my favourite myths and legends (and bath bombs)

For those of y'all who don't know, I'm completely obsessed with folklore. Just give me a book on Greek gods or European legends and I will be gone for hours, engrossed and absent from the real world. Having recently started university in my favourite country in the world, Wales, I'm pretty damn hyped to spend my time doing modules on Greek and Roman epic and drama and the like, wasting nine grand a year on doodling little Kronos' and Zeus' in textbooks. Strangely enough, at the same time that all this is happening, my dear friend Michelle at Ascent Bath and Body released a new box all based around myths and legends.  The set is completely perfect, and gives me an excuse to rant about some of the best lore around.




El Dorado
Translating to "the gilded one" in Spanish, this bomb is based off of the legend of El Dorado, a presumed myth that drove people mad and caused an awful lot of human sacrifice, suicides, and executions. Initially a place inspiring hope, El Dorado quickly fuelled an insane amount of hatred and death as greed amongst villagers and explorers became more prominent. In the 16th and 17th century, the craving for gold and wealth developed into stories about a place called the "New World" which was rumoured to withhold an abundance of riches. Causing a worldwide search, people would beg to the Gods to show them the way to this mysterious land, sacrificing anything and anyone they could for the hope of some kind of answer. Lakes were drained, forests were hunted, and yet no one was able to find the incredible El Dorado. Even today you'll find tribes and groups of people on the look out for a place filled with gold and enchantment.

Whilst there's still no sign of El Dorado, Ascent has supplied us with the next closest thing - a golden bath bomb made up of glitter and mica that bursts into shades of burnt umber and an array of scents.  With an almond oil base, honey, dark caramel, sweet orange and bergamot all erupt from the bath bomb, making you wonder why anyone could crave anything else at that moment in time. It's insanely gorgeous, and makes you feel like royalty.


Unicorn Dreamer
The epitome of enchantment, the unicorn is one of the most popular myths out there, told to us from childhood. As the legend goes, one would have to be pure of heart (or more often than not, simply just a virgin) in order to gain something from the unicorn - be it health, wealth or love. Once tamed by a maiden, the creature would be able to grant wishes and bring about joy, utterly at the mercy of the lady and any hunters that were lucky enough to capture it. With roots in Chinese mythology, dating back thousands of years to even hold Biblical connections, the tale of the unicorn is one of the oldest alive today.

This bath bomb mirrors the light, dreamy influence of a unicorn by promoting shades of pink, yellow and blue with an array of scents. Violet, raspberry, plum, vanilla, jasmine and freesia are all present, with silver glitter glimmering on your skin when you dry up. Honestly, laying submerged in pastel, glittery water that smells like heaven feels somewhat like riding horned horseback through some kind of enchanted forest. It's gorgeous and I adore it.


Siren Song
When I was little I was intrigued by the tales of sirens - beautiful, enchanting creatures with haunting voices. Of course, as a kid I always thought that the only difference between tales of mermaids and sirens were that sirens had wings instead of tails. I later found out that legends told of dark Greek roots, where sirens were manipulative, dangerous beings who would lure men to their deaths, bewitching them with their voices so they could join them at the bottom of the ocean. Honestly, today I find this version a lot more interesting and entertaining, and so I was intrigued to see what Michelle could come up with in her bath bomb.

Expectedly, it automatically became my favourite, and considering it sprinkled my bath with small turrets of seaweed, I felt like it captured the essence of the tale perfectly. With splashes of bergamot, lemon, orange, pink pepper, amber and some rogue glitter, it's easy to fall completely in love with this bomb. Although not quite in the same way as those tragic sailors, eh?


Avalon
The final bath bomb in this little set is one based off of the ideology of King Arthur - a legend I love pointing out to be that of Welsh origin, before it was taken and retold by the English. The stories of King Arthur's sword and recovery after one of many great battles all took place in this mythical land, rendering it a place full of healing and wish-granting. Some consider Avalon to be interchangeable with 'Annwn', an otherworld of sorts where disease was absent and eternal youth prevailed, being twinned as a Welsh version of a Christian Heaven. This then follows tales such as 'Caer Sidi' and 'Tír na nÓg', enveloping into a whole range of similar legends.

The scents captured in this bath bomb are primarily that of fresh fig and green apple, with notes of  sage, rosemary, and moss. It's an interesting and adventurous blend, but it definitely all comes together to follow the draw of the legend. With splashes of light amber tones and almond oil also, this bomb was a strong finish to a beautiful range of products. 


