The re-release of this product was bittersweet to me because on the one hand I love the fact that Lush have made the effort to veganise a product that they could have left as it was. However, there was also a side to me that knew that, when I finally did get the opportunity to bathe with it, I wouldn't really like the product all that much anyway.
Sharing its scent with both Hot Milk Bubble Bar and Milky Bar Soap, the latter of which a regular product at Lush Oxford Street, this soap doesn't read at all like the scent it produces. I love patchouli and orange, and when most Lush fans think of the two components together, they envisage something similar to Karma. Yet this bubble bar is nothing like that at all and doesn't give off a fragrance that sits well with my tastes either.
When Milky Bath was first released, despite its adorable design, I wasn't particularly annoyed by the fact that it wasn't vegan. If there's one smell I hate above any other, it is the smell of hot, simmering milk, and the idea of bathing in a tub of this was enough to turn my stomach. The fact that it featured skimmed milk in the ingredients list, also meant that I wouldn't even give it a friendly sniff in the store.In all fairness, while the smell of this is not what you'd expect from its name, it does suit the format, and I can see why it's quite a popular seller when compared to other bubble bars. Predominantly, it's a light, floral aroma - one that reminds me of freshly dried linen or the smell you get when opening a brand new packet of baby wipes.
The patchouli has definitely lost its spicy element here and what you're left with is a gentle, warm, sweet note that gives Milky Bath its floral smell. While the orange oil adds a slight fruity element, I should point out that this bubble bar is neither citrusy nor zesty, and the fruity component I'm describing here is a very different one to what you'd normal expect orange oil to produce. In fact, it reminds me a little of Uluru Shower Gel, in the way that the sandalwood in the gel dampens the fruity element and you're left with a very calm, unimposing fragrance.
Much like Milky Bar Soap, this strange mixture of floral notes create an almost sickly, soapy smell, and it reminds me somewhat of the scent you get when buying a cheap brand of hand soap. Yet there is also something rather rich about the fragrance of this bubble bar, which gives it a pleasant, more rounded aroma. At the risk of repeating myself here, I think that the inclusion of the soya milk gives this bubble bar a creamy, milky undertone that brings it all together nicely.The size of this bubble bar means that you can divide it into smaller pieces and use it across multiple baths, making it good value for money. Furthermore, the shape and width of Milky Bath means it's a lot easier to segment the bar as opposed to the wider, more rounded alternatives.
As you would with any of Lush's bubble bars, you need to crumble this under the running water to stimulate the production of bubbles. I found that this particular bar was rather generous with the amount of bubbles it created, and I can definitely see this being able to successfully fill 3-4 baths of soft, fragrant bubbles if you didn't want to use the whole thing in one go.
As to be expected from its design, this product does not change the colour of the water, which could be a positive or negative attribute, depending on what you're looking for. On the one hand, this makes a great companion for a bath bomb, because it supplies the bubbles but leaves it up to the bomb to add the colour. When I paired this up with Intergalactic Bath Bomb, I also discovered that the scent is strong enough to hold its own, and I could smell Milky Bath the whole way through the experience. On the other hand, if you're looking for both a fragrant and a colourful experience, you won't get this from simply using this bubble bar by itself.Once you've submerged yourself into the water, you'll discover that the scent is really robust, and although not at all potent on the senses, will remain with you for the duration of the bath. Having said this, I was surprised to find that I couldn't really detect much of the scent on my skin afterwards, which wasn't that disappointing for me as I'm not a fan of the smell, but would probably be a nice touch for those that do.
The water and the bubbles were soft, as you would expect from using any of Lush's bubble bars. However, I found that neither were particularly silky or as nourishing on the skin as the likes of The Comforter and The Brightside have proven to be. Overall, I can definitely see the appeal of this bubble bar: it's good value for money, has a fragrance that lasts and produces lots of fluffy bubbles to bury yourself beneath. Despite this, the aroma is an acquired taste and it wasn't one that I was all that comfortable with.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £3.75 each.
Year Of Original Release: 2015
Scent Family:
