Shop Tour at Lush Oxford Street in London, UK
Words, photos and video will never be able to begin to describe or convey my phenomenal experience at the LUSH Oxford Street store in London. I've gotten to shop the Newport Beach and Las Vegas location but this UK flagship location is on another level (and that's an understatement), and rightfully so, being the world's largest Lush shop. It is no surprise that the store would have 3 floors filled to the brim with every Lush item you could ever want including In-Store exclusives; a Gorilla Perfume Gallery, Listening Station and Spa.
Upon arriving in London, I immediately went to the Lush Oxford Street store (which I could smell it's scrumptious-ness a block down the road), and was greeted by the lovely Becca (who bestowed me with an exclusive store tote filled with best-selling goodies) and Julie who chatted with me before I was swooped up by Sonja for my Synesthesia treatment in the Lush Spa (read about the treatment).
After my treatment, Amalia and Sophia took me into the wonderful world of perfumes in the Gorilla Gallery which has two installations dedicated to the The President's Hat & Stayin' Alive fragrances.This wasn't a simple 'take a whiff of this perfume',
it was being transported into another time and place and experiencing the perfume through sights, sounds, smells, and touch. Each perfume is derived from a significant story or event, and the Gorilla Gallery reveals that through all encompassing room installations in which you can truly be apart of the fragrance. I traveled from a Parisian cafe for The President's Hat to the groovy and flashy Saturday Night Fever world of Stayin' Alive (we definitely got down and showed off our disco moves which you can see below - there's a photo 'booth' to capture the moment) . I was completely enraptured by Amalia's story telling of each perfume and her sheer knowledge and passion for each fragrance, she also guided me through a curation of other Gorilla Perfumes to find my own scent, I settled on Decay & Decadence and Breath of God.
My shop tour was conducted by Julie whom I had met at the very beginning of my visit; we started on the bottom floor as that is where I had had my Lush Spa treatment and finished the Gorilla Gallery tour. I was introduced to the Solid Massage Bar display; all the solid massage bars are made from a yummy blend of essentials oils and moisturizing butters like Fair Trade Organic Cocoa butter and Fair Trade Shea butter. The massage bars warm up to body temperature andmelt on the skin, yielding a highly moisturizing and conditioning result. I had to pick up the Pearl Bar because it is my all my all-time fave rose jam scent, I hadn't used a massage bar before this but Sonja at the Lush Spa had used a massage bar for my full body massage and I actually preferred it over hot stones or hand massage with essential oils or lotions. I have used my Pearl Bar at least once a week and now it's almost gone. I just love how my skin feels and smells after using the bar, and also depending on which bar is used, it can serve as therapy to relieve sore and achy muscles.
We made our way up to the top floor and once the elevator doors opened I was in Bath Bomb heaven; it was absolutely glorious. We did a bath bomb demo in the sink using the Intergalactic, I just love the #bathart that is created with rainbow colors and deep glittering blue waters, then Julie assisted me in picking out bath bombs exclusive to Oxford Street or that I wouldn't be able to get in the States. I was also introduced to Luxury Bath Oils (Melts) which I saw a very limited selection of back at my home Lush store, but at Oxford Street there was an abundance of Luxury Bath Oils.
As the name would suggest, these melts are packed with moisturizing butters and oils; I'm not as keen on the Bath Oils/Melts because most do feel more oily to the touch. However, this is a great alternative to using a bath bomb or bubble bar if you want to have a nice long soak in luxurious scents and reap the benefits of the decadent oils for soft skin. I took home the Cloak of Invisibility (read my experience here) and Dreamtime bath oils (which I can't wait to enjoy the relaxing and soothing chamomile and lavender oils).
On my way over to an entire section dedicated to Fun - a multi-purpose moldable soap (along with being used as soap, fun can also be used for bubble baths or as shampoo and the colors are so vibrant, as well, 2.5% of sales goes to a good cause), I grabbed a handful of Bubble Bars. Compared to a Bath Bomb or Bath Oil, you are going to get heaps and heaps of bubbles with a Bubble Bar. I again only picked up exclusives to the Oxford Street location, and am most excited to use the reusable Cherry Blossom and Flowering Tea.
To finish my shop tour, we headed downstairs to the main level. I didn't get a chance to demo skincare, but I loved seeing customers getting facials and mini treatments done as well as perusing the beautiful face mask display. I did get to swatch a few makeup products, which I've been on the hunt for all natural, cruelty-free and ethical cosmetic products. I took home the Feeling Younger Skin Tint which I hear makes for a wonderful highlighter, and a lipstick in Just. I was pleasantly surprised at the high pigment of each product whether eye or lip; the color was just so rich and vibrant. I also could feel the quality of the product as I swatched onto my hand, for example, the liquid eyeliner applied smoothly, seamlessly, and was also smudge-proof.
Just before heading to check out, I grabbed a couple shampoo bars and a few slices of soaps from what seemed like the back wall completely overtaken by a sea of soaps. I like that each item is wrapped and secured with a label of what the item is, the ingredients and how to use it. I was also informed that it helps with going through the airport security check in my baggage if everything is clearly labeled. And they were right, because I packed my Lush haul into my carry-on and was not stopped at the security check point....hurrah!
To bring this almost 5 hour Lush UK journey to a close, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart to the Lush Oxford Street team for creating such an unparalleled experience for me. I wish I was closer as I would be attending the store events and programming, but hopefully I'll get to visit (and shop) again soon, and if you're visiting London you must must must not only stop in (give yourself a couple hours) to see everything that this Lush mega store has to offer but also book a treatment at the Lush Spa. Not only do Lush products contribute to a better way of living with bodycare, but everyone that contributes to making a Lush product also benefits from the more ethical, greener and sustainable process- all products are cruelty-free, using the freshest ingredients that are ethically sourced, is 100% Vegetarian, handmade with love and has 'Naked!' packaging (using minimal amounts of packaging in the stores and recycling packaging by having incentive programs for customers to bring in empty pot/packages).
I'm hoping to get a video together of my Lush shop tour so you can really see the store at a more tangible perspective, as well, although I've used a handful of the items I brought home, I still have quite a few items I'd like to do a sort of 'Lush Hual' video with.
Are you a lushie? What are you favorite products? And if you've gotten to shop or are a regular at the Oxford Street store, how was your experience?!
LUSH OXFORD STREET
175 - 179 Oxford Street
London W1D 2JS
Contact
020 7789 0001
oxford.st@lush.co.uk
Operating Hours
Monday10:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday10:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday10:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday10:00am - 9:00pm
Friday10:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday10:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday11:30am - 6:00pm
