Lush Bath Bomb

A bath bomb from Lush smells like lavender and vanilla before you even get it out of the bag. Hitting the water, it fizzes and spins and releases clouds of purple and gold that turn the entire tub into something that feels like it belongs in a painting rather than a college bathroom with chipped tiles. Texture of the bomb itself is chalky and dense, like a compressed ball of powder. It dissolves over about 10 minutes, turning the water opaque and soft in a way that I can feel on my skin as a faint oiliness that'sn't greasy but smooth. I want to buy these more often but at $8 each they add up fast when you are taking 3 baths a week during finals season. Scent lingers on my skin for hours after I drain the tub, a ghost of lavender that follows me to the library. Lush lets you smell and handle everything in the store. Shops are overwhelming, rows of bright colored soaps and bombs arranged like produce at a market, and the sensory overload is part of the experience they are selling. Ingredients list reads like a recipe, sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, cocoa butter, essential oils. Simplicity of the chemistry makes me think I could make these at home, though I know the scent blending is where the skill actually lives. My favorite 1 is called Twilight and it turns the water a deep violet that stains the porcelain slightly, which I consider an acceptable trade.