Today Jessica RD of Just Another Beauty Blog shares why it pays to venture inside fragrant stores.
Here’s the story with me and LUSH: I’ve walked past the brand for 10 years, covering my nose each time I’d walk by one of their stores because I just couldn’t stand the strong smell (if you’ve ever walked by one, you know what I mean!).
I’d never even stepped inside, but one day I read in a magazine about LUSH Massage bars and thought the idea sounded pretty cool, so I decided to hold my breath and give it a try.
I am SO glad I did!
First, LUSH Massage bars can be used for much more than mere massage.
Other ways to use LUSH massage bars
- Use it all over your body for intense moisturizing that leaves you smooth until you wash it off
- Dab it on your lips for an ultra-soothing lip balm
- Pre-shaving if you don’t have water around
- Post-shaving to sooth irritation and dryness
- As an air-freshener; leave it on your counter, and it will fill the room with its scent
- Melt a bit in your hands, and put on gloves overnight for that just-manicured softness
- And, of course, let it melt a bit, and use it for massages!
So quite a few uses — and those are just the ones I discovered!
These bars are so luxurious. They melt by the warmth of your skin and are the single most intense moisturizer I’ve ever used!
You can purchase them online from lushusa.com or lush.ca, or from your local LUSH store or counter. The prices vary somewhat for the different bars, but they all cost between $8-9USD each.
Bargain
When you buy any two, LUSH will throw in a tin to store them in (I recommend this because they can get a little messy on a hot day, leaving residue on your counter), but a good ol’ soap dish works just as well.
Natural
Keep in mind LUSH’s wonderful tradition of fresh, handmade cosmetics from natural and organic sources. These bars are something you can feel good about slathering all over!
Here are a few of the ones I love…
Soft Coeur
This tiny heart-shaped massage bar was a hit around Valentine’s Day, and with real chunks of chocolate in it, how could I have ever resisted? This one’s definitely the richest of the bars I’ve tried; perhaps a little too rich for everyday moisturizing, but perfect as a luscious lip balm. The scent is nice, but you just don’t get enough for the price! It’s pretty — but I’d try a different one first. B+
Nutts
The scent is just like it sounds — a very strong nutty, cocoa-butter smell which might be a little overpowering for some. The bar melts fast, which makes it great for massages or moisturizing quickly on the go, and the oval shape fits perfectly into the massage bar tin. A
Mange Too
With honey and white chocolate, this is the bar I leave out to fill my room with its wonderful aroma. It’s also one of the biggest bars available and lasts a long time.
The bar stays fairly solid, which is great when moisturizing all over (you don’t want it goopy!); however, the only downside is the honeycomb shape doesn’t fit into either the square or the oval tin… which is why I cut mine in half! Other than that it gets top marks for the amazing scent. A
Others that people are raving about…
Therapy
Made with organic Neroli oil. It delivers a more aromatherapeutic scent (instead of one that makes you crave dessert), while also helping to reduce stretch marks!
Heavanilli
It’s the latest addition to the LUSH massage bar collection and one I am dying to try! If you love the scent of vanilla, you may not be able to take your hands off this one!
Let me know
Let me know what you guys think of LUSH Massage bars and if you’d recommend any other LUSH products!
Oh, and about the store, once you’re inside it only takes about 20 seconds to get accustomed to the smell 🙂
This post was written by Jessica RD of Just Another Beauty Blog. When she isn’t blogging or creating video makeup tutorials, you’ll find her studying to be a doctor, beautifying others as a freelance makeup artist or working in a medical office. She loves MAC, NARS, Benefit, NYX, Coastal Scents and Covergirl.
YUM! I love them.. especially the newer strawberry one!!
Tali´s last blog post..Bobbi Brown.. haul, review & FOTD
Hi Tali,
I have yet to try Lush, but Jessica’s review makes me want to!
I’ve heard of Lush, but never gave it much thought. I’m so glad you wrote this review!!! now i’m super craving a massage bar! (lol)
Hi Nancy,
You aren’t the only one! I want to try one, too. I think I’ll start with the Mange Too — how about you?
I’m a brit and we have these stores EVERYWHERE. I would definitely recommend their cleansers – until I started using aqua marina I had breakouts all over, but now I don’t have any at all! The three peach (and two’s a pear) massage bar is absolutely gorgeous smelling. At christmas over here they do a shower gel called Snow Fairy which I buy bottles and bottles of to stock up on. It smells of candyfloss/bubblegum and lifts my spirits all year long. I’d also recommend the You Snap the Whip body butter (it’s actually a super body exfoliator), the bubble bars or the solid shampoos.
I buy most of my body products from Lush and I love the place. I am allergic to any bubble bath not by them and it’s so nice to have nice smelling body products without the rash! I’d definitely recommend them, even if you don’t have sensitive skin as they use natural ingredients, most are vegetarian friendly and they don’t test on animals or even use products tested in animals.
Hi Joanna,
Thanks for these recs! I’ll have to look for the peach massage bar. It sounds like something I’d love.
Yay, Lush! I’m bummed that they discontinued the pink/hibiscus version of Soft Coeur, but I’m still in love with Therapy and Fever.
