Synaesthesia at Lush Spa, Oxford Street London
I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into with the Synaesthesia treatment at the Lush Spa when visiting the flagship store at London Oxford Street. I read a couple reviews very briefly and picked up that this was an all-encompassing mind and body sensory-spa experience of words, sounds, smells, colors and such. I will share my experience to the best of my memory (as I did fall asleep during the massage due to my state of deep relaxation), if you do plan to experience Synaesthesia and want to keep it a complete surprise, do not read any further!
Upon arriving at the Lush store, I made my way down to the bottom floor to check into the spa with Becca (who coordinated my visit, she is the sweetest) and she gave me an exclusive Lush Oxford Street tote filled with goodies and introduced me to Julie who chatted with me before my massage therapist Sonja was ready to bring me into the spa for my consultation.
By far, Lush Spa is on of the most unique, mind easing and humbling spa experiences; it is unlike anything and spas I've ever been to. My one on one time with Sonja alone was one of the most personal (not intrusive) and stand out consultations accompanying a spa treatment; Sonja had me sit down at the dining table and the entire space was modeled like an English countryside kitchen; she then asked me how my trip was going (as she knew I had been traveling prior to arriving in London) and poured me a refreshing glass of cucumber lemon water.
A Quintessentially English Spa with A Sense of Adventure Benefits:
Choose how you want to feel for a unique experience each time.
Transform your state of mind.
Boost your circulation and engage the senses.
Practicalities:
Personalised, full-body, multi-sensory massage treatment.
Choose from 11 behaviours to set the tone of your experience. 80 minutes + approximately 20 minutes consultation time.
Level of nakedness: 3/3 - Down to your underwear, beneath a cosy sheet.
Sonja explained how the treatment was a personalized, transformative journey through massage, sounds and fragrance centered around a feeling or mood that I wanted to walk away from the treatment with; then she motioned to a chalk wall full of words and asked me to choose a word that stood out. I chose 'energized', and she had me write the word on a small chalkboard as she grabbed the Energized massage bar from a jar and directed me to the massage room in the back. She also had me select a colored bottle that had a word written on an attached tag; I chose 'Achievement'.
Prior to starting my treatment, I took a quick trip to the restroom and it was just filled with the yummiest Lush goodies (naturally stocked with Lush, see pic below; I wanted to try everything on the counters). This particular treatment was an 80 minute full-body message, which means I would undress down to my underwear. The treatment room was a relaxing and welcoming place; dimmed and illuminated by candlelight.
Sonja filled the room with the fragrance 'Achievement' through a beaker overflowing with a type of mist/fog. As she started my massage at my head and moved downwards using the Energized massage bar of citrus notes, the flow of the pressure from her hands was much more continuous because she doesn't have to stop to apply oil to her hands; the room filled with the unique sounds of the Dorset coast like chirping birds, bells ringing and trains intertwined with orchestra music composed by Lush.
As I mentioned earlier, I drifted off into a deep, relaxed sleep; and during the massage it was as if my mind was moving with the sounds and I was fully immersed in my surroundings. Afterwards, I met Sonja in the sitting room and she poured me a cup of tea which I enjoyed with fruit. She then gifted me with an Energized massage bar and bath bar. I can't rave enough about my entire experience; my interactions with the Lush staff and Sonja, my massage treatment and post treatment tea time was absolutely lovely and exactly what I needed to bring me to the right state of mind to enjoy the rest of my vacation in London. I wish I was much closer to this Lush Spa, but I am SO thankful for this opportunity, stay tuned for my Lush Oxford Street store tour! If you're looking to book a treatment, see the US and UK locations below!
Lush Spa UK Locations: Bath, Edinburgh, Kingston, Leeds, London | Chelsea, London | Oxford St, Liverpool, Poole
SYNAESTHESIA DESCRIPTION Seasons of massage and sensory delirium fuelled by the way you want to feel. Here’s a mind cleanser. Take an 80 minute journey deep within, choreographed by acres of coastline, birdsong and the power of words. It’s the scent of magic, confidence and esteem: a unique language of music, fine essential oils and full body massage which engages and merges all your senses, sending you into a rapture of storybook imagery and immersive sensations. Ponder this tremendous scene, this whole experiment of enlightened green as the peal of distant bells rings out. Hot sunlight, lush fields, going back in time - laughter wings away like butterflies, all sweet, green humour and glorious mornings. Energised. Uninhibited: the earth is turning, burning, giving you life. Perspective. Peace. Find yourself on the hillside watching the sky darken and turn to night in Hardy’s country, where the roll of the world eastward is almost a palpable movement and massage is exquisite poetry. Enjoy the panorama: all delight of human sense exposed in this composition of your own making and experience, never the same and never predictable. Welcome to Xanadu, where gardens are bright with sinuous rills,and blossoms many an incense-bearing tree; where soundscapes of slow motion ring out, tuning your mind into a deep state of relaxation, taking you from evening to night to dawn and day once more. You’ve tumbled down the rabbit hole with Alice, dived into a verdant fantasia, stepped into a vortex of imagination where your body is a landscape made in the mind.
