Lush

A lot of people are huge fans of Lush, my girlfriend included. They emphasise the natural nature of their cosmetic products, which are handmade and free from animal testing. These are admirable things. I’m told the products are good quality too. However, they are expensive. A friend bought a lotion of sort for spots, and paid nearly £7 for a VERY small bottle.
At this branch in particular, the staff members are very friendly and welcoming. They are also diverse. I do enjoy engaging with the staff at Lush, as they’re usually very open to a chat and quick to help you when you need it. In terms of staff and service, A+.
However, in general, I’m just not convinced about the need for toiletries and cosmetics in fancy, colourful tubs, and for very expensive prices. I will stick to my mainstream brands. Call me heathen if you will.

I’ve been a Lush fan for a long time. And what’s not to like about the emphasis on natural ingredients, left wing philosophy and glitter?
Bath ballistics are the bread and butter of Lush, lovely balls of smell and colour than make any bath time 10x better. Yes, they’re a tad pricey at nearly £4 for one tub’s worth, but they are totally worth it. If you’re counting your pennies, a bubble bar is a better bet as you can usually get 2 – 3 washes out of one and your bath will be full of bubbles.
Otherwise though, Lush does a good range of everything from shampoo to perfume, shaving lotion to henna hair dye. You won’t go wrong with one of their products.
And if you’re stuck for what product will suit you best, or which product to buy someone as a gift (because they do make great gifts), then ask one of their amazingly lovely staff members for advice. You won’t regret it.

The product is great and I could spend hours just trying out all the wierd and wonderful potions, but my big gripe is the cost off all these items! I mean, over £4 for a bath bomb makes for a very expensive bath time.
The staff are always super friendly and helpful and this shop is always busy. If you feel like treating yourself I’d recommend the rub-​a-​dub body scrub which is my absolute favourite product. Just close your eyes, inhale the delightful fruity smell, and try not to think about how much the tiny pot set you back.

Lush SPA is located underneath the usual Lush store at this location. You go down two flight of stairs and enter into a very nicely decorated, relaxing atmosphere that smells amazing. There are fresh flowers, old radios, and the bathrooms are stocked full of wonderful lush products.
My masseuse explained that the products she would be using for my massage are exclusive to Lush SPA only, so you can’t get them at the store (drats!) and then off I went into my ‘treatment room’
OK. So, I don’t even know where to start really. I was given a voucher for «the comforter». Little did I know what I was getting myself into. It said it was a 60 minute full body massage. Well, this is truly an understatement. This is no usual 60 minute full body massage, this is a 60+ minute amazing sensory experience. A part of me wants to go into great detail explaining this massage experience but I feel like that would ruin the surprise because this experience is just that, full of surprises that induce laughter, well-​being and extreme relaxation all rolled into a giant fun acid trip.
Definitely recommend «the comforter» and my massage therapist who was more than happy to give me a tour of the place. Each room is set up differently according to the specific treatment experience. The music, lighting, aromatherapy, everything has been thought to the last detail exclusively to enhance the whole experience. Even the music is specifically made for Lush SPA for each of the differing treatments, AMAZING, REALLY.

