Ectoplasm Jelly Bath Bomb

When this mysterious purple and cream jelly bath bomb appeared at the Lush Showcase earlier this year, nobody realised it was the face of something big that Lush had been working on behind the scenes. The fact that it was probably one of the company's most flimsiest bath bombs was irrelevant at the time: everyone was fascinated by the fact that it was innovative and different...and also incredible messy.

Fast forward a few months and the company have re-released a much sturdier, less crumblier Ectoplasm, while still retaining its beautiful scent and product design that initially held my interest in the first place. I'll go as far as to say that out of every single jelly bomb I have tried to date, this is by far my favourite one.

First and foremost, the name itself is a spooky insight into the inspiration behind the very first, original jelly bath bomb. In the supernatural world, an ectoplasm is a 'viscous substance that supposedly exudes from the body of a medium during a spiritualistic trance and forms the material for the manifestation of spirits.' In Lush terms, this transcends into a limited edition bath bomb that likes to expel a goo-like substance across your water and manifests itself into a ten minute scrub after the tub has been drained.

Yes, you heard that correctly. This is yet another of Lush's jelly creations that likes to leave a mess: on you body: across the walls of your tub; and just about anywhere you let it rest while wet. As with most of these jelly bombs, this one does leave smears across your skin that you'll need to ensure are rinsed off, and this one will accumulate a large amount of unmelted jelly at the bottom of your tub, so you will need to clean away the mess afterwards.

Having said that, there is something rather special about the smell of this bath bomb, and it is perhaps my favourite fragrance out of all of the jelly bombs. With tangerine and grapefruit oils as the key ingredients, Ectoplasm is a strong, bright and very zesty aroma. While nothing complex or particularly interesting, if you enjoy your citrusy experiences, this will be one you'll want to try out for yourself.

It's slightly powdery at times, and this almost gives it a richness that other citrus aromas don't necessarily always offer. What is great about it as well, is that the fragrance lingers for a very long time, and I was still able to smell it a good number of hours after I had emptied the tub.

As with most of Lush's jelly bombs, the second you pop this one in the water, it begins to expel an almost florescent shade of green foam across the surface of the tub. As the bath bomb begins to diminish a little, vibrant layers of purple begin to erupt from its core, and you end up with a psychedelic coloured bath water. 

The inclusion of the sodium alginate is what gives this bath bomb its jelly-like consistency, and you'll find that when you run your hands through the water you'll feel a big difference between a regular bath bomb and one such as this. There is no denying that Ectoplasm will leave you skin feeling radiant and silky-smooth, and the effect will last for days.

Despite this, I should warn you that, just like each of the other jelly bombs, this one will leave your bath very slippery, so you should be careful when getting in and out of the bath. In addition, this ballistic will also leave puddles of 'goo' that you'll have to ensure is washed away by the end. 

I found that this jelly bomb didn't leave anywhere near as many smears of gunk across my body, and the majority of the had been rinsed off once I was near finishing. However, there were still a couple of patches that I had to wipe off before towelling myself down, and I still didn't feel comforter washing my hair in the water - for fear of how it would affect my hair. 

Overall, this is my favourite out of all of the jelly bombs. The scent is strong and lingers on your skin for a good hour afterwards; the presentation and colour of the water is unique and one that I recommend that you experience; the results speak for themselves and you will notice a difference when it comes to the condition of your skin. 

I cannot say that I plan on rushing out and buying a handful of these to use, as I am still not convinced that they are as reliable and as clean as the regular bath bombs. Having said this, I would not be opposed to using one of these when I want something a little different from the regular range, or if my body needed a magical boost of moisture to replenish the skin.          

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Alginate, Tangerine Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Litsea Cubeba Oil, Water (Aqua), Dipropylene, Glycol, *Citral, *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 59040, Colour 45410, Colour 42090.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb

Here we go again, says the skeptic old-school Lush fan, who may have fallen in love with Snow Fairy back in the beginning, but has since moved on to bigger and better-smelling products. I'm sure there are many consumers who felt the same way as I did when this limited edition jelly bomb was first announced in the Lush Kitchen: disenchanted. 

While I have a very clouded viewpoint on the newly-designed jelly bombs at the moment, I cannot say that I was particularly enamoured with the idea of this one from the start. Neither the scent or the colour leant itself to my personal preferences, and I assumed that this would be one that I would use once and grimace.

