Lush Ma Bar Bubble Bar

I got a box of lush products for my 30th birthday, and I normally moan about having to have a bath because our shower is broken (well none existant) but now I love my baths. Lush has actually taken the time to make a very enjoyable experience.

Lush Ma Bar Bubble Bar - Have you noticed how many wonderful things are displayed in the shops at this time of year for Mother's Day? I always look forward to this time of the year, because I just know there will be some wonderful beauty preparations and treatments up for grabs, all aimed at children to buy for their Mums on Mothers Day. I am always lucky enough to get a bunch of flowers and something edible on my special day, but this year I dropped some very heavy hints about a very special luxury item that had caught my eye.

On my normal weekly visit to the Lush website, to check out how many new products are being listed, I came across the most beautiful looking bubble bar I had ever had the pleasure to feast my lascivious eyes upon. Lush, in their infinite wisdom have invented a new bubble bar, called ..wait for it ..the Ma Bar, a play on words of course for Mothers Day.

I will explain for anyone who has not had the pleasure of trying a Lush bubble bar exactly what they are. How many times have you watched a television programme with some skinny woman laying back in a bath teeming over with bubbles? Lots I bet. Have you ever wondered how they make mountains of bubbles that you can lay back in, relax, and float off to paradise? Me too. Last year I discovered the beauty of Lush bubble bars. Solid little lumps of gorgeousness, the bubble bars are made from a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and other ingredients that Lush only refer to as "bubbly stuff" and can be crumbled under a tap of running water to give you the most wonderful, luxurious bubble bath that you will ever experience. Sound good? Wait, there's more. Each bubble bar contains essential oils and smelly bits that not only keep you smelling wonderful but will also moisturise your skin to make you feel like a movie star. Lush also provide such a wide range of bubbles bars, that there will be a fragrance to suit everyone, whether you're a flowery or a sweet person.

The Ma Bar looks like a chocolate delicacy from an expensive confectionary collection. It's formed into a rough square shape, then divided into two sections of colours: a rich chocolate brown and a wonderful creamy beige, to create the impression of a white and a dark chocolate delight. Is that all I hear you cry? No of course it's not. Stuck on top of this wonderful little creation is a cube of honeyed loveliness, well actually it looks like a Demerara sugar cube, but it finishes the bar off beautifully and gives it that 'luxury' look. A Ma Bar is not expensive either, no sirree, this chocoholic's delight only costs £1.95, so you can ask for it quite freely, and without a shred of guilt.

Ma Bar smells exactly like 'Honey I washed the Kids' soap. A glorious smell of toffee surrounds the bar, and that's before you even open the wrapping to get into it for a closer look. Think honey, toffee and cream, and you'll have a rough idea of the absolutely mouth watering aroma that Ma Bar oozes from its very pores. Although the Ma Bar is not as large as some of the Lush bubble bars, at 120g, trust me, you'll still get three baths out of the one bar.

It seems almost a shame to break the Ma Bar apart, as it looks such a wonderful creation and had settled into its home on the bathroom shelf quite nicely, but needs must, and that toffee smell was making me want to eat it, rather than bath in it! Breaking a piece from the Ma Bar is exactly like breaking of a slab of cookie dough. The bar breaks into a solid yet crumbly lump, and the sweet toffee smell erupts from the bar, like a volcano spilling its lava. The sugar cube piece is of a completely different texture to the rest of the bar and really is like trying to break a cube of sugar - hard, but I manage to break it in half to add to the running water from the tap.

The Ma Bar is easy to crumble, and immediately the bar comes into contact with the water, a mountainous pile of bubbles fill the bath water. There's something I can't quite put my finger on with the bubbles though. Yes, they are definitely more voluminous than any bubbles I have had from a bubble bar before, but they seem softer and fluffier than normal. It's not until I step into the water and put my toe through the enormous amounts of bubbles, that I realise the bath water beneath has turned a pale brown colour. As I've only used a third of the bar I am amazed at the amount of bubbles, and as I sit in the bath they cover my body completely, caressing my skin with their softness and sweet smelling aroma. Immediately upon my skin coming into contact with the bubbles, it feels slightly oily, as though I have used a body oil preparation, and not only that, the softness is unbelievable. It's quite easy to lose yourself in a Ma Bar bath, and that's just what I did. The absolutely glorious smell made me not want to get out of the bath, but alas I had to half an hour later. The bubbles had not depleted at all in that time, and really, you don't need to use any soap when using a Lush bubble bar as it leaves your body feeling squeaky clean ..

Of course, you're wanting to know if there's any disadvantages to a Ma Bar? Well, not in my eyes, although some people may not like that fact that you will need to rinse off afterwards as the bubbles do still cling to the skin after getting out of the tub. However, the scent is fabulous and the sweet toffee smell is apparent for hours afterwards. Added to all that, my skin feels vibrant, alive and baby soft for the whole day. It's not sickly sweet, as it's very subtle, but Ma Bar is an ideal gift for someone with a sweet tooth.

As I have said Ma Bar is a limited edition but crafty old Yummy has already purchased a few bars to keep in reserve. Although Lush have not said how long this bar of gorgeousness will be on sale, I'm sure it won't be long. However, Lush in their wisdom also have other items to compliment the Ma Bar, these being the Honey I washed the Kids soap and the Soft Coeur Massage Bar, both of which contain the same fragrance. I would advise though that using a soap together with a bubble bar does minimise the bubbly experience, but that minor irritation aside, the three items together will make a wonderful gift for someone special.

A Ma Bar is the stuff that my dreams are made of. I can be bribed with it just as well as with a bar of Lindt.