words, the name of this shower oil comes from the inclusion of both the whole black beans and the menthol crystals featured in the ingredients list. Both serve the purpose of offering something that not only moisturises your skin but massages your muscles at the same time. The black beans on the surface gently stimulate your body as you glide it across your skin, while the menthol crystals act as a refreshment for overworked and tired body parts.   

While it doesn't replicate the scent exactly, fans of Wiccy Magic Muscles Massage Bar and 93,000 Miles Shower Jelly may be interested to know that the scent of this is very similar. You can smell both the peppermint and the menthol crystals from the get-go - both of which work in unison to produce quite a clinical and very clean-smelling shower oil. The inclusion of the mint leaves also means that there is something very fresh about the mint fragrance in this product.  

Alongside these two key components there is also a green-like, herbal thread from the parsley, and a sweet floral note from the geranium. In all fairness, I was not expecting the scent of this to work particularly well because of how many different notes are going on here. Yet each of these components seem to  come together well and produce something very invigorating and refreshing. Much like the aforementioned products above, you do get a slight tingling sensation from the menthol crystals, although it's nowhere near as intense.

How to use a shower oil is down to personal preference, although I have tried a few variations and have discovered the way that works best for me. Much like a body butter, I tend to find that these beauties work better at the end of your shower/bath, when your skin is clean and ready to be moisturised.

Ensure your skin is damp and then step out of the way of the running water. Massage the bar gently, in a circular motion, across the areas of your body that you wish to moisturise. Try not to apply too much pressure as the shower oils are very generous, and I just feel that you'd coat your skin with too much oil and use up the block far quicker this way.

What you will find is that the shower oils will leave a light layer of oils on your skin, which you can then use you hands to massage even deeper into your skin. Unlike a body butter or a body conditioner, the oils are not at all greasy, nor do they feel at all heavy. Instead, it feels and looks as if you've applied a little baby oil to your skin.

As with Vertical Abhyanaga, this shower oil left my skin nourished and moisturised - enough to see me through the whole day. As I used it first thing in the morning, it also brought about a wonderful crisp feeling that made my skin feel really clean and ready to brace the cold, winter weather.

While it appears slightly thinner than the above shower oil, I found that I didn't need to apply much pressure to aid the distribution of the oils. This means that I can envisage Cool Beans lasting long enough to give me a good ten full body sessions, maybe even more. As to be expected, the shower oil also dried really quickly so I was able to store it safely without it making a mess of my shower.

Ultimately, this is yet another shower oil that I would purchase again, although I would probably use this as an after-workout or early morning 'perk me up'. The fragrance itself is not my favourite, but I feel it's more of a product that serves a purpose as opposed to bought for its scent. This is definitely a very cool new release from Lush.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Whole Black Beans, Morigina Oil, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sunflower Wax, Clove Bud Oil, Lemongrass Oil, English Peppermint Oil, Kenyan Geranium Oil, Gardenia Extract, Moringa Powder, Fresh Mint, Fresh Parsley, Menthol Crystals, Water, Propylene Glycol, Citral, Citronellol, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Chlorophyllin.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.

German Sausage Facial Cleanser

I cannot say that I've ever loved the smell of sausages enough to want to smother my face in them. Having said that, I feel the same way about coffee and yet I use Cup O' Coffee like my life depends on it, which it does on some occasions. 

German Sausage Facial Cleanser is a weird concept to say the least. Yet it is often those weird and wonderful inventions that make the biggest impact, and this particular product is definitely one that leaves a lasting impression. Made from base of rhassoul mud and potatoes, German Sausage is a very 'foody' smell, and one that may take a little getting used to before it can be fully appreciated. 

Although it may seem like an odd ingredient for a cosmetic, potato happens to be naturally rich in vitamin C, which is great for maintaining the skin's natural radiance. Furthermore, it is this component that helps to give the cleanser a slight gritty consistency, which works alongside the oatmeal to act as a gentle exfoliator as well. The rhassoul mud also plays a part at helping to soften and smoothen-out the complexion - acting as both a gentle exfoliator, while also absorbing excess oils that may be present on the skin. 

Alongside the above two ingredients, you also have the inclusion of both cocoa butter and almond oil. Both of these ingredients help to moisture and nourish the skin, and when the product is left on the face for a short while before being washed off, it can improve the condition of your complexion over a number of days.

