Two things can be true, the fact is that they did champion sustainability and recycling before everyone else, so it isn’t just a gimmick. They also stopped advertising on social media because of its toxicity which I admire. But it can also be true that the founders have some real dodgy views and pushing products that don’t really work. I still love their bath bombs and shower gels tho!
yeah, they surely only stopped social media as advertising because of its toxicity. not because it was heavily used in the USA at the same time for showing off how bad the working conditions were and for promoting strikes and people going on strike and that shops would be closed on days cause people would protest against their very bad working conditions..... it probably was only a coincidence that both happened at the same time.
@@JamesWelshThey really do! I have really sensitive skin & sensitive everything, plus sensory issues, to the point that I can't use like a regular big-name liquid hand soap - instead I use clear dye-free dish detergent (no frills) - and olive oil bar soap for body. But the Lush bath bombs, bar soap, and shampoo bars were really nice, no sensitivity, skin felt soft & nice. Oh, I'm sorry for the long reply. Just one last thing! I'm so jealous of your hair! (I mean that in the nicest possible way, not like "Grr! *I* should have the good hair, and _his_ should be dry, dull, and uncooperative!" 😅 I forget which one's jealousy vs envy. The "happy for you" one!) Anyway, love your channel! Xͯ
My husband can confirm Lush Canada did go to hell in 2010 because he was in contact with his friends from the company and it became all about the numbers 😢
@@IsaStracciatellaDon’t live in America so that means nothing for me. Because they stopped it in my country too. Also that doesn’t make sense, ppl can still show that even without social media, I suppose you just can’t tag them.
The fact that people accused Lush of being anti-police in the face of what the officers did shows how LOW of an opinion society has of women. Women are worth nothing.
This! People should really educate themselves about what really happend. It was horrible and disgusting. For the people who like to know more, I can recommend the episode Redhanded did on this.
I agree, but I do think Lush could have made the point of the window displays more obvious. If people didn't stop to read the smaller messages, the windows did give off an overall anti-police vibe. When I passed my local branch I had to do a double take because the main image and crime tape theme did look as if it was an ACAB display.
It seems like the customer experience with LUSH really varied from location to location. In my area, the LUSH stores were known to be more chill than places like Bath & Body Works. They'd let younger teens hang around smelling stuff, and didn't try to get you to try stuff if you weren't comfortable.
Yeah same I went into lush a lot in the late 00’s early 10’s and I never remember them doing things like that. It’s really interesting how different stores operate
I think this is very true. I love my local Lush store!! The employees usually will say Hi when you walk in, but if you say you're fine and don't need any help they pretty much leave you alone to smell things in peace. Sometimes they will say something like, "I love that one!" or "If you like that one, you'll love this!", but otherwise they leave me alone. I honestly get accosted so much more at freaking Sephora than I do at Lush!! Those employees will not leave you alone!! Frankly, the real solution to this is to push back as a society and tell the corporate overlords that we prefer to mostly be left alone when shopping. If I need help, I will ask!
Same plus my lush has let me have so many freebie’s until I worked out what shampoos and conditioners worked for me, I didn’t buy a tub of anything until I was certain I was happy with it.
I don't understand why companies still think they can mistreat workers behind closed doors. Like Lush may not have social media, but their employees do. And Connecting with other people is easier now. Getting that info out AND viral is easier. And maybe in the 90'-early 2000's it was harder to know your rights as a worker, but in the 2020's? That info is all over the Internet. Good on the Lush employees for forming a union.
Unfortunately, i worked there back in the mid 2010s. Back then, I absolutely loved the products and it did help my skin a lot. Cystic acne is something I struggled with extensively growing up. After getting hired, I cannot enphasize how toxic the work environment was. Everything was based on trauma bonding while smelling pretty. The times I was pulled aside for not putting my hands on people to slam product in their face was un countable. As an introvert who loves personal space, most of that position as a sales associate was highly uncomfortable.
So sorry you went through that. A few of my friends worked there around that time and they called it the Glittery Gulag, so can only imagine what you went through. Glad you're free!
I'm thankful for you sharing your story, but also very sorry to hear about our shared experiences. I worked at lush as well in the mid 2010s and it was my very first ""real"" job, I was also still in high school. Cannot count the many ways I was made to feel like I did things wrong, the un-constructive criticism with the same issues of me not putting my hands on enough customers- not getting enough people to sit down in chairs to give them awkward hand massages in a fully packed store during the holiday season. Even when I made a successful sale, there was little to no positive reinforcement and it was always critical. I ended up leaving employment with them for a short period of time, then eventually came back, and despite me already having done the training, they did not let me take off my 18th birthday (which was only a training day, I would not have been in the shop at all), so I always joke to folks that I spent that day underneath the mall, sitting on the dusty concrete floor of the store's storage room, talking about soap for hours. I know many other people also probably don't get to celebrate their 18th birthday, perhaps with worst conditions, but it just always made me sad that they couldn't give me one single break to celebrate what felt like an important day to me at the time-and it was the same management and trainers who had known me before. It was just always about squeezing the most out of us, and getting us to do intense (bordering on harassing) customer service. It was all bubbles and smiles when customers were there, but as soon as there weren't a darkness took over our shop. Because it was my first job, it also set me up to feel incredibly anxious and self-doubtful in every following employment I found myself in.
@@znrh that’s exactly the issues they had with me! I wasn’t forcing people to sit down so I could touch them. I was made to feel like I didn’t fit in there at all. It was horrible. The other girls made fun of me, gave me the worst chores to do every time and it was just so awful. Their culture is awful. I used to love their products before working there but since then I’ve stopped using them fully, I refuse to endorse that company or support them with my dollar.
A friend of mine was an assistant manager at a US Lush location. It was managed very poorly and when the store manager left, she stepped up and took over a lot of those responsibilities, with higher-ups saying they would be promoting her, the manager leaving was unplanned so they had to sort things. They hired someone else for the position without telling her, so she quit. I was so disgusted that, even though I really loved some Lush bath products, I couldn’t shop there anymore. It would piss me off too much 🥴
I refuse to go into any stores where the staff won’t allow me to shop in peace. I’m not interested in being touched by or preached to by complete strangers. I also don’t consider it ethical branding to physically touch people against their will. This brand is an ick for me.
Agreed. I'm autistic and I like my personal space to shop in peace. I went to a Lush a couple years back and was looking at something, and the employee touched me in order to demonstrate how the product worked. Made me super uncomfortable
The virtue signaling of lush is over the top … I had the misfortune of visiting one in Amsterdam and the assistants were overbearing,so I left !! The following day I was in a coffee shop over the street from lush and it was amazing how many people crossed the street to avoid going in and being harassed by the SAs ! Such a shame because some of the products are lovely !!
I currently live in Japan and the nearest Lush is quite relaxed. The staff greet customers as they come in, like any other shop here, but let you browse in peace. They'll check if you're looking for anything in particular but they're not pushy. The main reason I don't shop there frequently is that the perfumey smells are overwhelming and I can only bear about 5 minutes in store.
@@Sheenoshine It's wild because I've lived in the Netherlands my whole life and generally here 'shopping culture' is very keen on personal space and just letting people do their thing. In most shops at most someone will come up to you to tell you you can come to them if you need anything. There are a few exceptions of course like in jewellery shops where they keep a close eye on people to prevent shoplifting, or small businesses where the owner is just over-excited to show you everything. But for some reason Lush even here is going completely overboard with it.
I’m not gonna lie when the workers did the hand thing they healed something inside of me for that moment lmao I felt SO special & was a welfare kid so never had any kind of massages or treatments lol
Yes! I remember being younger and having saved up for a bath bomb. I was used to being ignored by staff because I was too young to spend a lot of money. But having a sales associate take time to talk to me and do the whole demo made me feel so special and seen.
I Love listen to James, his voice sounds so calm and he always explains everything so well. An amazing storyteller, deserves lots of recognition. I always learn so much with him❤
I live in Brighton 🌈 UK, & I found this guy’s ‘cheesy gossip’ schtick a complete turnoff - familiarity breeds contempt… I am very ‘scent-oriented’, so I find that just walking into a Lush store is an uplifting experience - even when I’m broke! Unfortunately, I won’t be getting to know Lush’s ‘dark side’: as already stated, the presentation set my teeth on edge…not subbed 🙄
The lush store near me is actually not bad at all for customers. They dont pounce on you at all. The most they do is come up and ask if you need any help and ig you say no they walk off
I'm surprised by some of these comments, I love lush ! The staff are always really informed and honest about the products , I'm never pushed to buy anything and I always leave with so many samples . And I've absolutely never been touched without my permission.
I lived in Korea on and off from 2007-2013, and you’re right, Lush is massive over there (or at least it was when I lived there). I never bought anything from there as it was so expensive (much more expensive than in the UK), and there were so many great, affordable Korean cosmetics brands that I didn’t see the point in shopping at Lush.
Well, nowadays isn’t too popular, you can only see stores in Seoul. Hongdae, itaewon and not many Korean customers usually the customers are foreigners
As a climate campaigner, Lush in Australia gave us grants (and access to their social media) no strings attached for a large civil disobedience we were organising that even a lot of big environmental NGOs didn’t want to touch for fear of govt blowback. On supporting activism, Lush and B&J are the real ones.
James! I have to say- I have been following your channel for over 2 or 3 years now. I admire how your content has grown with me. The skincare recommendations were there when I just learning about routines, ingredients and the basics. And now you’re here with these company deep dives and beauty world reporting when I want to be a conscious shopper! Thanks for the amazing content, keep it up!!