Remember when The Body Shop was cool? Yeah, you won’t unless you’re old like me but it once was a purveyor of «natural» toiletries and cosmetics, was socially active, stuff they sold was not tested on animals. Yadda, yadda. Then the founder died and the thing was sold to L’Oreal and it nosedived into mediocrity. At one point The Body Shop did not suck and the people formulating what they sold were Mark and Mo Constantine. So guess who departed The Body Shop and began Lush? Yup. Mark and Mo Constantine. Lush is mostly good. They make some very nice products and they make them well. They are socially active, no animal testing, etc. The products are not for everyone. They are quite strongly scented and there is more of a rugged hippy aesthetic to the scents but the main sticking point is the price. These prices. Are. Shocking. I know it’s an expertly formulated single use bath bomb but £4 for a bath bomb?! It should give me a back rub at that price point! These are treats alright and nice ones but only Madonna (said to be a fan) can afford the Lush life. Some notable products include the solid shampoos (Godiva is a Jasmine-lover’s dream and easy to pack for carry-​on luggage as it’s not a liquid). The solid soaps are expensive but long-​lasting and of great quality. The lipstains are long-​wearing but the colour selection is quirky at best. The massage bars are superb. The rest I can take or leave. The skincare is horribly expensive and I like to get my kicks from Superdrug. For a special treat, I’ll get a bath bomb but the Lush perfumes are too funky for me and many products seem complicated or overly scented. Shower jelly? Bubbling play doh? The staff are outstanding. Very friendly and they know their product. It’s a nice shop to spend time in and a nice idea. Hopefully Madonna keeps it going or they develop a budget line for the rest of us.
EDIT TO ADD REVIEW OF SPA:
Good. No! REALLY good and not at all what I was expecting. On the day before I had some serious medical tests, my dear husband scheduled me for a facial from here. It was something called «The Affirmation Facial». I was asked how I wanted my skin to feel and how I wanted to feel overall. Now those are some slightly hippy questions but okay. Fair enough. I just wanted to feel calm and have my skin feel comfortable and that’s what they did for me. It is such an absolutely strange approach because in facials, the general idea is «What is wrong with your skin and how can we fix it?» The Lush approach seems to be, «Oh, you have some skin there. Let’s be very nice to it!». The soundtrack is ambient and a bit Laurie Anderson but not too weird. The smells, the massage and the products were all really lovely. I would do this again and constantly if I could afford it. So yeah, go try this if you need a little boost because that is what it is.

I have really enjoyed coming into this location of Lush on Princes Street and have come in a few times to browse and enjoy learning about their products. The staff are all extremely helpful and knowledgeable about all of the different products and have always been very chatty, which I really liked. After learning about the special jumping juniper shampoo scrub that is specifically geared towards more oily hair and after not buying it last time I was in, I decided to get it and try it today. Although it seemed a tad expensive, the products all seem to be of very good quality and there is absolutely no testing on animals. I tried the shampoo scrub tonight and, just as the staff said, it did lather up extremely well without having to add much water or do very much at all. So far it seems to have agreed well with my hair but time will tell I suppose and we’ll see if it helps. I do enjoy visiting Lush and learning about their different products so I’m sure I’ll pop back in before long, too.

It was Heather’s E review that popped up on here the other day that reminded me just how much I *do* like Lush, and not just Lush but this particular branch of Lush.
Lush is Lush (and Lush is also lush. Still with me?) What I mean is, its a chain so the products you buy in one store are very similar to the ones you’ll find in another. Although saying that, I do like the quirky wee thing Lush do where they put a sticker on every single product of the date the product was made and exactly which employee, along with a wee cartoon of them. Every time I wash my hair I feel I’m bonding with James, y’know?
Anyway. I do like Lush products. They’re good at what they claim to do, they’re an extravagant treat, their pre-​pacakged gift boxes are fab stocking fillers, and they provide ample things to smell, sniff and sample if you’re in town and feel that way inclined.
This branch in particular however is just lovely. The one in Glasgow, which used to be my local, always gave me a headache (in a badddddd way) as all the amazing smells of vanilla, peach, hemp, lemon, orange… all those essential oils, just blended together and were completely overpowering. I could never spend long in the store which kind of defeats the window-​shopping purpose.
This branch is a bit smaller, yes, but the door is open in summer and it’s very airy and fresh and I’ve yet to ever be overwhelmed by any smell.
The staff are also really friendly, but not overbearing. All Lush employees I think are trained to be friendly and helpful — great! But sometimes this can come across as distracting and a little *too* helpful if they ask if you need help more than once. The staff in this branch were approachable, but once I said «I’m just looking thanks» they smiled and left me to it but didn’t ‘turn their backs’ and ignore me.
When I did want to buy some things, I was asking after their American Cream body perfume. Sadly they’ve stopped doing it but I was told they have that as a conditioner. Sold. I also explained my curly hair is tempramental and they suggested the curly wurly shampoo. I said I was really worried about trying something new, spending the money, in case it didn’t work. No worries — here’s a very hefty, generous sample to try without a second ask and without pushing me to buy anything else. A month later that sample is still going strong, I’ve hardly used half, and I WILL go back to buy a proper full tub once it runs out.
Lush products are lovely, this store is great and if you want to treat yourself and smell fabulous, definitely go.