In terms of the other key notes, the inclusion of sage, parsley, basil and rosemary are what gives this cleanser its distinctive and rather potent aroma. My nose detects the sage and rosemary at the forefront - both offering a heady but rather dry, herbal fragrance. On top of this, you can even smell the dry, starchy components of the potato - almost like a tray of overly roasted potatoes that have been left out overnight to dry. You can smell each of these ingredients quite easily, and I'd say that these are the components that give German Sausage its distinctive smell.  

To use, you simply take a small amount (perhaps the size of a small grape), and massage it across the face. For best results, I tend to leave this on while I continue my shower, and then rinse it off just before I get out. This allows the cocoa butter and rhassoul mud to work their magic and improve the condition of the skin. 

Luckily, this scent doesn't linger too much on your face after you've washed it off, so you don't have to worry about justifying to strangers why you smell a bit like a human hot dog.

Having used this daily for the last couple of weeks, I have found that this can, and perhaps should, be used daily to get the best results. I found that within 2-3 days of using this in the morning, my complexion seemed to look brighter and my skin felt noticeably smoother. 

Having said this, I didn't feel as if this was as effective either Buche De Noel or Angels On Bare Skin. Furthermore, the consistency, although not at all scratchy or rough, was not as easy-going on the face as the products mentioned above. For those with sensitive skin, I can imagine that this cleaner could have the potential to irritate the pores a little.

In terms of complexion types, I think that this cleanser would suit most consumers' needs. However, I think that perhaps it would work a little better for those with normal to oily skin, as the rhassoul mud and potato would definitely help to remove any excess grease.

Overall, this is an odd one to say the least. Not many other companies would be brace enough to bring out a facial product that both looks and smells like something you'd have in a cooked breakfast. Although not a fan of meat in any shape or form, I appreciated the uniqueness of this cleanser and will continue to use it daily until my tub finishes. This has opened even more possibilities for what this company might make, and I for one am excited to see what they do next.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Potatoes, Ground Almonds, Rhassoul Mud, Kaolin, Cocoa Butter, Aloe Vera Extract, Fine Sea Salt, Soya Milk Powder, Fresh Sage, Fresh Parsley, Sage Oil, Basil Oil, Rosemary Oil, Alpha-Isomethyl iphone, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £7.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Magic Shower Jelly

Having recently used up my two old Magic Ballistics, I really couldn't understand the fuss surrounding this particular family of smells. Having found myself familiar with the most popular places for Lushies to congregate, I was surprised to find out that both regular fans and serious collectors, along with those in between, were all raving about the product that is Magic Jelly. This is something that intrigued me, and having searched the web for months on end, I finally managed to get hold of two pots of the stuff. 

Immediately upon opening the tub, I was hit with a wave of smell - this is not a product for those who dislike strong smelling cosmetics; this is as potent as you can get! Made from a combination of rose, marjoram, peppermint and basil, this is fresh, floral but equally minty offering unlike any other shower jelly I've had from Lush. 

To me, it's the mint that engulfs your senses first - a strong, uplifting peppermint fragrance that dominates most of the smell. However, don't assume that this is going to be like your generic, mint smelling cosmetic. Alongside this peppermint, you get bursts of rose, a fresh but equally poignant floral smell that gives this shower jelly some depth. When used, the heat from the shower helps to bring out the herbal side to this product, and I found that I was then able to pick up elements of the basil and marjoram in this way.  

There are several ways that you can use any of Lush's shower jellies, and I find that everyone has their own preference, which is completely understandable. Firstly, you can break a small piece of (or select a piece that's been segmented prior to your shower) and rub the block directly onto your skin. The amount of lather this creates differentiates vastly depending on the type of jelly, how old the product is and the size of the piece you're using. While some users find this way works for them, I find that this is fairly ineffective as it does not create much of a lather and the jelly becomes too wet, making it slippery and difficult to hold on to. 

Secondly, you can use a shower sponge, puff or exfoliating glove to create a lather before rubbing it all over your body. For me, I found this method far more successful as it helped to break down the jelly properly and create a nice foamy effect to wash your body with. Finally, you can break off slabs of the jelly and use them as you would a bubble bar, placing them underneath a running tap to stimulate bubbles. I tend to use mine for this reason, as I can get 4-5 baths out of one 100g tub, which I consider to be great value for money.

With Magic, I used my shower puff to lather myself up, and I found that this jelly was great at creating a soft, fragrant foam to wash myself with. The product left my skin really clean and it's fragrance permeated my skin more than any other shower product I have tried from Lush. I could smell this on myself the very next day, and the clothes I changed into after I'd had my shower, held onto the scent for a few days after initial use. To repeat what I said above; this is not a product for those who cannot stand strong smelling products - this is as potent as they come!

