The original Karma bubble bar was one of the first bubble bars I ever tried from Lush, and when I first heard that they changed the look of it so drastically, I was a little upset. I really enjoyed the old version, and while it didn’t offer much color, it was a very nice product all around, so why fix what isn’t broken? Well, I decided to just order the new one to give it a try while it was still a UK exclusive, and I was a little sad to see that when it arrived, most of the glitter at the top had worn off, and most of the orange band had crumbled away. I blame this on the UK’s naked shipping method, because while environmentally friendly, it does tend to cause your products to arrive a bit worse for wear.. most of the items from this order ended up with a lot of color transfer. But, of course, there shouldn’t be any issues with product performance even after a bumpy journey, and I’m glad to say that this bubble bar worked beautifully.

I decided to use the entire bar, as I normally do when trying out a smaller bubble bar for the first time. Within moments, my bath was transformed into dark amethyst waters topped with mounds of fluffy bubbles. I really am not exaggerating when I say this is the most richly colored bath product I have ever used from lush, and it’s a very big improvement from the weak orange waters of the old formula. I couldn’t even see my hand when I touched the bottom of the tub, it was that deeply colored. The rich color mixed with the generous amount of bubbles means that this bar could easily be split across two or even more baths,and still leave you with vibrant purple waters and plenty of bubbles. My only complaint, was that the bubbles did disperse fairly quickly.

Another aspect that I found to have improved over the old formula is the scent. While it still smells identical to the classic patchouli Karma fragrance, I did find this to be much stronger than the original bubble bar. I really enjoy the sweet, musky scent of Karma, and the soap is a staple in my stash, so having an even stronger scent in the bath is always a treat.

This version of the bar also improved the condition of the water a great deal, something that I didn’t notice all that much with the old version. I don’t know what ingredients the old bar contained, but the updated bar is filled with moisturizing ingredients like olive oil, cocoa butter, and mango butter. It also contains lemongrass oil which not only tones the skin, but has uplifting and anti-depressive properties. Elemi oil is a product I had never heard of before, but it tones the skin, balances sebum production, and acts as a natural painkiller. Patchouli, pine, lavender, and orange oil combine for an uplifting and soothing aromatic experience.

This was a beautiful bubble bar, much improved from it’s predecessor. It offered water in an unbelievable hue, generous bubbles, and a fragrant, moisturizing soak. The only way I could hope to see this improved would to be a little dash of luster next time, since mine was all but rubbed off.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Price: 

Status: Permanent

Vegan?: Yes

Would I repurchase? Yes

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Corn Starch (Zea Mays), Mango Butter (Mangifera indica), Fragrance, Citric Acid, Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Lavandin Oil (Lavandula Hybrida), Pine Oil (Pinus sylvestris), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus), Elemi Oil (Canarium commune), Deep Purple Lustre (Red 28, Blue 1, Aluminium Potassium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide), Glycerine, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Laureth 4, *Citral, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Copper Sheen and Radiant Gold Lustre (Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides), Gold Glimmer Lustre (Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Iron Oxides, Silica), Yellow 6 Lake. *Occurs naturally in essential oils