Lush - The Best Cosmetics Store Ever, In My Opinion! (Lush)

Member Name: xhoneybeex

Product:	Lush
Date:	16/09/09 (181 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything

Disadvantages: There should be one on every doorstep!

Yay! This is my **NEW** and (hopefully) **IMPROVED** review of my favourite store in the cosmiverse! The old Lush review I wrote was the first review I ever wrote on Ciao, and looking back on it, you can tell! Feel free to skip some paragraphs to just get to the ones you fancy looking at, I have included a store list (NOT to make my review seem beefier, longer, better etc..., but just to help those of you who don't yet know where your local store is out) and the stores are in alphabetical order, so...check if your town has one! I am now sharpening up all my older reviews, so you amazing guys kind enough to look at little old me's spangly, amazing new reviews...well, they're the best I can give you... :)
**I'm really passionate about Lush and I hope I have done it justice in the review!**


*In A Nutshell*
Lush is the shop I always turn to when I am in need of freshening up and a little bit of pampering! They sell delicious smelling 'Fresh, Handmade Cosmetics' and they are very original, with loads of amazing scents to choose from!

*The Making Of Lush*
Back in the '70's (think platforms, mini mini skirts...) Mark Constantine formed a small company alongside Elizabeth Weir called - drum roll - Constantine & Weir! Ooh, original! They had the idea that they would sell the products they made to other companies, such as The Body Shop (the place with the appalling customer service - in my local stores anyway!). When The Body Shop was becoming a cosmetics giant, the founder bought C&W, so lovely Mark Constantine decided to make a mail-order company called Cosmetics To Go. One day they sent out a notice about a competition to rename Cosmetics To Go - because, lets face it, it isn't the best name in the world - and in 1994, Lush was officially born!

*Lush Stores*
~Where are they?~
The first Lush store opened in Poole, Dorset, right underneath the Lush HQ! From then on, Lush stores were nationwide,and suddenly it spread to worldwide - with over 450 stores across 46 countries! Wow! It's amazing what you can achieve from a passion for cosmetics, some ambition and a whole lot of hard work! Lush has had a long journey - from a small and exclusive store in Poole to a best selling world-wide chain! Almost every town has one, and for all you guys who don't know where they are, go to your local high street and sniff your way to one (!) or, in for perhaps a easier alternative (though knowing how strong the smell of Lush is, I'm not so sure!) look for your nearest store through the list I have supplied below - UK stores only though, sorry!
~Store List~
Aberdeen
Basingstoke
Bath - the town, not an actual bath tub, obviously, though my bathroom is starting to look a little like a Lush store!!
Belfast
Birmingham
Bluewater
Bournemouth
Bolton
Braehead
Brighton
Bristol
Bromley
Cambridge
Cardiff
Carlisle
Chelmsford
Cheltenham
Chester
Chichester
Colchester
Cork
Coventry
Crawley
Croydon
Derby
Doncaster
Dublin, Grafton Street
Dublin, Henry Street
Dundee
Edinburgh
Exeter
Gateshead
Glasgow, Buchanan Street
Glasgow, Sauchiehall Street
Guildford
Hanley
Harrogate - Wooh! One of my local stores! :D
Hull
Iverness
Kingston - Lush Spa!
London, Covent Garden - Also has a B Store!
London, Kings Road - Lush Spa!
London, Liverpool Street Station
London, Portobello
London, Regent Street
London, South Molton
London, Victoria Station
London, Whitecity
London, Wimbledon
London, Oxford Street - Also has a B Store!
Lakeside
Leeds - My Lush store!! Also has a Lush Spa and B just across the road!
Leicester
Lincoln
Liverpool
Maidstone
Manchester, Arndale Centre
Manchester, Market Street
Manchester, The Trafford Centre
Meadowhall
Merryhill
Middlesborough
Milton Keynes
Newcastle
Northampton
Norwich
Nottingham
Oxford
Peterborough
Plymouth
Poole - Where it all began...! Also has a B Store and a Lush Spa!
Preston
Reading
Romford
Sheffield
Solihull
Southampton
Stratford
Swansea
Swindon
Taunton
Telford
Truro
Warrington
Watford
Windsor
Worcester
York

** Sighs and cracks knuckles
Ow - finger cramp from typing all of that!**
If there isn't a Lush store near you (sob!) you can order online or get a copy of the Lush Times and call good old-fashioned Mail Order!
~Layout Of The Stores~
The layout of the Lush stores are very relaxed, with the products set out in little mounds and in trays, with the names and a little bit of product information on a plaque. They are all available for you to look at, touch, smell and even use! In my local store's there's always a bowl of water with something lovely-smelling fizzing away! The facemasks are set out on some ice in bowls and when purchasing the butter creams you can cut a slab off yourself and choose a 'topping' to go with them! Testers are always available. The style of the stores are simplistic and basic, showing that they are 100% natural!

*Ethics*
One of the reasons that I love Lush so much is because of what they believe. They have many clearly-labelled Vegan products, which is fabulous and they never use any synthetic colourings, scents, etc...They use as little packaging as possible so, and the little packaging they do use is recyclable! There products have a meaning, too, which may sound odd, but they believe in products that will cheer you up, wake you up, calm you down, comfort you...the list is endless! They believe in bringing people closer together and that everybody is individual and deserves to be treated equally. They just won't stop campaigning against what they think is right, for example animal testing, until it is completely stamped out and they are an extremely charitable organisation and they use completely natural, fresh ingredients in their products, to ensure that us consumers are looking after ourselves, other people, animals and the planet. Lush is much more than just a shop selling products, it is a way of life.

