ONE BATH AND BODY: First Impressions pt 2

The conditioner has a slightly sweet, waxy smell which isn't my favorite by any means, but isn't something I'd generally dismiss as "bad" either.  However, the puck was more "solid" than I was expecting, making it a little difficult to truly use as a conditioner.  It takes me about 15 swipes over my head, as opposed to maybe 3 or 4 with the shampoo, and I never quite feel as if I really have it rubbed in nicely.  Granted, I'm pretty sure I've just been overdoing it, as it makes my hair a little greasy after it's rinsed out, but it nonetheless does makes my hair softer.  If you have curly, processed, or unruly hair, I can't see this really working out.  I

On the flip side, though, if you purchase the puck and hate it as a conditioner, it makes a lovely shaving gel.  I learned this from LUSH, when a puck didn't quite meet my expectations, and it's really a nice idea, I think.  Just get your legs wet, swipe the bar over your skin, and the rest is history!  It's pretty moisturizing for what it is, and I'll probably continue this bar for that purpose until it's gone.  (Which may be a little while.  These are 2 oz for $7.69.

As an aside, although it's not yet in Target stores, One does show a "Goldilocks" shampoo puck on its site,  specially formulated for blonde hair.  Eager to try it out, I emailed the company asking where the product could be purchased, but unfortunately never heard back.  So, who knows.  There's no online shop yet on the site or anything.

Moving on to "Bath Fizzies" aka Bath Bombs in the LUSH world.  I've only recently discovered the LUSH bath bombs, and let me tell you... there's nothing more luxurious than a calming bath with colored water and a soothing fragrance to wind you down at the end of the day!  (A review of my favorite LUSH bath bombs coming up in a future entry!).  However, LUSH bath bombs are crazy expensive, ranging from $3.95 to $6.95 per bath!  (Okay, and LUSH says you can cut these bath bombs in half for a cheaper experience, but it takes nothing less than a miracle to make that actually happen.  Trust me... the first time I tried I literally cut my finger so badly that I cut a nerve, no joke.  Hahah, please, please be careful if you cut a bath bomb!  I gave up, and now only use these as whole products!).  The One bombs, on the other hand, are $5.99 each and are pre-split into two parts.  (The higher priced LUSH bombs are 6.3 oz and the total unsplit ONE bombs are pretty close at 6.5 oz. Using just half is $2.99 for 3.25 oz vs LUSH small bombs $3.95 for 2.1 oz)

As with the shampoos, LUSH definitely wins when it comes to variety, boasting bombs that turn the water pretty colors, expel confetti or flower petals, provide soothing lotion-y texture to the water, give glitter, and so on, depending on your needs.  Also, I think the LUSH bombs have a strong fragrance, and of course a large variety of fragrance, which helps especially if you're not into "soapy" scents.

  Currently ONE presents four options:

- Love is In the Bath.  Pink colored.  The one I wanted most, and unfortunately the only one Target doesn't yet carry.

-  Blue Earth.  White and blue.  Has a muted, calming soapy organic scent.  Turned the water pale blue.  One big drawback, though... whereas LUSH likes to make petals or confetti pop from the bomb, this fizzer actually expelled tons of what really looked like mulch.  Sorry, I don't want little brown flakes in my tub!

- I Need This. Half pale green, half blue.  Scent is lemongrass.  Slightly citrus and intended to be invigorating.  The blue half turned the water a lovely turquoise shade.

- Honey Please.  Pale yellow and tan.  Scent is fairly sweet with a faint honey-ish tinge.  This was probably my favorite of the three I tried.

Of the Blue Earth, I Need This, and Honey Please, I think I'd actually only repurchase the latter.  While these are definitely less expensive than a LUSH bath, the scent just didn't linger as long, nor did the color.  Also, like the soaps, these all had a similar "soapy" scent which just wasn't my favorite.  Now, don't get me wrong, though.  I will repurchase the Honey fizzers and will definitely pick up the pink ones when they come available.  When it comes to a luxury bath, I may prefer LUSH, but I'd definitely prefer one of these fizzers to plain water every time!  (And, if you're not already hooked on LUSH, you may just find these to be utterly perfect, you never know!)

