“Training Wheels” is a column that introduces new fashion/beauty addicts to classic must-have items from various locations, featuring one merchant per post.
If you’re not familiar with Lush Cosmetics, I strongly suggest you climb out of the rock you’ve been living under and find the nearest store to you.
Every single one of their products is handmade. Don’t believe me? You’ll see when you buy anything from Lush that there’s a date and a cartoon of the person who made your stuff!
Lush has a notorious cult following, full of devotees and fans around the world. The first store I went into was in Whistler, BC, and it was a life-changing experience. The smells in that store alone are worth a trip to your local Lush store.
It’s an excellent brand to acquaint yourself with, especially if you’re looking for beauty products with short ingredient lists that look more like grocery lists than laboratory supply lists. Lush products also make excellent gifts – no one turns down a present from Lush!
Here is a list of the crucial, must-have items from Lush, according to me (and many, many fans). These are the products that have stood the test of time and outlasted many now-retired Lush products. Leave your favorite Lush product in the comments!
Last updated: December 27, 2016.
The Best Lush Bath Bombs
It’s the size of an apple and covered/filled with the most amazing natural ingredients that do everything from release flower petals into your bathwater to turn the water blue. No matter what, though, it’s leaving you with skin that feels like clouds.
The first, and absolute must have bath bomb is the Avobath Bath Bomb,$6.35 each. A blend of avocado & olive oil, bergamot and lemongrass… It might be the best smelling thing that Lush sells. (In my opinion.)
The next classic bath bomb is Butterball Bath Bomb, $4.95 each. It’s as decadent as it sounds… Buttery, warm, and luxuriously soft on your skin. The cocoa butter and vanilla musk gives your olfactory senses something to enjoy as your skin turns to… well, butter.
Selecting a third “must have” bath bomb was difficult… a tie between Big Blue Bath Bomb, $6.40, a sea salt encrusted lemon, seaweed and lavender infusion; The Happy Pill Bath Bomb (no longer available – so sorry!), a literal pill-shaped bomb full of refreshing citrus; and the winner… The absolute must-have from Lush’s bath bomb collection:
The Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, $6.65 each. This ultra-feminine, pink & purple rose is the perfect recipe for that sauce pre-third-date bath. Or post-third-date bath, if you catch my drift. Let the smell of sultry jasmine fill the room as rose petal from the bomb release into the bath water… All you need is some seriously saucy music, and you’re good for the night. Meow…
The Best Lush Solid Shampoo Bars
Lush’s solid shampoos are the best thing you could ever take traveling. Much better than an exploded bottle of shampoo seeping into all of your beautiful clothes, anyway. They even have little shampoo bar tins you can keep them in!
They make super-specialized shampoos for each hair type, color and style.
Trichomania, $9.95, is the perfect solution for girls with curly hair who fear frizz. If you like the smell of coconut creme and vetiver, then go get this now.
NEW! Solid Shampoo Bar, $9.95, is a cinnamon scalp stimulant that actually has two literal cinnamon sticks right on the top of the bar! The spice heats the scalp and promotes follicle health. Got dandruff? Try the campfire scented (juniper and marigold petals) Soak and Float Shampoo Bar which will keep your hair flake-free.
I know the glitter mafia will appreciate the Ultimate Shine Solid Shampoo Bar, $11.95, which smells like a delicate baby powder made from fresh violet leaves. The glamour comes from the microscopic gold specks that make your hair literally glisten. Don’t worry, it won’t end up all over your stuff.
My newest favorite is Jason and The Argan Oil Shampoo Bar, $11.95. The sweet rose scent is probably one of the best on the entire Lush roster, and the way it tames my thick, curly hair is incredible. Thanks to the conditioning power of the argan oil contained within, I only need a lightweight, spray-in conditioner to keep it looking and feeling healthy!
Related: B&B’s Favorite Vegan/Cruelty-Free Makeup
Body Dusting Powder
The next must-have is a little unconventional. It takes some getting used to, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll thank me for years to come.
Simply squeeze the open bottle to dispense a mist of powder onto your skin. Warning: it might take some practice… But it’s worth it! If all else fails, just use it like a salt shaker over your legs and arms, then rub it in with your hands.
I’m only listing one of these, because there’s only one that you need to have. Silky Underwear Dusting Powder, $7.95, will change your life. It’s got tiny, tiny beads of cocoa butter that, once you spread the powder on your body, melts into your skin for a silky soft finish. This was the first product I ever bought from Lush, and I was converted by the sexy jasmine smell and the amazing way my skin felt after applying it. I usually dry off after a shower and shake a little into the palm of my hand, then gently spread it over your skin – you’ll thank me later.
Facial Cleansers
It looks scary, I know. This amazing facial cleanser is part exfoliant, part aromatherapy, and part… cleanser. It’s called Angels on Bare Skin, $10.95, and I couldn’t have picked a better name. The ground almonds contained in this paste gently exfoliate your skin while rose and lavender tone and sooth your skin to perfection. You just take a pea-sized amount in your hand, add a little water, and make it into a watery paste. Apply and massage into your skin – voila! It’s amazing.
Dry Shampoo
This is a relatively new product for Lush, but one of their most popular.
The fabulously named No Drought Dry Shampoo, $6.95, smells beautifully citrusy, and definitely does the job it promises to. The bottle, as mentioned earlier, is a little cumbersome, but is ultimately decent. The powder fades into your hair and scalp and improves the scent, and volume of your hair pretty much instantly! I am still on my first bottle that I got over a year ago, so it’s definitely a wise investment.
Soap
Sliced off huge bricks, like cheese, Lush’s soap has an amazing softening quality that somehow feels clean and soft at the same time. Dozens of scent combinations and awesome ingredients like figs and seaweed comprise these visually beautiful soaps.
This beautiful, light-colored Bohemian Soap, 7.50 for 3.5 oz., is one of the most blissful lemon-scented soap ever. There is actual lemon oil and juice in the soap which helps to cleanse the skin as well as giving it that extremely fresh scent.
Karma Handmade Soap, $7.95 for 3.5 oz., meet my beautiful readers. Beautiful readers, meet your future. I left this one for last because it’s single-handedly the best product that Lush sells. The scent of Karma will linger all day as a subtle undertone. It’s the best smell ever. Really. Luckily it comes in a dusting powder, perfume, bath bomb, solid shampoo, bubble bar (instant bubble bath) and body wash. It’s that addictive. The scent? The heavenly, yet unexpectedly wonderful mix of patchouli, orange, lemongrass and pine. Weird combo, amazing, squeaky clean, orgasmic, seductive, mood-lifting effects.