*The Staff*
Now, as regular readers will know, I am feel very strongly about customer service (see Body Shop review!!) and Lush don't disappoint in this criteria, either! Every single member of Lush staff I have ever come across greets me with a smile, and stops whatever they are doing to have a good long chat. They advertise their products, certainly, but they do not make you feel pressured to buy anything, even when I told them once I had no money and was just browsing, they continued to introduce me to new and exciting products! I have had many pleasant conversations with the staff and they respect me, my opinions, and, needless to say, my passion and knowledge for Lush! I have lost count on how many times they have demanded I get a job there, and I have promised them I will, as soon as I am old enough! They are definitely not stingy with the testers; they have applied about six products at once to my arm - massaging me, cleansing me and rubbing perfume onto me - and at the end of it all I smelt beautiful! One of the Leeds' staffs favourite pastimes are mixing bath products together and creating a weird and wonderful 'bath cocktail'. I completely love the staff at Lush and am counting the days to my sixteenth birthday, when I can hopefully join the team!

*The 'Secret' Parties*
Lush host parties too! I have attended many, and my little sister has had one! They are available for children and adults, although I haven't attended an adult's party yet. They do not advertise these parties, but feel free to enquire about them! I'm sure what happens at these events varies store by store, but at the Harrogate store they settle the children down with fresh fruit and orange juice, and tell them a brief but interesting story about Lush and what it stands for. They then get out some of their bath products and show them to you, letting you feel them, crumble them and drop them into the water and watch them fizz! Then they tell you to get into pairs and they give you a quick tutorial about massages, and you massage each other's arms, choosing from a great selection of products! After some more fun activities, each member of the party are given a £5 gift voucher to spend! What's even better is that it only costs £5 a person! They are fabulous parties for all ages and I really recommend them!

*The Products*
I am planning on reviewing many Lush products in more detail soon, but I will outline all the genres of products that Lush sells here:
~Bath~
<Bubble Bars>
Solid bubble bath! Choose from many different gorgeous fragrances, my personal favourites being The Comforter, Ma Bar and Creamy Candy!
<Bath Ballistics>
Lush invented bath ballistics (think bath bombs!)! Without them, we'd still be using those small bath cubes! They turn your bath an exciting colour, fill your whole bathroom (and many other rooms!) with a powerful but gorgeous fragrance, each one unique!
<Bath Melts>
These products are little parcels of heaven! There are a only a select few of these, and they melt soooo slowly, leaving you with soft, moisturising, beautifully scented bath water that you will never want to get out of!
<Soap>
Lush are against those liquid handwashes and are determined to bring back solid soap! And with nineteen different scented slabs to choose from, I'm sure you will find one that you prefer to your basic Carex/Palmolive...!
~Shower~
<Butter Creams>
Posh soap! A more moisturising soap that looks like a great big hunk of exquisite cake! Heavenly Bodies is a must for those who want their chocolate fix without the calories!
<Shower Gels>
Gorgeous smelling shower gels that you can even use on your hair! Look out for the gorgeous girly Snow Fairy at Christmas time, and the fruity freshly-squeezed grapefruit scented Happy Hippy as an all-year round favourite!
<Shower Jellies>
'Sort-of solid' shower gels! They are amazing, and although they may look like they are made for the target audience of young children, I think that people of any age will love them!
<Shower Smoothie Soaps>
A tub of creamy luxurious shower gels in two lovely scents!
<Emotibombs>
Shower-bombs, really. For all of you people who prefer showers!
<Sugar Scrubs>
These were brought out after Lush appeared on The Apprentice, and they even named on A. Sugar Scrub in respect for Sir Alan! In my opinion, they are the best body scrubs ever!
~Haircare~
<Scalp Treatments>
Soothing, nourishing bars for itchy or flaky scalps!
<Hair Gels>
Three types for different strengths of holding power! For a punk look, go for The Big Tease!
<Hair Treatments>
When you have a spare 20 minutes, relax with a luxurious hair mask!
<Shampoos>
Lush's shampoos are worth every penny! Try Big fro something a bit different, and Rehab works a treat on damaged hair! Their Solid Shampoos are great value too!
<Conditioners>
Amazing. Simply amazing. There is no better conditioner that American Cream!
<Henna>
Beautifully-coloured hair dye without nasty chemicals that will ruin your hair.
~Skincare~
<Face>
Amazing cleansers, toners and moisturisers! Gorgeous, original lip and temple balms are a great pocket-money treat, and the fresh face masks are simply fabulous! They also do shaving creams.
<Body>
Lush's range of hand and body lotions are divine! I also couldn't live without their great massage bars! Their deodorants keep your 'pits smelling lovely and their body butters keep your skin smooth and clean. Dusting powders are the perfect finish for a night out!
~Fragrance~
Lush's signature fragrance, Karma, has a whole range to itself, as does newcomer: Vanillary! You can now wear your favourite scents on your wrist, too, as a range of solid perfumes in the scents of best-selling products are available.
~Gifts~
Lush's gifts are the perfect present! Or, if you would prefer to choose your own gifts, a wrapping service is available. Gift Cards are also an option!

Website
www.lush.co.uk
On the website, 'Retro Lush' products are available to order, which basically means you can still buy your favourite discontinued products! Yay!

All in All...
I know this is a bit different from my usual reviews, it is much more in depth! But this is how passionate I am about Lush - and this is coming from someone who about five years ago used to run past it plugging their noses. Don't be put off by the over-powering smell of the shop, go in there and smell the products individually! Give it a chance!

***Unfolds legs, and realises what an uncomfortable position I was sat in for the past forty minutes it has taken me to write this blooming review! Ouch!***

Well, that's all, folks! I have worked my little socks off on this review, and I hope you have enjoyed reading it and that it has been a help to you! Please rate and comment, I like to have feedback! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this!

Also posted on Ciao!

Summary: Fabulous! x