baths Archives - Journeys Are My Diary

Lush bath bombs and bubble bars

December 29, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Some time ago, after writing a Halloween Lush Wish List, I went to Lush in Doncaster and purchased a whole bunch of bath bombs and bubble bars. Since then I have managed to review Monster’s Ball, Lava Lamp and Ruby Red Slippers but I have actually used them all! I decided that instead of doing a separate post for each one, I would just post a few pictures (for the two I do have them for), the original description from the Lush website and my opinions one which I liked and would buy again etc.

Of the ones I haven’t reviewed yet, there were; Pumpkin, Autumn Leaf, Never Mind The Ballistics and Northern Lights – all of which were bath bombs. There was then Candy Mountain and Big Bang, which were both bubble bars. Northern Lights I have reviewed previously last year, though it looks slightly different now. I have also reviewed Big Bang previously too. As for Candy Mountain, I’ve been using that for years so there is no reviews on this blog but I love it so much that I buy every year, at least one and its my favourite Lush Product.

Never Mind The Ballistics (bath bomb) – These aren’t ingredients for anybody else except for yourself. Lime and sweet wild orange oils are fresh and peachy on the nose, exciting the senses and shaking up your mood. There’s no time for apathy in the bath, so this anarchic bath bomb fizzes and rolls and spews colour with no holds barred energy. Fair Trade cocoa butter melts alongside fresh bananas to soften both the water and your skin. God save the clean; this deserves a replay.

Never Mind the Ballistics is the only remaining bath bomb that I didn’t take pictures for and so it’s pretty hard to review. I enjoyed the smell and the half pink side made the bath water feel smooth and softening. However the pink side did give a similar effect that the Lava Lamp did, adding a sort of residue to the bath.

Autumn Leaf (bath bomb) – Autumn colours dapple your bath red and yellow, as falling leaves signify the start of winter. From the comfort of a hot bath, watch as the evenings draw in, and the trees don vibrant plumage. The scent of fresh grass evokes the crunch of crisp leaves underfoot as the last remnants of summer are stolen away.

One of my favourite things about Lush bath bombs are definitely the way they react when they touch the water and the colours they turn the bath. Autumn Leaves doesn’t disappoint, displaying many colours related to nature in a very pretty fizz. The smell is good too and the after colour of the bath once the bomb is completely dissolved. I don’t remember it having a specific scent, but whatever it was, was likeable.

Pumpkin (bath bomb) – Bath-o’-lantern. This year, we’re introducing a very traditional looking fizzer to our limited edition range: one look at those geometric features is all it takes to put you in a Halloween-y mood! With a spicy, sweet perfume full of exotic pimento, sweet vanilla and warming cinnamon, our jack-o’-lantern will have you imitating his toothy grin once he hits your bath water.

Pumpkin was a great fun bath bomb, both in design and colour. Though it didn’t do anything dramatic when dropped into the bath, the colour of the water was really dramatic – almost like orange juice. The smell was great too, very reminiscent of Halloween and spicy. Again, another bath bomb that I would be happy to recommend.

Children in Need inspired Bath Bomb – Sudsey

November 19, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

During this month I was lucky enough to be offered a bath bomb (they call them Bath Blasters) from Soap Bombs to review. Since Children in Need was coming up, I decided to go for Sudsey (inspired by Pudsey) as there was so much choice in bath bombs that it at least gave me a reason to pick it.

The bath bomb itself came very well packaged and it was sent next day delivery via a courier, rather than regular mail. It was incredibly pretty, especially with its glittery spots and it smelt pretty great too. Now I’ve said before, that I prefer options that provide me with bubbles, so bath bombs aren’t my favourite thing to use in a bath. That said, if they smell nice, make the bath water turn an interesting colour and I can get out smelling good, I’m all for using them.

This bath bomb did all those things and so I am happy to recommend it. They are good value too and there is so much choice, that you might find it hard to decide. I would definitely be interested in trying their bath brulees, mallows or creamers so I will definitely be back for more. Not only that but the company is Lincolnshire based (where I live) so it seems good to support local businesses.

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Lush Bubble Bar – Ruby Red Slippers

November 15, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

After a couple of bath bombs, I thought it was time for a bubble bar instead. I hadn’t tried Ruby Red Slippers before and so I picked it up as part of my haul. At a first sniff, I liked it but I wasn’t really sure but when I went to use it, one of the plus points was definitely that it was easy to break up into pieces and use on separate occasions, rather than all at once.

You don’t have to travel to the Emerald City to find your inner Dorothy. Crumble your ruby slipper under running water to add sparkle to your bath time, then immerse yourself in the spicy, floral fragrance of carnation absolute. With tangerine oil’s hypnotic effect and rose absolute’s soothing properties, you’ll be in the bubbly land of Oz in no time. Lie back, click your heels, there’s no place like foam.

Lush had a bubble bar called Dorothy once and I definitely wasn’t a fan but this one is much better. It’s smell is nice, though not as sweet as I usually like them and of course as with all their bubble bars, it makes the bath water soft and your skin smooth. I also love the colour it turns the water so that’s a plus. I’m not sure if Ruby Red Slippers is a seasonal bubble bar or just a new addition but it’s definitely one that I would pick up again in the future.

