Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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:
MedusasBadHairDay · 14/10/2021 14:53

@JojobaFromOctober

I don't see why soap needs to be gendered. I've seen similar objections to shops removing boys' toys and girls' toys sections - some people genuinely liked being able to quickly find all the stereotypical stuff.

But I'm gender critical, so my stance is that products should not be gendered unless it's something that's actually to do with the sexed body. Anybody can like or dislike the smell of strawberries or bath bombs or whatever and there is no reason to say these things for one sex or the other.

Agreed. It makes no logical sense to have men's soaps and women's soaps, it's soap ffs.
ErrolTheDragon · 14/10/2021 14:54

I wonder what the response from the staff would have been if the OP had used the language of gender and asked for recommendations of more masculine or less feminine products?

Lottapianos · 14/10/2021 14:56

'I want to support them more because of their inclusivity and anti-jkr stuff'

Oh, what JKR stuff?

CSJobseeker · 14/10/2021 15:02

@Ghostsintheshelf

Buy some "inclusive" soap. Wrap it in black or khaki paper and write WILD or SAVAGE or UNTAMED on it. You've got man soap.
GrinGrin
Original poster
Underthestairsbears · 14/10/2021 15:04

@AssassinatedBeauty

"It's not though. Because they used to do a specific mens range. And they still sell products acceptable to most men. They're just mixed in now amongst the other products, and the staff apparently aren't allowed to indicate them to you! Even if they know full well what products you mean.*"
*
Yes, that was exactly what happened.

OP posts:
oakleaffy · 14/10/2021 15:04

My DS - quite manly- used to always use my body shop rose shower gel.
He just liked the smell.
I still but it for him for Christmas!

Soubriquet · 14/10/2021 15:05

I used to love going to lush but I haven’t been since they started the whole TWAW rhetoric

CrazyCatLazy · 14/10/2021 15:05

I constantly see people complaining (rightly so), of how things are marketed to girls and how it should just be a kids section not boys vs girls section, then I see somebody complaining that there isn’t a blokes soap section.
It’s soap, it’s scented, pick on and gift it in the neutral packaging they wrap it in.

lockdownmadnessdotcom · 14/10/2021 15:06

@NecessaryScene

The scents in lush appeal to anyone.

Um. Hmm

Or nobody Grin
TopTabby · 14/10/2021 15:07

Haven't been in for a long time, not since I was aggressively questioned by a teenage staff member about which moisturising products I used. I can just imagine your lecture!
I'm kind of against politics in a bloody bath bomb shop anyway so no great loss!

Original poster
Underthestairsbears · 14/10/2021 15:08

@CrazyCatLazy

I constantly see people complaining (rightly so), of how things are marketed to girls and how it should just be a kids section not boys vs girls section, then I see somebody complaining that there isn’t a blokes soap section. It’s soap, it’s scented, pick on and gift it in the neutral packaging they wrap it in.
I know, I totally get it! Blush and I do feel that way too. It's essential that children have the opportunity to access a full range of toys and experiences.

I think I just got a bit baffled by the way it took two shop assistants to NOT assist me in any way!!!

OP posts:
Chocolatier9 · 14/10/2021 15:10

It’s the thought of a senior salesperson pinning the OP down and giving her a long lecture on inclusion while OP tries vainly to escape that makes me laugh.

Well, at least you’ll have something to associate the smell of Lush with now when you walk past.

Inclusivity… by Lush.

ErrolTheDragon · 14/10/2021 15:10

I think I just got a bit baffled by the way it took two shop assistants to NOT assist me in any way!!!

Crap customer service. I mean, the first one could have just pointed you to something that was generally a good seller.

bluegrass1 · 14/10/2021 15:12

It's all absurd :)

ErrolTheDragon · 14/10/2021 15:12

I wish they wouldn't bloody include people trying to walk by outside in their olfactory assault.

BungleandGeorge · 14/10/2021 15:13

I don’t think many blokes would be happy with the scent of ‘fairy’ which is the last thing I was bought from lush! If they want to claim that any scent is suitable they are least should have been able to point you towards ‘neutral’ smelling products which would appeal to many different people. Or ask you what type of scent you want. Bit rubbish if they declined to help at all, they lost a sale. I’d just go to boots or a department store where it’s much easier to pick up something without the faff and having to smell everything yourself.

Tabitha005 · 14/10/2021 15:14

@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.
@WomaninBoots your comment made me laugh like a drain.... and I really needed a laugh today, so thank you.
CiaoForDiNiaoSaur · 14/10/2021 15:15

One of the benefits of losing my sense of smell is that I can walk past Lush without feeling ill Grin

Aderyn21 · 14/10/2021 15:21

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.

LavenderYellow · 14/10/2021 15:27

@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.
Absolutely!
BoredZelda · 14/10/2021 15:28

My issue was being LUSH-splained by two ladies old enough to be my kids who couldn't direct me to a few suitable products without a lecture

You asked and they explained their policy. You don’t agree with it. That’s all that happened.

HarrisonStickle · 14/10/2021 15:28

@CiaoForDiNiaoSaur

One of the benefits of losing my sense of smell is that I can walk past Lush without feeling ill Grin
I once went into a Lush store because I'd heard so much about them and I wanted to try their products.

I got halfway up the shop and my knees gave way. My husband had to hold me up till we got to a bench further down the street. The assault on my senses had almost made me pass out.

I've avoided them ever since.

ErrolTheDragon · 14/10/2021 15:30

@BoredZelda

My issue was being LUSH-splained by two ladies old enough to be my kids who couldn't direct me to a few suitable products without a lecture

You asked and they explained their policy. You don’t agree with it. That’s all that happened.

There was no need for the first assistant to drag over her senior colleague for the purpose of lecturing a potential customer.
earsup · 14/10/2021 15:31

I detest Lush now...the fake smiles and hard sell...its awful....they have few soaps now which i used to sometimes buy...i prefer to buy online or off ebay so i dont have to experience their awful pushy fake staff..yuk !

reluctantbrit · 14/10/2021 15:31

I find that after smelling two products my nose goes on strike and there is no way I could identify a smell a male person would go for instead of one more florally when I would have to make my way through all their soaps or bath stuff.

Why not just labelling the main component?