Also: Karen, if you’re reading this – the HNL Lush stores are at Ala Moana and Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki. Love ’em! 🙂
meimei´s last blog post..And Now, It Has Come to This….
Hi Meimei,
I just in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center! We were heading on out so I didn’t pop in, though. 🙂
I heart Lush! My sister introduced me to the store when they opened the store in San Francisco (where she lives) a few years ago and I’m lucky to live within a 25 mile radius of five of them even though there are only ten in CA. My sister is a nature freak and she’s been trying to recruit me to switch over to natural beauty products for years. I’m trying, but it’s not easy. Of course Lush does make it easier.
I love their Dream Cream. I don’t use it often because it’s kind of oily but when my skin is extra dry, one application moisturizes for days on end. Good stuff. Also, one of the salesgirls showed me this neat trick for making your hands super soft. Slather your hands with a generous dab of Lemony Flutter cuticle cream, working it into your cuticles. Then scoop a generous amount of Ocean Salt facial scrub and rub it all over your hands. I keep it in the fridge to keep it fresh longer and the coolness makes this feel even more exhilarating. Massage it into your hands and then rinse it off. Your hands will feel like silk!
I don’t think I would use the Ocean Salt facial scrub on my face though. The sea salt grains are too big and it might be too rough for facial skin. I also haven’t tried (and don’t really want to try) their solid shampoo bars. But their soap bars, massage bars, shower gels, lip balms, skin creams, and bath bombs are heavenly. Pricey, but so worth it.
Hi Sole,
Dream Cream sounds great. I have super dry skin (scaly legs!) so I’d probably really love it. Does it smell good?
I think that there is a LUSH craze going on. I’m hearing all about their products on Youtube, blogs, and etc..
I’m glad you reviewed them. I’m also dying to try the vanilla one!
Hi Mary Thi,
I’m glad Jessica did this review, too!
@ Sole- It’s a concern I’ve heard a lot about Ocean Salt, but really, if you use a small enough amount (for me, not even a fingertip worth, more like half a fingertip), the crystals melt fast enough that they won’t hurt your skin at all and it still cleans beautifully.
I’m actually too much of a miser to use Ocean Salt liberally enough to use it on my hands, so the only way I do use it is on my face!
I love love love LUSH. It has been so long since I have made a purchase. I am just excited that now I will soon be able to make a purchase. Not exactly sure when, but it will be soon!
Hi Kristina,
What are your favorite products from the line?
Hey Karen,
I’ve been in love affair with Lush for a while now!
I’d recommend Dream Cream, the ultimate body lotion for dry skin, I usually use it during the winter, or when my skin feels extra dry (it’s a bit oily and smells like all herbs put together). I’ve heard it’s really great for eczema too-
During Christmas time you must try the body wash- Snow fairy(super cute pink liquid with glitter) and soap Angels Delight (i’m obsessed with it, always buying tons because they get it only for Xmas).
I’m currently using Jumpin’ Juniper, a solid shampoo with lavender for greasy hair, and it’s seems to be doing the trick for now. I though that it would be a bit difficult to apply, but it’s much simpler that the ordinary liquid one!
Oh, and one of their best ‘ordinary’ soaps in definitely Sea Vegetable, which really smells like the sea and it has little chunks of algae for soft exfoliation. When talking about exfoliation I’ve also tried Spice Curls soap, but wasn’t that pleased with it as it’s to harsh for my skin.
Hope that helps!!
Hi Karen! How are you? Well I hope. Well when it comes to LUSH I love the Freeze Body wash, which they now made into a Retro item. It was the body wash I used to use faithfully and it would wake me up every morning in the shower. It was the whole reason why I fell in love with LUSH. I also love the Lime Shower Smoothie, Buffy Body Butter, Therapy Massage and, Karma Bath Melt. These were items I used to purchase on the regular and haven’t been able to, but that’s going to change and hopefully I can learn to stray from those and gain some new favorites.
What are some of your favorites?
I love Luhs’s bars too!
My other favourits are the toner tabs ( http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/face/toners-toner-tabs ) I use the T or the C, and after I used them, I add some salicilic acid (from the pharmacy, maximum 2%) and keep it in the fridge, so I’ll have a wonderful, exfoliating natural bha toner.
And the new, vanilla-scented products (vanilla fountain bath bom, heavanilli massage bar) are amazing!
bagaela´s last blog post..New year, new brush 🙂
Hi Dromeda,
Thanks for the tip, I’m going to try a bit of it on my face. The reason I feel okay about using it on my hands is because I would hate to inadvertently let it spoil and have to throw it out. 🙁 I’m not great about watching the expiration dates.
Hi Karen,
Dream Cream doesn’t have a strong fragrance but it smells a little bit like calamine lotion. Some people really don’t like it but it just smells like natural herbs to me so I don’t find it offensive at all. And the smell doesn’t stay on my skin so it doesn’t interfere with other fragrances. As far as the smell goes I could take it or leave it but the cream is so effective that the smell is just a detail.
Love the post! If you want reviews or info on more products, please check out my website! http://www.livingthelushlife.com — and if you don’t mind, I’d love to add your blog to my blog roll!