Searching for a Lush store is quite simple. Lift your head, sniff the air and follow your nose. At least that’s how I used to do it in London. I used to pick up stuff for friends and I knew there was a store in Covent Garden but wasn’t sure where, so I just sniffed the air and voila! It brought me right to the steps of the store, before I start sneezing. Boy! Lush stores do smell strong!
I’m not sure if it works the same way in Singapore, which is the closest place for us to get Lush handmade cosmetics. In fact we don’t even have to leave the country, because the online Lush Singapore store ships internationally. Don’t all stampede over there now yes? At least finish reading my post first 😉
I was recently sent a couple of Lush items to try, and also told about the international shipping thing. Like searching for the store, you will know when your Lush package is here. The distinctive scent emanating from within the box is all you need to know!
The last few times I was in London, I picked up some of the soap bars to try, but I eventually learnt that my favourite Lush item is the Happy Hippy shower gel. I never reviewed it did I? Darnit! Its good stuff! It smells gloriously of citrus and grapefruit and is such a happy scent. I used to buy the little 100ml bottles so I could carry them around with me. I can’t even stock it up because these things have little preservatives and will expire quite quickly. So, its good to know I can now get it closer to home 🙂 So what did I end up with this time? 2 very interesting products – Karma Komba solid bar shampoo and Angels on Bare Skin.
Karma Komba Solid Shampoo – S$19.50/55g
Solid shampoo – how very fascinating!
Until I read the instructions on the label, I honestly thought this was a bar of soap! I somehow like that its green and there is a strong fresh orange and slightly musky patchouli smell to this. (Don’t worry, your hair does not turn green although it would be totally cool if it did!) Each Lush item is handmade, and so you can expect each item to look slightly different. Their soap bars are hacked off giant bars, depending on the weight you want (they are sold by weight) so its all very rough and ready and natural looking.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to like this one very much. I tried a solid shampoo once that left my hair feeling like straw. Karma Komba however didn’t. I deliberately did not use a conditioner after shampooing, and my hair didn’t feel dry even after using it for about a week straight. That’s quite impressive.
Also its really easy to use. The instructions say to wet your hair and rub the bar 3 times around your head and lather. That’s so mystical – what if I rubbed 4 times? Maybe my hair will fall off. Whilst a cute idea, I opted not to do so, and just rub it in my hands and then rub the foam into my hair. It will lather up some more on your hair, and washes out nicely and cleanly. Hair and scalp feels clean and my hair did feel very nice.
If you don’t leave it in your shower, and store it properly it will dry out and like soap, it can last you quite a while. I seem to have gotten the hang of it, so I can see myself using this again. What I’d like to do the next time I travel, is to hack off a small bit and take it along with me. It takes up less space, doesn’t flout the airline carry on liquid requirements, and would be easy to pack, while smelling good. Winning all around!
Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), Cocamide DEA (Cocamide DEA), Perfume (Perfume), Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Lavandin Oil (Lavandula hybrida), Pine Oil (Pinus syvestris), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus), Elemi Oil (Canarium commune), Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Citral (Citral), Geraniol (Geraniol), Citronellol (Citronellol), *Limonene (*Limonene), *Linalool (*Linalool), Colour 42045 (Colour 42045), Roman Chamomile Flowers (Anthemis nobilis)
Angels on Bare Skin – S$21.50/100g
I must confess that I’d never heard of this bestselling Lush product. I must also confess that I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with it as the tub had just a plain label on it with ingredients and nothing else. Was I supposed to use it to shower? As a body lotion? As a body scrub? Could I EAT it? Tell me it doesn’t look like oatmeal 😛 It even smelled yummy to me, smelling of orange peel. That was the one scent that struck my nose.
It turns out that Angels on Bare Skin is a FACE cleanser! Did you guess that? Could have fooled me! I had to resort to looking it up on the website to see what it was for LOL!
The other problem I had is that the website does not tell you how to use this product so I then resorted to the all-mighty Google and it was very simple.
- Scoop out a tiny amount. I just pick out an amount roughly the size of a small coin. I learnt that you do not need very much. It feels a bit like raw dough.
- Add some water and it will turn white and start to melt.