Surprisingly, I actually found that Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb was a strong specimen of a product: a ballistic that not only showcased the fragrance truthfully and wonderfully, but one that worked a lot better at impressing me than nearly all of the other variations that I had tried before it.

True to the scent family, this rumoured-to-be Christmas product has a strong, sweet and very musky aroma - one that I can only describe as being like a cloudy bubble of raspberry candy floss, with a sprinkling of musky vanilla cupcakes thrown in for good measure. It's a light, youthful, powdery smell, and resembles the likes of Fairy Dust and Snow Fairy Liquid Perfume very much so.

For those who adore this fragrance, you'll be pleased to hear that it is as robust and as long-lasting as the shower gel, and I could still smell it in my bathroom a full twenty-four hours after I had used it in my tub. Furthermore, the smell is just as strong when you're in the water; it stays with you throughout the entire experience; and it lingers on your skin for a short while after you had towelled yourself down.

As with all of Lush's jelly bombs to date, this one immediately began to fizz as it hit the surface of the water: sending out waves of pastel-pink and white colour that would go on to set the precedence for the finished look. This one takes quite a while to disperse a lot of colour as the outer white layer tends to be the predominant colour to begin with.

Another pattern I'm noticing with the jelly bombs, which this one displayed as well, is that after a good ten minutes the product is still very much active on the surface of the water. In fact, I had to break a lot of the bath bomb down with my own hands as the jelly parts tend to prevent the ballistic from being able to fully dissolve by itself. 

What I was left with was a bath bomb with quite a number of pieces of jelly floating around the tub. While it would have been nice for these to have dissolved by themselves, they didn't really affect the overall experience that much, and I just needed to remember to rinse the rub afterwards to ensure these pieces didn't attach themselves to the base of the bath.

Having said that, I did find that a small number of pieces managed to attach themselves to my legs and back, and I did have massage these from my skin before I exited the tub. Although the water is normally always fairly hot in my baths, I do get the impression that all of Lush's jelly bombs should be exposed to water of a high temperature, to ensure that they dissolve as much as possible beforehand. 

Overall, Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb left my skin feeling really smooth and soft; the fragrance and colour of the water was exceptionally relaxing; and while I am not a huge fan of this smell that much, I really believe that this is a product that does the scent family well. For a bath bomb that I wasn't expecting to like, I would definitely invest in this again if it was to be released as part of the Christmas range. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonat,e Citric Acid, Sodium Alginate, Perfume, Cream of Tartar, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Musk, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Tin Oxide *Limonene, Colour 14700.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

Best Washes Wash Card
Bubblegum Lip Scrub
Candy Fluff Ballistic
Candy Fluff Perfume
Candy Fluff Dusting Powder
Fairy Dust Dusting Powder
Father Christmas Bath Bomb
Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb
Godmother Soap
Lush Mechanic Cold-Pressed Soap
Magic Wand Bubble Bar
Melting Marshmallow Moment Bath Oil
Mmmelting Marshmallow Bath Melt
Pink Easter Egg Ballistic
Snow Fairy Body Conditioner
Snow Fairy Body Spray
Snow Fairy Cold-Pressed Soap
Snow Fairy Jelly Bath Bomb
Snow Fairy Lip Tint
Snow Fairy Liquid Perfume
Snow Fairy Naked Body Conditioner
Snow Fairy Naked Shower Gel
Snow Fairy Shower Gel
Snow Fairy Solid Perfume
Snow Fairy Sparkle Jar
Snow Fairy Sparkle Massage Bar

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Marmalade Jelly Bath Bomb

When it comes to Lush's latest invention: the jelly bomb, there doesn't seem to be any middle ground. With each of the variations I have tried so far, I have either come to appreciate them an awful lot, or relish in the thought of rinsing the water down the drain and never speaking of my experience again. 

Unfortunately, Marmalade isn't one that made a very good impression on me, in any sense of the word. While the description led me to believe that it may well be my favourite of the current four, the reality was far less pleasing, and I doubt if I will invest in another one any time soon.

While I have never been a fan of marmalade as a condiment, the very idea of juicy oranges and lemons being intertwined into a jam-like spread, sounds like an amazing description for a bath bomb. With a combination of grapefruit and orange oils, as well as a slice of actual orange to boot, this bath bomb sounded like a dream. 

