Sylvia Plath once said that “there must be a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them” and it is safe to say that the moody novelist is right on the money. Sure, showers are great for cooling down in the summer after a day in the scorching sun but a sprinkling faucet can’t hold a candle to the way a bath makes you feel. When you were a kid, baths were a fun way to get clean and you got excited to drown all of your Barbie’s in bubbles and make a sudsy mess in the bathroom. But as a young woman, a bath can make you feel sexy and feminine. You can go all out with candles, mood music, and of course, the perfect bath bomb to set the mood for some isolated relaxation. Now you may be asking yourself, what the heck is a bath bomb? Let’s just say that it is the best thing that has happened to baths since Ryan Gosling’s sudsy Notebook scene.
A bath bomb is a hard sphere of dried essential oils that, when wet, fizzes and swirls around your tub to release an aromatic and colorful display. It is called a bath bomb because when it is released onto the surface of your bathtub, it mimics an explosion as the frothing colors and scents interact with your bath water. And as you may have put together from the title, the Mecca for bath bombs and other bath goodies is of course, Lush Cosmetics and for 20 years, this UK based cosmetics company has been supplying green, all natural, cruelty free products to clean freaks from around the world.
Lush stores are a cacophony of intensely diverse smells and there are so many different scent experiences to choose from. You can go feminine and floral, girly and sweet, earthy and natural, spicy and sexy, the list of exotic scent combinations goes on and on. Not to mention, Lush isn’t limited to just bath products. They also carry shower essentials, hair care, body butters, facial cleansers, even stuff that your man will fall in love with. With so much to choose from, Lush can appear intimidating and extremely overwhelming for someone that is just discovering modern bath technology. Luckily for you, I have been shopping at Lush for years and while I can say that every product that they carry is amazing, there are a few must have items that will change the way you think about your beauty regime. (NOTE! Lush carries seasonal products depending on the time of year so your favorite products may shift depending on the holiday. These products listed below are sold year round and are available online/ in stores)
1. The Sex Bomb
This is perhaps one of the most popular (if not, the most popular) bath bomb that Lush sells and after using it I can totally tell why. The Sex Bomb is an exceptionally beautiful bath bomb meant to bring out the seductive female within and the fragrances of jasmine, sage, and ylang ylang are all powerful aphrodisiacs that envelope your space as the bath bomb begins to unravel. The Sex Bomb creates a gorgeous pink and purple bath water display and the best part is discovering the pretty pink rose hidden within the bomb. Sex Bomb is ideal for any lady looking to get in touch with herself (wink wink) or a perfect date night for the lucky man or woman in your life.
2. The Comforter
Who can resist a sweet treat, especially one that is meant for your bath? The Comforter is one of Lush’s premiere bubble bars and this delicious bar is perfect for giving your body the comfort and love it deserves. Unlike fizzy bath bombs, bubble bars are all about giving you a tub full of beautiful and fragrant bubbles and the Comforter creates suds that is truly good enough to eat. With key ingredients like black currant, bergamot oil, and cypress oil, this fruity delight is a bubble bar that you can snuggle up to when college has got you down. And one of the best parts of bubble bars and the Comforter, is their shape! While bath bombs are spherical, bubble bars are traditionally flat which means that you can slice up your bubble bar and get multiple uses out of it. Who can pass up those kinds of savings?
3. Fresh Farmacy
Lush may be known for it’s vibrant bath bombs and bubble bars, but it also provides natural products for your skin. One of their top selling skincare products is the Fresh Farmacy facial cleanser. This was actually the first Lush product that I ever purchased and let me tell you that my skin never felt smoother after using this cleanser. This cleanser is meant for people with sensitive skin and it’s formula perfectly divides and conquers to handle both dry spots and heal blemishes. They key ingredient is calamine powder, which is a natural ingredient that works to soothe the skin and you can also find ingredients such as rose, lavender, and tea tree within this cleanser. So if you’re like many collegiate women and struggling to find your facial cleansing soul mate, look no further, because Lush may be your cupid is disguise.
4. Wiccy Magic Muscles
Ever wish that you could spread the essence of Christmas over your skin all year round? Well you can with the delectable Wiccy Magic Muscles massage bar. It’s true that many products out their claim to have bottled the scent of the holiday season, yet nothing comes close to the fragrance of this massage bar. Lush never fails to craft aromatic products that will raise the hairs on your arms and send shivers down your spine, and with ingredients like cinnamon, peppermint, and aduki beans, the Wiccy Magic bar does just that. Massage bars are designed to rub the stress away as the rough texture helps break down muscle tension while the silky smooth layer nourishes the skin, and the magical friction of a Wiccy Magic bar on the skin is simply orgasmic. Use it with your significant other to spice up your alone time or treat yourself to a well needed massage, either is fair game and the Wiccy Magic Muscles bar doesn’t judge.
5. The Experimenter
If Lush bath bombs were Victoria’s Secret models, the Experimenter would be Kendall Jenner. Sure Kendall may be new to the VS runway, but she is already making a huge splash with the lingerie brand and she popped against veterans like Adrianna and Miranda. The Experimenter may be new to the Lush family but since it’s release in 2015, it has made waves in bathtubs across the globe. The Experimenter was designed for the Instagram generation, as the bold colors create a vibrant water display worthy of 10K likes. The Experimenter represents the future of Lush cosmetics, a brand that isn’t afraid to boldly give their customers what they want. This vanilla and tonka absolute scented bomb is perfect for a 21st century girl and bound to give you the trendiest bath water of 2016.