Tag - ethical cosmetics

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics was founded in 1995 by Mark Constantine, Liz Weir, Mo Constantine, Helen Ambrosen, Rowena Bird and Paul Greaves in Poole, England. The story goes that the group held a contest for naming the company. One customer suggested “lush,” which is defined as being fresh, green, verdant and drunken women. The name stuck and has been the household name for years. The first U.S. store opened in San Francisco in 2003. There are now over 200 stores in the U.S., which are being supplied by two cosmetic kitchens in Canada.

The environmentally green brand recently opened a branch at Memorial City Mall…well…more like re-opened, as they were originally in Macy’s. They opened up a larger space near the ice-skating rink to better serve their ever-growing clientele more efficiently. The Grand Opening event was rather crowded. The space was still small enough to where they could only let a certain amount of people in at a time. The first 100 people in line (and RSVP’d) received a limited edition tote bag. Associates handed out fresh juices from Juicy in the Sky, healthy energy bars and vegan snacks by Good Cravings to the guests anxiously waiting in line. Once in, I browsed the shelves of products in happy and naked packaging. I learned about their fresh face mask bar, which was definitely a new concept since the last time I had been in a LUSH store. The masks are made fresh daily and are preservative free. They also incorporate nutritious fruits, vegetables and the finest essential oils to soothe and rejuvenate the skin. The examples (clay with fruit) that they had for viewing only looked good enough to eat!

While there, I decided to get a skin consultation, where one of the expert associates gives you a one-on-one consultation on your skin and then chooses the best products that she/he thinks would be a great fit. Mary Alice was kind enough to help me and I enjoyed how she explained everything as she demonstrated each product she had chosen for me. The products chosen for my oily and acne-prone skin were: Ocean Salt facial and body cleanser, Coalface facial cleanser, Vanishing Cream moisturizer and Tea Tree Water.

It wasn’t a proper ending to an event without stopping by the shop’s photo booth! Say CHEESEEEEEEE!

Do you guys shop at LUSH? If so, what are your favorite products?