Do you want some crack, little girl?

[hackthis_archive]

Dear Lush-philes.

Approximately one month ago I asked for your advice regarding a little trip to Lush I planned to make. You all were EXCEEDINGLY helpful.

A little too helpful really.

Since that time I have made not one, not two, not three but FOUR trips to Lush. Yeah, you know, when I like something, I really like it (see: Nathan Petrelli). I have tried soaps and bath bombs and bubble bars and lotion and more soap and melting bars and shower jellies -- no, that's actually still in the freezer -- exfoliators and pretty much anything else I can get my hands on.



a) LUSH IS A FUCKING CRACK DEN! Much like Target or TopShop or Selfridges or H&M. Crack den. Has anyone ever gone to Lush and only bought one thing? I highly fucking doubt it. I sure as hell haven't.

b) I will not tell you how much $$ I've spent at Lush, but suffice to say that it's been entirely too much. I have not matched raveninithewind's $140 in one sitting, but I see how that could easily happen.

c) BATH BOMBS ARE LETHAL. I have tried Avobath, Waving Not Drowning, Dream On, Tea and Sympathy, Big Blue and Butterball -- I have Blackberry, All the Jasmine and Sakura waiting in the wings. I owe thepouncer a drink for telling me about Big Blue, because seaweed plus ocean coloured water is like -- it's like a vacation in the bathtub. Sadly, the smell of Waving Not Drowning and Dream On both turned me off once they were in the tub -- hell, they turned me off so badly I pulled the plug on the drain. I do like Avobath and Tea and Sympathy though: green water and tea bags in my water are pretty awesome. Butterball I was pretty ambivalent about. I expected more from it, but you know for the most part I see that Bath Bombs are the cocaine in the crack den of LUSH.

d) Bubble Bars. I have procured Comfortable, Amandopondo, Karma and Sunny Side. I have Ma Bar, Bathos and Pop in the Bath on deck. Overall the Bubble bars haven't impressed me muchly. I know it's blasphemy to say this, but the Karma smell didn't do much for me, and while I loved that Comfortable left the water pink, I was just sort of meh when it was over. I like Amandopondo, but I'm not sure about the roses smell, Sunny Side though was fucking AWESOME. Yeah, okay gold glitter in the bath, but it's not a lot and I just really enjoyed it, so yay for that one.

e) corinna_5 and ethrosdemon, I do like the Dream Cream quite a bit, but the container is rather small for the price, so I just keep getting samples instead ;)

f) I bought the Nude Luxury Bath Melt, except I bought it under the assumption that it was a soap, so you can imagine my irritation when it disappeared three seconds into my bath. So not going there again.

g) You all were all about the soap: Karma, Demon in the Dark, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Happy. So, I tried them all. Yeah, again Karma didn't impress me. aphelant and wyoluvr, I know you swear by it, but so not for me. I won't even go into the Demon in the Dark fiasco (sameoldhope I'm still scarred), but that smell really didn't work for me. And the wax wrapper? Ari save me.

I did like the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which smelled lovely, but it kept ending up down the drain, and that's entirely too much money for down the drain. As much as the soaps are pretty and smell good, I'll stick with Lever 3000.

h) I do have a chunk of Deep Sleep Shower Jelly in my freezer, and as soon as I use it, I will let you know my thoughts. The first time I touched it though I recoiled, because really? Wiggly and slippery? Only during sex, please -- and yet it was strangely compelling, so I had to buy it.

i) I also have a Massage Bar at home. I'll let you know about that as well.

j) belladonnalin, I am so enamoured of Coalface it is the only thing I have bought every time I go to Lush. Yes, I know what I said about soaps not being worth it, but this soap? WORTH IT. It's a little abrasive for the face, but for the neck, shoulders and back of someone who runs? AWESOME.

Have I forgotten anything?

Oh yes.

Buffy the Backside Slayer. Well, is there anything left to say about a bar that's so good and brutal that you can buy it in double its own size just to exfoliate your ass to your heart's content? Exactly. It's the shit. I see why everybody swears by it. After using it Schnuggle was a big let down. I could've just used lotion instead of that.

Overall though, I have to say that I am a Lush believer now. I still have lots of things I want to try out much to the chagrin of my pocketbook. So you know, thanks to you lot. THANKS A FREAKING LOT! :)


Love,
hackthis

Comments

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

Vacation in the bathtub is the perfect description of Big Blue. No wonder I love it so.

And I managed to get out of Lush with one (1) bath bomb once, but I was coming off a total spending freeze and that felt like a huge splurge.