- Rub your hands together and it will turn into something approximating a lotion with bits in it
- Apply on skin and gently rub in circles.
- Rinse and be amazed.
I must admit that the first time I tried it, I wasn’t super thrilled when I applied it to my skin. It felt a bit odd. It wasn’t slippery the way a face cleanser usually is, it doesn’t lather up and didn’t feel like it was making my skin very clean. But persevere because I promise you, the results are worth it.
When I rinsed off the product, I could not help touching my skin over and over because it felt baby smooth. Look in the mirror and your skin looks clearer, as if you had just taken an exfoliator to it, except that it feels lovely and dewy and moisturised and not dry. It feels like an angel’s kiss on bare skin. Seriously impressive.
The clean feeling can, I suppose be attributed to the Kaolin clay, and I don’t know why I smell orange peel because it isn’t in the list of ingredients. Lavender and Rose Oil is, but I don’t smell them. The bits in the product are dried Lavender flowers and I believe it performs an exfoliating function hence the super clean and smooth feel to skin.
I think this will travel well too. Just grab a little bit of it, stick it in a little baggie and you’re good for a few days. I was a little worried about using it daily because of the exfoliating properties, but I tried it anyway. I don’t use it in the morning because it does feel like a bit more work, so I use it in the evening as part of my double cleansing routine.
Personally, I don’t think this does that great a job if you do not first remove all your makeup. It is not a makeup remover. However, as part of a double cleansing routine, it feels lovely and although used everyday, not drying at all!
Ingredients: Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine (Glycerine), Kaolin (Kaolin), Water (Aqua), Lavender Oil ((Lavandula angustifolia)), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Tagetes Oil (Tagetes minuta), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre), Lavender Flowers (Lavandula angustifolia), *Limonene (*Limonene), *Linalool (*Linalool)
In a nutshell
Lush is a brand of fresh handmade cosmetics from the UK. They are famous for their handmade soaps and bath bombs, and also their Gorilla perfume. My personal favourite is the Happy Hippy shower gel. Of the 2 items I tried recently – Karma Komba and Angels on Bare Skin, I would be more likely to repurchase Angels on Bare Skin simply because I think its absolutely lovely to use, and my skin seems happy with it. I quite like the Karma Komba solid shampoo but it takes some getting used to and although I think it very useful for travel, I don’t quite travel enough these days. Otherwise, this was quite a brilliant reintroduction to Lush.
Pros: Karma Komba solid shampoo did not dry out hair or scalp and left hair feeling clean, Angels on Bare Skin face cleanser left skin feeling like a baby’s bottom!
Cons: Karma Komba solid shampoo can be fiddly if you aren’t used to it, Angels on Bare Skin face cleanser can be hard to get the hang of initially and is a bit messy to use because of the bits, Shipping is rather pricey
Who will like this: Angels on Bare Skin for anyone who wants to try a face wash that cleanses and exfoliates without leaving skin dry, Karma Komba for anyone who wants to try a shampoo that doesn’t dry out hair or scalp and is very travel friendly
There is so much at Lush now that’s new. I used to remember only their soap bars and bath bombs being very popular. I tried a Porridge soap that I liked on my skin, but which I think didn’t do well in our warm weather. Generally, most of the products are quite strongly scented and if you like sweet scents, there is a veritable storeful of products to choose from. If you aren’t quite a fan of strong sweet food scents (and I’m not) there is also a selection available, just a little smaller. It will please you then to know that neither of the products I have featured here have strong sweet food scents 🙂 Shopping online has its benefits, provided you know what you want. Sometimes the smell in store can be quite overwhelming. The basement of the Covent Garden store floors me everytime 😛
Have you tried either Karma Komba or Angels on Bare Skin? Do you have a favourite item from Lush?
