Chemical Cherry Blossom (Lush Sakura Bath Ballistic)

Member Name: cyberem78

Product:	Lush Sakura Bath Ballistic
Date:	24/02/09 (112 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun to use. Leaves skin perfumed.

Disadvantages: Very strong aroma.

Although I have visited the Lush stores many times before I have always avoided purchasing anything. The overpowering sickly smells emanating from the products never attracted me. In addition to this the fact that I always thought things like bath bombs were a bit gratuitous. However I finally bought my first Lush product last week after shopping there with my young neices. They insisted this was my kind of bath bomb, The Sakura (Japanese for Cherry Blossom) Ballistic. It is decribed as being like "blossom in a Tokyo park on a spring afternoon".

The product is a huge tennis ball sized lump of what looks like soap powder which has been splashed with pale pink and turquoise food colouring! At one end of the ball there is a mass of aqua and cerise coloured crystals. The product (before use) gives off a sharp, perfumed aroma. I would not describe the smell as natural or relating to nature in any way. Rather more it has a carpet cleaner, chemical based smell that seems way too overpowering.

When you put this bath bomb into water it fizzes up and begins to sizzle and foam. It dissolves as a very quick rate. The water turns cloudy and grey looking. Lush actually state that your bath water will look like "spring sky with cherry blossom against it" but you'd need a vivid imagination to be able to create that scene! My opinion of the visual appearance of the bath water is that is looks dirty and as though there is a lot of limescale or sulpher in the water! The crystals float like specks at the water's surface but look rather like scum or flakes of skin.

The bomb makes the water smell strongly. The aroma is similar to the dry product but perhaps has a fresher, less intense fragrance. The essence of wood and of essential oils is a little more evident but the aroma overall is a little too strong for my liking. It reminds me of scented candles or incense aromas. The actual perfume ingredients include mimosa, jasmine and orange blossom.

My skin was very highly perfumed after using the bath bomb. The smell was so strong that I didn't need to apply any extra perfume. My skin did feel fresh and clean though and I was confident about smelling feminine. The feeling of my skin was a bit dry and powdery, however.

This bath bomb cost me £2.99 and I have to say I was shocked at the price. Despite this being a fresh handmade product I think this is a lot of money for one 'luxury' bath. The bomb is sealed up in a small yellow paper bag, on which instructions urge us to re-use the bag by putting it in our sock drawers as a kind of pomander. This Lush product is also endorsed as being suitable for Vegans, which is a great incentive for me.

Further information can be found at the Lush website:

www.lush.co.uk

Summary: A fizzy, highly perfumed bath bomb from Lush.