My first job was lush in 2019 - I can honestly say it was the most toxic, fake environment a 16 year old shouldn’t have to work in. Very much overly fake to your face but saying disgusting things about you behind your back. They fired me pretty much illegally too, but in the long run it was honestly a good thing tbh
I so look forward to “behind the beauty” & today’s did not disappoint. I hope you continue this series because it’s so interesting & the format you use makes it so easy to follow. Love it! 🥰
My mom discovered that Lush exists during a UK trip in 2001 & my sister did the same in Germany around the same time. I was still using grocery story skin care (Including St Ives Apricot scrub) & learning about Lush opened up a new world of skincare for me. I don't buy from them much now, but it's definitely a part of my skin care journey.
In my early 20s I made it all the way through Lush's insane interview process to the final step of a trial hour in the shop. In the first 5 minutes they told me to demonstrate bath bombs to as many customers as I could by filling a basin with hot water, chucking in a bath bomb and making a note of how many I used. Dump out the hot water and repeat. I asked them how many was too many and they said the sales were the most important thing so just demo tons of the things and it would be accounted for later. I asked them how exactly they reconciled the energy wastage of refilling the hot water over and over through the day with their claims of being green and ethical, and they had no answer for me. I asked whether it was really best practice to be wasting product when they were constantly hiking prices, to which they also had no answer. 10 minutes into my hour's trial, I told them I wasn't wasting any more time trying to work for them, as they'd effectively killed all of my respect for the company in that time. I walked out and never looked back.
@KittyCat260 girl I'm sorry if you're hormonal or having a bad day but there's no need to insult me when you brought up where you worked and assumed I'm looking for detailed information. I was curious because you left a job because you deemed them wasteful, so I'm wondering where isn't wasteful in your opinion. Deep breath , you'll be ok 💗
I also worked at Lush a few years ago for about a year. I have very mixed feelings about the company. I too, was uncomfortable with touching people and being so pushy with the sales. They have a very specific way they want their employees to sell and I felt like it was ultimately dishonest. I also felt terrible when people would come into the store wanting something for their acne or eczema or even anti aging. nothing in that store will help those things, but of course I had to try and still sell. Ultimately I went on leave due to stress and ended up quitting shortly thereafter. My team was incredible and I do think the company is innovative in a handful of ways. But…
@@alisonmercer5946 yep. like if people don’t want to try the product they don’t have to. we basically had to initiate demos… we still had to ask if we could touch them but we’d start the demo anyway and would have to demo on ourselves if they didn’t want to feel the product.
I'd love to see you talk about L'Occitane! They remind me of Lush in a lot of ways but with that boujie vibe. The brand has def gone downhill recent years since they went public, discontinuing and reformulation some of their most beloved products. I am so sad they ruined some of my mom's fave items. I haven't worked there in almost 5 years but I still use a few of their products
I can say one thing for sure - I've worked in cosmetics retail in the UK for several brands, and regardless of the brand's public-facing "ethos", it does NOT trickle down to retail staff. I didn't have a single retail job where I wasn't bullied and that included a job in head office, which was infinitely worse.
I honestly feel like the real fix to all of this is for us as a society to push back against the corporate overlords and tell them that no one likes being hounded continuously while shopping in person. Because it isn't just a Lush thing, in fact I feel like I get way more overwhelmed with employees at Sephora than I do at Lush! You can't even walk down a single aisle without them accosting you. And we know they as employees hate doing it, so that makes it doubly annoying. Use our voices to tell management that if we need help, we'll ask! If we want to try a product, we'll ask! There's no harm in offering to do whatever, but let your employees take No for an answer!! Personally, I love my local Lush store, and I've never really had a problem with employees being overly pushy there. I love their products, and apparently I'm one of the few people who even really loves the smell of their store!! I also love that they obviously don't edit the reviews on their website. They will sometimes respond to one star reviews, but they leave them up even if they are the only review on a product, so I appreciate that. (*coughcoughSUNDAYRILEYcoughcough*)
Part of the reason for the being accosted is that it's a way to prevent theft. They can indirectly let potential thieves that the store has an eye on them without verbally saying so.
I work here currently and the problems I largely have is because of regional managers and management in general. I am often only critiqued for performance and not talking enough or not putting things on peoples skin (and btw it’s gonna get worse we have to put things on peoples faces and offer scalp massages🤢. So please if you go in know we don’t want to do this and it’s a push from regional management to offer this or basically quit). Also I’ve had great managers be fired for no reason and replaced with management that are friends with those people and therefore don’t g.a.f. about us:( I really enjoy a lot of the stuff there and the people I meet but sometimes it’s so draining and hard to do. My favorite employees are fellow people who aren’t super culty and kinda easy going but there are absolutely so many people who act like it’s a cult.
@@maryeckel9682 yeah…I know. I never do that but we literally have to ask everyone and demo everything. I really hate touching people unless they want so I really just show instead of apply. I’m not disagreeing with you but the fact that’s the only thing you took from my comment about actual concerns about people is kinda sad.
@@thesoul2sqeeze i worded it bad but basically we have to do scalp massages and like apply hair products in store or some junk. Apparently it was done years ago but I never heard about it, I’ve just been told by older employees. I’ll edit my comment for clarity though.
get out of there before it gets any worse!! i worked in lush for about 2 years and told myself it might get better and it never did! the best thing i did was leaving it behind, did wonders for my self confidence and mental health x
Oh, the irony: a major civil rights case was filed in the U.S. this week against Lush based on allegations of racism and transphobia. EEOC v. Lush Handmade Cosmetics, LLC, Case 5:24-cv-06859)
Worked at Lush for two Christmas periods and it was the most toxic working environment ever. Staff are constantly competing with each other for promotions to supervisors or managers. One supervisor said the N-word and still works there. Whilst Lush does promote saving the environment, often times their stores are located in shopping centers which do not recycle materials so any good you think are doing is reversed cause of the trash system. Pots can be recycled hooray! But the fresh face masks are shipped overnight often times using couriers, and sometimes even being flown, wasting gas and energy. They want staff members to give customers a 5 star experience and that's through touching and getting in their face, but don't even consider the customers who are autistic or have major sensory issues. They have great products but in the end, you're paying luxury prices for soap, citric acid and skincare that doesn't actually work cause it's homeopathic bullshit.
I admire Lush's ethos a lot. When i was a teenager in the 2000s, there were so few brands that championed cruelty free and even palm oil free in some of their products. But now, obviously there a huge number of products now that have never tested on animals and are actually effective for their price point. Unfortunately, as the sales girl there sold me in 2009, that green seaweed mask did NOTHING for my acne scars
I always hated shopping at Lush - I’m autistic, so the scents and way staff behave to customers made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. The last time I tried to go into a store, the overwhelming scents set of my asthma, so I literally had to book it out of there as soon as I’d made my purchase for a friend’s birthday (and I wasn’t keen but that’s what she wanted…), wheezing all the way. I just wouldn’t go back in there and not with what I now know
Omg, are we the same person? That is also why I hate shopping at Lush; I haven't gone in since 2019. The smells not only irritated my asthma, but I can't stand being touched (now knowing that it's because I, too, am autistic), and the aggressive touching to sell products always rubbed me the wrong way.
I am not autistic and love Lush products but I also hate going in there. I go in fast, tell the staff I know what I want and get in and out as soon as possible
i’m autistic n the store doesn’t usually bother me but i interviewed there once n the mix of anxiety and sensory overload i literally almost passed tf out which never happens
I used to spend hundreds of pounds on LUSH every couple of months. Their prices over the years just kept going up and up to the point where £100 would be like 3 mid-size products in a tiny box. I only use their fragance now (because Twilight body spray is life) and so I only shop there twice a year at most. Not saying it's unjustified but the value dropped too much. Cruelty free is easy to find these days.
There was a time, when I used some lush products on a regular basis. The soaps, bath bombs, henna and hair mask were great! Also, I really love the scents (karma is my favorite). But honestly, I can't pay 8-12 Eur for one bath! It's too expensive and many formulars have changed because of changing laws by the EU.
@@arbitrary_raspberry In the store they told me, that some scents are different and less intense now, because of EU regulations. Also they had to change their Henna formula and some hair products.
@@calihhan4706 oh i did notice that the intensity of the bodysprays are way less since ..like 5 years now? I just thought it was lush changing its formulas to get more profit like other brands do 🙈 never thought about regulations or something. Guess i got to go to the UK for a holiday and buy my bodysprays over there.
With the effort of a lot of folks: Lush actually helped to stop animal texting completely in Canada. Which is a plus, but the amount of dissatisfaction internally is concerning. Some days you’re human, others you’re less than nothing. It used to be “happy people, making happy soap” No, we’re overworked and miserable lol. This is from the manufacturing/production stand point. When it comes to retail…hats off to those employees. They’re the ones SELLING the product and think they should be treated better!
I worked for them about 20 years ago. Definitely felt cult-y & also very much a “who you know not what you know” situation. Behaviour of certain senior staff was terrible - spoke to people like garbage, patronising, rude, bullying - but you knew they’d never be held accountable because they were besties with the owners. Went on to work in banking & was treated way better - tells you everything! Also being told to test things on people without permission - once witnessed a colleague put seaweed mask on someone as they told her they were allergic to iodine! She didn’t know what iodine was & the person started having an allergic reaction in the shop. Staff whose “face fit” and were blindly obedient were promoted over people who were better at the job. It’s the worst & most immoral place I’ve ever worked.
