a little crush on LUSH

when you hear the words ‘fresh organic fruit and vegetables’, cosmetic ingredients do not exactly come to mind, unless you are a regular customer at LUSH, then the exact opposite might be true.

LUSH officially launched 17 years ago, although the original creative team started working together approximately five years earlier in the south of England. LUSH is hardly new to the industry, successfully blossoming into an international success in less than a decade and now available in 38 countries with 350 locations worldwide. but when you visit one of their stores, the feeling is more mom-and-pop than cosmetic conglomerate. the first impression does not start with the friendly apron-clad sales associates but the sweet inviting aroma lingering around the entrance, it’s more buttercream than eucalyptus, seductive spice over menthol thyme. a luscious scent indeed, perhaps designed to work in tandem with the sales associates because it does a fine job of pulling you in, peaking your interest, and increasing your curiosity.

a curiosity further stimulated by the chalkboard wording displayed throughout the store boasting its fresh organic ingredients, essential oils and safe synthetics. adding to the visual awareness are the simple yet appealing product displays filled with soaps galore, huge candy-colored bath bombs and buckets upon buckets of lotions, creams and masks all available for a hands-on demonstration by the friendly, knowledgeable and product-passionate staff eager to assist, answer any questions and allow you the space to get acquainted with LUSH at your own pace.

all ingredients are readily available at store locations or online with the exception of one product whose ingredient list is closely guarded with good reason. choosing to protect perfume ingredients is not an unusual practice due to the growing number of copy-cat, knock off fragrances multiplying massively causing brands to keep their signature scent recipes behind lock and key. but given the natural goodness of their products and environmentally conscious credo of LUSH, one cannot help but feel it is okay to trust and believe no harm will come from dabbing your pulse points with any of their solid or liquid fragrance options.

considering its global availability, huge product line and years in the industry, how can LUSH continue to grow as a company yet manage to retain such a ‘small business just getting its foot in the door‘ atmosphere? one standout reason is refusing to shortcut on quality ingredients, remaining one of the few companies to use highly expensive jasmine absolute perfume in something as simple and affordable as bath bombs.

remarkably, everything you see at LUSH is handmade. as the company continues to grow, they look to expand their team by employing more people as opposed to utilizing machines, steadily focused on staying true to their handmade angle.

the beauty of purchasing handmade products is the unique appeal of everything from the color to the shape and texture. because the products are available in different countries, and molded by people, you may see different shades of orange depending on whether you make a purchase in Italy or Japan but you will never see varying grades of quality or freshness.  the people at LUSH would not have it any other way.

If you are new to LUSH, stop in for a demo and if you are short on time, pick up their best-selling product featuring Oat Milk as the main ingredient. LUSH’s Dream Cream has been hailed for its effects on sensitive problem skin and eczema. If you are truly short on time, take a second to peep the website, check out the reviews and decide for yourself.

keep in mind, the latter option might save you gas money but it does not include the buttercream aroma or free product demos. If you can live with that, click away. 🙂

Some of my favorite LUSH products:

Mask of Magnaminty:

this mask smells so fresh & minty (can clear your sinuses), tingles upon application and really clears out pores. I let it dry for about 10min then spend another 5 or so just rubbing it around (w/ a lil water) as a gentle exfoliation before rinsing it off. so good!

Ocean Salt:

sea salt is known to be great for acne-prone skin and this exfoliant doesn’t disappoint. I use it 1-2x/week and it always leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth. be careful if your skin is sensitive because it stung a lil the first two applications but then it was fine. I love the scent, very margaritas at the beach.  best for oily skin.

One comment on “a little crush on LUSH”

1. Felicity Rhode

   April 13, 2012

   

   LUSH is EVERYTHING! I was just thinking about this line the other day. I haven’t used it in years, and I was wondering if they were still around. Headed to the website now!

   Reply

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