Don't throw stones please....

[TDoll]

Don't throw stones please, ok??

I wuv you guys....
I really wasn't impressed AT ALL by the LUSH store today. I dunno, it was just....well....weird.

I looove natural products and all and I was by no means expecting some great fancy store, but I was really unimpressed. I actually used to buy handmade soaps all the time from this hole in the wall store that you sliced off yourself...so I love totally un-fancy products. It wasn't that...it was just a multitude of little very weird things.
I've just heard so many raves about the stuff, so I was thinking it was going to smell all nice and yummy and the products would as well. I seriously stalked out the website for a few days prior to my visit to get some descriptions of the products so I would know a little bit about what I was looking at. The descriptions of the scents and product photos were VERRRRY appealing. I wanted everything. I'm so glad I didn't order anything...

Upon entering, my nose was taken over by an odd scent....One you would experience when snorting soap. Seriously, my nose kinda burned. My mother was with me and we were like, damn. We were the only ones in the store and I was determined to keep an open mind. It was set up super cute, but it was kind of overwhelming. I started looking around and went to the soaps first. I'm seriously not picky by any means about fragrances...I usually like most everything. But the soaps smelled really bland. Even the ones I was expecting to smell great like the Honey I washed the kids one....it was funky. The only one I liked was Rockstar. Some of them had already been pre-packaged and they were pretty small chunks IMO...and they were around $10. I'm no cheapskate by ANY means....I don't even want to tell you what I spend on some products...but I felt like these weren't worth the money compared to similar products I've tried.
Then I went over to the massage bars because I was planning on buying one of the Soft Cours. It smelled like faint chocolate and was verrrry small. Super small. Small like, half a use small. NO thanks. I rubbed the Therapy one on me (the girl who worked there meant she was going to rub my arm down with the stuff...which was ok because I wanted to try it out). It felt super waxy...it was just nothing special

. Then I looked at the shower jellies and they were in these long open containers that had been touched and they were like "settling" and oozing all over the place. I smelled all of them and none smelled great to me.
The bath bombs were cute...I smelled several of them and none were super fabulous or anything, but they were really cute....???? I didn't want to buy one just because it was cute. A few years ago at B&BW they came out with bath bombs that were similar...but the size of the largest ones LUSH carried and smelled amazing. These just didn't compare. I smelled the special edition wedding one and it made me feel like I had almost brought on a nose bleed. The scent was not good either. Very overwhelming...granted, I know the fragrance would have "softened" significantly after dissolving, but it wasn't a good fragrance. I tried some of the body creams and the lemony cuticle butter. The body lotions felt good, but I have a lot of lotions that feel just the same. And the cuticle butter was just ok... not worth $13. Then I came to the refrigerated facial products section. I was kinda weirded out because the masks and whatnot looked totally gross. I'm all for goopy green face masks, but weird oils and water were settled on the top of all of them...?? Is that normal? It freaked me out.

The weirdest part of the whole experience was the slab of greasy soap sitting on the counter that looked like raw fish....??? I dunno. It was rolled up like sushi-style but in a big ole' loaf. It almost turned my stomach. Buuut, I smiled and looked away and stiiiiill kept an open mind and was determined to find something I liked.
Then I found the creamy candy bubble bar and I liked it's scent alright. I also liked the MMM bath melt. SO I found a $12 gift set that had a VERY SMALL Rockstar soap and a full sized (I think) Creamy Candy bubble bar. So I bought 2...one for me, one for my friend. I also bought a MMM Melting Marshmallow Moments bath melt and WOOOOO I got a freebie....get ready kids.... HALF a Wedding bath bomb. Oh boy. My faaav. I'm j/k...I'll use it I'm sure

. Maybe I'll change my mind about it... So I left LUSH disappointed with my super small bag of little products. I did end up finding a fabulous gift for my friend elsewhere though, which I was happy about.

I mean, damn. I was planning on dropping some serious $$$ in this place. So I blew it on makeup instead...lol. But when I went to Macys, I discovered they had a LUSH section in the cosmetics department that was actually laid out a lot nicer than the actual LUSH store and the products looked better almost... I dunno. I looked around HOPING to have this Macy's LUSH department change my mind, but it didn't.

I daren't use the word "hype"...but oh well, I just did. Don't hurt me people...remember, I wuv you guys...lol.

Oh well. I gave it a shot! I know a lot of you love this stuff and if you've never experienced LUSH, please do. Make your own decision about it. I just had to share.

 

[gigglegirl]

hey girl! i know my first time i went in there it was overwhelming!!

but i only bought rockstar and japanese girl soap when i stopped there for the second time (first time was such a bust...nada). I like them and want to try some more. in moderation! lol

share with us how you like/don't like rockstar!!

 

[pratbc]

TDoll, I totally feel you on this one! Today was my first day visiting the Lush section of Macy's. The first thing that turned me off was the strong smell. I have a really sensitive nose and strong scents give me a massive headache (I hold my breath when I have to walk near the perfume department at dept stores). But I had a few dollars in Macy's credit and was determined to try something because I have heard sooooo many people rave about this brand.
Some of the soaps just looked so unattractive to me, but I was looking for face products so I just skipped the soaps and bombs all together and headed straight for the face stuff. Then I saw what looked like a salad bar with a bunch of different dressings. The saleslady told me it was the "fresh" mask bar. She had me smell some of them and I was not at all impressed.
So, I ended up walking out of there with a small Mask of Magnaminty. I figured I will give it a whirl before I say I am totally turned off by the brand.
PLMK how the product you bought turned out, I will do the same.

 

[mtrimier]

i'm not a big Lush-ie. Seems like whatever I get disappoints me. Sakura bath bomb was nice, but didn't really do anything for me. Karma soap made me want to throw it out the car window, and the cherry blossom soap i got (i can't remember what the name was but it was in a sakura set), lord, gag reflex when I wet it. Smelled like moth balls.

Ring of roses buttercream i got for my friend, and she liked it. Sea Vegetable soap was also well received by my ex, as was the marathon bubble bar, but I just didn't like what I got. Oh well. Still looking for something that I will like.

Good luck with your foray into Lush, though!

 

[coachkitten]

I normally don't get bothered by smells but the LUSH store is so overpowering that I can hardly stand to be in there for more than about 10 minutes. I don't see the giant hype with LUSH but I do like some of their skincare and masks. I sometimes feel like I am the only one that isn't head over heels for LUSH!

 

[KikiB]

I have no need for LUSH since I work at B&BW, but the smell IS overpowering. I'm sure they don't need to fragrance their store like how we do because THEIR PRODUCTS DO IT! Also as a person who does not believe in bar soap...I will gladly stick to my store that only sells two different bar soaps. They have us beat because we have only done bath bombs once since I worked at the store (almost two years now)...but from what I saw on the website they definitely looked pricey for the amount of product you get.

 

[NicksWifey]

I'm sorry you didn't like your first visit to the LUSH store! I feel like I gave you bad advice now

I'll admit, I would be pretty turned off to to see the shower jellies just sitting out with fingerprints all over it. I mean who in the hell wants to buy that and wash with it after god knows who/what had their hands on it?

 

[TDoll]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KikiB I have no need for LUSH since I work at B&BW, but the smell IS overpowering. I'm sure they don't need to fragrance their store like how we do because THEIR PRODUCTS DO IT! Also as a person who does not believe in bar soap...I will gladly stick to my store that only sells two different bar soaps. They have us beat because we have only done bath bombs once since I worked at the store (almost two years now)...but from what I saw on the website they definitely looked pricey for the amount of product you get.

Those bath bombs y'all had were the shit! Weren't they called like "ice cream" or something??? I remember getting a yummy watermelon and peach and cream one. I dunno. I live near a flagship store and I could've sworn they had some last year too. Maybe these past 2 crazy years have just gone by fast!! I wish y'all would have those again. They were my fav.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicksWifey I'm sorry you didn't like your first visit to the LUSH store! I feel like I gave you bad advice now I'll admit, I would be pretty turned off to to see the shower jellies just sitting out with fingerprints all over it. I mean who in the hell wants to buy that and wash with it after god knows who/what had their hands on it?

NO YOU DIDN'T!! lol... I wish you would've been with me...it was a funny experience. I swear, the sales girl like took a full bath while we were there, like showing us products and stuff. It was hilarious.



Thanks for being so nice guys. I was expecting to get beat up when I posted this, but I had to share! It was funny, when my mom and I left we were just like, "I don't get it." lol
But, I am happy with what I got. I'll let y'all know how I like them for sure.

 

[Beauty Mark]

That's okay. Not everyone has to like every store.

 

[KikiB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDoll Those bath bombs y'all had were the shit! Weren't they called like "ice cream" or something??? I remember getting a yummy watermelon and peach and cream one. I dunno. I live near a flagship store and I could've sworn they had some last year too. Maybe these past 2 crazy years have just gone by fast!! I wish y'all would have those again. They were my fav.

That was DEFINITELY before my time, although last year we had the Twisted Peppermint in a bath fizzie and they sold like hotcakes since they were $3.50 each. The only place in my mall that sells those is ULTA, if I am not mistaken. As far as coming out with more, if they do it'll be a seasonal thing...it looks like they're phasing out the bubble baths because none of the new scents have them.

But anything with fingerprints all over it=gross.

 

[TDoll]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KikiB That was DEFINITELY before my time, although last year we had the Twisted Peppermint in a bath fizzie and they sold like hotcakes since they were $3.50 each. The only place in my mall that sells those is ULTA, if I am not mistaken. As far as coming out with more, if they do it'll be a seasonal thing...it looks like they're phasing out the bubble baths because none of the new scents have them. But anything with fingerprints all over it=gross.

Yeah, they were in the cutest little bar-like set up and you picked them out yourself out of these tall glass jars with tongs and made your own little bags and put the little tag on them. It was awesome.
I noticed that today about the bubble baths! I noticed several scents didn't have them... well now I know!
It was funny, when we left LUSH, I was like, "I just want to go stick to my sanitary B&BW stuff that's all chemical-y". haha...I'm kidding. Y'alls stuff is really good. I got some of the Coconut Lime Verbena body butter and a whole bunch of wall flowers.

 

[badkittekitte]

i used to be really into lush but that was with a friend i no longer have, so when we ended our friendship..i kinda lost interest in the products and also when you dont make a lot of money you kinda have to chose between lush and mac..and as you can prolly guess mac won but they are currently doing retro lush and i have gained my desire back...hmmmm..sorry you were let down hun!

 

[Jinni]

Sorry you had a bad experience

I adore a lot of Lush products, but the smell in the store just kills me. SO overwhelming. I believe there is some hype surrounding the products, but there are also some really good stuff (I love their hair care and soaps). Because of the hype, people walk in there expecting miracles, and then end up being terribly disappointed. Not a good way to start.

I usually shop online or plan ahead, so I can just go in there and grab when I want (without trying it out). Trying to get an idea of the smell of the products is just impossible for me while in the store.

 

[florabundance]

some of my friends LOVE the smell of the store, but i find it so overpowering that i've avoided LUSH always

 

[Willa]

I feel the same as you my dear
I just can't enter the store, it gives me headaches!
And I really think it's too much for what it is.

For stuff like that, I prefer to buy online on http://www.cherriflip.com the girls are very sweet, if you have any problem you can send back for free and they'll ship anything you want back, plus some free stuff to try

 

[Krasevayadancer]

I can definitely relate. I just never bought into the lush hype. I much prefer my philosophy shower stuff- its subtle and smells yummy!

 

[ellienellie]

I agree hun. Their products are kinda blah to me. Not fantastic, not really crappy either. IMO they are a bit over hyped. But hey, maybe others find them wonderful. They just don't do much for me.

And when you enter the store, the smell HITS you like a slap in the face. I mean it's not a bad smell, just too many different things going on and very overpowering. And whenever I've gone in, the sales staff were kinda pushy.....

I can certainly live without them!

 

[blueagave]

Not a big fan either. When I was first dating my boyfriend, I bought a Soft Coeur... and when I brought it back home to try it out on him, we both hated it so much that I ended up throwing it away.

...And this was after I had bought some shampoo from there that smelled like someone had thrown a bottle of beer at my head, a really lame yet expensive shower jelly, and an eggnog lip balm which was so disgustingly waxy and actually seeped into my mouth and made my throat hurt. Even after all the rave reviews I had heard, I realized that LUSH wasn't for me.

My roomate travels a lot for business, and whenever I pick her up at the airport, I usually have to pass by the LUSH store, and I instantly feel sick. It is sooooo overfragranced. If I'm near that too long I'm sure I'll get headaches.

 

[aziajs]

I love LUSH but I understand it's not for everyone.

 

[YvetteJeannine]

THANK YOU!!

Actually, I was going to start a thread about LUSH. I've never been to a store, never even seen one of their products in person (but I have online)..But on all the beauty forums (Specktra included) I've been on, LUSH is put on a pedestal..raved and raved and raved about!

Then, last week, my husband and I were at the Mohegan Sun Casino (Montville, Connecticut) shopping area, and I spotted a newer LUSH store (it wasn't there last time we went last year)...I said "Matt..Matt...oooohh...I gotta buy something!!". I was SO excited to finally be able to shop at LUSH! Then, we went in. Right away, I was accosted by this terrible smell; I can't describe it..It was the smell of bath products for sure..but NOT a good smell..Skunky, yucky... I looked around, and couldn't have been MORE dissapointed! Everything was REDICULOUSLY OVERpriced...Now, I'll pay quite a bit for beauty products of all kinds; IF they're worth it. I didn't see ONE thing in there that was worth half the price they were asking.

I smelled things and looked at things...In MY opinion, everything freakin' STUNK! EWWWWW!!! Yuck. I was literally getting physically ill in there. My husband said he had to get out of there. HE was getting ill too!

I bought ONE thing (just because I felt like I HAD to give it a chance and buy SOMETHING)...A $12.00 massage bar. I had it in my bedroom in the bag. It melted. There was nothing in the cellophane wrapper but $12.00 mush! And it stunk!

Anyway, with all the hype out there on LUSH products, I was SO severely dissapointed...that's not even the word...Crushed!!!! NEVER again will I even step foot into a LUSH store!!!! The Body Shop is it for me, baby....AND TBS has the fair trade program..so I'm helping a cause when I buy from them...And, yes...TBS is a bit pricey..but not NEARLY as expensive as LUSH stuff....OMG....I was stunned. Anyway, that's my opinion...I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way!!! Like I said, I too was going to put up a thread..but I had the fear my home would be burned down or something