Thank you for doing these videos. I think it's very important that we are critical of marketing claims, and that we keep a skeptical mind about us when hearing these claims.
Nightmare for allergies is true. My friend worked there and she had me try a lemon skin lotion. I broke out in a rash and we couldn’t figure out why. Months later, she had been looking at stuff and found the extended ingredients list. Buried deep (not listed on the things normally given to customers) was lavender, which I’m allergic to
Sigh, I was v young but I absolutely *loved* Cosmetics to Go. Their Ginger perfume was incredible... they also did this amazing calamine soap bar which I know sounds weird but I loved it. I also adored their Hot Toddy shower gel for Christmas which Lush sometimes bring back but its not quite the same
I forgot about the ginger perfume that was soooo nice! I liked the sand bar, the soap with sand grains in that was great for my keratosis pilaris and smelled amazing. I loved CTG
My friends who worked there called it "The Glittery Gulag", it did seem cultish! That said, they took a busload of local activists and staff to support the Vestas workers when they were on strike, so I guess they only bust their own unions 😂 Their charity pot also paid court fees for low income activists so non-Tarquins could get involved too. And yes, spycops are a genuine concern in grassroots activist groups, with undercover police having long term relationships and even children with activists who don't know they were cops. So i really don't see why raising awareness of this issue is controversial. Still, disappointing that they supported WPUK without due diligence. Hope it was an oversight, unfortunately eco-TERFs are a thing though. So wouldn't feel comfortable supporting them knowing that
I remember when the lush store opened in my local shops around 2013, the staff were definitely acted keen to interact with you, throwing around jelly soaps, etc. As a socially anxious teenager, I wouldn’t go in without my mum to act as a buffer. 😂 They seem a lot more chill in the last few years though
Lol i hate that. pushy sales people never ever work on me. ill not buy something i wanted it if workers hover around and try to get me to buy. And i won't go back
1 minute ago wooo! I haven't watched this video yet but excited to! I don't buy from lush anymore... much prefer supporting small local businesses that sell the exact same thing for a third of the price! :)
The first time I'd been to a lush store was in 2003 visiting NYC, I was so off put by how attentive the staff was and how strongly it smelled I had to leave
I have only ever been to one Lush store in my life [they don't have them where I am in the US other than too far away for the trip] - I was visiting my brother and I went in. Staff was friendly but never bothered us. They stayed behind the counter, or were working on something nearby. But they greeted us, told us to ask if we needed anything, and offered to grab things for us. And when my mom did want to try something, the woman that helped us said "Do you mind if I take your hand and rub it in, or should I demonstrate on myself and then you can try it yourself?" And my mom let her demonstrate on my mom's hand. So it's super wild to me [though again only one experience lol] to hear like "They pounce on you" "They touch without really asking" etc in this video or that they flirt. The people there were LOVELY but not remotely invasive ... then again maybe that's because "Murica" ? Where it's probably more dangerous to just grab people? Idk ...
I worked there very briefly in 2021 for the fact that if we did not pounce on somebody within 10 seconds of them being in the store, we got in trouble. If we did not follow them around and try to upsell constantly and check back every one minute and 30 seconds we got in trouble.
I remember my sister worked there in the 2010s and they would always hound her for not touching people enough and for not being happy enough saying to her "do you want to go home" ie not be paid. Like you have to be SO HAPPY to.work there. And they always make customers uncomfortable. I feel like they can just ask and if the customer says no thsn there u go. Also the fact that they are unionbusting is like diagusting.. it kinda shows they only care about looks and profit, not their staff
I grew up down the road from their tiny little high street shop in Poole and I always made my parents walk on the other side of the road because it stunk and gave me a headache even just walking past. I’ve bought a few things as gifts but can’t stand most of the products and refuse to go near their stores. I do appreciate the zero waste and buy your own size option though- that’s fairly revolutionary even now.
The union busting was the final nail in the coffin for me with LUSH. While the products work really well for me, I can't support their hypocritical labour practices.
As many others on this comment section I too worked in Lush in the 2010s and it had this sustainable image but in reality it was exceptionally wasteful. I believe it might be better now but back then it was bad. We would unpackage massage bars to sell them 'naked' and dump the moulds in the recycling, most of the bars didn't fit the tins we sold and no one ever brought them in to be filled anyway so we wrapped them at the till. We would cut massive chunks of soap and wrap them to encourage impulse buying but no one wanted them when they saw the price so we would unwrap them every day and dump the paper in the recycling at the end of each day. We couldn't just keep them wrapped because the soap was such shit quality it would loose moisture which was a problem when we needed to sell the stuff by weight. The longer that shit 'naked' soap sat on the shelf the more money the shop lost and we had to over order the damn stuff to keep the display looking abundant. I dread to think about how much 'naked' product just got damaged to the point where it was unsellable. The shampoo bars had harsh SLS in them and no one ever wanted to put them out cos opening the box would shred your lungs. The 'naked' shampoo bars were all wrapped at the till like everything else cos no one ever brought the tins in to be filled. The 'fresh' masks were a cute idea but wasted a lot of food that people could have otherwise eaten which was especially galling for the food insecure members of staff (this was more common before Lush was a living wage employer) and it wasted a lot of energy keeping them chilled. I won't even go into all the shitty rapey ways we were expected to slap products on customers without their consent cos many others on this comment section have gone into it in painful acurarate detail.
Love these! I love having it playing like a podcast. There's a lush here in Sapporo, but it's very very expensive. Since Japanese personal care is so effective and reasonably priced, I never feel the need to buy lush.
This is a brilliantly researched and nuanced video that highlights Lush’s fascinating history. I worked for lush for almost 5 years in the mid 2000’s and I have always described it as like working for a cult, the moment that word came out of your mouth I was like YES! It was all consuming, I had so much fun but it was intense to say the least and by the end I was exhausted.
My mother-in-law used to work for Lush and that’s how I got into it back in 2007 and he did tell me how one of the managers gone one of the employees to go interact with a customer. The employee did and they were told off for being a bother to the customer. Another thing is that There are times when not everybody can handle a certain ingredient and that it would react badly, one time around Christmas they were releasing the luster dust and I love the smell of lust. Don’t get me wrong, but one thing is that I can’t handle glitter all over the rest of my body, especially on my right arm, apparently. I didn’t realize it until after my skin had a bad reaction it became very itchy after the intern at the time poured the dust on my arm, and I scratched until it scarring on my arm. I rather have someone ask me if they can put on my skin or not or at least try on my hand. And one thing that I also find annoying is how they discontinue products that have been popular before or put the items that they said that were supposed to be permanent and put them back to the addition, such as Lord of miserable, I got a big bottle of the shower gel saw that it said limited edition and I told myself didn’t they make that permanent? It doesn’t make sense! My all-time favorite product that still used to this day is revive which used BR and B because it kept my hair so smooth and not always frizzy.
Only a few weeks ago I’d popped into my local lush to pick up a pot of dream cream, I use it all the time, I got so bombarded by a staff member my anxiety was going through the roof so I blurted out I had a family emergency and literally ran out of the shop 🤣🤦🏼♀️ I still can’t believe I did that. i honestly felt like I was going to pass out from a panic attack, I felt trapped in there having to explain that I really don’t need help or want anything other than my dream cream !! 😅
I used to go to Lush as a teen just to hang out in the mall, they weren’t overly attentive and didn’t mind us loitering around and playing with products on our own until we left. I stopped shopping there because I think I outgrew their products, some of their skincare was to inconvenient to use regularly, and their controversy over the treatment of their employees
I always found Lush stores overwhelming, I have ADHD anyway so it was a struggle being bombarded with smells, colours, lights, and people constantly trying to talk to me or touch me! However as a teenager I used to buy from Cosmetics To Go and really loved their products. They were the only company making bath bombs and shampoo bars back then, and I still miss their serpentine shampoo and violet nights bath oil. So when Lush appeared with the same stuff, from the same address, and the same familiar names, I was delighted. But honestly, I can’t remember the last time I bought from them. I think everything I heard about them did put me off. That’s not to say I didn’t like their products though, cos I definitely did
My other half said to me what are you watching so i showed him. He listened to this video and said to me that you are very good and clear to understand which i agree with. Your probably one of the best skincare youtubers who always gives genuine advice and you good opinions.
I worked at a LUSH in 2009-2011 in Overland Park, KS when it was just opening in the mall. We had to go through a week long training with lots of story time while waiting for the store to be set up. I remember we got to take home broken bath bombs and even unopened customer returns.And we got 50% off everything. My kids loved their bath bombs. I went to our closest LUSH last year and it's just not the same anymore. The bombs are much smaller and prices are much higher.
I am autistic and terrified of Lush stores. I have only been twice and feel like I was assaulted by the employees who touched me without my consent and brought me near the henna dye - despite me saying that I am deathly allergic to henna. It was difficult for me to verbally express my distress as a teenager, but I know it must have been obvious because my friend ran after me to check that I was okay. I blogged about the incident with the henna and several Lush fans and one employee harrassed me. They blamed me for not knowing it was 'normal' to be touched up at Lush. I just thought the first lady was weird - I did not expect it to happen again!
I’ve never been touched in a Lush and I’m thankful for that as a majorly introverted person. Sorry to everyone who’s been touched against their will there!
Lush was my introduction to skincare and at one point everything I used was from lush. Then I had a few interviews at different stores which ultimately put me off the brand. Haven’t bought anything down there in years.