Overall, I really enjoyed Magic and hope that Lush bring it back at some point soon. To me, this jelly reminded of a more sophisticated Whoosh, with the bonus factor that it's vegan. It's a refreshing and highly invigorating shower product that will awaken your senses and leave your skin tingling slightly, due to the addition of peppermint oil. 

I thoroughly enjoyed using this, and would definitely like to see more products released with this fragrance. I would definitely buy this again if I could.

Quantitative Ingredients: Glycerine, Red rose petal and marjoram infusion, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Proplyene Gycol, Peppermint and Basil infusion, Perfume, Basil Oil, Peppermint Oil, Colour 42090, Colour 17200, Methylparaben, Propylparaden, Cinnalol, Eugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool, Fresh Parsley.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £8.25 for 250g.

2017 Price: £8.50 for 250g.

Scent Family:

Magic Ballistic
Magic Shower Jelly

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Magic Bath Ballistic

Lush first released the Magic Ballistic during the Christmas period of 2008; bringing it out every year after that as part of their retro range. Unfortunately, the company chose not to bring it out in 2012 or 2013, leaving me no choice but to hunt for older versions to buy. The two weathered-looking bath bombs that I managed to acquire were from the last release in 2011. Although I didn't expect them to be as effective as the freshly made ones, I was hoping to grapple some sort of experience from them to write about on this blog. While they weren't that terrible, you could tell they were far from fresh, so when Lush announced that they were bringing out Spellbound featuring this bath bomb, I couldn't wait to throw a fresh one into the bath. 

Unlike any other bath bomb that Lush have released to date, the Magic Ballistic is shaped like an hexagonal prism. Although it weighs the same as a regular Lush ballistic, the bomb seems bigger due to it's chiselled faces and unique design. With it characteristic tetrakaidekahedral shape (that’s fourteen-sided), Magic has a brilliant turquoise outer layer and a rich pink inner core that gets to work immediately upon impact with water.

The bath bomb is a loud fizzer, but it takes a little time for it to fully dissolve so you can lay back and watch the swirls of blue make their way across the surface of the water. Once it hits the water, beautiful trails of foam spread out across the surface and paint the water a vivid deep-blue colour. As the ballistic disperses even further, the core comes out to play and adds a beautiful tingle of Mexican Pink to the mix. Once fully dissolved, the bath turns a gorgeous deep purple. This is a multi-layered bathing experience that you don't want to miss - one that makes you feel as if you're bathing in a midnight sky. 

On the surface, the ballistic is quite pungent; a cool peppermint, tender rose and herbal fragrance unlike anything else you have ever experienced. Sharing it's scent with the similarly titled Magic Jelly, this potent combination is not for the weak-hearted - it grabs your senses like a hungry dog and refuses to let go until you have left the bathroom.

The marjoram oil is what drives this aroma - an unusual herbal scent that compliments the other ingredients while actively standing above them. While both basil and parsley are featured here too, neither of these are so prominent in the mix; instead resting at the bottom of the smell and adding subtle hints when the bath bomb is in use. The centre harvests most of these herbal scents, meaning that your initial experience is the sweet rose smell, but you get the surprise of the herbs as the ballistic melts away in the tub. 

The peppermint oil is clearly prominent in the overall fragrance of this as well - adding a unique minty twist to Magic but without being too strong to counteract the rose. Finally, as the last of the bath bomb melts away, a single sprig of parsley floats out as a nice finishing touch. I couldn't smell the parsley in the mix, but it was a nice surprise at the end.

Magic is an unusual but distinctive bath product; it's refreshing and utterly relaxing, giving off a slight cooling sensation in the water alongside the scent or rose and marjoram, which dispels all worries and brings clarity to the user. The scent did help me to relax a lot, and I found that the fragrance actually helped to lift the headache that I had at the time.

After getting out of the bath, my skin felt softer and lightly fragranced which was wonderful; I knew this bath bomb was going to do wonders for my skin after I could see and feel the delicate layer of oils that sit on the surface of the bath once the ballistic has fully dissolved. Overall, I really enjoyed using this ballistic - my skin felt exfoliated and smoother once I got out of the tub and the wonderful aroma, which remained really strong throughout my experience, lingered on my skin and hair for the remainder of the day. 

