Beanie Bubble Bar

Sometimes, unbeknownst to the consumer, Lush will design, advertise or sell a product, only to withdraw it from circulation with no apparent explanation. It could be that the product wasn't formulated correctly so it was unsuitable for commercial release; it might be because of an issue with sourcing ingredients in the quantities needed to meet demand; it could even be because the company simply make a decision that the item doesn't fit in with the direction they are going in.

Beanie Bubble Bar was unfortunately one of the unlucky prototypes that just never got to see the light of day. Obviously made as a trial batch, the product never made it out of the factory, aside from in the bags of a few lucky workers who were allowed to take the bubble bar home and use it at their own discretion. A month or so later, I was fortunate enough to make contact with one such employee, and before I knew it, a mountain of these cookie-like bath products were making their way into my bathroom. 

Scented with the Blue Skies And Fluffy White Clouds fragrance family, this would-have-been limited edition Christmas product shares its scent with a liquid bath melt, a shower gel and the original bubble bar. While it may not have its own unique aroma, Lush are known for utilising the same scent in some of their seasonal releases, so this wouldn't have been the reason that the company decided to scrap the idea before it made the shops. 

At first glance, this cute seasonal special appears quite menacing, decorated with six coffee beans that are used to form a slight smile/slight grimace across the surface of the product. Designed to look like a snowman, Lush's rendition gives off an almost Nightmare Before Christmas vibe about it, which I think makes it even more endearing.

Featuring patchouli, olibanum and cinnamon, Beanie is a perfect collaboration of warming smells, that would have banished the cold from anyone's frost-bitten fingertips. Dominated by the patchouli, this bubble bar possesses a spicy, exotic and deeply relaxing fragrance. 

The patchouli gives its overall smell a slightly floral and woody scent, which helps to unwind and relax your mind and body; cinnamon oil adds that warm, spicy edge that compliments the other ingredients perfectly. It also works with the patchouli to aide calmness. Finally, the frankincense oil has been added to not only rejuvenate and condition the skin, but add its unique exotic fragrance to round this off beautifully. 

In the water, the bubble bar crumbles with ease and turns the water a translucent shade of blue. While not as exciting as Blue Skies, the water is super moisturising - perhaps even more so than the aforementioned bubble bar, and it heeds almost as many bubbles as well. 

What I loved about this rare beauty is that the inclusion of the coffee beans gave me a sense of clarity while I was bathing. While the coffee smell wasn't present almost at all in the water, I think the beans did have an impact on my senses, and helped me to wake up a little before my long and busy day. Furthermore, I was able to detect the patchouli on my skin afterwards, which is always a bonus. 

Although this bubble bar will probably never do more than nestle in the bedrooms of the lucky few who have been able to get their hands on one, this was a wonderful gesture from Lush, and I only hope it makes an appearance at least once in the Kitchen or as part of the Christmas range. As with a smile that endearing, who wouldn't want to share a bath with a Beanie Bubble Bar?

Quantitative Ingredients: ?

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: Not for sale.

Year Of Original Release: n/a.

Scent Family:
Beanie Bubble Bar
Blues Skies And Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar
Blue Skies Liquid Bubble Bath

Ol' Blue Skies Is Back Shower Gel

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Blue Skies And Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar

 

If you're one of those people that have read a good number of my reviews, you might have noticed that I have a tendency to favour the more fruity and citrus-smelling products. Although I'm much more of a savoury person when it comes to the food I eat, my nose tends to seek out the sweeter scents. So I was really surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed using Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds; far more than I expected.

The bubble bar is one of Lush's biggest bath offerings; weighing in at almost 200g, it's double both the weight and size of most of the other bubble bars in their range. Named after it's appearance, Blues Skies and Fluffy White Clouds is decorated with vivid swirls of blue and white; depicting the colours and movement of the actual sky. It's a stunning-looking product, and one that mirrors the beautiful design of the best-selling Comforter Bubble Bar.

As this bubble bar is so large, it can easily be used across four-to-six baths, making the £4.50 price tag seem a lot more justifiable for those of you who are perhaps a little hesitant to part with your hard-earned money. 

To use any of Lush's bubble bars, you can either crumble it under running water, or as I do; hold it directly under the flow of the tap, which I find creates more bubbles. As soon as the water hits the bar, lots of bubbles start to form and disperse throughout the tub. Blue Skies turns the water a wonderful shade of Columbia-blue, which alongside the mountains of bubbles on the surface, really makes it look as if you're harvesting the sky in your bath tub. 

Within a few seconds, the gorgeous fragrance begins to waft around the bathroom and seep into your senses. And what a scent it is! Dominated by patchouli, this bubble bar possesses a spicy, exotic and deeply relaxing fragrance. The Patchouli gives it's overall smell a slightly floral and woody scent, which helps to unwind and relax your mind and body; cinnamon oil adds that warm, spicy edge that compliments the other ingredients perfectly. It also works with the Patchouli to aide calmness. Finally, the Frankincense oil has been added to not only rejuvenate and condition the skin, but add it's unique fragrance to complete this product.

It's rather difficult to describe this scent, as it is a very unique and multi-layered smell. What I will say however, is that it's definitely a very rich and sultry fragrance; best suited to help you relax before bed time or calm you down after a busy day. 

After my bath my skin was very soft and moisturised and there was a slight cinnamon smell which lingered on my skin for a while after I had exited the bath. The scent didn't hang around for too long though so I ended up lathering myself with Potion Body Lotion to add another unique floral scent to my body.

Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar did make me feel incredibly relaxed, refreshed and ready to tuck myself up in bed for a good night's sleep. As with many of Lush's bubble bars and ballistics, this one did awaken senses whilst still managing to calm me down. 

Recently, I've been suffering from a chronic bout of insomnia, and getting an average of two hours sleep a night after a 14 hour day. This bath bomb really helped me to unwind and de-clutter my mind, which then led to me getting my first proper night's sleep in about six months. 

Overall, I was really impressed with this product and would definitely buy it again. Although it's not a scent I would have automatically flocked to in store, it's definitely made an impression on me, and will be a regular guest in my bathroom.

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Patchouli Oil, Frankincense Resinoid, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume, Colour 61570, Colour 60725.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £4.75 each.

Scent Family:
Beanie Bubble Bar
Blues Skies And Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar
Blue Skies Liquid Bubble Bath
Ol' Blue Skies Is Back Shower Gel