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

So Christmas is upon us and I feel a little sad that I haven’t been able to update my blog much recently. Sure there has been content but it’s not been especially personal! Christmas Eve is really the first day that I usually start to feel Christmasy and sadly so far, not so good. Alright so it’s only midday so there’s time for that to change, but as yet I’m still not feeling it!

However I wanted to share with you some of our Christmas Eve traditions and obviously that will explain why its the first time I get in the Christmas mood. Until yesterday, I hadn’t wrapped a single present (bar the one person I needed to give their gift to at the weekend) and I hadn’t really done much Christmas prep (bar shopping). But with my orders at Closet Geek finally coming to an end, I took the time to get myself organised and wrap all the presents to go under the tree and then stocking gifts for 7 stockings!!! Other than putting up the tree at the beginning of December and the girls writing their letters to Santa, only this week, there’s nothing much else we do I suppose in the run up to Christmas Day.

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But tonight the traditions truly begin! They start around 7pm (or at least they will this year) with a Christmas Eve gift. This is a tradition started by my own parents and continued by me as I think it’s a great idea. Many people have Christmas Eve boxes these days, but we just have a gift – that one present that gets picked out from under the tree and given to you early. Okay, so it’s pre-picked, but as kids we didn’t realise that and we just thought we were being allowed to open one before Christmas Day!

The Christmas Eve gift in our house is ALWAYS pyjamas. I remember as a child occasionally getting other things like bath toys, a hot water bottle, board games etc. but in this household it’s always pjs. There is also a Christmas book and some bath stuff (usually the one time I allow the kids to have Lush!). My mum and sister come around as we open these gifts, they have pjs too and so do Chris and I. We all open our gifts and then I read the Christmas book to the girls, then we all have a glass of Baileys, or sherry or even a glass of wine. After a little while, I run a bath for the girls with their Christmas Lush and they get themselves clean, ready for the big day! Afterwards they put on their clean pjs and we make the final preparations.

My mum and sister are usually gone by this point and so the rest of the traditions are just ours. The girls put out milk and cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer and then sprinkle their reindeer food outside the front door. They hang the “magic key” on the front door, that allows Santa to come in and then finally they hang their empty stockings. It’s usually bed time by this point and so they head off to sleep, giving me a little time to myself. Chris and I then have baths too and change into our new pyjamas, before spending a little time together and then heading to bed. At dead on midnight, we exchange an early Christmas gift. This is a tradition that comes from Chris’ family and we have only done for the few years we’ve been together. It’s never anything specific, no reason for it being the early one, just a gift to exchange when it’s just us and technically just turned Christmas Day.

What Christmas Eve traditions do you have?

Big Bang – Lush Bubble Bar Review

May 29, 2015 by Bel Leave a Comment

Transferred from Twice the Mum blog when it closed.

Yesterday it was my birthday (yay!) and today it’s my party, so I don’t have an awful lot of time to post this week. However I couldn’t let too much time pass without telling you all about some great Lush products I’ve been trying.

Lush – London Oxford Street has always had a few products that you can’t get anywhere else, but right now they have over 200 products that can only be bought in that particular store. I discovered this by reading a couple of blogs and since we went to London last weekend, it seemed only right to call in and see for myself. I left with quite a haul so I’m sure this won’t be the only post I make. However sadly information will be limited!

My first pick of products to try was something called “Big Bang” bubble bar. I had to google even to figure this out as stupidly I said I was okay without labels on all my bags – to make it easier at the till! The smell is just amazing, though sadly I can’t tell you anything that’s in the product. To me it smells a bit like Sherbet Lemons but I could be way off.

I have no idea about the price either, as I didn’t keep my receipt (a bit of a fail going on here I’m afraid) and even googling doesn’t seem to work. The blue is a bubble bar as standard but the pink seems to be a bath melt. Whatever it is, it’s wonderful and I highly recommend it.

If you’re anywhere near to London Oxford Street, I definitely think you should pop in! I hope that some of the products prove to be popular enough to make it into regular sale, at least that way I’ll find out what was in them! If you’re interested in the exclusive products, just type Oxford Street Lush exclusive products into a search and you should find loads of info – especially on blogs!

Wizard – Lush Bubble Bar

November 20, 2014 by Bel Leave a Comment

Several times over the last week I’ve been posting about the products I bought in a recent Lush haul – when I went to Edinburgh. Products I’ve covered have included Sparkler, Northern Lights, So White, Hot Toddy and over on Twice the Mum (later published on my own blog), even the Butterbear. Today is the turn of “Wizard”, a bubble bar that I bought, largely because of the name (huge Harry Potter fan here) and also cos it looked interesting!!

Unfortunately “Wizard” was just for Halloween, so its now unavailable (that’s why the link is actually to the US Lush site). This makes me twice as glad that I got to try it when I did and hopefully one day it might be back again!

