They walk among us. They could be your sister, your brother or your mum. They could even your best friend. You can spot them a mile off; they’re crossing the street or running very fast clasping scarves to their faces like they’re trying to avoid the plague. Who are these people? Charity tin dodgers? Zombie apocalypse survivors? No, they’re something much worse… That’s right, people who don’t like LUSH!
Ok, so it’s a bit dramatic but we all know someone who moans about how strong the smell is and they can’t go in because it gives them a headache and yadda yadda yadda. These people are wrong heads and are missing out, in my opinion, on one of the best shops on the High Street.
Lush is a handmade cosmetics company with more 600 stores in 43 countries. Lush makes and sells handmade beauty products including face masks, soaps, bath bombs, hand and body lotions, and hair treatments. Lush has been around since 1994 when husband and wife team Mark and Mo Constantine (all the best people have this surname) opened the first Lush store in Poole (where the company has their headquarters). Lush are super against animal testing and only use human volunteers. Their ingredients are animal friendly and some of their products are suitable for vegans.
Lush are firmly committed to a policy which not only precludes testing its products and ingredients on animals, or engaging with third-party suppliers to do so on their behalf, but we will also not buy any ingredient from any supplier that tests any of its materials on any animals for any purpose. This policy is unique in its field and is pioneering a new way to stop animal tests for cosmetics. Lush runs its own Supplier Specific Boycott Policy. There are clear benefits to this policy, which is different and distinct from the Fixed Cut-off Date policy employed by the Humane Cosmetics Standard.
Each store is such a delight they come across more as an individual than a chain store. The outside of the stores are a bright zesty yellow, there are fun puns advertising the products and It’s like entering an Aladdin’s Cave, tables are stacked with jewel like hunks of soap and solid shampoo. There are tubs of edible looking face masks and piles of bath bombs studded with dried rose buds or flower petals and glitter.
It’s great to find somewhere that are not only animal friendly, but the products are divine.
The piles of bright glittery soap bars are always what I make a beeline for whenever I go in. (Do use these with caution though as they get glitter everywhere! I had glittery hair for days after touching one of these and was struggling to find a plausible reason to explain why to people other that I’m actually a small child and not a fully grown adult). Like a small child I’m attracted to sparkly things and when I say these are glittery I mean it. Not just a bit of shimmer, pick them up and your hand becomes caked, great for a night out or if you want to feel like a princess (and who doesn’t). Or maybe you’re like me and think its incredible fun to look like you have the skin of a killer until you realize you can’t the damned stuff off.
The gift boxes are lovely as well with lovely names like ‘Happy’ or ‘Stardust’. Beautifully wrapped in funky wrapping paper and ribbon, the smell of the products inside permeates so that it’s impossible for your recipient (if you don’t keep it for yourself!) not to guess that they have a lovely Lush gift!
I was lucky enough to get the Happy gift box from my lovely friends for my birthday last year and I’m still working my way through it! Sadly I currently live in a house without a bath (I know, it’s bizarre…) but my lovely mates picked this box especially as it’s rammed with zesty, designed-to-wake-you-up shower products. The divine Happy Hippy shower gel which has a scrummy grapefruit smell which makes you smell lovely and which you can use on your hair as well! An Emotibomb, lovely shower jellies and soaps. Everything is packed in a recycled cardboard box and the products are nestled in popcorn (though they’ve recently moved to using a potato starch based packaging which is just as friendly) which is a brilliantly green way to save on packaging waste (just don’t eat it…)
I think Lush is great value for money, the bath bombs make great stocking fillers and they’re cheap enough that you could buy a few and display them in a nice basket as a gift or something.
The Gift boxes range in price from around £10 to £99.50 (for the massive box with practically the whole store in. I wouldn’t mind this as a gift one day!) so there’s something affordable for everyone.
Staying in to have a bath just became the new going out..
You can buy Lush products online on their website or use the store finder to find your local Lush.
Tags : baths, beauty, Becca Loves, High Street, Lush, products, things that are lovely