Mine is, as I’ve said over and over, Happy Hippy shower gel. If you like citrus scents you will love it. As I mentioned right at the top, the Lush Singapore online store ships to Malaysia and internationally. They use UPS so shipping is pretty pricey – ouch! 🙁 Shipping is based on weight so naturally, the more and heavier the items you order, the pricier it gets. The upside is that it gets to you quickly. Looks like my Happy Hippy purchase will have to wait. However, until 31 October 2012, there is free international shipping for purchases of S$200 and up so erm… get some friends together and make the most of it! 😉
Paris B
Lush Cosmetics Karma Komba Price: S$19.50/55g Angels on Bare Skin Price: S$23.50/100g Availability: Lushsg.com ships to Malaysia and internationally
The Angels on Bare Skin did look like food to me! I thought it looked like mashed up egg omellete or something, haha! Sounds really intriguing though, I am tempted to try 🙂
As for Karma Komba, I noted that their main ingredient is SLS, so I don’t think I will try that.
LOL!! I honestly thought it was supposed to go on my body you know and yes it even smells like food – to me 😀
I didn’t know Singapore has a Lush store! Having tried out most Lush products (yes I’m a little mad), I used to Google the location of Lush stores prior to visiting the area and sniff my way there, just like you :p I found their cleansers a little troublesome to use but Angels on Bare Skin did work well for me. Should you get your hands on any other Lush products, try dabbing some Fresh Farmacy cleanser onto zits and leave it overnight. It dries those pests out rather well!
LOL!! Trust the nose! 😀 Yes, Lush came into Singapore about a year ago I think but I somehow don’t remember seeing the stores when I was there – not sure why! Thanks for the rec for Fresh Farmacy 😀
My favourite is their Ro’s Argan body conditioner! Love it to bits, like how hair conditioner makes your hair really smooth, that is what it does to your skin! However, some may not like it due to the strong scent of rose but I am definitely a fan! 😀
It’s one of my favorite too! Scent wise, I don’t find it that strong though. And i’m someone who gets those perfume induced headache.
Sounds absolutely lovely! I must take a sniff at it – I like the scents of fresh roses but not heavily perfumed ones
i loveeeeeee their bath bombs so much!!!!! but singapore lush store price is quite expensive compared to other countries, i wish we have one here in malaysia, sigh~
It would be nice to have a store locally won’t it? I do note the pricing but then there’s a price to pay to have them come in fresh and available relatively near to us, I suppose 😉
I like Angels on Bare Skin, too. Its a lovely cleanser and does work, exactly as you described! The only reason I stopped using it is because I found something that works equally well for me, but without having to rinse lavender petals out of my sink. LUSH’s products do have that genuine “handmade” feel, but unfortunately that often means they’re kind of messy!
Hmmm you have me intrigued – which is a comparable product sans lavender petals? 😀 And yes, messiness is the word – my experience with the Porridge soap taught me that
I was in Singapore over the weekend, but I never stepped foot into Wisma Atria… I would’ve liked to see these things in person. Oh well. Good to know.
Because of the smells, I do think it is wise to smell them first before taking the online plunge – many of the scents don’t really appeal to me or to me, seems a bit heavy for our weather. But lovely in cooler climates.
There was a time I was going out of lush with two full bags making sellers eyes pop out… But I realised soon what I really like 🙂
I tried most of their solid shampoos- I used to travel for some years almost every month and its so practical, smell great, doesnt take much space and it does what its supposed to do. Karma Komba and Seanik are my favourites. Now I dont use them too often, only when on holidays.
When its about Lush, I think they make bath bombs and bubble bars best.
I wasnt impressed with cleansers, shower gels, creams, peeling. No no no. Their bath stuff is awesome! Their bubble bars give the most creamy foam ever! I dont use other things, only lush for bath time 🙂 You cant go wrong with bubble bars- about bath bombs its more individual 😛
I love their fresh masks too. Catastrophe cosmetic and oatifix. I hated cupcake though. These cant be shipped though, I guess? You keep them in fridge etc. Most of them are super easy to do at home 😀
Their soaps tend to smell weird for me but my boyfriend adores Karma, which is exactly the same smell as the karma solid shampoo!
Ok, ended 😀 haha
HAHA Lush Addict alert! the SA must really love you 😉 I think the solid soaps would be excellent for travel too. Too bad I can’t just pop down to the store to pick it up when I want to travel, and they don’t keep well 🙁 I have heard a lot about the bubble bars too – not having a bath, no bath bombs for me (plus I tried one once and I didn’t like how it turns the water funny colours. I get really paranoid 😛 ) Thanks for all the recs, Catherine!
