If you thought Lush was just about fancy
cake-shaped soaps covered in glitter and scented bath bombs, then think again.
I admit this was the impression Lush also gave me, that was until I was kindly invited to the branch on
Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow to make my own Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face
Mask from scratch and while there, I was introduced to all the wonderful products Lush have to offer...
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| Lush's Sauchiehall Street branch in Glasgow City Centre |
After being greeted by the signature aroma
of the store, we met trainee manager Fiona Gordon and her
 |
| Sauchiehall Street Trainee Manager Fiona Gordon |
my friend and I were led over to a table
with a giant mixing bowl (the type you do baking with) a bowl of fresh REAL
blueberries, and an array of other exciting ingredients. |
| Real actual blueberries |
“Making a facemask is similar to baking,”
said Fiona.
“Different people have their own methods
with making the products.
After mushing up the blueberries, we added
calamine powder (which is used widely in treatments for chickenpox)
followed by
some fine talc powder, glycerin and almond oil, which we whipped up until it all became a fine chalky mixture.
“Even though it's chalky, it not drying on
the skin,” Fiona explained.
“It's suitable for all skin types, and
great for break outs.
“It automatically takes off the top layer
of dead skin, so makes the face look brighter and blueberries are natural
antioxidants and they help repair the skin.
“If you leave it in the fridge overnight it
will turn a bit darker and will be nice and cooling on your skin.”
After our fabulous fresh face masks were
boxed up for us to take home, we were given the grand tour of the shop, and I
found out there was a lot more to Lush than first meets the eye.
Everything is handmade,” said Fiona.
“We don't sell anything in the shop if it
was made over four months ago.
"Our fresh face masks are handmade.
"Everything is vegetarian or vegan, we try
to use a lot of fruit or veg rather than chemicals.
"It's more environmentally friendly and
kinder to your skin."
Because of all the wonderful colours and
smells emanating from the shop, having sensitive and irritated skin, I had
always thought Lush products may not agree with me, how wrong I was.
“A lot of people may think they can't use
the products due to sensitive skin but a lot of our products are tailored
towards eczema and psoriasis and rosacea,” explained Fiona.
“People find it hard to tell me what they
like about their skin, it's easier to say what's wrong with it.
I believe everyone has normal skin, because
it's normal to them.”
After perusing the shelves for the best
part of an hour with Fiona, I left the store with a fresh perspective on the
Lush brand, and a bag of goodies I purchased to try at home with my new
face mask...
My reviews of the products I tried are
below. Why don't you pop into your local branch for a look around today or
visit Lush online at www.lush.co.uk
"You know those times when you get one or
two spots and it throws you into panic? Well, this mask is here to lend you a
bit of perspective, to tell you to calm down, it’s not the end of the world and
it’s nothing that can't be sorted. Basically, this is your best mate in a pot."
A smooth and thick paste with some mushy bits here and there due to the blueberry skins. You store it in the fridge and
it lasts for about three weeks.
An occasional mask to use for a loving
detox, I only had it on for 5 mins and could already feel my face firming up,
but without it being drying and tight.
When I washed it off (which took ages!) my skin did feel noticeably
smoother and refreshed.
"Ever wished you had an extra
hand?
Let’s give a big hand for this
great performer
We’ve turned a hand cream into a solid
bar, to help dry, cracked, overworked hands.
We start this product by making a
decoction of water, sago and safflower petals to repair and calm the skin. Then
to this we add an array of moisturising ingredients; cocoa butter, fairtrade
shea butter, argan oil and aloe vera extract."
With my ongoing dry hands problem, I was
a bit dubious about this product, as all manner of creams don't seem to work
that well.
You literally manhandle Tiny Hands as you
would a stress ball and it melts with the warmth of your skin. Once melted
the liquid butter was a great treat and while it won't replace my
prescription creams, it's a great little pick me up.
I'd be a bit careful about
what you use your hands for afterwards though. It's quite emollient so made my
keyboard very greasy looking at work.
"Strip away the dirt and let your true
hair shine out.
Gives
a mild but thorough cleanse to take away grease, dirt and build up from hair
products".
A soap-like bar that's a shampoo is an
unusual concept for me, but I'm always willing to give anything a try
once.
This works by rubbing the bar
between your hands with water to get a lather, then working into wet hair,
before rinsing away.
This left my hair feeling very clean
afterwards and not weighed down as some other products can leave it feeling. It had a lovely
fresh fragrant smell to it as well. My hair is coloured and Fiona recommended
the Ultimate Shine Bar as the one that would be less harsh and stripping.
You do need to store this away in a
soap dish afterwards though to save it from dissolving.
I
then used R And B Hair Moisturiser
(£10.95) once my hair was dry before I used the straightening irons and it
really helped to protect my locks from frazzling.
Makeup:
I used Feeling Younger Highligher
(£12.00) on my cheekbones to give me a “youthful glow.” I didn't really notice
it in daylight but it showed up nicely when a pal took a photograph of me later
that day...
You can also try Motivation LiquidEyeliner (£14.50) a two-tone peacock blue liquid eyeliner with rose petal infusion,
jojoba and almond oil.
FACTS ABOUT LUSH:
·
Lush was set up in 1994 by
husband and wife team Mark and Mo Constantine, who opened the first store in
Poole.
·
Originally named Cosmetic House
Limited, Lush adopted its current name a year later.
·
There are now more than 800
stores in 51 countries.
·
Lush produce and sell a variety
of handmade products, including soaps, shower gels, shampoos and hair
conditioners, bath bombs, bubble bars, hand and body lotions, face masks and
“Toothy Tabs” solid toothpaste tablets.
·
Lush use fruit and vegetables,
essential oils, synthetic ingredients, honey and beeswax in their products.
·
Their products are made in
factories around the world (including Poole, Dorset and Vancouver, Canada) and
are made in small batches based on orders from individual stores to ensure the
freshness of the product.
·
They do not use animal fats and
are also against animal testing, preferring to test human volunteers.
·
Stores do not sell products
older than four months and most products have a total shelf life of
approximately 14 months.
·
Lush products are 100%
vegetarian, 83% vegan and 60% preservative-free and feature yummy ingredients
such as grapefruit juice, vanilla beans, avocado butter, fresh papaya and
coconut.
·
They also have a makeup range.
·
They also cater for guys, with
a range of toiletries and skincare products.
· In 2010, Mark and Mo were awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours list for services to the beauty industry.
What do you think about Lush? What are your favourite Lush products to try? Where else do you like to shop?
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