(Review) Guardian of the Forest: Eau Natural

As much as I hate driving in it, there's something so magical about snow.  That majestic white powder that falls from the sky in big, fluffy chunks and seemingly muffles the sound from outside.  It's also nice to watch it fall from the comfort of your home, curled up on the couch with your hot cocoa, smiling to yourself as you await the start of the holiday season!

Well guess what?  The holiday season has come and gone and that noise ain't cute anymore.  Neither is shutting down your shop early due to the mall closing for the safety of their customers & employees.  And while you wade your frozen ass over to your car to dig it out and mentally curse yourself for forgetting your snow gloves at home, you realize that a dream of spring isn't just a book you'll probably be reading when it comes out 60 years from now.  It's a dream of not digging your car out of the frozen tundra that is the midwestern U.S of A.

Guardian of the Forest is a newer, formerly Oxford Street exclusive bath bomb that just appeared on North American shelves a few months back.  Inspired by the Miyazaki classic "Princess Mononoke", Guardian of the Forest is packed with cypress & oakmoss oils with a touch of lime as to not be overly earthy.  Rosewood is also included in the mix as is a beautiful warm lustre.  The appearance of Guardian of the Forest is also different here than it is across the pond.  The entire bomb is a medium forest green dotted with chartreuse leaves & middle, while the U.K version has a dark base with light leaves on one side & a light base with dark leaves on the other.  I actually only noticed this when a coworker pointed it out to me, and neither of us had any idea why the two versions differ.

I've actually tried both versions of Guardian of the Forest (the U.K version that Bossman brought back for me & the N.A version purchased from my own shop) and was honestly wary of it at first.  I've made it no secret that I suffer from very bad outdoor allergies, and I often avoid most grassy smells for fear of clogged sinuses & lots of sneezing, but of course after a cautious whiff, I was pleasantly surprised & happy that there was no reaction, that I really enjoyed the scent!  

One thing about my baths is that I run them extremely hot.  If I'm not literally dripping sweat (gross I know), then my bath water isn't hot enough.  Dropping this guy into my steaming bath water not only amplified the scent, but the humidity of my bathroom made me feel like I was hiking during a misty morning in the Pacific Northwest.  And I've never even been to the Pacific Northwest!  It smelled absolutely beautiful, earthy & natural & the vibrant green water reminded me of my beloved Fizzbanger.  

Guardian of the Forest has quickly become a favorite of mine.  The natural, earthy aroma is extremely grounding, and bathing with this green beauty definitely helps to calm & relax me.  The scent lingered subtly on my skin & my tub wasn't layered with a ton of shimmer afterwards, which is always nice.  Guardian easily makes the list of my top 5 favorite bath bombs in both turnout, scent & how it makes me feel during & after my bath.  So if you haven't tried it out and are anxious for warmer weather, there's no time like the present!

(Review) Avobath: Do Re Mi Fa So La Si Fruit

I will readily admit I've been a bit of a grump this week.  Just one of those moods where every little thing annoys you.  That coupled with bad allergies made for a rather pissy week.  Also as of this blog entry, season 2 of Orange is the New Black isn't out yet, and my patience is wearing thin (what will become of our beloved blonde WASP?!).  Nonetheless, my fiery temper was cooled when Sunday approached, and the promise of a new week filled with new opportunities, antihistamines, and my favorite jailhouse dark comedy had me hopeful.  So why not treat yourself with a bath while at it?

This week, I chose to take a walk down memory lane (which actually wasn't too long ago) with my very first bath bomb, Avobath.  Not only is it one of the first ones I used, but it's one of my favorites.  It's citrusy and fruity smelling AND green just so happens to be my favorite color.  So on a bad day, where my normal cheerful demeanor just isn't there and my brain's all fogged over with allergies and bad thoughts, I like to chuck this in my tub and bathe in the clean green goodness.

So let's get this show on the road!

Avobath was inspired by fruit (derr).  Its scent is described as "fruit upon fruit upon fruit," like a big ol' fruit salad in bath bomb form.  It's quite simple in form...a nice pale green ball that smells strangely like fruit loops.  That's one of the ways I get younger kids intrigued by Avobath...I tell them it smells like fruit loops and their eyes light up when they realize it's true.  It's a very cute thing to see. 

So when you drop Avobath in, it sinks right to the bottom and foams up like a geyser about to explode.  Thankfully that doesn't happen (my recently cleaned top to bottom bathroom thanks you for that) and your bath water immediately turns a pale shade of green that grows deeper and brighter the more it dissolves.

Avobath is one of Lush's most moisture intensive bath bombs.  The mashed avocado give Avobath its green color (and name) and avocado is known for its moisturizing properties and ability to make fantastic guacamole.  The inclusion of extra virgin olive oil also adds to the moisture list, most likely adding to the green color a bit since EVOO tends to be greener in color.  Among the scents are lemongrass, bergamot, and rosewood oils.  All three of these oils smell fantastic, and all three are known mood lifters.  Seeing as I've been having a bad case of the summer cranks lately, I was in desperate need of a pick me up.  Plus lemongrass and bergamot are two of my favorite scents in all of Scent-dom, so a bath bomb with my favorite scents AND color was bound to give me a pick me up!

Kinda looks like a booger...but look at how great my nails look!

I would say Avobath is a pretty fast fizzer.  Not as fast as Big Blue (which made like Nicholas Cage and was gone in 60 seconds) but not as slow as Dragon's Egg or Twilight.  It was nice to sit there and watch it fizz up like an emerald green geyser, the scent of lemongrass and citrus wafting through my closet of a bathroom and clearing the air (and my sinuses).

The last remnants of Avobath slowly bubbling away

When Avobath was done dissolving, my cranky butt slid into the warm, fruity green water, grumbling about these darn kids and their rock 'n roll 8 track tapes.  But as I sat and soaked, my mind was soothed, my sinuses cleared, and my bath water the color of the Chicago river at St. Patty's day.  It was a clear as glass green and it smelled just heavenly.  I felt like I was bathing in Sprite!  I noticed there were small speckles of glitter so fine I could barely see them, but they were there and they gave my bath water a very subtle, but noticeable shine.  So not only is Avobath simple in appearance, but also in execution.  No huge fancy frills, no popping candy, no little notes, just a simple green bath to soothe a cloudy mind.  Don't get me wrong, I love the frills, but sometimes simplicity is nice.  I laid back, cracked open my copy of Dangerous Liaisons (one of my favorite pieces of classical literature) and soaked for a good 2 hours.  My skin was so well moisturized that I didn't even need lotion afterwards!

Overall, Avobath was a great bath experience, and the first bath bomb I ever used.  I snagged it during training (this has been hinted at, but I will now confirm that I'm a Lush employee, and have been a devoted customer of Lush years before I was hired) and consider it my "gateway drug" into the world of bath bombs.  It's great for clearing a cloudy mind and soothing a tempered soul.  So calm down and...avo...bath!

...again, ending with an awful joke.  I'm so not sorry!  But I also want to point out that I started a tumblr blog for quick snapshots into my life as a Lushie and a Lush employee.  I urge you to check it out here, and remember to follow me on both sites!  I thank you for your support and for reading my humble little Lush blog!

So tell me readers...what was YOUR first Lush bath bomb?  And how did you like it?  Let me know in the comments!!

**This bath bomb is certified Vegan

**Purchase Avobath at your local LUSH store, or buy it online here