(Review) Granny Takes a Dip: For Groovy Swirly Baths

So this past week, I woke up like I always do...hissing at the sunlight peeking through the blinds, silently cursing whoever decided to blare talk radio at full blast, beating the snot out of the snooze button and burritoing myself in my fluffy cloud of a comforter, begging the sleep gods for just a few more winks of shut-eye.  Alas, I did eventually get up, as staying in bed all day without reason is just depressing, and was struck by a sudden urge to exercise.  I just needed to get up and move!  So I popped in my favorite aerobics DVD (which you can find on Amazon here) and blasted through it.  Feeling all limber and warmed up, I went about my day with a little more pep in my step.  The next day though, I was creaking like a rusty drawbridge.  I love feeling sore after a workout...it's a great feeling of accomplishment to know that I pushed myself, so I thought a nice, hot bath would soothe my sore, achy muscles.

Enter Granny Takes a Dip, the trippy disc of a bath bomb that will soon be out for the summer.  Named after the song Granny Takes A Trip by The Purple Gang (a surprisingly catchy song) and the clothing boutique of the same name, Granny Takes a Dip was inspired by anything and everything 1960s.  The colors match the jackets the Beatles wore on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, and was also inspired by kaleidoscopes.  When I first laid eyes upon this bomb, I was immediately reminded of this jumbo jawbreaker my mom got me when I was 8.  I carried that thing everywhere with me, and got halfway through it before my mom found it and threw it away, claiming it was gross.  I don't think I've ever been that upset over candy in my life.

So to the bathroom I trudged, filling up the tub and snatching up ol' Granny.  Waiting for the tub to fill, I huffed the interesting fragrance.  GTAD is very spicy in scent, being filled with invigorating black pepper and ginger oils, as well as some lemon oil.  Black pepper and ginger oils are also used in the Hottie massage bar, which is renowned for warming and soothing achy muscles.  Hence why I decided to use it in the first place.

 
So into the tub went Granny...who promptly flipped over and sank like a fizzing stone to the bottom.  The pink side is a bit heavy, so I reached in and flipped her over and watched the kaleidoscope form.  The inner layers of red, green, and blue are made to be fast fizzing, but the outer pink layer is coated in a bubble, slow fizzing film.  And there it went, zipping around my bathtub leaving a rainbow of froth in its wake.

Once Granny was completely dissolved, the water was a crystal clear lavender color with a light frothy foam swirling over top.  Into the water I gingerly stepped, and I felt my body sigh in relaxation.  Once completely dissolved, the spicy notes had dulled down a bit and the lemon came to the forefront giving a nice citrusy yet spicy tang that invigorated the mind, body and soul.  This isn't the most moisturizing bath bomb, so if you're looking for something super moisturizing then this isn't the one for you.  But it's great if you're feeling sluggy, groggy, or it's just too hot to function.  I felt invigorated, snacking on watermelon and humming "Age of Aquarius" as I read my book and marinated.  Once I got out I found the scent lingered subtly on my skin, which was nice because I didn't want it to be too overpowering.  It did leave a slight pink ring around my tub, but it was easily cleaned off with some scrubbing bubbles and a warm washcloth. 

Overall, Granny Takes a Dip is a bath bomb I was extremely impressed with.  When I first smelled it, I admit I wasn't too taken with it, but it definitely grew on me.  I was invigorated and my muscles were soothed.  Granny Takes a Dip is something I'll definitely be stocking up on this summer!

*This product is certified Vegan

2014 Summer Collection: First Impressions!

From top left to bottom right:  Granny Takes a Dip bath bomb, D-Fluff strawberry shaving soap, New Charity Pop hand and body lotion, Zeste medium to strong hair gelly, African Paradise body conditioner, Parsley Porridge face & body soap, Mangnificent bar soap

There it was.  Taunting me.  Giving me that come hither stare.  I wanted it.  I knew it was wrong, but oh my goodness would it be so right.  To take it in my arms and sniff everything. 

Because my boss put a "do not touch" sign on all of the staff boxes, so I was left staring and wanting like a dog stares at his owner's meal.  But when I was about to leave after my shift today, and my boss tossed me a staff box, I was overjoyed and beyond happy!  I'd been seeing so many pictures of the new summer items, and was impatient to receive mine.  My darling readers, that day has finally come!  Seeing as I only got this box hours ago, I haven't tried anything yet, but will be giving you info on the products and my first impressions!

