Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb by Lush

Bath bombs are not my thing; in fact until a couple of months ago I would have openly laughed in your face if you had said I would be sharing my thoughts on one here on the Internet.

The Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb by Lush however looked too good to turn down and will aching bones and joints I decided to give one a whirl and see if there were any benefits to be gained by literally launching £3.50 into the bath.

This is what Lush have to say about the Lord of Misrule:

‘Revel in your bath with this mischievous bomb that features a spicy herbal blend of patchouli and black pepper oil. Inspired by the ruler of the pagan Feast of Fools, Lord Of Misrule has a deep green exterior that slowly froths away to reveal a rich wine-coloured centre. Just like at the Feast of Fools, when the wine starts to flow, the popping candy crackles and the festivities begin…’

You can watch a cool video of the bomb fizzing away in the bath and read more about the product here.

Needless to say I wanted to toss this into the bath like a hand grenade but was stopped seconds before doing so. My childish giggling being pushed to one side as I was shown how to use it properly.

A little hot water drawn the bomb was placed into the water and the taps turned to hot. The fizzing and popping was instantaneous - the water changing to a lovely emerald green in a way not too dissimilar to an oil slick spreading. As I remain transfixed by the changing colour I noticed an oily film on the surface of the water and then blam, the beautiful fragrance of patchouli hit me and started to fill the bathroom.

After a few minutes the bomb had halved in size and the water started to become a deep red, and just as claimed, it looked like I was about to dip a toe into a massive bath of red wine (all my dreams come true).

Once completed dissolved the fragrance of patchouli and pepper was so clear it was almost hypnotic. The oily film remained and I was a little concerned that this would leave my skin oily after finishing, but alas this was not to be.

After soaking happily for 30 minutes yes my skin felt softer and much smoother, but would it feel the same after drying off? Well, yes, and what is even better is that the lovely fragrance had been absorbed by my skin leaving the faintest hints of patchouli, not too masculine but far from being feminine.

Is £3.50 too much for one? Well I’m inclined to say yes yet again, I think £3.50 for every bath is too much but the beauty of this bomb is that it is easy to break into two and at that price, effectively £1.75 I think its good value for money and would buy and use again.

To a bloke this has a fascinating wow factor watching it bubble and fizz away, smells lovely and leaves skin so much softer and smoother. You can’t say fairer than that in my opinion.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thank you for taking the time to sneak a peek at my musings, why not tell me your favourite bath products in the comments below?

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Bvlgari Aqva

I always associate Bvlgari with quality beyond comparison. Not only are their watches second to none (I have one and it’s the best thing ever). 

My first encounter with Aqva (what is their obsession with substituting ‘u’ with a ‘v’?!?) was in Detroit airport. I made several very unsubtle hints about the need for a new aftershave. For the record, do not believe any comments below that suggest I stamped my feet - I didn’t.

$54 for a 100ml bottle at duty free seemed reasonable, however when it came to replacing the empty I was shocked to find that even online it cost between £45-£50 for a 100ml bottle. 

From the box, to the bottle, to the actual fragrance this oozes quality and style. 

The box is fairly flat and the glass bottle itself is shaped like a smooth flat pebble (similar to a paperweight) which is black in appearance but shimmers green in the light. A chrome atomiser sits at the top and is built into the round shape making it very easy to hold in the hand and spray, even with moist or wet hands. It fits neatly into the palm of the hand.

Bvlgari Aqva is marketed as an aromatic fragrance with top notes that include mandarin and orange tree leaves with additional notes of santolina and the accord posidonia (a type of aquatic plant). 

The fragrance after application should dry down to give a warm mineral amber scent that oozes masculinity. 

I have to say that after a quick spray in the shop my first impressions were of none of the above however it was exceptionally pleasant and I couldn't wait to wear this for a prolonged period to smell how it would change, how long it would last or  whether it would be the runt of the Bvlgari litter.

Application is a breeze, and only three or four sprays are required to fill a room with the fragrance. First impressions are of a clinical strong citrus aroma produced from the top notes and once it has soaked into the skin and settled for around 5 minutes the fragrance alters dramatically. The strong aroma is replaced by a subtle citrus aroma with undertones of lavender which is very easy on the nose. 

After around an hour the citrus aroma seems to disappear completely and the fragrance gives a feel and smell of warm yet subtle lavender and reminds me of open fields and running streams. All in all very dramatic and wonderful all the same.

Not only is the fragrance heavenly, the staying power is awesome. 

After Aqva first thing in the morning the fragrance still goes strong 12-14 hours later and the subtle warm lavender is still evident.

In addition to the wonderful fragrance, great staying power and cool design of the bottle I have received numerous compliments when wearing Aqva. Personally I used to use this on a daily basis but have found my eye wandering to other fragrances, namely the new Bvlgari Man but still it’s one I go back to when I fancy a change. 

I would highly recommend this for office wear, casual nights out and those special romantic evenings in.

Aqva is not my favourite Bvlgari fragrance, that crown is still held by Bvlgari Extreme but it is certainly better than any fragrance produced by any of the other fashion houses and designers on the market that I have had the pleasure to own.

In summary:

Great fragrance
Long lasting
Cool bottle with easy application
Expensive

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