I want to try their henna hair dyes, fortunately there is a store in Mexico and i think they send to all the country.
They have hair dyes too? Awesome! Hope you get to try it soon! 😀
Lush! i love them and yay to Happy Hippy! It’s an awesome scent!
it’s a bummer since shipping’s exp >.< I'll just wait till I get over to some Lush stores. it's been a long long time since I've gotten any Lush stuff.
*ahem* dearie you do remember you have #evurl mule service from SG right? 😛
oops 😛 i think i forgot hahah
Yay Happy Hippy! Its just so fresh and happy LOL!
Each time I walk past the Lush store, I sneeze my head off >< I've tried some of the bath bombs before and was not entirely impressed but I'd love to be proven wrong! Once I get over the sneezing, of course…
I think the smell of individual products are ok for some of them, but when you put hundreds of strong smelling products in one small space, it can be very overwhelming. Too overwhelming. I almost passed out in the basement of the Covent Garden store 😛
I agree with you on Lush store scent. I was somewhere along Regent Street and looking for the store. The first thing I noticed was this lovely smell and right then I saw the store! I think it’s brilliant marketing strategy. But I can’t imagine being in the store itself. Oh yeah, did I mentioned I wasn’t able to get into the store?! *sob*sob*
oh I did some maths and comparing Lush UK and Singapore online store in terms of price+shipping, it’s better to order from Lush UK if you’re not aiming to get passed the S$200 mark!
Definitely true regarding the shipping price 🙂
I’ve ordered from lush Singapore website before and it took 2 days to reacch my home – very fast! I guess if you order from the uk website it would take much longer.
Hello Rahainah,
I’m a representative from Lush Singapore. Thank you for your comments, we will definitely look into our shipping prices to make it more favourable for our international customers 🙂
Can you imagine having to work in the store? OH boy! Why didn’t you manage to get into the store? What a pity!
I am 3/4 through my first tub of Angels on Bare Skin, and I don’t think I will repurchase. I love the smell, but find it too much work for a cleanser. I love the idea of using it as a “treat” on those days when I really take my time to wash my face, but the expiry date makes me paranoid and feel like I have to use it up quickly.
Fave LUSH product is definitely Seanik solild shampoo! It makes my hair happy, haha.
It would be nice if we could get it in smaller quantities because like you, I like using it every other day. It doesn’t do much for me as a primary cleanser but once I’ve cleansed my face in the evening, it feels nice then. And that short expiry date doesn’t help either! So many people seem to like Seanik shampoo! I guess I’ll have to check it out 🙂
now i am tempted to try the angel on bare skin! and ooops! i just recalled that I have a bar of porridge soup and a lemon body bar stored in the fridge. i hope they aren’t rotten yet ><
HAHAHA Oops! Better check! I kept my soap in the fridge till I forgot. When I went to rescue it, it was shrunken and hard -_-“”
My first Lush product was the Angels on Bare Skin. 😀 That was years ago, back in New Zealand. I love the smell of it and how it’s non-drying, and made my skin look like a baby’s bottom. No kidding. Did I mention I like the smell a lot? 😉 The only thing that I dislike about it is: it expires really fast. So, without a store in Malaysia, I eventually fell off the bandwagon. Can’t risk stocking up on it and left it to spoil.
And I love Honey I Washed the Kids soap too! Smell so good! But it’s a bit too drying for my skin. Been trying to look for a shower gel that smells like that. Hehe. 😀
If you’re in to soaking in the bath, please trying the bath bombs/melt and bubble bars. My personal favorite is the Ma Bar bubble bar. It smells almost like Honey I Washed the Kids, but a lot more comforting. Love!
And you don’t have to use the whole bar for a single bath. I used to split them into halves and use them for two separate baths. LOL.
Hi Sze Ling there is a shower gel version of Honey I washed the kids! Like you I didn’t like the soap but loved the scent so was stoked when ” it’s raining men” shower gel became permanent! This is the shower gel version of HIWTK!
