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Original poster

I made a mistake of going into Lush and trying to buy...

193 replies

Underthestairsbears · 14/10/2021 14:18

Something for a guy...!!!

I just popped into my local Lush, they used to have a 'bloke section' so I kept wandering around looking for it...
Of course one of the helpful assistants came over and asked if she could help.
I said "oh I can't find your bloke section "

Poor young woman looked rather pale and launched into her "oh we don't have a men's section. It's all inclusive "
Lovely, so I asked where I might find something that might appeal to a teenage boy.

The only thing she could point me towards was a "beard cream" and I explained he didn't have a beard!

She then dragged another more senior young lady over... who then started on and on about being inclusive and how everything in LUSH us for everyone....it as I tried to escape....!

I tried to see if they had gift sets that might appeal to him....

Ok, it didn't need to be masculine per se but honestly it's like they've eradicated men from LUSH...

I'm not sure if that's the look they were going for...and also isn't it usually the other way round 🙄

Couldn't make head nor tail of it but I didn't escape easily.... literally had to hot foot it out of there quickly to avoid another encounter!

Does anyone else find it's getting harder to shop efficiently for what you want because things have to be so woke...

OP posts:
Couchbettato · 14/10/2021 17:16

@NecessaryScene

The scents in lush appeal to anyone.

Um. Hmm

😁

Would you like Freesia with your Sandalwood

ItsSunnyOutside · 14/10/2021 17:08

@WomaninBoots

Last time I was in a Lush I ended up getting getting my arm washed and I wasnt sure how I had got there... so I haven't been back since.
This made me laugh.

I really like Lush products but get it online now...last time I was in there, I ended up getting my arm washed too , plus a hand massage, it went on for about 10 minutes. It was actually abit weird {my dh and his dad were just stood outside laughing at me the whole time} I was too polite to say anything at first, then she was about to do the other arm, so I quickly declined, said thank you and told her I had left my dh waiting outside long enough!

BlackForestCake · 14/10/2021 17:01

try being inclusive of people who want to browse in peace

YES. I'm just trying to look at stuff, leave me the fuck alone.

Lookjaz · 14/10/2021 16:58

Angel2702
The scents in lush appeal to anyone.

Lush scents do not appeal to every one. Just walking past makes me want to 🤮

DialSquare · 14/10/2021 16:58

@SecretKeeper1

Well, beard cream isn’t very bloody inclusive, is it? What about those of us who can’t grow a beard? Huh?

I feel a complaint coming on… Grin

Unfortunately, as a menopausal women, I'm not excluded from this category!
Diaryofamadwoman · 14/10/2021 16:54

My very "manly" son bloody loved the bathbomb with the sugar flowers on top that released heart shaped confetti. He'd love one as a stocking filler this year but unfortunately hell will freeze over before I spend another penny in Lush

SecretKeeper1 · 14/10/2021 16:53

Well, beard cream isn’t very bloody inclusive, is it? What about those of us who can’t grow a beard? Huh?

I feel a complaint coming on… Grin

MedusasBadHairDay · 14/10/2021 16:51

Agree on the impractical footwear they often have for girls but mean and women have different shaped feet and shoes made on different lasts.

Is this still the case pre-puberty? I always used to put DD in "boys" shoes as it was the only way to make sure her feet were warm, dry and comfortable.

Lovemusic33 · 14/10/2021 16:47

To be fair a lot of their products can appeal to men, obviously not snow fairy or the more floral smelling stuff but I can imagine men liking quite a lot of it 🤔.

C8H10N4O2 · 14/10/2021 16:47

@MedusasBadHairDay

even clarks wont say girl or boy shoes

Clarks have traditionally been godawful for pushing utterly impractical footwear on girls, so this sounds like an improvement to me.

I'm pretty certain we used to have regular conversations in FWR about how this change was needed. I am still in FWR right?

Agree on the impractical footwear they often have for girls but mean and women have different shaped feet and shoes made on different lasts.

"Gender neutral" shoes are, astonishingly, made for a male default foot.