I worked at Lush in the mid 2000s, and I was one of the older people who worked there - most were teens and early 20s, and there I was in my 30s.....before that I was one of the forumites who were obsessed with it - I still have some of my B perfumes from back in the day (Assassin and B I love you). When I worked there they did the Naked promo where they expected all their (very young, mostly female) staff to work naked, save for an apron. Nope, absolutely not. I do still buy some stuff from Lush (My subscription box arrived today), but my biggest gripe is that they keep reformulating really good products, and not for the better. Sorry, but H'Suan Wen Hua is useless without the eggs, Ultrabland was more effective with peanut oil and I'm just sad when I have to find replacements for stuff. As for working there - it was minimum wage and high pressure, which was difficult for younger members of staff, it was a cult, and the managers earned bog all too (I only worked Saturdays, my day job paid me more than a manager). It was a bit cultish but I did go to the factory which was interesting. And yes, the soap moulds were cat litter trays :D I did hate having to pounce on customers though - I have noticed that in most stores now, the assistants will leave you alone if you ask them to
Its sad to see so many negative experiences with employees. I've never had a bad experience in our Lush store. They've never touched me, they help when I've asked but also happy to leave me to shop when I don't need it. I do love them for my skin and will rarely shop anywhere else for bath products.
I've only shopped at Lush once because the perfumes gave me a headache even before I walked in, then the sales people would not stop trying to touch me when I said no firmly. There were collections I liked (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) but could not bring myself to even consider walking into their store. I couldn't imagine working there.
Haven't walked into one since before covid. I try to avoid those pushy sales tactics at all costs. But I would like to get a bar or two, you know? What I find really interesting is how I applied for a job with them in their Sydney factory many many years back now. Went into a group interview with a disability group, either people were there for mental health or injury. I was there for the latter. Asked about PPE and safety, and didn't hear back. Not one person in our group (about 15 of us got bussed in).
I also worked at Lush years ago in canada and it was terrible; low pay, pushing sales tactics and targets. Getting in trouble if we didnt meet sales targets. I hated it. I appreciate enough what the brand stands for but I dont respect treating employees terribly.
Im nervous for this one, im disabled from chronic conditions, and a couple of them are really helped by taking a hot bath. As weird as that sounds, it's been shown to help one of my conditions, and nobody knows why. Then a different condition that causes chronic pain, has been somewhat helped by a hot bath. A hot bath makes me able to relax anyway, which is a big help when I'm in excruciating pain. So I love me some lush bath bombs, I just haven't found any other bath bombs that are better🤷♀️
Hey, you do what you have to do. I am able to not buy from Lush but if I also had chronic pain, I might not be in the same position. Please don’t feel bad.
Even though lush had a factory in Brazil it was so overpriced they went out of business before expanding beyond their first capital city 😢 I really miss having easy access to karma soap
I worked at lush in like… 2015-2016 here in the US & we were taught to do the whole “test products on every customer” thing. However, we would get into a fuck ton of trouble if we did not have permission & if we did not ask if they had allergies first. & if a customer said no we would just do it on ourselves & then have them smell the product on us if they wanted to. It was way more relaxed & less invasive. Atleast at my store. But I did get the vibe that there was a reason for them taking this so seriously… so it was probably after complaints that they pulled back on it. i will say, lush was my favorite job ive ever had. i still use a few of their products like ultrabland, shower gels, lord of misrule perfume, sandstone soap, and their newer happy skin exfoliator. im obsessed with it. the lord of misrule is my signature scent. during october i buy like 20 bottles of the body spray bc i use it on my couch and bed and jackets. but the perfume they sell year round now and i couldnt live without it. my opinion on lush is that, theyre way better than most other brands & i love how they have campaigns for social justice causes & how much they care about animal testing. So even though they have had a couple controversies… i still believe that they’re one of the good ones & their intentions are always good. I also love that they don’t use traditional marketing tactics bc i hate how everything is an ad these days. Like… when is the last time lush spent millions on brand trips for rich ppl just so they can try to sell products? Never. Literally never. But the day they hire Mikayla Nogueira to sell their products, is the day I’ll never touch their products again. So I hope that never happens bc every week I’m adding new brands to my list that I will never support bc they have no ethics or morals & they don’t stand for anything except for money.
Also, their founders can be terrible ppl or have bad views but that doesn’t mean the whole company is bad. Name one company or corporation that has good ppl running them. If we stopped supporting every business that doesn’t align w/ our values. There would be none left. Which, I’m not okay w/. But that’s the reality of living in a capitalistic society… you cannot avoid shitty ppl & shitty companies. Unfortunately. Some of them absolutely belong in the trash though…. I’m very conscious of where I spend my money & lush is one of the few that I don’t feel bad about supporting. They could be better. But in the grand scheme of things…. They’re really at the top when it comes to ethics & morals. I wish there were more & I wish they did better w/ their charities & stuff. But again, there’s very few companies that have made even half the effort they have. & they deserve to have a spot in the marketplace.
I met Mo, got a ton of one off products! Also used to be a Lush mystery shopper...they made it worth while! The online forum was a riot...no wonder it had to go when they wanted to go more mainstream!!!
The one thing I have bought for almost a decade now is their Sympathy for the Skin cream. It’s not perfumy at all and I can put it on freshly shaved legs with no rash or irritation. I can’t stand the smell of the store when I go in as it’s just too many scents all mixed together. I love this series🥰🥰🥰
I don't seem to have an issue with migraines or my asthma in there, which is odd given I'm so sensitive to smells. I find it quite relaxing. A normal cosmetic section in a department store totally sets me off though. I am a bit skin sensitive to some of their products but at least I get to try them first instead of making expensive mistakes over and over again like with buying so many other skincare products. Wish I knew exactly what it was that irritated me.
I used to be on the international forum back in the day. The things I saw from management made me never want to give them another penny. Another notable cock-up was the way that they handled the cyber attack on their site back in 2011 (hacked in October, didn't alert people until after the Christmas rush and literally told customers to just laugh it off). I also remember when they attempted to break the record for most lip prints collected in a day by encouraging customers to kiss t-shirts that were being worn by their (mostly female staff) without any consideration for safeguarding.
Thank you so much for this video! I used to love lush back in the day but I haven’t bought any products from them in a number of years due to the controversies surrounding them. It sounds like I still won’t be buying from them until they treat their workers properly!
Don't believe a word about the Sydney factory. I have friends who work there, and I asked about the claims mentioned in this video. The "stalking/sexual harrassment" victim didn't like being told "No. I won't date you". The "stalker" was a married co-worker, with a lovely HUSBAND, so he had no interest in her whatsoever. He had refused her advances - over and over - and she proceeded to try and destroy the poor man's life! THAT is why they tried mediation - to show her that they knew she was lying. It wasn't the first time she'd tried this. The first time, the victim ( not her, obviously) lost his job. All because he told her he wasn't interested ( he was married with two little kids). He lost his job as a result. It wasn't even six months and she tried it again, but it fully backfired on her, causing HER to lose her job. Also, there are plenty of trolleys to be used, but they're mainly used by the people doing the packing and stacking for the products to be put onto the massive shelves ready for distribution. There's no way in HELL that anyone would be able to put the masses be crates onto shelves by hand alone. The shelves stand around 15 - 20 feet high! And as for the company not calling an ambulance? Pull out your phone and do it yourself! But I doubt that has occurred, because the person telling The Guardian Australia wasn't even the person who was injured! And you wouldn't run to the media, you'd go through the official channels, like the state OH&S office, and your union, to get this all dealt with. Just for clarity - I do not work for Lush, or any other type of beauty business. I'm just a middle aged woman on DSP who did their homework, and asked questions..Also, I don't buy anything from Lush - not my style. ( They don't make black/ dark blue/ emerald green lipsticks)!! And I can't afford their products anyway.
I love the products, i LOATHE going to the stores. Last time, i had a horde of employees corner me and ask me what i was in for... I just wanted shampoo. A guy then hung over my shoulder for the entire time i was looking at things. I got out of there as soon as i could. I was so uncomfortable.
Love these videos! Very informative, I neither love them or hate them, one of those brands, that I just don’t care for, but the controversy bit was an eye opener tbh…
This was a really great video - interesting and informative - but the minute James brought up the smell of the Lush store, I got so distracted. I always hated the smell of their shops, haha.
I loved Cosmetics To Go as a teen! There wasn’t anything else like it at the time and it was really exciting to get a parcel of goodies through the post. Also my cats LOVED the boxes of shredded paper they came in
I loved Cosmetics to Go. Was really sad when it went away. I have loved some of Lush’s old products. Almost to the point of addiction. But not even checked it out for a few years now. Fox hunters are starting a court case trying to be recognised as minority group and that hunting foxes with hounds on horseback is part of their culture. So if anyone is anti blood sports and they don’t want it to start again they should see what they can do.
Worked there in US 2014-end of 2019. Such a poor work environment. Poor pay. Poor leadership. Negligent handling of HR complaints. Rampant bullying. I am not surprised its profits are dropping and its popularity is on the downfall. Can’t have happy customers when you have unhappy employees.
I left working for them because of crappy pay. I made enough to pay for my rent and electricity, I couldn't afford enough food and definitely couldn't afford luxuries like bus tickets or nights out.
I was in London and Edinburgh in 2001, and loved the Lush stores. When they came to the states, it was a shock how much they changed. I still like some of the products but really miss the original feel. Edited to add, it would be difficult to scale as it was.