I’ll be honest, I like to go in and say that I haven’t been in before so they’ll show me stuff and give me demos… like the one time one of the staff members used the body melts on my arm. Best free massage! The customer service in this store is really good and that’s why despite the small size of the store, I really like it.
I was looking at some of the face masks when I walked in and admittedly I don’t know much about them and haven’t used them before. One of the staff members came over and helped me out. He asked me questions about what I want and my skin type, then he explained a couple of the different masks to me. I noticed that all this stuff was on ice, so I asked about that and explained that I was staying in a hotel and wondered how long I would have before getting it in the fridge. He then said, «If you like, I could give you a sample, just enough for one mask.» Of course I would like that!
He didn’t follow me around the store, but helped out when I needed the help. And since there was a face mask planned for my evening, I figured a nice bath bomb would be a good way to add to it =).

The lure of the sweet smelling soaps and other bathroom pleasures never fails to please me as I walk past Lush. They seem to have the combination of a rustic wooden interior and attractive sales arrangements just right.
They’re doing a shower-​gel, soap and bath refresher kit guised in a toy box at the minute for Father’s day. I’d no doubt get a funny look having presented that to my dad but nonetheless its all good stuff.
Never bought anything from the place though.

Crickey, you can literally taste the smell that comes out of this place if you stand down wind of it on a warm day. It’s a nice smell/​cloying taste, but it is certainly overpowering.
If you arent already high from the fumes that waft out of Lush, step in and prepare to get off your face on all the soaps and bath bombs your heart desires. They all smell great, some of them look good enough to eat, they are all natural and hand made and eco-​friendly and all that other gubbins which comes with a ‘doesnt test on animals’ soap shop.
Trouble is, its expensive — really expensive for somnething that is literally going to go down the drain. Not worth it in my opinion, but I’m still impressed by it all.

MMmmmmm you really can smell this shop for miles, can’t you! It’s quite funny when you think about it. A shop that specializes in bath salts, soaps and shower gels! But my god what a selection. There is so much more to Lush than just a sweet, sweet smell. They have anything you could want (…soap-​wise).
I always feel really cool choosing a soap, getting it cut for me and taking it home in a little brown paper bag! It’s a bit odd, I’ll admit, but it’s the little things that float my boat.
Their bombs are brilliant — but I’d recommend you don’t get one with little bits (such as flower petals) in them because you’ll be finding them in your knooks and crannies for days after, and they begin to itch abit in the bath.
My favourite thing about Lush is their chocolate lip-​balm. Not only is it delicious, but it’s a brilliant balm! It’s as good as any nivea or carex, and tastes and smells of chocolate. At £6 it will last you the whole year (depending on your chocolate consumption… it could be 6 days)

I’m a big fan of Lush, and this store is no exception to my lust for its products.
Here are a few reasons why you should shop at Lush:
— Their products are handmade.
— They’re against animal testing.
— They are very informative about what they put in their products.
— They steer clear of bad chemicals which, in the long term, do a lot more damage than they tell you on the packet.
— Their products have cool, appealing names.
— They do awesome pampering packs which are perfect for birthdays.
Yes, it smells heavily perfumed and it looks pretty girly from the offset. But since my face has been nostalgic for my teen years for the past wee while and I have quite a bad acne revival (I know, it’s gross), Lush products are gentle and helpful at clearing my skin up. My friend used to work in one of the Glasgow branches years ago and she’s great at giving me the low down on what I should be using to clear up my face. Not only does it work as much as it can, but it smells good enough to eat, too.
I’d recommend Lush for more than just presents — the company are ethical and clued up on what is really good for your skin!

Despite it’s wonderful smell, whimsical attitude, and general air of niceness, unless you’re a true soap fanatic, I can only think of one reason why you’d ever really be required to visit Lush.
You have a female relative /​friend you don’t know /​like, and need to buy her a gift for her birthday /​Xmas /​funeral as soon as possible.
Lush comes up trumps every time, but still didn’t do enough to keep my in my great aunt’s inheritance. Ungrateful old bag.

