I like to think of myself as a fairly sophisticated person - someone who has worked hard to secure myself a job in the industry I trained in - someone who has been given the responsibility of educating today's youth and inspiring a generation of intelligence and positive attitude.
However, there are moments when I question my maturity, and one such incident came about when I saw this bubble bar for the first time in the shop. While I am definitely not a lover of pink-coloured products, and I would happily choose a bath bomb over a bubble bar, I confess that I may have screamed a little and reverted back to my 10 year old self when I saw Pink Flamingo Reusable Bubble Bar for the first time.
Inspired by summer cocktails, this new and exclusive bubble bar is a joy to look at and gives off an aroma that'll have you feeling weak at the knees. Made from a combination of ylang ylang, bergamot and rosewood oils, this sweet, fruity product is the perfect accompaniment in any bath.While there is nothing in the ingredients list that will quite prepare you for the fragrance that this bubble bar gives off, the inclusion of bergamot oil is the biggest clue for those wanting to know what it smells like. This fresh, sweet and highly fruity oil is the dominant element here - giving Flamingo an uplifting and very prominent orange sherbet fragrance.
While it's very subtle in the mix, the rosewood adds a gentle citrusy and slightly woody undertone - not strong enough to make a big impression on your senses, but present enough to pad out the overall scent and offer an almost powdery umbrella note that lingers alongside the other smells. Finally, the ylang ylang oil offers a sweet and slightly floral layer that brings all of the ingredients together and creates a stunningly-beautiful aroma that will appeal to anyone who loves playful, candy-inspired fragrances.
Despite this latter statement, I believe that this bubble bar smells far more fruity than sugary so it sides more on the side of The Comforter than Snow Fairy. Having said this, Pink Flamingo doesn't smell like either of the aforementioned products - this scent is a new addition to the Lush family. Many Lush fans have compared the smell of this product to childhood favourites such as Barrett's Fruit Salad chews and sherbet sticks. However, this bubble bar reminds me more of Fruit Punch Dweebs - an American hard candy that was almost identical to the popular sweet, Nerds.
Imagine taking a handful of orange sherbet, mixing it with fizzy orange soda and then adding in some Bazooka Raspberry Bubblegum and you may just get an idea of what this bubble bar smells like. The fragrance is definitely one for those with a sweet tooth and would appeal to those who love Angel Delight Soap and Tennis Ball Bath Ballistic.
As with the other two reusable bubble bars, the Pink Flamingo is very reasonably priced. For £5.95, this bubble bar can be used multiple times - making it a lot cheaper than a normal bubble bar or ballistic. Lush claim that you can reuse these bars a good five or six times, although I found that this one would probably only squeeze three or four baths out in total as it tends to crumble a lot quicker than other variations. I think this latter issue is due to the fact that the bubble bar seems to have a hollow middle that acts as more of a bath bomb - fizzing and expelling an orange foam while you're swishing it around in the water. As you can see from my video, I used this product by alternating between holding it under the tap and swishing it around the water, where it immediately began to spew out a nice amount of soft, fluffy bubbles. If you're not a fan of too many bubbles, you can opt to swish this around the tub more instead as I found this was less effective than holding it under the tap. The great thing about all of Lush's reusable bubble bars is that you have complete control over deciding how strong you wish your bath to be, meaning that this bubble bar can last as long as you want it to.
Despite the inclusion of both cocoa butter and shea butter, this bubble bar didn't make the water as silky-soft as I would expect from most of my bars. While my skin did feel really clean and smooth after I had exited the bath, it wasn't as well-nourished and moisturised as I was expecting it to be and I had to use a body lotion to rectify this afterwards. However, the product does produce a fragrant and very comforting bathing experience that I would be interested in trying out again. While I believe that the fragrance of Pink Flamingo would work so much better as a body lotion and a perfume, it makes a nice change from the usual humdrum of candy-inspired scents that Lush currently offer.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Cream Of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Glycerine, Citric Acid, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Rosewood Oil, Bergamot Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Macadamia Nut Oil, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Titanium Dioxide, PEG-6 Caprylic / Capric Glycerides & PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 45410, Colour 15510.
Vegan?: Yes.
2015 Price: £5.95 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2015.
