Lush

Take notes, Lush people. Sometimes (!) customers already know what they want. There's no need to come at people like buzzing, mad flies the second they enter your store.

Also, ratio of sellers to customers in this store feels like 70-30, space is tiny and crammed, and literally 5 different sellers threw themselves on me the second I stopped to take a bloody look at anything. (Writing "literally" and meaning it).

Forget about casual browsing, jaysus... And also, to one particular unfortunate soul who works there, don't fake compliment people. It's so obvious when sellers do.

Boo. Do yourself a favor and order online.

They have wonderful products. It's a shame you can't look around, see what's on offer, experience it, find an unexpected product like for example Tooth tabs and think oh wow I'll try that! No the staff have to constantly pester you asking to help. No, I am not blind, I can see, I can read and I would like to see what is available. Why will you not me have pleasure in shopping here.

Today I was about to buy : Juicy Shampoo, Tooth tabs and Angles on bare skin - plus anything else that took my fancy. I ended up leaving it all down when the third staff member in 5 minutes wouldn't leave me alone to look.

Not a pleasurable experience.

I went to my first Lush store many years ago in Belfast and when they came to Henry street I was thrilled.

I buy my soaps here because they make them themselves, they are devoid of harsh chemicals and they smell divine. Oh and they are an ethical company as in they are very community minded which I like.

They have a great variety and everything has a real funky feel in bold colours. They also do cosmetics.

Lately I have noticed that they are having a lot of promotions, so lather up folks!

This place is happy, wonderful-scented sudsy goodness. Their entire collection of products is huge, and everything is awesome. They sell pretty much every personal care item you could need: shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap, face cleansers, shower gels, toner, foot cream, shaving cream, powders, perfume, deodorant, bath bombs (which are solid round balls that you drop in the bath and they fizz and float creating a soft, soothing and delicious smelling soak. They're a lot of fun) and so much more. Everything smells and looks amazing and on top of that, each product has a clever name. Needless to say, it is terribly difficult to make any sort of decisions here. If I had unlimited funds, I would probably buy everything.

Everything is handmade using natural ingredients, and many of the products, especially the bath bombs and soaps are actually very beautiful. And each product is dated so you know everything is fresh! One of my favorite items are the masks, which are kept in a refrigerated case and actually expire. It's awesome to know there are no preservatives and weird chemicals anywhere in this store. They're also environmentally friendly. Tons of products are vegan and all packaging is recyclable.

A few of the unusual items you can find at Lush are massage bars that you rub directly onto the skin, solid henna hair dyes and my favorite, solid shampoo. These little suckers last forever, they're packaging free and they are fantastic for traveling. I also swear by Baby Face, a solid bar that you rub on your face and tissue off. It smells so, so good and it's the best for sensitive skin.

It really is a remarkable store and you really should go, go, go! But be forewarned, the smell is pretty overwhelming and may make you sneeze like the dickens. Still, it's worth it!

As a traveler, came in here wanting to quickly get a sample of shampoo to last me to the end of trip, sales staff really want to sell you their products! Borderline pushy, especially when I had already stated I was in a hurry and just needed a sample. Also, the sample size was not closed properly so it leaked in my bag and I lost most of my shampoo. Thanks.

Lastly, the tabs on the samples are incredibly misleading as its a twist off cap, NOT pop-off. Save yourself time and twist it off. You'll never get the top off by trying to pop it off.

Lush smells gorgeous, and so does everything inside! It's a heaven for anyone who loves taking long baths as they sell a large variety of bath bombs, as well as a few unconventional products like solid shampoo bars, massage bars and powered deodorant. I like the body lotions best, but most of them are sticky and thick but really moisturising. Their fresh face masks are also great, and if you bring in 5 empty lush pots you get one free.

I don't like the packaging of most of the products though since I find their black pots kinda bulky and annoying to close, making them very inconvenient for travel.

The staff are very friendly, but your one of those people who would rather browse in peace than forget about it in this store. The staff will literally attack you, demonstrating everything you look at in an attempt to sell it to you. I only go in here if I actually intend on buying, since window shopping is next to impossible.

To be honest it's a love hate relationship between me and this shop. The days that I do go in are usually the days where my lack of smell works for once to my advantage. The strong perfumed smells that waft out the door and down the street are often overwhelming, in some case headache inducing. But despite this the products are spot on when used individually for those "I've had a rough day, run me a bath, hand me some chocolates and put Greys Anatomy on" moments that everyone faces once in a while.