You can smell this shop from a while away.
It boasts hand made soaps, body scrubs, lotions and other potions, and you have to have a strong nose to enter this shop– I am positive the shop-​assistants have lost their sense of smell and I have heard stories of people getting nose bleeds upon entering here.
Putting this aside, this place is ideal for a gift or two. Their soaps and bath bombs are fun and colourful and most smell nice. They come in blocks and look suspiciously like chocolate or candy. I did not like their body lotion at all– sort of smelt of plasticine and left my skin sticky rather than moisturised, but their soaps are good and smell good! The shop assistants are super friendly as well.
So why three stars? Well personally I am not a huge fan of too smelly shops and my head does hurt if I stay too long in here. Then again that’s just me.

Gives me a proper headache, so if you’re a migraine sufferer like me it’s best to cross the street and get as far away from it as you can. Everything is supposedly handmade and rather delicious seeming but for eating rather than covering your body with whats basically off fruit. The prices don’t really do much justice and the fact the staff have «handwriting lessons» mean it’s not as fun and funky as maybe the product suggests. At the end of the day it’s just another high street shop with a friendly image but it’s just out to suck every penny out of you and give you a poorly face.

Lush presents a huge problem for me.
I wander around thinking «WTF is all this stuff? Is it food?» I can’t figure it out and I spend the whole time wanting to nibble on the obscure bars of soap and bath bombs. My boyfriend and I went in here looking for Christmas presents and we were both more interested in eating the products than actually bathing in them.
I guess you have to be one of those girls who spends her Sunday nights in a bath with copious amounts of bath products, surrounded by candles while listening to Celine Dion and crying about singledom, to enjoy Lush.
I would much prefer a bottle of Radox. Plus I have heard that these bath bombs can be quite uncomfortable if they get in certain places.

This is a good sized Lush located on Princes Street, as soon as you walk in you are overwhelmed by all the delicious smells but I usually come out sneezing. I guess it would be nice to work here though as you would smell great all the time. I really like the fact that they’ve started wrapping things with old scarves and there’s a good selection to choose from and at least after the gift is ripped opened the scarf can be kept too rather than discarded like old wrapping paper.
I remember when I was around 12 my aunt went through a phase of buying Lush products like there’s no tomorrow and I soon followed suit. To be honest, after trying the different shampoo soap bars that supposedly give your hair super qualities, the face masks made of avocado gloop that claim to sort out all your skin woes, and the bath bombs that quite frankly just make you feel like you need to have another bath after the gritty residue is left floating at the bottom of the bath I’m kind of over Lush and I’m surprised it still seems to do so well. For me, the products are try once and then not bother again as they don’t actually seem do any of the things they say they do and really are style over substance. Rather than paying £5 for an avocado face mask I’m better off just buying a 50p Tesco one and rubbing it lavishly all over me.
I’m not sure if I’m the only female who thinks this but it’s telling that Lush customers generally always seem to be 75% males buying any old gift wrapped crap as a last minute gift for Mothers Day/​Valentines Day/​a forgotten anniversary or just to get out of the dog house. For the record guys, it probably won’t score you any brownie points as a gift from Lush is the most unimaginative present ever.
Having said that the staff are all very friendly and they do seem to be knowledgeable about the products but I’ve never seen any of the results and they are sales people after all so they’d probably sell their own Gran an old orange peel and tell her it was the elixir of life. You’re not fooling me Lush.

What can I really say about Lush that hasn’t already been said?
I absolutely love the place, and perhaps the only thing that sets this Edinburgh branch apart from the rest is the extremely, EXTREMELY bubbly and friendly staff. One of them was practically hugging me upon arrival. I usually detest this sort of assistant, but somehow in here, it seems appropriate and almost necessary. Perhaps it’s the heady mix of soaps and bath bombs that drive them slowly loopy.
I would recommend the Porridge soap from here, it is above and beyond the most delicious smelling soap I have ever used, and is made for sensitive skin. It isn’t cheap at around £2.50 for 100grams, but it is just so gorgeous I wouldn’t care!
One stop shop for all your bathtime goodies!