I love calling out praise for Michelle, as she deserves credit and appreciation and awful lot more than big commercial chains with products far less superior than hers. I thank her for letting me write about her bath bombs, but more so for giving me the opportunity to try them. She's currently working on a range of Christmas scents, and honestly I can already see myself stocking up on them.

Let me know what y'all think in the comments below! 
(and then stalk this other piece I wrote about Ascent a couple months back)

51 comments:

  1. ¡¡Hola Amy!! Mis bombas favoritas son "El Dorado" y "Siren Song", me encantaría sumergirme en un baño con el aroma de estas maravillosas bombas. Tu amiga Michelle es una auténtica artista, como bien dices, nada que envidiar a las grandes marcas de productos de baño. Deseando ver qué nos ofrece para navidad. Besitos.

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  2. These stories are so interesting, and I'm loving the bath bombs...very pretty!

    http://roadesque.com
    http://ourruins.com

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  3. I can't say I have much interest in bath bombs, but they look nice, and this is a cool concept.

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  4. I really enjoyed reading this! And they all look amazing! :) xx

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  5. Myths and legends are super cool, although I've never thought of making bath bombs out of them. I had no idea that unicorns had their roots in Chinese mythology, so it seems I have a little bit of research to do on unicorns to satisfy my curiosity :) (I am seriously interested in the idea of covering myself in silver glitter for the fun of it, now that you've mentioned it...)

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  6. I feel that way about history. And what a good idea. Bath bombs based on different folklore stores. Love it!

    Allie of ALLIENYC
    www.allienyc.com

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  7. I enjoyed so much this post, you ar an amazing blogger. Keep doing what you do!

    Xoxo, Maca.
    -http://unapartedemaca.blogspot.com/2017/11/zaful-black-friday-credit-cards-at-ready_81.html

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  8. please tell everyone what you hope to do when your uni life finishes.Gushing on about bath bombs is not interesting.I hope the 9000.00 being spent on furthering your education is going to be well worth it.

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    1. My dude this comment is so much more detailed than your last! A fair point though, I'll defo focus more on my life than just cute things I adore if that's what y'all prefer? Only thing is, I'm gonna be £51,000 in debt, not just 9k so ///:

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  9. Sweet bath bombs! The perfect season to stock up and enjoy lots of warm baths.

    www.fashionradi.com

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  10. I love the concept of bath bombs. I wish I could immerse myself in their fluffy/fuzzy bath time goodness but I ain't got enough patience to wait around for my tub to fill up hahaha! Though I could do with some down time. I've been beyond stressed and overwhelmed with work for months now.

    Sxx
    www.daringcoco.com

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  11. What pretty pictures and such an interesting post too!
    Have a lovely day :)
    Rosanna x
    Rose's Rooftop

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  12. Can you believe I have never tried a bath bomb. They look so pretty but nothing compares to an old fashion bubble bath for me.

    xoxo Falasha
    Bite My Fashion


    Instagram| Bloglovin'| Facebook

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  13. This feels like a completely different world and I *love* it. Yet another thing I love about blogging - stumbling across other people's passions and interests! Ahh these bath bombs make me want to take out an hour and do absolutely nothing but soak in a dreaaaamy bubble bath...

    Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice | Worldwide Giveaway: Passionata Lingerie Festive Lulu Bralette Set! x

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  14. bath bombs based off myths! that is such a cool idea!

    www.prettyinleather.net

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  15. It seems we share the obsession of myths and legends, although I have to admit I have grown out of love with unicorns now that they are everywhere and just an upgraded version of My Little Pony without the story behind them...

    Anne - Linda, Libra, Loca

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  16. This is such a great post! Seriously, I LOVE folklore, and I've never been more interested in bath bombs than I am now. I've got to check these out!

    amberelb.com

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  17. I loved reading this post! I don't know much aboiut myths and legends to be honest so this was all new to me and so interesting! (And the bath bombs sound pretty good too!)
    Amy xx
    www.callmeamy.co.uk

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  18. This was such a fun post to read! And I'm always down for a good bath bomb!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  19. I am OBSESSED with bath bombs!! These ones look so pretty and colourful, how could anyone not enjoy these in their tub?!

    xo,

    H

    http://firsttimethings.com/

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  20. We share a passion for folklore. I am so fascinated by all the stories and it is so rad to create these beautiful and I am sure soothing bath bombs based on different folklore stories. I bet the Christmas scents will be a big hit to. Thank you for sharing Amy. Will check this out.

