Friends don't let friends miss out on all the cool, under-the-radar things they know about, like which little-known beauty brand is low-key making the best highlighter around. And because we consider our readers to be like friends, we gather together all our best finds in our Don't Sleep On This series. Check in every week to see what things we can't wait to share with you.
I'm going to tell you guys something that I'll probably regret making public: I don't like showering. I enjoy being clean, but I can do without the act of getting there. It's tedious and time-consuming and a waste of water. And the process is made even more damning in the winter when, after standing under warm water, I'm then forced to step out into a cold, heat-deficient apartment.
It might not make sense because they take even longer than showers, but I much prefer baths. Sitting in a pool of the dirt I collected throughout the day isn't all that appealing, but I still feel like I'm investing in myself with a bath. I can take my time cleaning my parts while relaxing in a mixture of oils and salts. I can set the mood with candles and music. I can read a book or drink a glass of wine while reflecting on my day or week. It's an experience versus an undertaking, and I can de-stress in a way I can't in the shower.
My apartment has a bathtub, but I don't trust it enough to actually sit in it (because: New York and roommates), which means I felt very left out when the bath bomb craze started. I, too, wanted a ball to throw into my bathtub and have dissolve right in front of my eyes. I wanted in on the Instagram stories and to recreate my own version of Ariana Grande's "God Is A Woman" video.
Thankfully, Lush has come up with a solution for those with bath FOMO, and that's shower bombs. The product is a little smaller than the usual softball-sized bath bombs and comes in a variety of shapes, including pyramids and spheres. After holding one under the water for a bit, allowing the fragrance to encompass your bathroom, you can use the leftover foam as a soap alternative. "The idea was to create a single use, full experience shower product you can wash with," Ale Commy, the product inventor, says in a statement. "It's a formula that's nice on the skin but gives a bit of a spectacle in the shower."
Right now there are four versions available. Karma, made of turmeric and patchouli grounds meant to lift your spirits; Sleepy, made of lavender oil and tonka, which is best used before going to bed; Koyaanisqatsi, made of violet leaf and ylang ylang, which helps balance you; and Not Sleepy, made up of citrus and lemongrass oil, which is a good wake-up call on the mornings you don't want to wake up.
I'm going to be honest, it's not the same experience as sitting in a bath. But I also heard that bath bombs were messing with some women's pH, so, you know, maybe I dodged a bullet on that one.
Lush, Shower Bombs, $3.25, available at Lush.
