Lush Dorothy Bubble Bar

--What does the promo say?--

"Somewhere over the rainbow, baths are blue. If you’re not already a friend of Dorothy, isn’t it time you tried it? A blue skies thinking bath that takes you out of the monochrome and into a colourful fantasy, where the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. This bath smells so great you might want to stay in there quite some time, so take a good book, a glass of wine and something to munchkin."

--Packaging--

Being Lush, they've stuck to one of their trademark paper bags for this one. You can buy a tin if you like, however.

--Usage instructions--

Drop into the bath and watch the bubbles foam up! So simple and fun to use that it's practically child's play.

--Appearance--

The beautiful rainbow combined with bright blue is cheerful and basic, meaning it's enough to provide us with the best of childlike joy. I didn't find that the bathwater went that blue, but the mounds of white bubbles alone were enough to make me happy. No colourful dye or residue was left on the skin after use. The bar also kept its shape and colour even after one half-hour use.

--Scent--

The product uses ylang ylang, gardenia and orange in its formulation, with the ylang ylang perhaps being the most obvious. The scent also fills the bathroom for ages after use, making for an aromatherapeutic experience for you to enjoy long after you've pulled the plug.

--Effects on the skin--

After a bath in this, skin is left feeling smooth and soft until the next morning. A delight.

--Longevity--

I had planned to luxuriate in my bath until the bubbles had long gone, but after half an hour and decidedly prune-like skin, I reluctantly let the water out, even though the vast majority of the bubbles had stayed put. No two ways about it - this is an enthusiastic product from a passionate brand that delivers on what it promises. En plus, the bar itself had nowhere near run out, leaving plenty for another day.

--Value for money--

Curiously, the British RRP is not available on the Lush website at present, but the product is still selling as normal in the US and France, for $6.25 and €5.45 respectively, and there is no sign online of the product being discontinued (there were rumours of this happening in 2010, but all of the whispers on the wind proved to be unfounded). So we can safely assume that the product is being sold somewhere in the region of £4 to £4.50 (based on the exchange rates today for the prices given above). This is clearly in line with other eco-friendly bubble baths, such as those from companies like Earth Friendly, The Eco Bath, and Logona. It's also on a par with novelty bath bubble bottles for children, such as In The Night Garden and Toy Story 3-themed bottles currently being sold, meaning it's neither suspiciously cheap nor outrageously expensive. Fun, natural, and long-lasting - by all accounts I'll definitely be back for more bubble bars from Lush, be it for gifts or an indulgent treat.

perfect partner

Relax...Take A Bath, £12.50

Dreamtime Luxury Bath Melt, £3.15

Twilight Bath Bomb, £3.20

Lush Stepping Stone Foot Scrub

RRP: £2.75/65 grams

--What does the promo say?--
"Everyone needs a Stepping Stone after an arduous day with your foot to the pedal. The green foot has the zesty You’ve Been Mangoed fragrance and punishing pumice to scrub away the rigours of life. Jojoba oil will moisturise dry skin without leaving them greasy and sea salt will treat them to plentiful minerals."

--Packaging--
As with many Lush products, this comes with minimal packaging - this time, a recyclable plastic wrap. The bad news is that this doesn't protect the product at all, so if you order online, chances are it will arrive broken into a few pieces. This also means that storing it is pretty tricky: I'd recommend buying one of Lush's larger tins (e.g. the one recommended for Buffy) so that you can easily store and access it in the shower.

--Application and usage--
Wet the feet, scrub on a little of this, massage into the feet and then rinse off. Turns the water a cool green colour :) Is easy to rinse and does not leave your hands with any sort of Shrek-like tinge.

--Appearance--
Formed into the shape of a foot, this might be worn down or battered a little by the time you receive it if using Lush's online ordering service. A nice natural-looking (not luminous) green, and the pumice particles are clearly visible.

--Scent--
The dominant smell here does come from the citrus elements and the lemongrass that's included; makes for a zesty and enlivening shower.

--Texture and consistency--
This has got to be just about the tamest exfoliator I have ever used (short of Avène's poor efforts) - it is extremely gentle and so could be good for those of you with sensitive skin or for those of you looking to just maintain smooth feet. However, it is also extremely crumbly and does melt and fizz under the shower water quite quickly, so perhaps it is better to break off the amount you wish to use so that the entirety of the product doesn't just disintegrate in your hand.

--Effects on the skin--
As was perhaps implied in the above remarks, as a treatment for dry hard skin this is too gentle to be effective. Probably better as a general maintenance product for those of you who already have smooth feet.

--Value for money--
At £2.75 this is one of Lush's cheaper products, and is probably an efficacious day-to-day maintenance product. However, if you are looking for a treatment, you will need something more heavy-duty, such as Lush's Ocean Salt, which is more expensive but also gives far more positive results.

perfect partners
Sugar Scrub, £2.60/100 grams
You've Been Mangoed Bath Melt, £2.80/30 grams
Avobath Bath Ballistic, £2.90/180 grams