Granny Takes a Dip:  Inspired by the 1960s in a nutshell, Granny Takes a Dip is a flat, disc of a bath bomb whose inner core reminds me of the swirls in an oversized jawbreaker.  The outer pink layer has a bubble mix inside while the inner layers are fast fizzing, creating a kaleidoscope effect in your bath water.  The smell is described as spicy citrus, with plenty of ginger and black pepper to boot.  Upon first whiff I can definitely pick up the black pepper, and a spicy number of what I'm assuming is ginger.  These are the base scents of the Hottie massage bar, so this is great for pepping you up and soothing any sore achey muscles.  Lemon oil also gives the bomb a citrusy bite as well.  Definitely looking forward to this one!  This product is Vegan

D-Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap:  Strawberries, egg whites, syrup, and cocoa butter.  Sounds like a recipe for Saturday morning pancakes, but it's all in this marshmallow fluff-esque shaving soap!  Palm free and self preserving, D-Fluff reminds me of the marshmallow fluff my mom would eat out of the jar with a spoon when I was younger.  Upon first whiff, I definitely got strawberries, but also a floral note due to the rosehip oil included, so it's not sugary sweet.  This product is Vegetarian

New Charity Pot Hand & Body Lotion:  In my experience, people either love or hate Charity Pot.  That I can understand, because sweet scents like chocolate are an acquired taste (pun not intended).  This new Charity Pot has totally won me over.  The proceeds still go to grassroots charities so that part hasn't changed, but the scent is barely recognizable!  Another self preserving formula, new Charity Pot has a powdery floral scent that reminds me of baby shampoo.  It's gentle and silky and with the inclusion of rosewood and ylang ylang oils, smells divine!  This product is Vegan

Zeste Hair Gelly:  Inspired by punk rockers who used sugar to create their rebellious spiky 'dos, Zeste (the "E" is silent, so it's pronounced "Zest") relies on the natural sugars in orange juice to hold hair in place.  Zeste was also inspired by the shower jellies, hence the jello-esque texture.  Upon first whiff, I definitely could smell the oranges, but there was also a heavier floral aroma behind the citrus that made it deeper and woodsier somehow.  The texture does resemble a shower jelly, but is a bit heavier and thicker.  I'm eager to see how this will work on my mid-back length hair.  This product is Vegan

African Paradise Body Conditioner:  As one who LOVES Ro's Argan, I was super excited to see another body conditioner coming out!  African Paradise is chalk full of ingredients from Africa (hence the name) and was inspired by frangipani flowers.  The scent is described as a spicy carnation, with the inclusions of moringa, ylang ylang, sandalwood, and clove bud oils, as well as fair trade shea butter & aloe vera with baobab oil and kalahari melon.  The smell reminds me of the flowers my dad would give me after my dance recitals as a child, beautiful and floral, but subtle in the best possible way.  VERY eager to use this one.  This product is Vegetarian

Parsley Porridge Face & Body Soap:  Made to replace 13 Unlucky for Dirt, Parsley Porridge soap is a great green bar of antioxidants and antibacterials.  Packed with tea tree oil, parsley, and fine ground oats, Parsley Porridge is great for any troubled or out of whack skin, helping cleanse deeply, as well as provide gentle exfoliation with oats, and soothing properties from the parsley.  I'm not one for parsley (thought most people argue it tastes like nothing, it has a taste and it's gross!) I do love the scent of tea tree oil, and plan on using this in the summer when Michigan summers get too humid and mucky.  This product is Vegan.

Mangnificent Soap:  Mangnificent soap is modeled after Bohemian, the zesty lumpy lemon bar we all know and love.  Modeled with the same look and feel, Mangnificent has a high glycerine content, as well as rapeseed and coconut oils so you won't lose any of that moisture.  The citrusy aroma smells heavenly, and is a great pick me up for when it's too hot to function.  This product is Vegan

 
Overall I'm impressed!  This summer's products seem to be promising indeed!  Lots of fresh, natural ingredients are brought out and shining bright, showing off that Lush does indeed get their ingredients from fair trade, organic (when possible!) small businesses that have an extremely high standard when it comes to quality.  I look forward to using this products in the summer, and I hope you do too!  Keep a lookout for these products, as they will be hitting the store shelves and website soon!

So tell me readers...what summer product are YOU most intrigued by?  Let me know in the comments below!!