I don't know how it is for others, but in my store, they emphasize not touching people without their direct consent. We have a lot of autistic employees and managers so maybe that's why. Also, since COVID, my store has done some hand-on-hand demos but now we encourage customers to do it themselves with us directing them and chatting about the product.
if you think Lush is a cult, you should do a video on Aēsop. The biggest cult like brand and even more controversial since their acquisition by L'oreal in june 2023.
The rubbing products on people thing is like one of my core mild trauma memories (TM) because one time when I was like 13 I went into Lush with my mom and this GROWN ASS MAN was trying to sell me on a lotion and he like rubbed this lotion all over my arm and put products in my hair unasked for and even when I was like visibly uncomfortable and trying to get away from him. My mom thought it was funny but I've literally never entered a LUSH store since
While I think being anti animal cruelty and animal testing is a really worth while cause, it feels SO disingenuous to me when companies don't pay their workers fairly and treat them like shit. Kinda just seems like being anti animal testing is a popular cause and being pro worker isn't so they can make money from the claim that they are against animal cruelty and yet up their profit margins while hurting their employees. It's so upsetting so many brands are like this. I hate capitalism.
yes, the allergy issues...i went to lush for the first time and the worker asked me if i wanted to try a product and practically grabbed my hands before i could say yes. she started listing ingredients and i bristled when she said almond oil 😵💫i told her i was allergic and she was mortified. thankfully i washed my hands and nothing further happened. but we did get to shop unbothered after that lol
@@jonniclark5549 For the same reason I’d have men coming in for gift sets for their female employees/friends/family members when I worked at Bath and Body Works- it’s easy.
I did one shift as a christmas temp at a Lush, and they "let me go" after that shift because I wasn't pushy enough with customers. They wanted to pay me in products as well, instead of the actual money I was owed. I still pop in to grab a bath bomb or something every so often but its so frustrating because I *know* what I'm looking for I don't want to be slathered in body lotion and guilt tripped for not buying it.
I like some of their products. I love the way the stores look. I love that it was a place for LGBTQ ppl to work. But my god, hell on earth for introverts. The behavior I had to endure from Lush employees would have the cops called on a regular person. Absolutely loathed shopping there and the performative bullshit really irks me. Because it really is the best place to buy someone a gift when you can't think of anything lol.
literally this is the most information I've ever heard about Lush, not even knowing they were a sustainable brand.. if you would've told me after the first 20 minutes that they would've disappointed me this hard i wouldn't have believed you 😂
Daddy oh and R&B (cant remember the new name) have been my hair savers for ages. i still add a bathbomb or small thing to gifts and have a few showergels at home and refill handcreme in the small sample boxes that i have in my bags… but yes, the way they treat their ppl is… more than questionable…
A friend talks to me a lot about liking Lush's products and how she's sad I don't have access to better hair care products because of financial status and location, but like, going into Lush sounds terrifying when they put products all over without asking and I am allergic to a lot of natural ingredients. What I have that is cheap drugstore stuff works, and it's mostly or completely synthetic which is what I'm not allergic to. This isn't to rag on her or on Lush but like, I just get tired of "omg lush is so good" from people with money for them when their products would give me rashes and red splotchy skin and cheap drug store synthetics are just fine rn.
Lush creates a cult like mentality in some and she has been sucked in. Use what works for you. If she keeps harassing you to use the stuff, sit her down and talk to her about her behaviour.
@@Beebee192-j7i It's less that she's harassing me, and more that she just acts so sad that I don't have access to nicer stuff. And it's not just Lush but other bigger and more expensive beauty brands too. It feels awkward because yeah having nice stuff would be nice, but I don't need something so expensive and I have a lot of allergies to natural ingredients in beauty products and a lot of these big nicer brands use natural ingredients. And cheap drugstore stuff works just fine for me right now. I wash my hair twice a day right now because of sensory issues with it being oily, and she made a big deal about how that is too much and I need to wash it less. I told her about when I was a teenager and my mom forced me to wash it less, I was constantly crying from sensory overload from how oily hair felt. And this was weeks of being forced to wash it only every other day. She said it was probably the product then, and that I needed to try something else. But what I use is the only thing I can use from the local Winn Dixie. It's all that is available and I'm fine with having to wash my hair twice a day with it. And she was like "but washing your hair too much can cause scalp irritation." I told her that it wasn't in my case, and she was like "it's still not good for you" like she knows what's best for me and what is doable in my situation. I know she doesn't mean it in a "you need to get these other products instead even though they cost more money and wash your hair less" way, but rather a "it makes me sad that you have to do that because you can't afford better products" way and it's just so awkward because she's in New York and middle class and has claimed her family struggles with money too but it seems to just be bad spending habits considering the stuff her parents constantly spend money on and how much her dad makes. I'm in a very rural area in Florida, and under the poverty line. It feels like I'm being pitied for being in rural poverty when she's a middle class city woman. (We're both disabled jobless dependent adults)
@@alistairrosehearts9734 you keep doing what works for you ❤️ there's no point in using something else if you like your products. I get very oily hair too. I shampoo my hair with a scalp brush, rinse, shampoo again and rinse. I find it takes a second layer of oil out of my hair. I don't know if it would work for you, I find it gives me fresher hair for longer. You keep being you ❤️❤️❤️
Two things can be true, the fact is that they did champion sustainability and recycling before everyone else, so it isn’t just a gimmick. They also stopped advertising on social media because of its toxicity which I admire. But it can also be true that the founders have some real dodgy views and pushing products that don’t really work. I still love their bath bombs and shower gels tho!
Same! I haven’t purchased anything for a while but they look like they have some nice new bits!
yeah, they surely only stopped social media as advertising because of its toxicity. not because it was heavily used in the USA at the same time for showing off how bad the working conditions were and for promoting strikes and people going on strike and that shops would be closed on days cause people would protest against their very bad working conditions..... it probably was only a coincidence that both happened at the same time.
@@JamesWelshThey really do! I have really sensitive skin & sensitive everything, plus sensory issues, to the point that I can't use like a regular big-name liquid hand soap - instead I use clear dye-free dish detergent (no frills) - and olive oil bar soap for body. But the Lush bath bombs, bar soap, and shampoo bars were really nice, no sensitivity, skin felt soft & nice.
Oh, I'm sorry for the long reply. Just one last thing! I'm so jealous of your hair! (I mean that in the nicest possible way, not like "Grr! *I* should have the good hair, and _his_ should be dry, dull, and uncooperative!" 😅 I forget which one's jealousy vs envy. The "happy for you" one!)
Anyway, love your channel! Xͯ
My husband can confirm Lush Canada did go to hell in 2010 because he was in contact with his friends from the company and it became all about the numbers 😢
@@IsaStracciatellaDon’t live in America so that means nothing for me. Because they stopped it in my country too. Also that doesn’t make sense, ppl can still show that even without social media, I suppose you just can’t tag them.
The fact that people accused Lush of being anti-police in the face of what the officers did shows how LOW of an opinion society has of women. Women are worth nothing.
Exactly. I would have turned around and did a "for the women" theme because wtf was that
Well that's just a general opinion people have of women. We aren't "enough of a minority" for anyone to consider we fit into the "inclusive" bracket.
This! People should really educate themselves about what really happend. It was horrible and disgusting.
For the people who like to know more, I can recommend the episode Redhanded did on this.
I agree, but I do think Lush could have made the point of the window displays more obvious. If people didn't stop to read the smaller messages, the windows did give off an overall anti-police vibe. When I passed my local branch I had to do a double take because the main image and crime tape theme did look as if it was an ACAB display.
@@KittyCat260they 100% should do an ACAB campaign
It seems like the customer experience with LUSH really varied from location to location. In my area, the LUSH stores were known to be more chill than places like Bath & Body Works. They'd let younger teens hang around smelling stuff, and didn't try to get you to try stuff if you weren't comfortable.
Same! I never experienced things like this in the stores I went to. The staff is always friendly and helpful, but no one ever touched me 😂
Yeah same I went into lush a lot in the late 00’s early 10’s and I never remember them doing things like that. It’s really interesting how different stores operate
I think this is very true. I love my local Lush store!! The employees usually will say Hi when you walk in, but if you say you're fine and don't need any help they pretty much leave you alone to smell things in peace. Sometimes they will say something like, "I love that one!" or "If you like that one, you'll love this!", but otherwise they leave me alone.
I honestly get accosted so much more at freaking Sephora than I do at Lush!! Those employees will not leave you alone!!
Frankly, the real solution to this is to push back as a society and tell the corporate overlords that we prefer to mostly be left alone when shopping. If I need help, I will ask!
Same plus my lush has let me have so many freebie’s until I worked out what shampoos and conditioners worked for me, I didn’t buy a tub of anything until I was certain I was happy with it.
The Chester Lush is pretty neat I’d argue, me and my friend have sniffed the whole place down
I don't understand why companies still think they can mistreat workers behind closed doors. Like Lush may not have social media, but their employees do. And Connecting with other people is easier now. Getting that info out AND viral is easier.
And maybe in the 90'-early 2000's it was harder to know your rights as a worker, but in the 2020's? That info is all over the Internet. Good on the Lush employees for forming a union.
