Sunday, February 1, 2009

Lush - Eye candy extraordinaire!

I have heard mixed reviews about Lush. So when I popped into one of their stores this weekend, I was already slightly jaded. If you are a Lush fan, I can understand why. They have eye-popping, mouth-watering treats in each window. The huge cakes of soap look just like that....cake. Even their smaller treats look like cookies or french meringues so it's no wonder that they do a steady business. The temptations offered are delightful to the eye and smell over-powering. I asked my husband to go off somewhere else mostly because he hates shopping but also because he is asthmatic and the last thing I wanted was him to have an attack because I was shopping for soap.

I was not only skeptical because of the other customers that I'd heard who were less than enthused with the results. A few years ago, my friend and I set out on a soap making venture where we make homemade soaps for everyone for Christmas. It was fun, inexpensive, and our friends loved them. Lush just seems like it is a company profiting off of everyone else's laziness. Granted, I know that I do not have time or skill to make some of the things that they make. Also, there is a certain level of presentation that goes into their soaps. If I could make my own soap, why was I buying ANY soap from ANY company or that matter! Putting these feelings aside, I went for a few items that I thought I might enjoy or at least had heard good reviews about on other fashionista blogs.

1. Lush is not only famous for their soaps. They make and sell quite a few bath bombs. I don't have a bath tub in my master bathroom and find it difficult to relax in the kid's bathroom. Something about spiderman staring at me from the soap dish is not condusive to a spa moment. So when I heard that they were making shower bombs for people like myself, I was very happy. It's not difficult to make one of these things but who has the time? So I bought the Sex in the Shower emotibomb which is the one that I know fashionistas rave about. It's got a great name and let's face it, I am a sucker for ginger. I used it that night when I came home. Just drop it on the floor of your shower when it's hot and steamy. I made sure to drop it off to the side so that I wouldn't slip on it. It is a one time only thing because it melts right away. I made the mistake of using it while I was using a scented soap and the experience of having the wafts of ginger affect my mood was lost. Or perhaps this one emotibomb was not heavily scented itself. I would hesitantly try it one more time just to make sure. It's not a hideous waste of money for a one time try since it retails at 3.95.

2. I have looked for massage bars everywhere and was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon them in Lush. Both my husband and I hate greasy oils and look for natural ingredients in products. Plus, I would like the option of massaging my hands and feet with something that hits all the tender spots. I bought the Soft Couer massage bar. It is firm enough to not melt. I keep it in a tin of my own although they do sell tins at Lush for travel and to keep the bar clean. Not only is it sensual, it is practical as well, filled with soft moisturizing ingredients.

3. My last purchase was the most disappointing. I bought a solid shampoo which I think is a fantastic idea. Swish it around your hair two or three times and it foams up like crazy! It saves on plastic bottles which is a bonus for the environment and my landfill bills. The Godiva bar looks lovely in my shower (place it on a top shelf or out of the direct stream of water so it doesn't melt away) but it reeks. I mean REEKS. True to the sales lady's word, three swipes did it but it is hard to control and my shampoo only ended up at the top of my head so I had to swipe at the bottom. Consider that inexperience at work. I did get it to foam up quite nicely but the smell nearly knocked me out. It smelled like perfumed dog. Rinsing off, I noticed that my hair had a funny sheen to it....a plasticy feel. Thick with moisturizers, the Godiva bar made my hair limp with product. Even the next evening when I wet my hair for my shower, the bar residue made it oily and heavy. For the rest of the night, I could not sleep. Every time I rolled over, I gagged with the smell even though I felt I'd rinsed off sufficiently. There are plenty of other options in Lush's solid shampoo line but I was not excited enough with the results to bother.

One note about Lush; all natural products are fantastic but let me give you a strong advisory warning. All of these soaps are scented with natural oils. A few times I reached for something pretty only to have my eye caught by the label. Citrus, pine, lavendar, and other herbal oils/extracts can be quite abrasive if used in large quantities. Considering the overwhelming smell emanating from Lush, the oils are used in the extremes. For some people, it's no big deal. But I break out from pine oil. So if you have sensitive skin, be careful. I picked products carefully after nearly making a mistake.

I won't mind shopping online from Lush. They have a great website with honest reviews and a fast interface. But the storefront salesperson who helped me was trying to hard and caring too little. It was clear that she sensed my initial sketicism and knew that I was a hard sell. She was right.

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