Some things in store do need to be explained as to their use and benefits but I don't really enjoy the overly peppy and puppy like staff who are determined to help you in every way imaginable. Personally I like my little browsing space and considering when I do go in, I'm usually in the above mentioned mood, I'm prone to being easily led to buy anything that will make me feel like a princess.Even if it has Glitter in it.

I suspect that I will always have a hate love relationship between Lush. Love because of the comfort it brings, hate because of the sickening cheerfulness that radiates from the store.

Lush smells just like a massive sweet and tangy soap bubble just exploded inside the store. It's full of creative and curiously named bath bombs, soaps and creams. The products are handmade and the shop's interior emphasises the natural homemade aspect with worn wood and 'handwritten' tags. Crate-like boxes filled with straw store the colourful soap bombs and other treats.

I've never actually bought anything for myself in here but I do pop in if I want to treat a friend. This is typical 'girlie luxury' at a decent price. The homemade aspect should also comfort the chemical-averse beauties however I do agree that the products can be harsh on sensitive skin.

I have been shopping at LUSH for years. Everything in the store is organic and earth friendly. The smell down Henry Street entices you to ask, Where is that wonderful smell coming from? LUSH!

First off I love taking a bath....it's soothing and relaxing.

Bath Bombs
My favorite bath bomb (yes that's right a bath bomb!) from Lush is the honey bee, followed by Fairy Jasmine and Fizzbanger. Honey lumps is good as well, I don't like fizz in the flower and softy, because they contain flower parts that end up floating in your bath tub, and leaving a bit of soapy scum-mess to clean afterward. SOLUTION to this, is to use a knee high stocking and put the fizz in the flower or softy (The English garden one was the worse with the flower bits, but they discontinued it) bath bomb in the knee high stocking before putting it into your bath, that is the way I kept from getting all the flowery bits into the tub.

Bubble Bars
I love their french kiss and Karma bubble bars! They even have a men's one called "the wuss" that smells, well, pretty manly.

Shower Jellies
The Whoosh is my favorite, but BE WARNED it's weird to shower with this jelly consistency that breaks off into little jelly bits.

Massage bars
I love the glitterbug and the shimmy shimmy. I use these before going out dancing, and I always get complimented on my glitter shine! These massage bars will get warmer as you massage.

Shaving creams
They used to have a "shave the planet" shaving cream that is now discontinued. I've tried their Ambrosia, and it's just not the same....

The soaps
I have tried almost all of their bar soaps. The cool thing is you can ask them to cut you a bar soap worth 5 euro, or whatever you want to spend, and they will do their best.

Some of my fav's
~The godmother
~The rock star
~Honey I washed the kids (best seller)
~Karma
~Sandstone (real sand to help exfoliate)
~Sea vegetable (great for exfoliating has natural salt)
~Bohemian (Nice lemon scent to wake you up in the am)

Some of my not so fav's
~Mud flaps, I think I became dirtier when I use it
~No. 1 Seed Soap - weird and seedy
~Figs and leaves, I had to clean the shower because there were leave remnants in it

great for X-mas gifts
They have gift boxes that combine a few great items, starting at 20 euro. In jan these gift boxes go on sale and you can use the items for a full year!

The location/staff
The Henry Street staff is really nice and friendly. They ask if I need help anytime I'm in the store. I do agree with Katie-Ann M's review in that the Grafton Street location does more demo of products. I've walked into the Henry Street location a few minutes before closing, and they didn't rush me out or anything, so that was a plus.

Ah Lush. I've got such a complicated relationship with you.

I love these products so much: the natural ingredients, commitment to recycling and reducing waste, wonderful scents, company ethics (everything is handmade in the UK), not to mention the RESULTS when using them. I've been on a new skin regiment of Bohemia soap, Vanishing Cream moisturizer, and Greased Lightening spot treatment and my skin has cleared up in a way that salicylic acid never accomplished. Plus their stores always have different deals on that make their prices much more manageable.

But....

I really don't like going into the shops. The smells of everything together are way overwhelming, and the typography on the signs make me feel like I'm being shouted at. It's especially tough when an particularly over-zealous salesperson grabs you right as you walk in. It makes me wonder if they get paid on commission. Thankfully I've been there enough to make a relationship with one woman, so she's much more laid back than other people can be.

It's worth it though. My skin is clear and luminous, I smell great, and I'm making conscious consumer choices for my health and the planet. With benefits like this we can all withstand some sensory overload!

Accessibility: Yes. Double doors are wide and open and there is no step from the street.