Christina Alyce Beauty

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

I was intrigued by the charitable aspect of this hand cream, and I was on the hunt for a new lotion to keep on my desk at work. This little black pot is full of nourishing ingredients, and 100% of the proceeds go towards various grassroots organizations. You can read all about the Charity aspect of the product and the company’s SLush Fund initiative here. 

This lotion contains moisturising ingredients such as olive oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera, shea butter and cocoa butter. This makes for a nourishing cream. I was a little unsure at first because it ends to be a little greasy if you put too much on, but overall it is very hydrating and it has a beautifully silky texture. I also find that the “greasiness” left behind feels more like a protective barrier against dehydration, which makes this a great cream for winter. 

When I smelled this lotion for the first time, I immediately thought of a little Italian bakery I pop into from time to time. I’m not sure how the geranium, rosewood, ylang ylang, and vanilla essential oils combine to create that doughy, sweet smell, but I swear it does. The scent is quite strong when you first apply the lotion, but after 15 minutes or so, it mellows out to a gentle sweet fragrance, pretty much undetectable unless you put your hands right up to your nose.

I love the creamy luxurious feel and the charitable aspect of this cream. This is the first lotion I have tried from Lush, and I’m really excited to see what else they have to offer!

Rating: 5

Price: Small £6.95/$6.95 for 95g/1.7oz or Large £13.50/$25.95 for 240g/8.4oz

Status: Permanent, charity item

Vegan? Yes

Would I repurchase?: Yes

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Fair Trade Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Glycerine, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Moringa Oil (Moringa Oleifera), Fair Trade Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Stearic Acid, Fresh Aloe Gel (Aloe Secundiflora), Fair Trade Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Triethanolamine, Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata), Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla Planifolia), Cetearyl Alcohol, *Citronellol, *Coumarin, Geraniol, *Linalool, *Limonene, Fragrance . *Occurs naturally in essential oils

I ordered this bubble bar while it was still  a UK exclusive, so I didn’t have a chance to smell it before purchase. When it arrived, I was pretty surprised at the scent. On the website, it lists orange oil and patchouli oil as the main fragrances, so I was expecting something citrus and earthy, perhaps softened by the skimmed milk. When I took this out of the box however, all I could smell was a very clean floral smell reminiscent of laundry detergent or baby wipes. I am not a fan of floral, soapy smells in the bath - I much prefer something sweet and fruity, or earthy and spicy. Despite this, the bubble bar contained skin softening ingredients like skimmed milk and cocoa butter so I decided to give it a try.

I popped he bar in my strainer and stuck it under the tap.When trying a new bubble bar I usually use the entire thing, just to see how many bubbles it can produce. While this bar produced a good amount of bubbles for this bath, it probably would not be worth it to spread the bar across two baths, as it wasn’t an impressive amount of bubbles by any means, and about ¼ of them dissipated within the first 5 minutes before leveling off to a standard amount of bubbles for the remainder of the bath.

I did notice the scent of the bar amplified upon meeting the water. I really couldn’t help but imagine myself soaking in a bath fragranced with nothing more than laundry detergent. While this would make a lovely scent for clean clothes, I don’t exactly want to bathe in it. I feel like lush missed an opportunity here. Perhaps it is the patchouli that gives this soapy scent, though I would find it surprising. If so, I feel like almond absolute or almond oil would’ve done an excellent job in it’s place, creating a sweet, soft scent as well as contributing wonderful skin nourishing properties, and mingling beautifully with the orange oil. Out of the bath, this left a light, clean fragrance on the skin that lasted for hours, and was much more pleasant than the overpowering scent in the bath.

This bar did soften the bath water, and I feel like it did a decent job at softening the skin, though once I removed myself from the tub I felt incredibly soapy, so I had to give myself a good rinse under the showerhead to make sure my skin didn’t get dried out. I don’t usually feel the need to have a super thorough rinse after other bubble bars like The Comforter or the old formulation of Karma, so I feel like that is a good indication of just how soapy this bubble bar is.

Overall, I feel like this bubble bar was not suited to my tastes, but those who enjoy a fresh and lightly floral scent will adore this. It doesn’t make for the most exciting looking bath because the water stays clear, but it produces a good amount of bubbles when you use the entire bar and smells very clean.

Rating: 3, Ok, but not my taste.

Price:  £3.75/ $7.95 ($2.15 more in the US, wtf!!!)

Status: Permanent Item, worldwide.

Vegan?: No, contains skimmed milk

Would I repurchase? No

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Skimmed Milk, Corn Starch (Zea Mays), Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Glycerine, Fragrance, Orange Oil (Citrus Sinensis), Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Fair Trade Olive Oil (Olea europaea), Laureth 4, Silver Lustre and Silver Glimmer (Potassium Aluminium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Synthetic Mica), Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Lilial, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool . *Occurs naturally in essential oils

This is my favorite bath melt by far. I came for the name, but stayed for the moisturizing and calming spell it worked on me. This melt contains soothing oats, cocoa butter, and rose absolute to calm and moisturise your skin, as well as relaxing essential oils such as lavender and sandalwood to sooth your mind. All of these moisturising ingredients are wrapped up in a muslin cloth so that the oils, butters, and oat milk are released, but the oats themselves are contained, keeping your tub clean. 

This melt does exactly what it intends to- it transforms your bath into a milky pool that gently moisturizes and calms skin. The lavender and sandalwood scent is soft and relaxing, making it perfect for a bedtime soak. You can also use the sachet, once the oils have melted, to rub on your skin. The muslin cloth exfoliates your skin ever so gently, while the oats and oils give you that extra dose of moisture. 

I used this for the first time, and promptly went out and stocked up on two more. This bath melt will be fantastic in the winter to combat dry skin, and this would make a lovely gift for anyone, especially those with dry skin.

Rating 5 out of 5

Price £4.35/$8.95

Vegan? Yes

Would I repurchase? Yes

Goes Well With Yes Yes Yes Massage Bar, Twilight Bath Bomb, Dream Steam Steamer Tab, Buffy Body Butter, A French Kiss Bubble Bar

Ingredients Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Whole Oats, Laureth 4, Walnut Oil, Perfume, Tangerine Oil, Lavender Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Frankincense Resinoid, Rose Absolute, Elderflowers, Daisy Flowers, Cowslips*, Geraniol*, Limonene, Linalool