Yet when the jelly bombs first arrived, I found myself very confused and slightly bewildered by the scent. Whereas I was expecting something wholesome and fruity, I found that the orange flower absolute seemed to be one of the strongest elements overall. This meant that in the place of what I thought would be a very juicy smelling bath bomb, I found the aroma rather intoxicating and a little 'harsh' on the nose. 

A number of consumers have described this as being very medicinal in fragrance, and I can understand why they have used this word to describe the bomb. To me, it has a very green-like smell, coupled with a bitter orange note. Imagine taking the skin and pith of an orange and extracting the scent from there, and you may begin to envisage what this bath bomb smells like. 

At the same time, there's a musty, powdery element to the smell that gives Marmalade Jelly Bath Bomb a very potent, dry smell. There is definitely no resemblance here between the scent of the bath bomb and the condiment that it is named after. Having said that, I can imagine this jelly bath bomb being good for those looking for something uplifting: something to awaken their senses and get them ready for the day ahead.

In the bath, this bath bomb begins in the same way that its counterparts do: begin fizzing and frothing immediately, and sending out waves of orange and yellow foam across the surface of the water. As the loud fizzer continues to dissolve, a puddle of sticky jelly-like consistency begins to form across the tub.

Unlike most of the other jelly bombs, Marmalade didn't fully dissolve over time, and I was left with chunks of orange bath bomb that seemed even too stubborn to break between my fingers. After I had exited the bath and drained the water, I found a number of these chunks were still lingering by the plughole, and I had to throw them away, which seemed a waste. 

Out of the four regular jelly bombs, this one also appeared to be the slipperiest, and I really had to take care when getting both in and out of the bath. For those who are a little unsteady on your feet, you may find using one of these will become something of a health hazard for you, and I would advise that you seek help if you can do so.

Once in the water, I found that like Dark Arts, the jelly didn't ever fully dissolve into the water. So while the bath was very moisturising on my skin and I finished the experience feeling lovely and smooth, it was rather messy while I was in the tub, and there were multiple times when I had to scrub away accumulations of the jelly from the sides of the bath and from my own body.

When rinsing away the water, I also discovered that parts of my tub were tinged slightly yellow from the experience, and I had to spend a short while afterwards trying to remove these marks with a scrub. Furthermore, because of the 'gunk' that I found myself bathing in, I didn't feel as clean after my bath as I would normally do with any other bath bomb. 

Overall, while the concept of the jelly bombs can be a positive experience, I didn't find that to be the case with this one. Despite what I said above, I will be trying this jelly bomb out one final time (if only to get a few better shots than the ones I originally collected), just to see whether my bath bomb was a faulty one or just the nature of the product.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Alginate, Grapefruit Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Orange Slice, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, *Limonene, *Linalool, *Hydroxycitronellal, *Citral, Geraniol, Perfume, Colour 47005, Colour 14700, Colour 45410.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

coming soon!

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Big Sleep Jelly Bath Bomb

As someone who has chronic insomnia, I am always on the lookout for products that are going to help me drift off, or at the very least stop me from staring at the ceiling all night. While most cosmetics don't make much of an impact on my (not) sleeping patterns, this brand new invention from Lush sure helped me to feel a little more relaxed after using it in the tub.

Big Sleep Jelly Bath Bomb is one of three brand new, innovative inventions from Lush. Containing an ingredient known as sodium alginate, this new invention offers more than just a colourful display in the tub. As soon as this ballistic hits the water, it begins to create a jelly-like substance across the surface, which not only thickens the water overall, but helps to make this bath bomb far more moisturising than the regular editions. 

Containing a blanket of lavender, neroli, tonka and chamomile, this bath bomb has its own unique fragrance. However, there are similarities between this and both the Ickle Baby Devils and Ickle Baby Angels that made an appearance in the Kitchen last year. 

While I was expecting this bath bomb to be far more tonka-led, as I find that the ingredient can often dictate a fragrance with its potency, I was surprised to discover that it was governed more by the inclusion of the chamomile and lavender. 

To me, the aroma is a gentle, powdery concoction of chamomile with a thread of fresh and very natural-smelling lavender. The inclusion of the neroli gives Big Sleep a very subtle sweet but grassy element, while the tonka rounds the whole fragrance off with a gentle sprinkling of sweetness. I should point out that when I say that the neroli brings about a grassy aroma, I don't mean that this is in any way potent, just that it complements the lavender a little and brings out the fresh element a little more.

