After the initial excitement of the seasonal collection, and once I have had an opportunity to test out the majority of the products, I love to look back and reflect upon those that I was most excited about and whether or not they lived up to my expectations. There is something rather enjoyable about reliving my preconceptions and then comparing them to what I actually feel about the items after using them for myself.
Very rare is it that I have a product that makes a strong impression on me, only to waver during my experience. However, there are a few exceptions, and unfortunately Satsuma Bath Bomb is one of these. To say I am underwhelmed by this bath bomb is an understatement. While I wouldn't say it's a terrible bomb in the slightest, it is definitely not one that I feel compelled to buy again.
Sharing its scent with last year's Dashing Santa Bath Bomb and this year's Santa's Postbox Soap, this bath bomb has a lot of promise in its description. Containing mandarin and bergamot oil, not to mention a generous splash of fresh satsuma juice, the overriding aroma you get from this seasonal ballistic is a subtle, fruity one. Just like the aforementioned bath bomb, this one smells like the freshly-squeezed juice of a mandarin. It has a gentle, non zesty fragrance - one without the kick that you would expect a fresh satsuma to offer. It's almost like mandarin sherbet with a delicate note of bergamot that makes it's refreshing yet not as potent as most of Lush's usual fruity fragrances. If I was just rating the smell alone, it would definitely score a strong five out of six.
On the positive side, those who want something bright and vibrant in the bath tub, without being overwhelmed by a strong smell, will no doubt appreciate the delicacy in which this bath bomb offers its scent. In the tub it turns the water a beautiful and very bright shade of orange, and this in itself is enough to warm even the most stubborn of bathers.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find that the scent made very little impression on me in the tub. In fact, after filming one in action and then using a second Satsuma while I took pictures to accompany this review, I discovered that even combining the two didn't strengthen the overall aroma, and I couldn't detect anything at all within five minutes of being in the bath. At one point I even left the bathroom and reentered a while later to test out whether or not my senses had become accustomed to the aroma, and found that I still wasn't able to make out very much. After resorting to sniffing the water up close and identifying nothing still, I resigned in the knowledge that this was a bath bomb of little power.
Thinking perhaps I had received a bad batch from the Lush Kitchen, I have since tried specimens from Oxford Street and online, and I have reached the conclusion that this bath bomb is one of the least generous, scent-wise, that I have had in a while.
Upon contact with the water, this bath bomb crackles and pops like an open fire and shoots out streams of bright orange colour across the surface of the tub. It doesn't take more than a matter of seconds for the water to turn a vivid shade of tiger and in its favour, this colour remains prominent throughout the entire experience. While there is glitter listed in the ingredients list, I didn't find much of trace in the water, besides from an occasional, delicate shimmer of silver when the water was disturbed.
While Satsuma did leave me feeling smooth and soft after I had towelled myself down, I wouldn't say that it was overly moisturising, and you may wish to cocktail it along with a bath melt or bubble bar to add those additional oils to your experience. However, what the bath bomb did do, thanks to the inclusion of the bergamot oil, is make me feel more awake and cheerful for the rest of the day.Overall, this bath bomb is definitely my least favourite from this years seasonal range, and the handful I acquired from the Lush Kitchen will be the only ones I invest in this year. While the description sounds like something I would love, the reality is that the redeeming features of this product is its colour and effect it has on the mood, and these merits are not enough for me to mask my disappointment.
Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Fresh Satsuma Juice, Cream of Tartar, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, *Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Tangerine; Radiant Gold; Spring Green Lustres, Colour 47005.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £3.75 each (Sold Individually at Oxford Street only)
Year Of Original Release: 2016.
Scent Family:
