Carisser WeeAfter an absence of over a decade, LUSH returns to Singapore to regain its place among the seemingly endless list of stores retailing body, hair and beauty products, including The Body Shop, L’occitane, Crabtree & Evelyn, The Face Shop and Etude House.
LUSH prides itself on products that are fresh, handmade, vegetarian and organic. As its name denotes, its products not only leave your hair and skin luscious and beautiful, but they do all that in an authentic and eco-friendly way.
One of the 3 partners, May, tells UrbanWire, “We believe in everything behind the product and not just the product itself.” Other company beliefs (making their mums proud, or filling the world with perfume) are printed on each paper bag that stores your purchases.
Available in over 30 countries worldwide. May observed that locals are frequent travellers who are “more aware of what it’s about and how great the products are”. In fact, the partners who brought the brand back weren’t even aware of the 2 outlets of the store that used to exist in Suntec City and Isetan Orchard!
Picking out items were a challenge as avid fans of the brand swarmed the flagship store at Wisma Atria within hours of its opening on Dec 2. Upon entering, the sweet scent of LUSH’s concoctions hits you – very much like the aroma of freshly-baked cookies does each time you walk past a Famous Amos shop.
Special effort is taken to create original recipes for fragrances and body products. On top of that, all of them are freshly handmade using only vegetarian ingredients selected from ethical sources to adhere to the brand’s notion of “creative buying”. What’s interesting to note is that the LUSH team lets you in on who made the product, even including a graphic of the person.
Other ‘green’ initiatives include recycling the bottles and black pots – reducing the waste produced, and carbon, water and energy consumed – through their environmental policy “The Green Hub”, and giving back to the society by charities. Of course, Animal Testing is definitely a big “no-no”.
Take a bath, or shower
With our insanely busy schedules, most Singaporeans don’t have the luxury of taking a relaxing and long bath. Now LUSH’s range of bath goodies – from bubble bars to bath bombs – give us an incentive to do so.
Drop a Bath Bomb (fizzles like a can of soda) or Bubble Bar (for a bubble bath) into your bathtub and enjoy the fragrant and soothing pampering as each one releases a combination of moisturising ingredients that leave your skin supple or glowing after each bath.
Fancy bars dusted with gold glitter, coated with ‘icing’ and sprinkled with rainbow flecks, or pierced with a tiny flower, will tempt you into purchasing at least one jazzed up bar each time you enter the store (approx. $12 per bar).
The most practical option for a shower is the bar soaps displayed in huge blocks, sold by weight (approx. $9/100g). May advises consumers to “store the soaps in the fridge” when not in use, to avoid them from melting in the humidity and heat. Just make sure your brother doesn’t snack on it one night.
UrbanWire recommends Porridge for a gentle daily exfoliation (if you don’t mind the bits of maroon pinhead oat shells left in your wake), and Figs and Leaves for a slightly musky scent (you’ll find actual leaves and fig seeds in this one).
For the majority of us who are accustomed to 15-minute showers, LUSH has plenty of variations in store. The Shower Jellies and Smoothies smell as delicious as they sound and come in a wide range of flavours, each with various moisturing or fragrant qualities. “It’s Raining Men” and “Grass” are a few names of the Shower Gels that stand out from the lot of catchy names. The former smells sweetly of honey and toffee, while the latter literally smells of the grass on fields.
Let down your hair
You’ll be hard pressed to find the variety of shampoos that LUSH offers. The shampoo gels, bars and slushies cater to a wide range of hair types, from dry to added volume and shine.
All over
Our skin requires post-bath or shower pampering on a daily basis (weekly for you lazy bums). The Body Tints and Dusting Powders add an extra tinkle and radiance to your complexion and body. In addition to their shelves of moisturising products for hair, skin and pretty much every other part of the body, their Body Butters and Massage Bars create an almost therapeutic nourishing experience for the skin. Try the Body Butter “Buffy”, made of ground almonds, rice and aduki beans that helps to even out any bumps on your skin and gets rid of dead skin.
Feed your skin!
On top of the products that fit the basic 3-step facial routine – cleanse, tone and moisturise – treat yourself to LUSH’s best-selling Fresh Face Masks. Displayed in metal bowls filled with a creamy paste, accompanied by the raw versions of key ingredients included (avocado stalks and banana slices), they can easily be mistaken for a sumptuous yogurt feast. The seemingly edible goodness is handmade weekly and should be stored for no longer than 3 weeks and finished within 4 months.
Smell Me
If you love the fragrances from any of the above products and wish you could wear it the entire day, try the Gorilla Perfumes at LUSH. Fit a stick (approx. $17) in your purse for a mid-day refresher, or opt for the conventional spray perfumes (approx. $60).
All of the ingredients used and products not handmade locally are shipped in from UK in Air Freight containers and kept in air-conditioned rooms day and night. Based on the amazing turnout on the opening, we can expect more LUSH delights around town. Besides expansion plans, there is talk of working with local companies such as the World Wildlife Fund to “help Singapore to become more green” through campaigns.
LUSH can be located at Wisma Atria #B1-13, 435 Orchard Rd.