Moving on to the next-to-last category, we have the "After Shower Skin Conditioner" bars.  When I first saw the picture on the website (which I can't link due to the weird Flash presentation of the website, sorry.  It's not pictured on the Target site for some reason!).  I thought these were comparable to LUSH Body Butters; however, upon purchasing the only one carried at Target, I realized these are actually Massage Bars (even though ONE has a separate "Massage Bar" category... go figure)

One has two options for "Conditioner" aka massage bars:

1. Sweeten My Skin. Meant to moisturize and (obviously) provide a sweet scent.  Of course, since this was the one I wanted, it did happen to be the one not in stores yet.

2. Nighty Night.  Smells of lavender.  Very soothing.  Meant to moisturize and calm.  Great for right before bed!

If you've never tried a massage bar (I'm obsessed!  More on Massage Bars in a future entry!), the idea is that it's a solid bar that melts easily upon contact, and can thus be rubbed over the skin to provide a lotion-like moisture.  Be careful with these, though, as they do actually melt VERY easily, and they do tend to be greasy.  While some LUSH massage bars can be applied during the day, I'd definitely reserve this ONE lavender bar for nighttime use only.  It provides a nice sheen to the skin, but of course it pretty oily.  Granted, it's not in a bad way... it's very moisturizing!  The scent is light and soothing, and I'd actually definitely repurchase this.  I've gotten into the habit of using it every night right before bed, and besides the one downside of leaving some of the product on the sheets, it works like a charm!  (I don't remember how much these cost, sorry.  It's under $10, though.  I've had it for about 2 weeks so I no longer have the receipt.  Oh, and these don't come with a tin, oddly enough, so you're on your own for storage)

Now, finally, for the last category.  The MASSAGE BARS that One actually calls MASSAGE BARS.  Again, there are (so far) two, and the stores only carry one.  (Again, sorry, I have no clue where to buy the items that aren't in Target, or whether that's even possible.  I'll update if I get a response).

The options are:

- "Oh My Gosh" aka the "stress relief" bar (not in stores yet)

- "Calming Bar" aka the "relaxing" bar

Okay, funny enough, the lavender "conditioning" bar is more calming than the calming bar; however, if you're a fan of LUSH, you'll notice one interesting thing about the "Calming" Bar.. it looks VERY familiar.

(and, GRR, again, since it's not on the Target site, I'm having trouble linking, but check out http://www.onebathandbody.com and go to the product page...

The CALMING BAR looks *just* like the Wiccy Magic Muscle from LUSH, presented below:

In all honesty, it's hard to say which is which if both are placed side by side... unless, of course, you smell them.  The LUSH Wiccy, marketed as a bar for sore muscles, has a stronger fragrance which is reminiscent of menthol.  The One bar, on the other hand, has a more eucalyptus-y scent with only the vaguest hint of mint, if any at all.  The Wiccy has a slight tingle on the skin whereas the One bar is more calming. 

They both run about $10 each, and I don't have the oz count for the One bar, but they seem to be pretty much the same size.  So, if you're unable to hit up LUSH and need a Wiccy dupe, this is probably the closet you'll  ever find!  Both are equally moisturizing, and while the One bar is still pretty greasy (probably best for nighttime use again), it's not quite as greasy as the lavender bar.

So, as a recap, some things with ONE were hits for me and some were misses.  I still prefer LUSH soap and bath bombs, but I like the honey fizz enough that I'll definitely repurchase that between LUSH trips (and I still want to sample the two soaps I've missed, as they sounded the best to me!).  I love the shampoo and the massage bars, and consider them to be just as good as LUSH, minus the lack of variety at this time, of course.

Whether your'e hooked on LUSH or just generally curious about "natural" products, it's worth a try at Target.  Just smell before you buy.  Scent are always such an individual thing.

If you've tried ONE, let me know how you like it.  Or, if you're a LUSH-a-holic, like myself, let me know what your'e loving lately.  Thanks for reading!!