As to be expected, this bath bomb immediately begins to fizz on contact with the water. However, instead of twisting and turning while it projects out a display of colour, this one tends to bob on the surface and build up a puddle of foam, before dispersing it across the water. As with Green Coconut, I found that this one not only produced less jelly than Dark Arts, but it also didn't fully dissolve. A few pieces of the bath bomb were left floating on the surface and needed to be crumbled to disperse properly into the water.

I was really impressed by the wonderful turquoise colour that the water turned afterwards, and I found that I could detect the subtle notes of chamomile, lavender and tonka while I was submerged under the water. Much like Green Coconut, I also found that the jelly dissolved a lot easier in the water, and I didn't have to scrub myself or the bath afterwards to remove any excess slime.

What impressed me about Big Sleep was that it was incredibly moisturising, and it only took a matter of minutes for me to feel the impact the jelly was having on my skin. Although the smell had almost diminished on my skin when I had towelled myself down, I found that the impact of such a nourishing bath stayed with me for the most part of the day.

As a warning, I should state as I have done with both of the other jelly bombs, that getting into the bath will prove itself to be quite slippery ay first. Having said that, once you are settled into the water, Big Sleep offers a warm coven to lose yourself in, and hopefully allow you to have a restful night afterwards.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Alginate, Lavender Oil, Neroli Oil, Tonka Absolute, Chamomile Powder, Cream of Tartar, Dipropylene, Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Coumarin, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 42053, Colour 42090, Colour 59040, Colour 47005.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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Fomo Jelly Face Mask

When Lush first showcased the new concept of jelly face masks at the last Summit event, I cannot say that I was overly excited by the idea. While it was innovative and definitely interesting, I couldn't see myself being overly enamoured with the finished products. How wrong could I be?

Fomo is one of five brand new jellies that will change-up your facial routine for the better. Not only are they considerably less messy than their original counterparts, but their shelf life far outlasts that of the fresh alternatives. While there is definitely still something magical and natural about the fresh face masks, and I by no means want them to disappear, the benefits of all five of the new masks make them equally as important. 

Designed for all skin types, Fomo is one for the fans of floral-scented cosmetics. Featuring both calamine powder and rose absolute, this gentle gem gives off a smell that is very similar to Rosy Cheeks. Initially, you can detect a light and slightly powdery rose aroma, while the calamine sits behind this and adds its own delicate burst of coolness. With a mild touch of neroli to bring a little sweetness to the mix, this facial jelly smells just as calming to sniff as it is to apply to the skin.

What I love about all of Lush's new facial jellies is how they can be used in different ways. If you're someone who is a little conservative with your products, you can use Fomo in a similar way to that of any of Lush's other shower jellies. Simply wet your face and the jelly, and then massage it across the skin, where it will leave a gentle layer of product. Simply leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then rinse away. While you wont get a deep cleanse this way, you will notice a difference to your complexion, and this will ensure that a single tub would last you for months on end - even with daily use. 

However, the way in which Lush suggest that you use it is by pinching a small, grape-sized piece from the tub; work into a paste in the palm of your hands, with a little water to do so; and then apply it directly to the face. I found that leaving it on for 15-20 minutes worked best, and my skin felt noticeably different when I rinsed the product away afterwards.

With calamine powder helping to calm the skin, this is a great choice for those who have sensitive skin, or suffer from acne. This ingredient helps to prevent any irritation from occurring, and can even reduce any redness that you may be suffering from at the time. For this reason, Fomo Jelly Face Mask would also be a great choice for the hotter months of the year, as I feel that sunburnt complexions would really benefit from this after a long, hard day in the heat.

The kaolin clay featured here also helps to absorb any excess oil that may be present on oiler skin-types. However, those with drier complexions like myself, should not be put off from giving this facial jelly a chance. I found that my skin felt very clean and smooth afterwards, and the inclusion of the clay didn't leave my face feeling or looking parched. 

Overall, I am really impressed with this new invention - much more so than I expecting to be. You can easily get 6-8 uses out of a single pot, and for the same price as a fresh face mask, this is definitely worth the money. Given that these are not at risk of leaking, don't need to be kept in the fridge, and have a shelf life of a year, Lush's new jelly face masks are a fantastic invention - with Fomo being my favourite one yet.      

Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Calamine Powder, Glycerine, Propylene, Glycol, Kaolin, Carrageenan Extract, Neroli Oil, Rose Absolute, *Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £6.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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Dark Arts Jelly Bath Bomb

  

Let's be honest: Harry Potter is a series that lends itself well when it comes to cosmetics. There are so many different concepts within both the books and the films that play perfect inspiration for bath bombs and bubble bars, perfumes and much more. In all fairness, I'm a little surprised that it's taken this long for Lush to bring out a product such as Dark Arts.

One of four new 'jelly bombs', this ballistic is inspired by the more sinister side of J.K.Rowling's fictional world. As with the other variations of this new concept, this bath bomb features an active ingredient known as sodium alginate, which is what creates the jelly-like reaction in the bath water. Mineral-rich and known for its moisturising properties, this ingredient gets to work at making your bath one of the most nourishing experiences you could wish for.

Containing a combination of cinnamon, orange and almond oils, this bath bomb is surprisingly gentle in scent. While I would describe it as being a warming, musky cinnamon scent, unlike Cinders Bath Bomb or Taai Taai Shower Gel, the smell featured here is nowhere near as heated or as spicy. Instead, you get a slightly powdery cinnamon smell with a subtle hint of orange. The fruity side of the orange oil is also very dampened in Dark Arts, so don't expect more than a gentle reference; while the almond oil offers an almost burnt-like note that sits alongside the other components and rounds the smell off. 

While I think it's a lovely fragrance to bathe with, I would have quite liked it to have been a little stronger, and I also find it a rather odd choice for a summer release. I see this as being more of a limited edition Christmas or Halloween product, as it would be more suited to that time of year. Not that cinnamon is exclusively a winter scent; just that it would not be a product I would want to reach for in the warmer weather.    

Upon contact with the water, the bath bomb immediately begins to fizz, and sends out waves of thick, gloopy black colour across the surface of the tub. Quite a fast fizzer, it didn't take long for Dark Arts to fully dissolve, and what was left behind resembled that of an oil spillage at sea. There was a thick layer of jelly-like residue that clung to the water, and I found that the second I began to get into the tub, this stuff latched itself to my body and made a mess of my skin. 

Throughout the experience, I found that the jelly did begin to dissolve into the water, and within about fifteen minutes it had fully disappeared. However, during this initial stage, the gloopy mess stuck to most parts of my body and had to be rubbed a number of times to clean it off. Although it certainly didn't stain myself or the tub at any point, it was a little stubborn at removing itself from my skin.

One word of warning that should be heeded is that the base of the tub becomes extremely slippery when you first hoist yourself into the bath - a fact I learnt fairly quickly when I almost slipped over when climbing into the waters of this very bath bomb. 

Once you're submerged in the water, the jelly gets to work at moisturising your skin very effectively, and I was definitely impressed with how soft and shiny my body looked and felt afterwards. Furthermore, it should be noted that I would not describe this experience as being at all oily or greasy in the slightest. While it looks as though it's going to be too overwhelming, there was just enough of the sodium alginate to make an impression on the skin, without drowning your pores. 

Having said that, I did not particularly enjoy the many smudges that appeared around the outside of my bath tub after using one of these. While most of the smudges can be rinsed away easily afterwards, I found that if the bath hadn't been scrubbed clean beforehand, black smudges did make their way to these places. In addition, some of the black residue did remain on the back of my legs, unbeknownst to me, and this transferred onto my towel afterwards, which then had to be cleaned right away.

Although the bath bomb wont stain your skin or the bath permanently, there was something rather messy about this experience that I didn't really enjoy. With the amount of 'gunk' present, I wouldn't feel confident washing my hair in the water, and I didn't feel as refreshed or as clean when I stepped out of the tub, as I would with most other bath bombs. 

Finally, I found that the fragrance of this was a little weaker than I was hoping for. For a bath bomb such as Dark Arts, which makes a big statement with its design and functionality, I was expecting something a little bit bolder and stronger than the aroma that stayed with me in the bath tub. 

While this is a novelty concept, and one that I have enjoyed testing out in my bath, this is not one that will sustain my interest for very long, and definitely not one I would buy regularly. Although I understand the allure of a Harry Potter-inspired bath bomb will no doubt make this a popular seller over the coming months, I cannot see this as being one that'll have much longevity in the great scheme of things.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Alginate, Cornflour, Perfume, Almond essential oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Propylene, Glycol, Laureth 4, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, *Eugenol, *Cinnamal, *Limonene, Colour 77491, Colour 77266, Colour 17200, Colour 16035, Colour 60725.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

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