With its vibrant glittery purple shell and yellow star decoration, this product is a beauty to look at. Yet, I found myself rather underwhelmed when it came to how Wizard Bubble Bar performed in the bath. Let's take a step back for a second and say that I was initially really excited by this product. Despite sporting a new design, it shares it's scent with the popular Jingle Spells Bath Bomb - a ballistic that I tried a couple of years ago and instantly fell in love with. Made from a combination of ylang ylang, fennel, tangerine and juniperberry oil, this bubble bar has an impressive range of oils to soothe and nourish tired and weathered skin. These very ingredients are also what gives Wizard it's lovely scent - a fruity, floral offering that reminds me a little of Hot Toddy. While this is a very loose comparison, there is something about the combination of tangerine and fennel, that gives this bubble bar a slight comparison to the popular seasonal shower gel.
The tangerine and juniperberry oils sit at the forefront - giving off a gentle, warming orangey scent, while the fennel sits behind this and offers a subtle but prominent liquorice smell. The ylang ylang ties the fragrance together, and alongside the delicate herbal element that comes through in the bath, gives the bubble bar a gentle feminine aroma.
Yet despite the multi-layered scent that Wizard offers consumers, it's disappointing to learn that the overall smell is very weak and disperses even more in the water. When my Christmas order arrived, this was the only product that I couldn't smell, and while you can normally detect hints of the aroma after a quick sniff, this bubble bar didn't offer anything until I had removed the plastic wrapper and pressed it against my nose. My disappointment elevated when I crumbled this into the bath and found that the smell was almost undetectable within five minutes of doing so. While the bubble bar created a haven of fluffy bubbles and painted the water a beautiful shade of purple, the smell made a quick exit and didn't return at all.
So why have I awarded this product a rating of four, if I had such a bad experience with it? Firstly, it is one of the most attractive products currently available from Lush and offers a very gorgeous looking bath to indulge yourself in. Secondly, despite the weakness of the scent, it is a very beautiful fragrance and one that would work wonders in other formats - most noticeably a shower gel. Finally, it left my skin feeling really smooth and silky, and helped to unwind and de-stress my body and mind after a very hectic day at work.
If like me you enjoy strong, pungent scents, this one may be a little disappointing for you and you might want to opt for a stronger, more in-your-face aroma. However, if you're looking for a comforting winter smell, a gentle one that will wash away your blues without overpowering your senses, this one may be right up your alleyway. While it wasn't a very magical experience for me, I'm sure it will still be a firm favourite for many Lushies.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Cornflour, Fennel Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Tangerine Oil, Juniperberry Oil, Gardenia Extract, Glycerine, Sodium Carbonate, Limonene, Perfume, Silver Glimmer Lustre; Snowflake Lustre; Violet Sheen Sparkle Lustre, Colour 47005, Colour 45410, Colour 17200, Golden Edible Stars.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £3.95 each.
2017 Price: £3.95 each.
Jingle Spells Ballistic
The Magic Of Christmas FUN
Wizard Bubble Bar