Lush has a discord server
Unfortunately, i worked there back in the mid 2010s. Back then, I absolutely loved the products and it did help my skin a lot. Cystic acne is something I struggled with extensively growing up. After getting hired, I cannot enphasize how toxic the work environment was. Everything was based on trauma bonding while smelling pretty. The times I was pulled aside for not putting my hands on people to slam product in their face was un countable. As an introvert who loves personal space, most of that position as a sales associate was highly uncomfortable.
Oh God, yuck. Sorry.
Me too! I worked there in 2013 and it was absolutely HORRIBLE, I am still traumatized by it.
So sorry you went through that. A few of my friends worked there around that time and they called it the Glittery Gulag, so can only imagine what you went through. Glad you're free!
I'm thankful for you sharing your story, but also very sorry to hear about our shared experiences. I worked at lush as well in the mid 2010s and it was my very first ""real"" job, I was also still in high school. Cannot count the many ways I was made to feel like I did things wrong, the un-constructive criticism with the same issues of me not putting my hands on enough customers- not getting enough people to sit down in chairs to give them awkward hand massages in a fully packed store during the holiday season. Even when I made a successful sale, there was little to no positive reinforcement and it was always critical. I ended up leaving employment with them for a short period of time, then eventually came back, and despite me already having done the training, they did not let me take off my 18th birthday (which was only a training day, I would not have been in the shop at all), so I always joke to folks that I spent that day underneath the mall, sitting on the dusty concrete floor of the store's storage room, talking about soap for hours. I know many other people also probably don't get to celebrate their 18th birthday, perhaps with worst conditions, but it just always made me sad that they couldn't give me one single break to celebrate what felt like an important day to me at the time-and it was the same management and trainers who had known me before. It was just always about squeezing the most out of us, and getting us to do intense (bordering on harassing) customer service. It was all bubbles and smiles when customers were there, but as soon as there weren't a darkness took over our shop. Because it was my first job, it also set me up to feel incredibly anxious and self-doubtful in every following employment I found myself in.
@@znrh that’s exactly the issues they had with me! I wasn’t forcing people to sit down so I could touch them. I was made to feel like I didn’t fit in there at all. It was horrible. The other girls made fun of me, gave me the worst chores to do every time and it was just so awful. Their culture is awful. I used to love their products before working there but since then I’ve stopped using them fully, I refuse to endorse that company or support them with my dollar.
A friend of mine was an assistant manager at a US Lush location. It was managed very poorly and when the store manager left, she stepped up and took over a lot of those responsibilities, with higher-ups saying they would be promoting her, the manager leaving was unplanned so they had to sort things.
They hired someone else for the position without telling her, so she quit. I was so disgusted that, even though I really loved some Lush bath products, I couldn’t shop there anymore. It would piss me off too much 🥴
Yeahhh but come on, it’s USA, known for shitty labour right
I refuse to go into any stores where the staff won’t allow me to shop in peace. I’m not interested in being touched by or preached to by complete strangers. I also don’t consider it ethical branding to physically touch people against their will. This brand is an ick for me.
Agreed. I'm autistic and I like my personal space to shop in peace. I went to a Lush a couple years back and was looking at something, and the employee touched me in order to demonstrate how the product worked. Made me super uncomfortable
Anyone who even invades my space gets these hands 👊 old and neurospicy
The virtue signaling of lush is over the top …
I had the misfortune of visiting one in Amsterdam and the assistants were overbearing,so I left !!
The following day I was in a coffee shop over the street from lush and it was amazing how many people crossed the street to avoid going in and being harassed by the SAs ! Such a shame because some of the products are lovely !!
I currently live in Japan and the nearest Lush is quite relaxed. The staff greet customers as they come in, like any other shop here, but let you browse in peace. They'll check if you're looking for anything in particular but they're not pushy.
The main reason I don't shop there frequently is that the perfumey smells are overwhelming and I can only bear about 5 minutes in store.
@@Sheenoshine It's wild because I've lived in the Netherlands my whole life and generally here 'shopping culture' is very keen on personal space and just letting people do their thing. In most shops at most someone will come up to you to tell you you can come to them if you need anything. There are a few exceptions of course like in jewellery shops where they keep a close eye on people to prevent shoplifting, or small businesses where the owner is just over-excited to show you everything. But for some reason Lush even here is going completely overboard with it.
I’m not gonna lie when the workers did the hand thing they healed something inside of me for that moment lmao I felt SO special & was a welfare kid so never had any kind of massages or treatments lol
Yes! I remember being younger and having saved up for a bath bomb. I was used to being ignored by staff because I was too young to spend a lot of money. But having a sales associate take time to talk to me and do the whole demo made me feel so special and seen.
Agreed. I was neglected and sure lush got a few bucks from me but it did heal something in me for those moments of connection
tfw you're touch-starved
They really didn’t discriminate with younger people when most would turn their noses up if kids were in their store
I Love listen to James, his voice sounds so calm and he always explains everything so well. An amazing storyteller, deserves lots of recognition. I always learn so much with him❤
Thank you 🥹
I live in Brighton 🌈 UK, & I found this guy’s ‘cheesy gossip’ schtick a complete turnoff - familiarity breeds contempt…
I am very ‘scent-oriented’, so I find that just walking into a Lush store is an uplifting experience - even when I’m broke!
Unfortunately, I won’t be getting to know Lush’s ‘dark side’: as already stated, the presentation set my teeth on edge…not subbed 🙄
@@Cristobels-Green-Bootsthanks for letting us all know, we don’t care though
@@Aaaa-1zntwe actually don't care what you think
The lush store near me is actually not bad at all for customers. They dont pounce on you at all. The most they do is come up and ask if you need any help and ig you say no they walk off
I'm surprised by some of these comments, I love lush ! The staff are always really informed and honest about the products , I'm never pushed to buy anything and I always leave with so many samples . And I've absolutely never been touched without my permission.
I lived in Korea on and off from 2007-2013, and you’re right, Lush is massive over there (or at least it was when I lived there). I never bought anything from there as it was so expensive (much more expensive than in the UK), and there were so many great, affordable Korean cosmetics brands that I didn’t see the point in shopping at Lush.
Well, nowadays isn’t too popular, you can only see stores in Seoul.
Hongdae, itaewon and not many Korean customers usually the customers are foreigners
As a climate campaigner, Lush in Australia gave us grants (and access to their social media) no strings attached for a large civil disobedience we were organising that even a lot of big environmental NGOs didn’t want to touch for fear of govt blowback. On supporting activism, Lush and B&J are the real ones.
James! I have to say- I have been following your channel for over 2 or 3 years now. I admire how your content has grown with me. The skincare recommendations were there when I just learning about routines, ingredients and the basics. And now you’re here with these company deep dives and beauty world reporting when I want to be a conscious shopper! Thanks for the amazing content, keep it up!!
My first job was lush in 2019 - I can honestly say it was the most toxic, fake environment a 16 year old shouldn’t have to work in. Very much overly fake to your face but saying disgusting things about you behind your back. They fired me pretty much illegally too, but in the long run it was honestly a good thing tbh
lol I worked there 10 years before you and it’s nice to know they haven’t changed 😂😭
I so look forward to “behind the beauty” & today’s did not disappoint. I hope you continue this series because it’s so interesting & the format you use makes it so easy to follow. Love it! 🥰
My mom discovered that Lush exists during a UK trip in 2001 & my sister did the same in Germany around the same time. I was still using grocery story skin care (Including St Ives Apricot scrub) & learning about Lush opened up a new world of skincare for me. I don't buy from them much now, but it's definitely a part of my skin care journey.
In my early 20s I made it all the way through Lush's insane interview process to the final step of a trial hour in the shop. In the first 5 minutes they told me to demonstrate bath bombs to as many customers as I could by filling a basin with hot water, chucking in a bath bomb and making a note of how many I used. Dump out the hot water and repeat. I asked them how many was too many and they said the sales were the most important thing so just demo tons of the things and it would be accounted for later.
I asked them how exactly they reconciled the energy wastage of refilling the hot water over and over through the day with their claims of being green and ethical, and they had no answer for me. I asked whether it was really best practice to be wasting product when they were constantly hiking prices, to which they also had no answer.
10 minutes into my hour's trial, I told them I wasn't wasting any more time trying to work for them, as they'd effectively killed all of my respect for the company in that time. I walked out and never looked back.
Where have you worked since then ?
@@thesoul2sqeeze several places, it was a good 15 years ago now.
@@KittyCat260 very informative 🙄🫠
@@thesoul2sqeeze excuse me for not choosing to give a weirdo stranger online my entire work history for the last 15 years 😂
@KittyCat260 girl I'm sorry if you're hormonal or having a bad day but there's no need to insult me when you brought up where you worked and assumed I'm looking for detailed information. I was curious because you left a job because you deemed them wasteful, so I'm wondering where isn't wasteful in your opinion. Deep breath , you'll be ok 💗
I also worked at Lush a few years ago for about a year. I have very mixed feelings about the company. I too, was uncomfortable with touching people and being so pushy with the sales. They have a very specific way they want their employees to sell and I felt like it was ultimately dishonest. I also felt terrible when people would come into the store wanting something for their acne or eczema or even anti aging. nothing in that store will help those things, but of course I had to try and still sell. Ultimately I went on leave due to stress and ended up quitting shortly thereafter. My team was incredible and I do think the company is innovative in a handful of ways. But…
@@alisonmercer5946 yep. like if people don’t want to try the product they don’t have to. we basically had to initiate demos… we still had to ask if we could touch them but we’d start the demo anyway and would have to demo on ourselves if they didn’t want to feel the product.
