Tell me about Lush

[BrimfulofDipper]

Is it overpriced? Is it gimmicky? It seems expensive for what it is, although I am tempted by some of the face creams/body creams.

I only like the shower gels and their bars of soap. The butter ones are good, I use it before I get out of the shower but I have very dry skin.
However I bought some body butter and it was total crap.

It is on the expensive side but the majority of lush products are excellent and worth it.
The shower gels, bath bombs, face masks and face/body creams like Dream Cream are brilliant. I also love the body sprays that come in the big spray bottles. They are more like perfumes!

I think most of it is over perfumed crap and the dream cream gave me an awful rash and I have pretty resilient skin.

However their ultra bland cleanser is AMAZING it takes off all make up and leaves skin so soft.

Style over substantial I think

Substance that was meant to say

I won’t buy anything from them because of their politics.

I also boycott Lush now and The Body Shop.

My advice would be to look at the ingredient labels. They started pushing certain scents that are popular but don’t use as many essential oils as earlier product lines, but there are still some good things.

In terms of skincare I recommend -

Angels on bare skin cleanser
Fresh face masks (dependent on your skin type)
Dream Cream (excellent for sensitive skin)
Helping Hands hand cream
Each Peach massage bar (doubles up as a moisturiser if used lightly!)

I reacted badly to Dream Cream too. I like the bubble bars and the hennas. I find it over priced but I like to treat myself now and again. I went alot as a student but it was much cheaper back then.

The only thing is I can find some of the shops can have a really weird vibe.
I visited one for the first time in a couple years this week as I noticed they had a limited edition product back in stock as I passed the window. I literally only had time to grab exactly what I wanted, pay and leave as I was in between a physio appointment and a medical appointment a 30 min drive away.
I was pounced on immediately by one of the shop assistants who I found quite intimidating. I nicely explained I knew exactly what I wanted and just needed to pick it up and pay but she then followed me all the way around the store and I can't quite explain it but she was cornering me and wouldn't let me break eye contact or get past her and was trying to slow me down, physically block me and trying to get me to sample and buy other products. It was very intense. Then the woman at the till was. very nice, but very much reciting a script and piling pressure on too, but she looked really unhappy and uncomfortable at doing so. It made me think there was some very weird training going on. It was just a really oppressive feeling environment, I can't quite explain.

I had another weird experience in a different Lush when I was having a leisurely shopping day and had more time. Another shop assistant was trying to give me the hard sell but I had time to listen and let her put some lotion or something on me and we chatted a bit, she asked me what my favourite products were etc. Anyway, I got to the till to pay and we'd continued to chat and she actually broke down in tears! She thanked me for being so nice to her and said that she was being treated quite badly and that most customers just wanted to be left alone. She gave me about £15 worth of stuff for free including one of my favourite bubble bars that I'd mentioned but not bought as a thank you for being kind to her! I felt so awful for her. She was obviously trying not to let her coworkers see her either. She was just very unhappy at work.

I've been a customer for about 20 years and it didn't used to be like that.

I'd say only visit when you've got plenty of time and if you are happy to chat to staff about the products, be honest about budget etc.

I’m unimpressed, and I’ve tried loads of their stuff.

They usually do some nice pine scented glycerine soap at Christmas time but having tried many of their soaps I want to know why they don’t last very long. Seriously. You are lucky to get 8 showers out of one bar of soap, and that’s not using them to excess in a half hour shower or anything.

I’d sooner buy a nice Nesti Dante or Castelbel soap: less gimmicky, lasts ages and feels like more of a quality product.

@Frumpypigskin

I also boycott Lush now and The Body Shop.

Same.

Avoid lush. They treat the staff terribly

I don't like all of their politics and the sales assistants can be too intense. Also there's a constant churn of new stuff for novelty's sake and the products don't always look great.

However, some of the long standing products genuinely are very good. I find American Cream conditioner is the best I've found for any price (and I've spent silly money before now). Ultrabland cleanser and ha Suan wen Hua hair mask are excellent.

They treat their staff like shit

I used to buy quite a few products from Lush, but I got frustrated with products being discontinued for no good reason. Even staple products that have been around for years are not safe from being discontinued, which is frustrating when you use items like their deodorants, only to find that they are no longer available. The Greeench was the only natural deodorant that worked for me, but the price kept going up for less product. Plus I couldn't ever be sure if it would be on the shelf the next time I purchased, as Lush discontinued a lot of their deodorants. In the end I found another natural deo to wear. Ultrabland cleanser is still great. I treated myself to a small pot recently. The price is very steep for the amount you get, it used to be much more reasonable!

@DismantledKing

They treat their staff like shit

How so?

I’ve boycotted them too. Annoyingly though I’ve been bought a gift set for my birthday and there’s a lavender cream in that is meant to help with sleep and it actually works. I’m using it sparing to avoid having to go and buy some more as I really don’t want them having my custom.

How so?

My daughter worked there for a while. Complete nightmare.

Yes I was surprised to find the soap doesn't last long, that in particular is overpriced for what you get.

I still use it for shampoo and conditioner bars, and the bubble bars as they're all plastic free. Dream Cream is way overhyped. I should start shopping around for alternatives really!

I do like the products but agree the sales staff are way too intense which really puts me off going into the store.

I did a bit of reading on Twitter and Reddit last night about ex-Lush employees and realised why the alot of the staff are so pushy and overbearing. It's horrifying to read how badly they've been treated by the company and how many breakdowns have been caused by the expectations of management around how to interact with customers. They are expected to constantly be communicating with customers, even encouraged to touch customers. There was a campaign where they had to give free kisses to the public . They frequently are criticised over their facial expressions, body language, walk, tone of voice etc.
I was really horrified to read it all. There was alot of it.

The thing is, after my experience in my local store, I actually don't intend to set foot in one ever again (and this decided was before I read what I did last night but cemented now). I'm quite a socially anxious person. I hate strangers getting into my personal space and following me. I hate being stared at intensely. I hate being forced to make conversation with a stranger. I can't take being touched against my will and am uncomfortable having products demonstrated on me. All of this is due to past trauma. When I say "hate", I mean I start to panic and want to run away. Unfortunately, my trauma response means I'm more likely to freeze. And yes, I'm working on all of that with professionals and self-help but if I just want to buy a bath bomb I should at least have to option to do that without having my boundaries pushed. If I say "I'm just browsing, thanks", the hint should be taken.

Lush management are getting it seriously wrong if they think the general public are more likely to buy from overbearing (and unhappy) staff who won't leave them alone or allow them to explore without being hassled. It's not just staff they won't be able to keep on, it's customers.

Does anyone like a pushy sales tactic?

Won't shop at Lush or Body Shop now.

I won’t shop there any more. Appalling politics, they treat their staff badly, and although I like the products, they’re just too expensive. I don’t go into the Body Shop anymore either.