[miss-saigon.livejournal.com]

Ha! Your last post hitting people up for Lush recs, inspired me to check the site out myself so I totally blame you for the fact that I've also been spending way too much time/money over at Lush.com. If you like the big blue bath bomb you should try the blue skies bubble bar. The bubbles are nice, not amazing, but the smell is awesome, particularly when mixed with part of the big blue bath ballistic. Also, I completely agree with you that Buffy rules and I'm going to try the Sunny Side bath bomb off of your recommendation when I make my next order:)

[askmehow.livejournal.com]

As much as the soaps are pretty and smell good, I'll stick with Lever 3000.
Ah, but have you tried Honey, I Washed the Kids? That's quite divine. (Though perhaps I'm not the best advocate: I do like Karma an awful lot.)

Also, at the risk of tempting you further, I'd also recommend the Mask of Magnaminty (facial scrub) and the Catastrophe mask: it's my hangover-face cure, and it's sheer genius.

[wyoluvr.livejournal.com]

i'm more fond of the Karma perfume than anything else in that scent.

i proudly admit that i've never gone into Lush and come out with JUST what i went in there for. long live Lush!

[vylit.livejournal.com]

I haven't bought anything yet, but I've been spending a lot of time staring at Coalface (hispanic = oily), Romance in the Stone, the Happy Pill, and Avobath.

I've found that my addiction to perfume in the last two months means that I've tried over 70 scents from bpal, so I understand the CRACK thing.

[graycastle.livejournal.com]

tell me, has anyone told you about BPAL (http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com)? Because Lush is a gateway-drug to BPAL. I'm just sayin. In an innocent fashion.

I am a bath bomb addict, I tell you

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

I can't do soap (my skin is too dry/reacts by breaking out). I think it's why I like the Butterball bath bomb, not for the scent, but the fact that my skin doesn't feel two sizes too small after an hour long soak.

I like a few of the bubble bars, especially the glittery ones, but I can't use much of a bar, or use a bubble bar too often, because they dry my skin out.

Two new finds for my hands and feet in the shower: Lemony Flutter cuticle butter slathered on, followed by a scrub with Ocean Salt Facial scrub. It makes my extremities so soft when I do this once a week. But that vodka and citrus-laced facial scrub can't go near my face (I can't believe anyone can use it for the face), although I have used it on my knees and elbows to exfiliate.

I hit Lush a week ago to the tune of $73. *sigh*

I've also discovered the bath bombs at BLISS Soaps, a local Seattle shop, which are cheaper, and a bit less pungent before using than the Lush ones. I bought two bags full ($47) this week and am going to try out a couple this weekend:
http://stores.blisssoap.com/Categories.bok?category=Jumbo+Bath+Bombs

[breeamal.livejournal.com]

Try Blue Dragon Beauty (http://www.bluedragonbeauty.com) if you want to go all natural and support your friend's list :)

[aphelant.livejournal.com]

I'm sad that Karma didn't work out for you, but I TOTALLY WARNED YOU ABOUT 'DEMON IN THE DARK', lol! THAT SHIT IS CRAZY AND WAXY. I'm going to have to try 'Buffy the Backside Slayer', it sounds like just what I need. :D

[liseuse.livejournal.com]

I think the only Karma product I really like is the shampoo bar they do in it. And that's only because my hair really likes it. The smell I can take or leave, but I do love shiny hair.

Now I want to go to Lush, and we don't have one here. Which is possibly a good thing because I have no money.

Oooh! You should try Villainess (http://www.villainess.net/) next.

if you run out of crack...

[kudra2324.livejournal.com]

i am a huge fan of the figs and leaves soap (it seems to last longer than other body soaps, although i do peel the leaves off so as to avoid clogging the bathtub), ultrabland (best nighttime facial cleanser ever!), and celestial (i have never used a more amazing moisturizer on my face).

::runs away::

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Hee, welcome to the addiction.

I did once purchase only one thing at a Lush, but it was 2000 ml of Snow Fairy bath gel, so it probably doesn't count. And they gave me three bath bombes free with purchase.

[bbmarcello.livejournal.com]

I have to cross the street - I don't have the money for my massage bar addiction right now!

[romancandles.livejournal.com]

We have a Lush here--but not where I live in the US, oddly. I am always distracted by it because it LOOKS LIKE CANDY but I am too afraid to enter because I hear how addictive it is. Also, I'm allergic to flowery smelling things.

[ethrosdemon.livejournal.com]

You are such a princess.

I love Bathos products because I love the smell of violets. The real smell, not the chemical smell so much labelled "violet" actually is.

I personally hate Karma because it smells like hippies.

I use all the things like smell like the ocean myself.

[redfirecracker.livejournal.com]

CRACK DEN! Much like Target

OMG, do not even MENTION the word "Target" in front of me. It's like a black hole of time, space, and money.

It happens all the time. I'll go in there for laundry detergent, light bulbs, and dog biscuits, and the next thing I know I've spent three hundred dollars, four hours, and my feet are killing me.

I'm actually happy that I'm allergic to Lush products. I really don't need one more store to suck me in. :)