I'd love to see you talk about L'Occitane! They remind me of Lush in a lot of ways but with that boujie vibe. The brand has def gone downhill recent years since they went public, discontinuing and reformulation some of their most beloved products. I am so sad they ruined some of my mom's fave items. I haven't worked there in almost 5 years but I still use a few of their products
Jen Luv has a video on them!🙂
I can say one thing for sure - I've worked in cosmetics retail in the UK for several brands, and regardless of the brand's public-facing "ethos", it does NOT trickle down to retail staff. I didn't have a single retail job where I wasn't bullied and that included a job in head office, which was infinitely worse.
I honestly feel like the real fix to all of this is for us as a society to push back against the corporate overlords and tell them that no one likes being hounded continuously while shopping in person. Because it isn't just a Lush thing, in fact I feel like I get way more overwhelmed with employees at Sephora than I do at Lush! You can't even walk down a single aisle without them accosting you. And we know they as employees hate doing it, so that makes it doubly annoying.
Use our voices to tell management that if we need help, we'll ask! If we want to try a product, we'll ask! There's no harm in offering to do whatever, but let your employees take No for an answer!!
Personally, I love my local Lush store, and I've never really had a problem with employees being overly pushy there. I love their products, and apparently I'm one of the few people who even really loves the smell of their store!! I also love that they obviously don't edit the reviews on their website. They will sometimes respond to one star reviews, but they leave them up even if they are the only review on a product, so I appreciate that. (*coughcoughSUNDAYRILEYcoughcough*)
Part of the reason for the being accosted is that it's a way to prevent theft. They can indirectly let potential thieves that the store has an eye on them without verbally saying so.
I work here currently and the problems I largely have is because of regional managers and management in general. I am often only critiqued for performance and not talking enough or not putting things on peoples skin (and btw it’s gonna get worse we have to put things on peoples faces and offer scalp massages🤢. So please if you go in know we don’t want to do this and it’s a push from regional management to offer this or basically quit). Also I’ve had great managers be fired for no reason and replaced with management that are friends with those people and therefore don’t g.a.f. about us:( I really enjoy a lot of the stuff there and the people I meet but sometimes it’s so draining and hard to do. My favorite employees are fellow people who aren’t super culty and kinda easy going but there are absolutely so many people who act like it’s a cult.
People don't want to be touched unless they want to be touched!
@@maryeckel9682 yeah…I know. I never do that but we literally have to ask everyone and demo everything. I really hate touching people unless they want so I really just show instead of apply. I’m not disagreeing with you but the fact that’s the only thing you took from my comment about actual concerns about people is kinda sad.
What do you mean "offer hair again "?
@@thesoul2sqeeze i worded it bad but basically we have to do scalp massages and like apply hair products in store or some junk. Apparently it was done years ago but I never heard about it, I’ve just been told by older employees. I’ll edit my comment for clarity though.
get out of there before it gets any worse!! i worked in lush for about 2 years and told myself it might get better and it never did! the best thing i did was leaving it behind, did wonders for my self confidence and mental health x
I worked for them. Oh my god the cult. It's such a cult. The bullying that goes on in that company is beyond the pale.
Oh, the irony: a major civil rights case was filed in the U.S. this week against Lush based on allegations of racism and transphobia. EEOC v. Lush Handmade Cosmetics, LLC, Case 5:24-cv-06859)
This is amazing because I experienced racism from Lush when I worked there like 15 years ago
@@vegasa2067omg I am so sorry!
That’s awful, I’m thankful a case is being made but so sorry it’s necessary!
Ofcos it’s US based… USA have the worse labour right in first world countries
Worked at Lush for two Christmas periods and it was the most toxic working environment ever. Staff are constantly competing with each other for promotions to supervisors or managers. One supervisor said the N-word and still works there.
Whilst Lush does promote saving the environment, often times their stores are located in shopping centers which do not recycle materials so any good you think are doing is reversed cause of the trash system. Pots can be recycled hooray! But the fresh face masks are shipped overnight often times using couriers, and sometimes even being flown, wasting gas and energy.
They want staff members to give customers a 5 star experience and that's through touching and getting in their face, but don't even consider the customers who are autistic or have major sensory issues.
They have great products but in the end, you're paying luxury prices for soap, citric acid and skincare that doesn't actually work cause it's homeopathic bullshit.
Absolutely obsessed with your content at the moment. I’m not really even into skin care, the things you talk about are just so interesting 😅
I admire Lush's ethos a lot. When i was a teenager in the 2000s, there were so few brands that championed cruelty free and even palm oil free in some of their products.
But now, obviously there a huge number of products now that have never tested on animals and are actually effective for their price point. Unfortunately, as the sales girl there sold me in 2009, that green seaweed mask did NOTHING for my acne scars
I always hated shopping at Lush - I’m autistic, so the scents and way staff behave to customers made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. The last time I tried to go into a store, the overwhelming scents set of my asthma, so I literally had to book it out of there as soon as I’d made my purchase for a friend’s birthday (and I wasn’t keen but that’s what she wanted…), wheezing all the way. I just wouldn’t go back in there and not with what I now know
I’m not autistic but have sinasthesia. Lush is a literal mind melt for me. (Tbf, most beauty departments are, but Lush is the worst by far!)
Omg, are we the same person? That is also why I hate shopping at Lush; I haven't gone in since 2019. The smells not only irritated my asthma, but I can't stand being touched (now knowing that it's because I, too, am autistic), and the aggressive touching to sell products always rubbed me the wrong way.
I am not autistic and love Lush products but I also hate going in there. I go in fast, tell the staff I know what I want and get in and out as soon as possible
@@kilahb3742 - literally!!! (Hate being touched for different reasons. See above!)
i’m autistic n the store doesn’t usually bother me but i interviewed there once n the mix of anxiety and sensory overload i literally almost passed tf out which never happens
I used to spend hundreds of pounds on LUSH every couple of months. Their prices over the years just kept going up and up to the point where £100 would be like 3 mid-size products in a tiny box. I only use their fragance now (because Twilight body spray is life) and so I only shop there twice a year at most. Not saying it's unjustified but the value dropped too much. Cruelty free is easy to find these days.
lord i love behind the beauty
There was a time, when I used some lush products on a regular basis. The soaps, bath bombs, henna and hair mask were great! Also, I really love the scents (karma is my favorite). But honestly, I can't pay 8-12 Eur for one bath! It's too expensive and many formulars have changed because of changing laws by the EU.
Really the formulas changed? I didnt even notice that. Do you know what changed (i live in the Netherlands)
@@arbitrary_raspberry In the store they told me, that some scents are different and less intense now, because of EU regulations. Also they had to change their Henna formula and some hair products.
@@calihhan4706 oh i did notice that the intensity of the bodysprays are way less since ..like 5 years now? I just thought it was lush changing its formulas to get more profit like other brands do 🙈 never thought about regulations or something. Guess i got to go to the UK for a holiday and buy my bodysprays over there.
With the effort of a lot of folks: Lush actually helped to stop animal texting completely in Canada. Which is a plus, but the amount of dissatisfaction internally is concerning. Some days you’re human, others you’re less than nothing.
It used to be “happy people, making happy soap”
No, we’re overworked and miserable lol.
This is from the manufacturing/production stand point.
When it comes to retail…hats off to those employees. They’re the ones SELLING the product and think they should be treated better!
I worked for them about 20 years ago. Definitely felt cult-y & also very much a “who you know not what you know” situation. Behaviour of certain senior staff was terrible - spoke to people like garbage, patronising, rude, bullying - but you knew they’d never be held accountable because they were besties with the owners. Went on to work in banking & was treated way better - tells you everything!
Also being told to test things on people without permission - once witnessed a colleague put seaweed mask on someone as they told her they were allergic to iodine! She didn’t know what iodine was & the person started having an allergic reaction in the shop.
Staff whose “face fit” and were blindly obedient were promoted over people who were better at the job.
It’s the worst & most immoral place I’ve ever worked.
Touching a person without permission has a legal name: assault. If anyone tried that with me, I'd call the police.
You are looking AMAZING James!! Stunning! ❤❤
Thank you 🥹💜
Thank you for doing these videos. I think it's very important that we are critical of marketing claims, and that we keep a skeptical mind about us when hearing these claims.
