Review - Mandara Spa Island Paradise Pampering Bath Soak

Pre-children I always used to love treating myself to a luxurious evening bubble bath once a week or so (yep, I certainly know how to live it up!).  Nowadays, as a mum, I find these moments few and far between; I don't think I've managed to take a long bath in peace and quiet since 2010!  So, when the offer to review some Mandara Spa bath products landed in my email inbox, I jumped at the chance - the perfect excuse to force me to make some time for myself.

I was sent their Island Paradise Pampering Bath Soak to try and I have to say, when I opened the box, I was struck by the look of it.  The jar is made of turquoise glass with a gold lid and, with 500ml of bath soak inside, it's a good sized jar that feels weighty in your hand.

So, one Sunday I actually did what I hadn't done for around two years - I actually set aside some quiet 'me' time.  The husband was at work, the children were in bed...the housework could wait.  I ran a bath instead and it felt so delightfully rebellious and naughty!

With the water tumbling from the bath taps into the bathtub below, I opened the Island Paradise bath soak jar.  There were two things I couldn't help but notice. 

1. You can't help but notice the smell.  The bath soak includes extracts of grapefruit and lemon and those scents jump out at you as soon as you open the jar.  The smell of the grapefruit and lemon doesn't abate once the bath soak turns to bubbles in the bath either.  It really hit my nostrils and helped give me a fresh feeling all over (as well as leaving a fruity aroma in my bathroom!). 
2. The consistency of the bath soak is thick, like the pink slime in Ghostbusters II (and please don't tell me if you haven't seen that film, it will make me feel really old if you do!).  It was quite fun digging my hand into the goo and playing about with it.  It reminded of my childhood and messing about with play slime that you could buy from any good toy shop (again, if you have no idea about this, please stay schtum!). 

I put about three handfuls of slime bath soak into my bathtub (not that you would have been able to tell by looking at the jar, it still looked full to the brim) and watched as the bubbles started to form and spread.  It didn't take too long for my bath to fill and with more than a little excitement and anticipation, I stepped in.

I was pleased with the amount of bubbles that the bath soak had created.  Sometimes, I find that the only way to get a decent amount of bubbles is to empty at least half of the bath foam into the tub.  It was great that this wasn't the case.

It felt sublime sinking down into those bubbles and awoke in me the sense of how relaxing - and how much of a hard-earned indulgence - a bubble bath can be.  It was a delight I'd totally forgotten about and I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of 'washing away' any stress or worries that I might have had (it really is amazing how a bath can do this, isn't it?!).

All in all, I had an awesome bath and left the tub feeling much calmer and at peace with the world than when I got in.  But, was this because of the Mandara Spa bath soak or because it had been the first time in a long time that I'd taken some quality 'me' time?  I suspect it was mainly due to the latter, although I have no doubt that the extracts used in the bath soak played a part in revitalising this ol' body of mine. 

It's here that I also have to mention the unavoidable - price.  This, I think, is the biggest downside (but it's by no means a deal breaker).  The Mandara Spa Island Paradise Pampering Bath Soak retails for £12, which is quite a lot when you look at some other bubble bath products out there.  

Having said that though, it is aiming to be a luxury brand of bath soak and you get lots of 'bang for your buck'; the bath soak really looks like it goes a long way.  Whether or not you pay the price for this product is only something that you can decide.  Personally, being a busy mum, I'm happy to spend a little more on something that will help my rare treat of dedicated 'me' time feel that little bit more indulgent and special.  But, I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

Please note: I received this product free of charge for the purpose of writing this review.