Wizard bubble bar looks a lot like a wizard hat and not only that, its a funky colour. To be honest, if it wasn’t that colour, I think it could quite easily be confused with the Penguin bubble bar!

As I’ve mentioned before, I love the idea of a magical bath and as a Harry Potter lover I’m always sold on anything witch, wizard, magic related. This bubble bar was no different, almost excited to see how it turned out.

As I crumbled the bubble bar, the water turned a beautiful shade of purple. The smell was lovely too. However as the bath filled more, the water took on a slightly darker shade of purple which was still nice but just not as pretty as the shallow water. While I could place the scent at all (and having this eternal cold it seems) it did seem familiar and in the end I associated it with lavender. As with all Lush bubble bars, the water felt beautifully soft and moisturising, the bar creating loads and loads of bubbles.

Lush describe this product as:

As the weather casts a cold, frosty spell over us, there’s only one thing better than soaking in the bath: the Wizard. This magical, handmade companion will help keep your spirits bright even on the darkest days. Energizing tangerine, juniperberry and fennel essential oils help balance the skin, while its warming and uplifting scent banishes stress and helps you recover from the day. It’s pure magic for your mind, body and soul.

While there is no mention of lavender, I feel sure that there is something in the bubble bar with the same qualities. After getting out of the bath I felt incredibly relaxed and then not long after, tired. I slept really well that night too and so I would have recommended it for people with sleeping problems.

This was a lovely bubble bar and I’m genuinely sad it was here only briefly. I hope it makes a re-appearance next Halloween as I’d definitely stock up on a couple for those exhausting days when you know you need a good night’s sleep.

Still to review: The Christmas Hedgehog, Father Christmas, Sparkly Pumpkin and my all time favourite, Candy Mountain!

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Sparkler – Lush Bath Bomb

November 5, 2014 by Bel Leave a Comment

As today is November 5th – Bonfire Night, I wanted to share with you one of my latest Lush product purchases! When we were in Edinburgh a few weekends ago, I popped into Lush and bought somewhat of a haul. Included in that was this awesome bath bomb – the Sparkler.

The Lush “Sparkler”, pictured above – the long yellow stick – is a bath bomb that smells amazing. Sadly, though, its a little soft and while sat in my box of lush goodies, actually ended up breaking apart! As such, I don’t have a “before I threw it in the bath” shot and the spoiler of seeing gold in the middle of the bath bomb, was revealed before it even got to the bath.

Lush claims the product to be:

A crackling and fizzing Rose Jam-scented bath bomb that makes bath night fireworks night. The soothingly-fragranced bomb fizzes and crackles in an explosion of colour, spinning around the bath turning it into a fiery, shimmering display.

Because the bath bomb was broken, I can’t completely confirm these claims. I can tell you however that the colour of the bath was a beautiful yellow colour that turned gold and sparkly as the bath bomb disintegrated. Sadly I also have a terrible cold and I can’t even tell you if it smelt good – but I’m sure it did!

The colour of the bath water, definitely had a sparkly feel to it. For me it appeals, in the same way Sunnyside does. I love the idea of a magical bath and this is exactly what it felt like. I was almost tempted to drop my Dragon’s Egg bath bomb in, just to feel like I was having a Harry Potter bath!

Even better, when you get out of the bath, the gold sparkles stay on you! Its very subtle and not that obvious, so you might even miss it. However I assure you it does happen. Every now and again you can just catch a glimpse of the odd sparkle here and there – but I think its even more obvious to others, even if you can’t totally see it yourself.

While I won’t rush to buy it again (and I’m sure it will disappear after Christmas anyway), I’m really glad to have tried it. I love magical and sparkly baths and if you do, then I would definitely recommend it!

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Northern Lights – Lush Bath Bomb

October 10, 2014 by Bel 1 Comment

Last week I posted about the new Christmas (and Winter generally) range of products being released by Lush. They are now in the shops and this week I was lucky enough to be given one by my best friend Nat. Yesterday I wasn’t feeling very well so after work I headed home and climbed into the bath. I decided to use my new Northern Lights – Bath Bomb.

The Northern Lights bath bomb is so pretty, even before it goes in the bath. It’s purple in colour, with tiny little stars decorating it. However the real magic happens when you place the bath bomb into the water. Then you definitely understand where the bath bomb gets its name from.

When your first drop the bath bomb into the water, you’re greeted with an amazing purple colour, with hints of blue. However as the water runs and the bath bomb dissolves, the colours just get more and more beautiful.

The name “Northern Lights” is just perfect for this bath bomb. I can see exactly why it was named that. Truth be told though, there isn’t much else to say about this bath bomb. It doesn’t especially smell of anything and it doesn’t especially make the bath water smell of anything. It is however, a lovely colour and great fun to watch. That said, I seem to have lost some elements of taste and smell, so I could be wrong and maybe it smells awesome haha.

At £3.50 its certainly not the cheapest of bath bombs, but its definitely an experience to watch and use. I won’t be rushing out to buy it again, but I’m definitely glad to have tried it!

Have you tried any of the new Lush range yet?

Leave your link, I’d love to see!

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