Yay! Sounds like I might need to try one soon 🙂
I think stocking up and Lush are 3 words that don’t go together LOL I learned it the hard way, carting back soap from the UK, forgetting about them and finding them melted to nothing. I’ve heard a lot about Honey I Washed the Kids soap – its terribly popular too!
I used to be a total Lush addict!! Their skincare did not work out well for me but the bath stuff omg! My faves are the bubble bars, bath bombs and bath melts! I will use a bit of each ( half or quarter a bubble bar for bubbles, I bath bomb for the fizzzz and half a bath melt for super soft skin) ins bath and it would smell amazing! I also love It’s Raining Body wash – super honey lushness lol. Also a big fan of the massage bars which are ultra moisturizing esp in the dry Australian weather.
Plus the lovely girls always chuck in free samples do u can try out heaps of stuff!
LOL Thanks for the recs! A friend gifted me a massage bar. I’m going to have to try it – just discovered it when clearing out my mess 😀
I have not tried anything from Lush (yet?) but you reviewed both of the products I think I’ve been wanting to try most. They seem so interesting and unique–nothing like anything I’ve ever tried before! The way you described that Angels on Bare Skin cleanser…I NEED that!
Its true, Becca. Neither of the products are similar to anything I’d ever tried, and I remain impressed with Angels on Bare Skin every time I use it. It doesn’t feel like a cleanser, but boy, does my skin feel clean and smooth after that!
Oh dear oh dear I’ve always wanted to try Lush bathbombs D: now my hand is itching to order a few from the website after knowing this >_<
Perfect if you have a bath at home, Saphy! 😉
i do feel lush a bit overrated but i wanna try out some of their products 😀 btw, totally love their cacas. they make the hair heavenly soft!!! do try if you can stand the mess 😀
Hmm… is that the Henna hair dye? They seem to get very good reviews! And natural hair dye is always better than chemicals – I’ll take a look at them the next time I’m at a store
yup its the same…do check them out 🙂
My number one favorite item has to be “Flying Fox”. When i first used it, i wasn’t impressed. However, it’s so addictive after a couple of uses. I’m now a jasmine convert. Can’t wait to get home for a shower every evening.
Other stuff i like a lot are the face mask. My top three favourites:
Oatifix for a yummy smelling moisturizing glow, magnaminty for maintenance and cleansing pores and exfoliating, the blueberries loaded Catastrophe cosmetic to sooth bad skin days.
fragrance wise: Lust moisturizing solid perfume stick ( I got this when Flying Fox went out of stock.)
And i love their “sugar scrub”. My must have item as well.
I’ve tried the body butters too. But they don’t work in our hot weather. I left it in the bathroom and it melted entirely the next day. Devastating end. The face solid serum “full of grace” don’t agree with my skin either. Gives my skin a prickly tingling itchy sensation. These items have to be refrigerated. And i hate the solid shampoo “seanik”. The scent just don’t agree with me however i do like the idea and ease of use of this product.
I tried a face mask once, but I wasn’t terribly impressed. It smelt very strongly of herbs, I remember but I can’t remember the name >.< I never quite pegged Lush for a face care brand, more of a bath and body. Thanks for the recs!
I never would have given the masks a try out but the sales person was insistent that it’s soooo good and gave me a generous sample to try out.
That was Oatifix. The rest are history.
I’ve tried Ayesha and Brazened Honey as well. But don’t like either. Ayesha might be the strong herbal one you’ve tried. I hate the scent and it does nothing for my skin either.
Angel on Bare Skin is my first lush product since its like the best seller and must try item. I like how it feels after I wash off but a bit of job to use this… and I still prefer my usual cleanser I think and I think I didnt finish the jar *wasted*. I tried some of their shower bar like Honey I washed the kids and totally love it! And their magnaminty is awesome but then too short a period to finish the whole jar… Sigh I wish they have longer period of usage cos I always love to use stuffs according to mood and this may get expire before I knew it!
I know what you mean. I like it, but I’d have to use it up quickly and its “boring” LOL! I think they try to keep everything as fresh as they can hence the shorter expiry dates, so I’d prefer if they made smaller sizes at lower prices! 😉