Lush French Kiss Bubble Bar

Whilst I absolutely adore trying out new beauty products I am somewhat of a novice when it comes to Lush with the biggest reason being the rather high price of their products. Consequently, I can probably count on just two hands the number of Lush products that I have ever purchased. I always feel somewhat overwhelmed when I walk into one of their stores, particularly as there are so many brightly coloured products from which to choose. However, I frequently choose to have a little luxury in my bathroom and my latest purchase is of one of their Bubble Bars, namely A French Kiss and this review discusses my experience of using it.

APPEARANCE OF THE PRODUCT

The appearance of the bubble bar is somewhat strange and if I’m being honest, it looks nothing like a bar, as it resembles more of a blob with a large point and resembles that of a 99 ice cream! It measures approximately 8 cm in height and 7 cm in depth and is white with gorgeous swirls of purple. I was attracted to this particular bar for two reasons; one of which is its’ eye-catching colour and the other as it contains lavender, which is one of my favourite fragrances, particularly as I find it so calming and relaxing. I lifted the bar from the large display basket and was able to immediately witness the gorgeous aroma long before I had placed it underneath my nose. Consequently, my mind was made up that this was the product that would offer me my luxurious and calming bathing experience.

Lush market this bubble bar as “luxurious lavender bubbles for deep relaxation”, as it also contains rosemary, thyme and coconut oil to soften the skin. I was a little alarmed when I arrived home and read through the latest edition of Lush Times as whilst I enjoy eating coconut I cannot bear its’ aroma, which has resulted from a rather unfortunate night many years ago when I consumed rather too many glasses of Malibu!

WHAT ARE BUBBLE BARS?

As far as I am aware, Lush own the copyright for the bubble bar so you will not be able to find any other brand selling this unique product. Bubble Bars were created in 1998 by the co-founder of Lush, namely Helen Ambrosen and their purpose is exactly as their name suggests and that is to give you bubbles – lots of bubbles! Bubble bars are crumbled into a running bath and as they hit the swirling water they froth into a multitude of bubbles, so let’s try out A French Kiss …

USING THE BUBBLE BAR

As each bubble bar is somewhat pricey, I tend to use mine sparingly whereby I manage to obtain three baths from one bar. Consequently, I retain the small yellow bag in which Lush carefully package your purchase and I break off a small area and crumble into the running bath as directed. One thing I would say is to crumble the bar quickly, as otherwise the heat from your hands will start to melt the bar and you will end up with a blob on your hand! To assist the bar in working its’ magic I swish the water several times as suggested by Lush and wait for the bubbles to be created, which believe me when I say they are most definitely plentiful. Despite using only a third of the bar I would hazard a guess that the bubbles in some areas of my bath water were around 12 inches in height and as well as a mountain of bubbles the bar will tint your water with a beautiful lilac colour, which would no doubt become more evident if you decide to use the entire bar. Within seconds the bathroom is filled with the most delightful aroma of a combination of both lavender and rosemary, which are very relaxing and that is before I have even stepped into the water. What I absolutely adore when using Lush bath products is that their stunning fragrances always fill the entire upstairs of my home, so I’m also obtaining an air freshener!

STEPPING INTO THE BATH

I could sum this up in one simple word and that is “heaven”. As well as my bath water smelling absolutely stunning, it was also very soft, which was something I was able to witness as soon as I stepped into the warm and very frothy bath. Over the years I have used an array of bath products and whilst the bubbles are generally soft I have to say that the bubbles created by A French Kiss are incredibly soft. I was somewhat surprised as to how many bubbles were created from such a small amount of product, as initially I was apprehensive as to whether I would achieve the same effect, particularly as I was too mean to crumble the entire bar into just one bath! Another positive is that you are not left with annoying bits, which settle on the base of the bath, unlike the bath salts that I used many years ago, which were rather uncomfortable if you chose to sit on them! Another huge positive with this bubble bar is that the bubbles do not rapidly desperse as soon as a bar of soap is introduced to the water, which is what generally occurs with other bubble baths where that familiar hissing sound is evident within seconds of using soap!

I’m normally one for getting in and out of the bath as quick as I possibly can, as I generally have something else to do. However, each and every time I use a Lush product I lie relaxing in the tub until the water starts to turn cold and my hands and feet have that wrinkly appearance! What I adore about all of the Lush products that I’ve used is that their gorgeous fragrance transfers to my skin, which informs me that this is a high quality product.

WHAT IS MY OPINION OF THIS PRODUCT?

I cannot speak highly enough of this absolutely gorgeous handmade bubble bar, which is definitely the height of luxury. I couldn’t agree more where Lush market this product as “C’est magnifique!” as it most certainly is magnificent. As previously stated, I adore the natural aroma of lavender and grow many different varieties of this beautifully fragranced plant in my garden. I enjoy the late summer when I take cuttings from all of my plants and dry out the flowers, which are then strategically placed around my home. I find the gorgeous aroma of lavender very calming and in my opinion it is the perfect aid to assist with the removal of the stresses and strains of a busy day.

Whilst this product is pricey, I have to say that it is very luxurious and although it’s not something I would regularly buy, I will make further purchases every now and again. My skin is always left wonderfully soft, smooth and moisturised with a beautiful fragrance that lasts several hours. As this bar contains relaxing and calming fragrances it is obviously best suited for evening use as opposed to a bath before you head off to work, unless of course, your boss doesn’t mind you sleeping at your desk! Another bonus with this product is that it does not leave your bath feeling slippery, as the bar melts perfectly, so there’s no need to get out a scrubbing cloth after your relaxing bath; a chore that I hate after using many beauty products!

OTHER INFORMATION

I can advise that I did not suffer any adverse reactions when using this product, as I find it extremely soft and gentle on my skin. The paper bag packaging can be recycled once you have used your entire bubble bar. Whilst I could probably write several paragraphs about Lush and how they make their products I would advise that if you require further information to look on their easy to use website. However, I would advise that Lush are against testing on animals and they ensure that they use ethical and sustainable ingredients in all of their products.

INGREDIENTS

I do not feel it appropriate to copy long lists of ingredients into a review unless there is a warning that certain ingredients could cause a reaction. However, I would advise that this bubble bar contains many natural ingredients, such as the oils of coconut, thyme, lavender and rosemary. If you would like further details the full list can be found in Lush Times or on the Lush website.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

Whilst there are plenty of gorgeous brightly coloured Bubble Bars from which to choose, I unknowingly opted for the most expensive with this 100g bar costing £3.95, which in my opinion is rather pricey even though I managed to obtain three luxurious baths at £1.32 each! This product is available in all Lush stores or it can be purchased online quoting the reference number 2189.

As this is such a gorgeous product, I can definitely recommend A French Kiss and consequently, it receives 5 stars from me. I have to admit that although this is quite pricey, I am currently on my second purchase where I was drawn to the Lush store whilst out shopping yesterday, as I love it so much!

I hope you found my review useful and would thank you for reading.

This review will also appear on Dooyoo under the same user name.