    Xx
    Nikki
    www.nikkilivinglife.com/blog

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  21. I like folklore also Amy, there’s something about mystic enchantments and magic that excites me. There are still places where everyone believes in dragons... I know I do. I need to try the Siren Song, i remember reading that story in jr high and falling in love with it.

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  22. So creative yet exciting! For me, I probably will choose Siren Song just like you, I can imagine how nice the aroma when it comes in bath bomb <3

    xoxo,
    |CHELSHEAFLO|

    www.chelsheaflo.com

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  23. These bath bombs are so beautiful and colorful. I've never actually used a bath bomb before but I'd love to try them out and I think they would make a perfect gift for the holidays.

    BLOG | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM

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  24. It was so interesting to read about all of these legends!! The bath bombs look so nice!!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Andrea.

    Seize your Style

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  25. I love your story and these bath bombs so much! As for me I use similar bath bombs with my husband together... So relaxing and romantic....
    Have a nice time!

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  26. Oh what awesome bath bombs! It was nice to read more about the inspiration behind each of them too, what a fun idea for a collection! :)

    Hope you are having a lovely week! I'm getting excited it will be December this weekend! We are going to put up our tree then.

    Away From The Blue Blog

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  27. No I didn't know it so far that you are so into folklore! And the bath bombs you show here are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    www.dressedwithsoul.com

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  28. So beautiful pictures! Love it!! Thanks for sharing!
    AWESOME POST!!!!
    Have a wonderful week!
    Much love, Len
    http://www.lenparent.com
    XO

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  29. Great post! I'm in love with bath bombs and every that you show look beautiful!
    Check out our website! http://oskarandbianka.blogspot.com/?m=1

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  30. These bath bombs are beautiful! I love that each have a story/folk lore to them. I took a whole class on folk lore - not the same ones you described tho - there's so many!

    Kim
    simplylovebirds.com

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  31. Her bath bombs look lovely - it is so great you can get behind a friend in business.
    She is so inspiring. It's also great that she has a story behind her products. Authentic brands with great stories and stories behind their products are so much better than just a big company selling things.
    I love the look of the King Arthur one!
    Kiri
    Set to Glow
    http://www.settoglow.com.au

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  32. What a fabulous way to look at bath bombs!!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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  33. They all look great! I'm completely lusting after the Avalon one though! x

    http://talesoftwoblog.blogspot.com.au/2017/12/a-magical-night-in-rothenburg-ob-der.html

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  34. I also love reading books of legends of Ancient Greek history.. would love to try those bath 🛀 bombs.. there is no feeling like using good soap with great scent

    Glowyshoes's blog

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  35. These bath bombs look great! Wonderful post dear!
    Beauty and Fashion Freaks

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  36. I love all theses interesting myth are linked to theses bath bombs.
    It was such an interesting post !
    xx,
    Margot
    https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com/

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  37. What a cute post and lovely with the story and idea behind each bath bomb. I don't have a bathtub, but these really do sound fun to try! Happy Monday! Xx

    www.thefashionfolks.com

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  38. I have only tried Lush bath bombs and some are way too glittery to my liking! These sounds brilliant though, I'll check them out!

    Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity

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  39. Great post! Bath bombs are great and I love the folklore.

    Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty

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  40. It's so refreshing that you're interested in folklore! It's rare to hear discussion about that. Loved reading this post - so neat how it ties to bath bombs xx

    www.qustomquinns.com/blog

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  41. Amazing photography and bath bombs!xx
    https://lueivyy.blogspot.co.uk/

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  42. I love folklore too! I studied folk traditions at University and it was my fav matter!
    And I love bath bombs of course! That unicotn one should be super!
    xoxo
    www.milleunrossetto.blogspot.it

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  43. These bath bombs look so cool and colorful x

    Laura
    https://okumoku.blogspot.com.ee/

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  44. The bath bombs look amazing!

    Vanessa x | www.springlilies.com

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  45. I'm not really into bath bombs that much but I do love folklore, myths, and legends as well :) I just love their stories that's why I, too, have books about gods and goddesses especially those from Greece :)

    xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY

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