Behold the Witching Hour with these Halloween-Themed LUSH Bath Treats
Only two more days until hordes of trick-or-treaters swarm the streets in their elaborate costumes, clutching pumpkin-shaped baskets or printed totes and asking — nay, demanding — candy. My 9-year-old son, for one, has been counting down the days since mid-August and rallying for October 31st to be dubbed a national holiday (to which I responded “No such luck, kiddo!”). And, while I’ve never been fond of Halloween, my little guy’s enthusiasm has proven contagious and, for the first time ever, I’m embracing the occasion. One simple way to find the fun in the spooky and macabre: via this year’s quirky, Halloween-themed bath products from LUSH!
For Halloween 2013, LUSH released the limited-edition Pumkin Bubble Bar ($5.95 at LUSHusa.com), an ultra cute, spheric product in a bright orange hue modeled after a pumpkin. Unlike LUSH’s beloved bath bombs, the Pumkin Bubble Bar won’t immediately dissolve when dropped into a tub of water but, if you crumble it up inside the tub, you’ll be stunned by all the bubbles it produces. Not only is the Pumkin absolutely adorable, but it makes bath time a blast for kids and adults alike (hey, we’re all big kids at heart!). My son took the longest soak he’s taken in years thanks to this little treasure. When you place the Pumkin under running water or crumble it in standing water, you’ll notice how it quickly dissolves, turning the water’s color an orange shade. But don’t fret— the orange tone won’t stick to your skin, so there’s no need to worry about looking like a carrot once bath time’s over. As the Pumkin dissolves, bubbles rise to the surface of the tub and a zesty floral aroma, a blend of orange flower absolute and ylang ylang oil, wafts in the air, making the experience pleasant on both a tactile and aromatic level. Once you’re ready to emerge from the tub, you can dry off and your skin will have a light and alluring scent that’s floral but earthy thanks to the anise and licorice notes therein, so that it’s not overly feminine.
Each handmade Pumkin bubble bar contains the following ingredients: cornflour, sodium bicarbonate , cream of tartar, ylang ylang, orange flower absolute, gardenia extract, wheat germ flour, licorice extract and anise seed oil. Dairy free chocolate drops, meanwhile, are placed along the front of the orange sphere to resemble eyes while a licorice peace along the top mirrors a thick stem and a candy leaf completes the plucked-from-the-patch effect.
Other spellbinding treats include the LUSH Ceridwen’s Cauldron Luxury Bath Melt ($8.45 at LUSHusa.com), packaged inside a muslin bag tied with red string. The solid substance inside the muslin bag is a blend of whole oats, cocoa butter, walnut oil, lavender oil, sandalwood oil, and rose absolute — all of which nourish, soften, and soothe dry and irritated skin. Now, this product should probably come with an instruction manual since its use isn’t necessarily intuitive but, luckily, you readers have me to guide you!
First, refrain from untying the red string and removing the solid bar from inside its muslin bag. It may look like a package waiting to be opened, but resist the urge to do so since the bag does serve a purpose here. To use, all you have to do is take the entire pouch and, while in the shower or bath, dip it underneath the running water until the muslin is fully permeated. If you look at the bottom of the pouch, you’ll notice that the solid bar inside the pouch seems to be melting through the lightweight fabric and some suds may appearing in the process. When that happens, you can then smooth the muslin over your skin. This will create a bit of a froth as the oat and cocoa butter mixture seeps through the muslin onto your skin, the fatty acids and vitamins in these botanicals penetrating the epidermis to relieve the skin. The muslin fabric, meanwhile, works almost like a wash cloth but also gently exfoliates the skin. Once you rinse off the product, you’ll notice that skin feels incredibly soft and supple. Plus, the most prevalent scents are lavender and sandalwood, both known to have calming aromatherapy benefits.
Anyone can benefit from the calming properties of this bath melt, but it will be particularly useful for those prone to skin redness or grappling with eczema and keratosis pilaris.
Last but not least, I tried the LUSH Demon in the Dark Soap ($7.95 at LUSHusa.com), a solid bar soap wrapped in a layer of black wax. This soap doesn’t do anything spectacular — it won’t produce a tub full of bubbles, melt magically onto your skin, turn the water a different color, or change shapes — but it does look ominous and enigmatic due to the black and forest green tones. The soap contains antioxidant-rich apple juice which works as an antibacterial and antiseptic while also brightening and exfoliating the skin, as well as nourishing coconut oil, and fresh mint, a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. The soap’s scent, meanwhile, is a combination of titillating peppermint and spearmint oils and clove bud oil, which adds an earthy, spicy touch.
The soap does its job, but I do wish there were more of a “wow” factor to it — I, for one, hoped it would glow in the dark, so I was a bit disappointed when I realized it was just a creepy-looking soap (albeit a nicely scented one).
All in all, I’d recommend investing in the Pumkin Bubble Bar and the Ceridwen’s Cauldron Bath Melt — both will add a festive feel to your bathroom and they make for great party gifts!