I really hope that Lush choose to bring it back permanently, as I now consider this to be one of my all-time favourite bath bombs. It really is a unique, relaxing ballistic that I would love to experience again and again. I can only hope that this product makes a re-appearance soon because I would definitely invest in a few.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Marjoram Oil, Rose Absolute, Basil Oil, Peppermint Oil ,Eugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Linalool, Colour 17200, Colour 42090, Colour 19140, Fresh Parsley Sprig.

Vegan?: Yes.

2014 Price: Not Currently For Sale Individually. 

2015 Price: £3.95 each.

2017 Price: £4.25 each.

Scent Family:

Magic Ballistic
Magic Shower Jelly

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The Witches' Ball Bubble Bar

The Witches' Ball Bubble Bar was first made for Lush's Christmas 2008 range, and although it's made a reappearance over the years, it is only recently that I've managed to pick myself up a couple to try. It's definitely one of Lush's more quirkier products; it's not something you're likely to find in the typical high street shop, which is probably why I was so intrigued to give it a whirl.

Most often, when I invest in any of Lush's older products, I like to carry out a little research to find out the history of the product alongside the general reaction to said item. With Witches' Ball, I found there was a clear division - it's a product that normally inspires quite strong reactions (both positive and negative), so I was a little unsure what to expect when the strange-looking clump turned up at my door. 

Firstly, it's definitely a unique and strangely beautiful bubble bar. With it's dark violet shell speckled with sprigs of fresh parsley and decorated with a star anise on top, it's an acquired taste. What I love about it, is that it really does conjure up thoughts of medieval witchery and the supernatural. Much like Ceridwan's Cauldron, there's something weirdly alluring about the romanticism of old-fashioned witchcraft and the occult. 

Secondly, I was very intrigued to see what this bubble bar smelt like before and during my bath. Witches' Ball boasts a whole array of different opposing and complementary ingredients; cloves, black currants and cranberries, rosemary, sage, peppermint, frankincense, myrrh, benzoin and of course, fresh parsley. On paper, it's very hard to imagine what this smells like. 

To me, the dominating smell here is the herbs. On first sniff, I can pick out the sage, rosemary and peppermint; the currants and cranberries add a slight sweetness to the mix, which makes the bubble bar smell very odd indeed. In fact, it's one of those products that I feel you need to try for yourself to really appreciate it's fragrance. I didn't mind the smell at all, although it's not a scent I particularly loved either.    

In the bath, this bubble bar is probably one of the weakest at creating bubbles. This is no doubt due to the amount of other objects that have been packed into this average-sized product. Once the bubble bar is dissolving, an array of cloves, star anise and currants are dispersed from the product, where they float down and sit at the bottom of the tub. While you're watching this happen, it all seems quite intriguing. However, once you get into the bath, you realise that these inanimate objects are actually rather annoying. There are so many of them that you can't help but sit on at least one, and it's nearly always the pointed, star-shaped anise, which can be a rather painful experience. 

Annoyingly, when you attempt to remove these from the bath, you end up fighting a losing battle as these irritating clumps of food spin off in all directions and are nearly impossible to grapple with. My suggestion would be to either direct them into one area of the bath and just make sure you don't move for the duration of the experience. Or you could attempt to contain the currants and cloves by popping the bubble bar in a thin sock and tying it under the running tap. The only issue here is that you tend to lose a lot of the scent as this comes from all of the fresh herbs and spices, all of which will be trapped in the sock and not in your bath tub.

Finally, when fully dissolved, Witches' Ball turns the bath water a clear purple colour with a thin layer of bubbles on top. Unfortunately, these bubbles disappear rather quickly which almost makes it pointless calling it a bubble bar to begin with. 

Overall, I wasn't that impressed with this bubble bar. On paper, Witches' Ball is an intriguing and unique product. I'd even say that the inclusion of fresh currants is a marvellous idea. However, Lush need to work on how they can incorporate these sweet, juicy fruits into a product without cluttering the entire bath tub with them. This product is definitely an example of 'style over substance'.

Although the smell was quite pleasant, and it was by no means the worst bath in the world, my skin didn't feel any softer than it did before I had jumped in the tub. Furthermore, the scent was almost completely lost by the time I had dried myself off. This is definitely not a bubble bar I will be buying again. Although, if Lush ever choose to release other products using this fragrance, I would definitely jump at the chance of trying them out.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Dried Cranberries, Dried Currants, Dried Star Anise, Perfume, Peppermint Oil, Rosemary Oil, Sage Oil, Myrrh Gum, Olibanum Gum, Benzoin Gum, Cloves, Dried Parsley, *Limonene, Colour 42090, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

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