Not So LUSHious.
Feb 13, 2008 | Teri, editor, Beautiful Makeup Search While walking through Herald Square in New York City last week, the glimpse of the LUSH store caught my eye. I quickly ushered Shannon and Christina across the street so we could check out the little shop.
Now, I should preface this by saying that I have used some LUSH products and I have loved what I have tried. Now I am a little worried about just how natural the products are, from the way too natural - un-protected environment. You see, you can touch and smell just about everything in the store. And many of the products are unwrapped - meaning that what you are touching and smelling and possibly buying may have been touched and smelled by countless others first. Hmm.
What puzzled me the most was this little facial bar, almost like a salad bar, adjacent to the wrap desk. In this bar were bowls (or buckets) of different creams. These creams are open to the air and the environment around them. Open to people that are maybe sticking their fingers into, talking over, and maybe even sneezing above! And these creams are scooped or mixed and put into containers specifically for the customers at their request.
For the same reason I loathe salad bars, I am not liking this method one bit. Maybe I am wrong and these creams along with the bars and bath bombs that are strewn all over the store are safe and protected. But it seemed all too natural in the very real environment.
Is it just me or does this make you think twice?
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Reader Comments (5)
They're not supposed to get the masks out of the bowls like that. O.o I believe they're not even supposed to give out samples from the bowls. The bowls are supposed to be for looking at and smelling the masks, and the actual sell-able ones are in a fridge in the store. I've used the masks several times before but I'd never use anything that was left out in a bowl like that. >.< And I read something about it on the Lush forums too and I think some of the SA's came on and said they weren't allowed to sell masks from the bowls.
I believe those bowls are out for show - the masks come prepackaged and are not loaded up from the bowls. Also - how is this different at all from Sephora where all the testers are picked over as well?
I guess I am just not following the point of this post - it's not a review, and it's mostly just speculation. I read the blog often, and I quite enjoy it, but this isn't really in your usual style.
That sounds pretty unsanitary! I guess maybe it's better to look and test at the Lush stores and then order online, to make sure you're getting everything fresh and never-touched!
I used to work there, and the bar is just out so you can see the texture of the masks. The ones they actually sell are kept sealed in a refrigerator.
S--I was there with Teri and I too was a little taken aback by how everything was out for people to touch--unpackaged. Bowls with water that looked gross, jars of facial stuff open and people sticking their fingers into. I was grossed out. I have never tried LUSH's products and was so excited to go into the store to see everything up close, but didn't expect what you are buying is what is there for anyone's germs to peruse.
The sampling is the same as Sephora (I don't touch their samples for the same unsanitary reasons) however, the soaps for example, are unwrapped for you to purchase. At least in Sephora things you are buying--come packaged.
I think I'll only be ordering from LUSH online.