Peanutsandchilli · 14/10/2021 16:45

@WomaninBoots

Last time I was in a Lush I ended up getting getting my arm washed and I wasnt sure how I had got there... so I haven't been back since.
Sorry but I can't stop laughing at that!
PaleGreenGhost · 14/10/2021 16:41

Also boycotting Lush since anti JKR comments. And since they apologised for donating money to a feminist charity, iirc.

The major Lush lover in my house is my son. The staff have always been delightful with him when we used to visit to spend birthday money. They probably thought he was a transgirl mind you and I'm surprised they didn't slip him the number for childline when they heard me "deadname" him.

NCBlossom · 14/10/2021 16:41

Teenage boys - I would actually just ask him what he wants. They have their own very clear notions!

SinisterBumFacedCat · 14/10/2021 16:39

I only have to look at their bath bombs to get a uti. Inclusive, except if you have sensitive skin, it’s a fucking joke of a shop.

NotMyCat · 14/10/2021 16:32

I used to work for lush. I would have pointed you to dirty shower gel or avo bath bath bomb or one of the citrus soaps or a million other things that men might prefer. Or I would ask if any particular scent they liked or prefer bath or shower

Original poster
Underthestairsbears · 14/10/2021 16:31

...think I might just buy him a book now...

Thank you for all your thoughts. It wasn't essential for me to buy something from Lush for him, I just was passing and teenage boys are notoriously hard to buy for so popped in. Again it wasn't about the products it was more about the behaviour of the staff.

OP posts:
lazylinguist · 14/10/2021 16:28

I won't enter or buy from Lush. Multiple reasons:

- harassment of everyone but in particular neuroatypical people
*- plastering their crap on people without asking, including a child with eczema whose mother had explicitly told them not to slap the cream on her child's arm

  • misogyny central - just look at their advertising*
- coercive treatment of staff, many of whom are uncomfortable with the heavy duty sales pitches and being told to strip off in the shop but can't afford to walk out of a job

^This. And they can fuck right off with their politicising and anti-jkr stuff. I like their products, but I refuse to be preached at by wokerati soap-sellers, so I don't shop there any more.

KirstenBlest · 14/10/2021 16:27

I went out with a chap who liked their stuff. He didn't have a beard.

ScreamingMeMesaur · 14/10/2021 16:27

@Aderyn21

It's bollocks to pretend though that some scents don't appeal more to one sex than the other - it's why perfumes aren't all marketed as unisex. Lush can pretend this isn't true but the most likely outcome is that the customer will conclude that shopping there is too much like hard work and go somewhere else instead.
Exactly. I'm surprised by some of the comments in this thread.
NCBlossom · 14/10/2021 16:26

@Jaysmith71

"Coercing their staff" into doing stuff like this:
Oh goodness - reading the comments here about staff having to strip naked, harassing people in the shop… I’m never going to shop there again!
LavenderYellow · 14/10/2021 16:24

I can't bear Lush. Some of the products are ok but being pounced on by staff puts me right off.
OP is correct in that they did use to have a men's section. I kind of like the non gender stereotyping in theory, but most men I know wouldn't go for the the more flowery scents so I suspect lush will lose customers.

Lovelyricepudding · 14/10/2021 16:24

@KittenKong

Lord help is of they ever start selling sanpro...
They could do it in partnership with Canesten...
TuftyMarmoset · 14/10/2021 16:21

@Jaysmith71

Disposable razors, underarm deoderant, and many other products where there are essentially similar products sold in pink and blue flavours, the male version is generally cheaper.
I'd rather go without deodorant than use Lynx Envy < not envy
UniversalAunt · 14/10/2021 16:21

The ‘scents’ from Lush make me heave.
I cross the road to avoid the wall of pungence billowing out of the shop door. The place smells like a rotting corpse to me.

Takes all sorts.

Ghostsintheshelf · 14/10/2021 16:19

Re shoes, I'm pretty sure boys and girls (and men and women) do need different shoes due to the feet being very differently shaped (not just sized). Caroline Criado Perez has a rant about it every now and then. I imagine Clarks just used to do impractical, sparkly or high-heeled shoes for the girls. It's a shame they couldn't differentiate by offering proper support to a female foot instead of just basing shoes on male feet and decing that's fine for everyone.

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