Nightmare for allergies is true. My friend worked there and she had me try a lemon skin lotion. I broke out in a rash and we couldn’t figure out why. Months later, she had been looking at stuff and found the extended ingredients list. Buried deep (not listed on the things normally given to customers) was lavender, which I’m allergic to
Sigh, I was v young but I absolutely *loved* Cosmetics to Go. Their Ginger perfume was incredible... they also did this amazing calamine soap bar which I know sounds weird but I loved it. I also adored their Hot Toddy shower gel for Christmas which Lush sometimes bring back but its not quite the same
CTG was great, loved the originality, catalogue
I forgot about the ginger perfume that was soooo nice! I liked the sand bar, the soap with sand grains in that was great for my keratosis pilaris and smelled amazing. I loved CTG
@@RuthDeane oh yes! thats was a great product
My friends who worked there called it "The Glittery Gulag", it did seem cultish! That said, they took a busload of local activists and staff to support the Vestas workers when they were on strike, so I guess they only bust their own unions 😂 Their charity pot also paid court fees for low income activists so non-Tarquins could get involved too. And yes, spycops are a genuine concern in grassroots activist groups, with undercover police having long term relationships and even children with activists who don't know they were cops. So i really don't see why raising awareness of this issue is controversial. Still, disappointing that they supported WPUK without due diligence. Hope it was an oversight, unfortunately eco-TERFs are a thing though. So wouldn't feel comfortable supporting them knowing that
The Undercover Policing Inquiry was only completed 2 months ago btw youtube.com/@undercoverpolicinginquiry9441?si=KBxZ7ydHhhfCFHfb
I remember when the lush store opened in my local shops around 2013, the staff were definitely acted keen to interact with you, throwing around jelly soaps, etc. As a socially anxious teenager, I wouldn’t go in without my mum to act as a buffer. 😂 They seem a lot more chill in the last few years though
Lol i hate that. pushy sales people never ever work on me. ill not buy something i wanted it if workers hover around and try to get me to buy. And i won't go back
1 minute ago wooo! I haven't watched this video yet but excited to! I don't buy from lush anymore... much prefer supporting small local businesses that sell the exact same thing for a third of the price! :)
The first time I'd been to a lush store was in 2003 visiting NYC, I was so off put by how attentive the staff was and how strongly it smelled I had to leave
I have only ever been to one Lush store in my life [they don't have them where I am in the US other than too far away for the trip] - I was visiting my brother and I went in. Staff was friendly but never bothered us. They stayed behind the counter, or were working on something nearby. But they greeted us, told us to ask if we needed anything, and offered to grab things for us.
And when my mom did want to try something, the woman that helped us said "Do you mind if I take your hand and rub it in, or should I demonstrate on myself and then you can try it yourself?" And my mom let her demonstrate on my mom's hand.
So it's super wild to me [though again only one experience lol] to hear like "They pounce on you" "They touch without really asking" etc in this video or that they flirt. The people there were LOVELY but not remotely invasive ... then again maybe that's because "Murica" ? Where it's probably more dangerous to just grab people? Idk ...
I worked there very briefly in 2021 for the fact that if we did not pounce on somebody within 10 seconds of them being in the store, we got in trouble. If we did not follow them around and try to upsell constantly and check back every one minute and 30 seconds we got in trouble.
In what country?!
@@thesoul2sqeeze the USA
I remember my sister worked there in the 2010s and they would always hound her for not touching people enough and for not being happy enough saying to her "do you want to go home" ie not be paid. Like you have to be SO HAPPY to.work there. And they always make customers uncomfortable. I feel like they can just ask and if the customer says no thsn there u go. Also the fact that they are unionbusting is like diagusting.. it kinda shows they only care about looks and profit, not their staff
I grew up down the road from their tiny little high street shop in Poole and I always made my parents walk on the other side of the road because it stunk and gave me a headache even just walking past. I’ve bought a few things as gifts but can’t stand most of the products and refuse to go near their stores. I do appreciate the zero waste and buy your own size option though- that’s fairly revolutionary even now.
The union busting was the final nail in the coffin for me with LUSH. While the products work really well for me, I can't support their hypocritical labour practices.
As many others on this comment section I too worked in Lush in the 2010s and it had this sustainable image but in reality it was exceptionally wasteful. I believe it might be better now but back then it was bad. We would unpackage massage bars to sell them 'naked' and dump the moulds in the recycling, most of the bars didn't fit the tins we sold and no one ever brought them in to be filled anyway so we wrapped them at the till. We would cut massive chunks of soap and wrap them to encourage impulse buying but no one wanted them when they saw the price so we would unwrap them every day and dump the paper in the recycling at the end of each day. We couldn't just keep them wrapped because the soap was such shit quality it would loose moisture which was a problem when we needed to sell the stuff by weight. The longer that shit 'naked' soap sat on the shelf the more money the shop lost and we had to over order the damn stuff to keep the display looking abundant. I dread to think about how much 'naked' product just got damaged to the point where it was unsellable. The shampoo bars had harsh SLS in them and no one ever wanted to put them out cos opening the box would shred your lungs. The 'naked' shampoo bars were all wrapped at the till like everything else cos no one ever brought the tins in to be filled. The 'fresh' masks were a cute idea but wasted a lot of food that people could have otherwise eaten which was especially galling for the food insecure members of staff (this was more common before Lush was a living wage employer) and it wasted a lot of energy keeping them chilled. I won't even go into all the shitty rapey ways we were expected to slap products on customers without their consent cos many others on this comment section have gone into it in painful acurarate detail.
Love these! I love having it playing like a podcast. There's a lush here in Sapporo, but it's very very expensive. Since Japanese personal care is so effective and reasonably priced, I never feel the need to buy lush.
This is a brilliantly researched and nuanced video that highlights Lush’s fascinating history. I worked for lush for almost 5 years in the mid 2000’s and I have always described it as like working for a cult, the moment that word came out of your mouth I was like YES! It was all consuming, I had so much fun but it was intense to say the least and by the end I was exhausted.
My mother-in-law used to work for Lush and that’s how I got into it back in 2007 and he did tell me how one of the managers gone one of the employees to go interact with a customer. The employee did and they were told off for being a bother to the customer. Another thing is that There are times when not everybody can handle a certain ingredient and that it would react badly, one time around Christmas they were releasing the luster dust and I love the smell of lust. Don’t get me wrong, but one thing is that I can’t handle glitter all over the rest of my body, especially on my right arm, apparently. I didn’t realize it until after my skin had a bad reaction it became very itchy after the intern at the time poured the dust on my arm, and I scratched until it scarring on my arm. I rather have someone ask me if they can put on my skin or not or at least try on my hand. And one thing that I also find annoying is how they discontinue products that have been popular before or put the items that they said that were supposed to be permanent and put them back to the addition, such as Lord of miserable, I got a big bottle of the shower gel saw that it said limited edition and I told myself didn’t they make that permanent? It doesn’t make sense! My all-time favorite product that still used to this day is revive which used BR and B because it kept my hair so smooth and not always frizzy.
Only a few weeks ago I’d popped into my local lush to pick up a pot of dream cream, I use it all the time, I got so bombarded by a staff member my anxiety was going through the roof so I blurted out I had a family emergency and literally ran out of the shop 🤣🤦🏼♀️ I still can’t believe I did that. i honestly felt like I was going to pass out from a panic attack, I felt trapped in there having to explain that I really don’t need help or want anything other than my dream cream !! 😅
I used to go to Lush as a teen just to hang out in the mall, they weren’t overly attentive and didn’t mind us loitering around and playing with products on our own until we left. I stopped shopping there because I think I outgrew their products, some of their skincare was to inconvenient to use regularly, and their controversy over the treatment of their employees
I always found Lush stores overwhelming, I have ADHD anyway so it was a struggle being bombarded with smells, colours, lights, and people constantly trying to talk to me or touch me!
However as a teenager I used to buy from Cosmetics To Go and really loved their products. They were the only company making bath bombs and shampoo bars back then, and I still miss their serpentine shampoo and violet nights bath oil.
So when Lush appeared with the same stuff, from the same address, and the same familiar names, I was delighted. But honestly, I can’t remember the last time I bought from them. I think everything I heard about them did put me off.
That’s not to say I didn’t like their products though, cos I definitely did
My other half said to me what are you watching so i showed him. He listened to this video and said to me that you are very good and clear to understand which i agree with. Your probably one of the best skincare youtubers who always gives genuine advice and you good opinions.
I worked at a LUSH in 2009-2011 in Overland Park, KS when it was just opening in the mall. We had to go through a week long training with lots of story time while waiting for the store to be set up. I remember we got to take home broken bath bombs and even unopened customer returns.And we got 50% off everything. My kids loved their bath bombs. I went to our closest LUSH last year and it's just not the same anymore. The bombs are much smaller and prices are much higher.
I am autistic and terrified of Lush stores. I have only been twice and feel like I was assaulted by the employees who touched me without my consent and brought me near the henna dye - despite me saying that I am deathly allergic to henna. It was difficult for me to verbally express my distress as a teenager, but I know it must have been obvious because my friend ran after me to check that I was okay.
I blogged about the incident with the henna and several Lush fans and one employee harrassed me. They blamed me for not knowing it was 'normal' to be touched up at Lush. I just thought the first lady was weird - I did not expect it to happen again!
I’ve never been touched in a Lush and I’m thankful for that as a majorly introverted person. Sorry to everyone who’s been touched against their will there!
I love LUSH’s fragrances though. I think they’re unique.
American cream is so nice
They're Cempasuchil fragrance is literally my favourite smell ever. There's nothing else really like it
Lush was my introduction to skincare and at one point everything I used was from lush.
Then I had a few interviews at different stores which ultimately put me off the brand. Haven’t bought anything down there in years.
I worked at Lush in the mid 2000s, and I was one of the older people who worked there - most were teens and early 20s, and there I was in my 30s.....before that I was one of the forumites who were obsessed with it - I still have some of my B perfumes from back in the day (Assassin and B I love you). When I worked there they did the Naked promo where they expected all their (very young, mostly female) staff to work naked, save for an apron. Nope, absolutely not. I do still buy some stuff from Lush (My subscription box arrived today), but my biggest gripe is that they keep reformulating really good products, and not for the better. Sorry, but H'Suan Wen Hua is useless without the eggs, Ultrabland was more effective with peanut oil and I'm just sad when I have to find replacements for stuff. As for working there - it was minimum wage and high pressure, which was difficult for younger members of staff, it was a cult, and the managers earned bog all too (I only worked Saturdays, my day job paid me more than a manager). It was a bit cultish but I did go to the factory which was interesting. And yes, the soap moulds were cat litter trays :D I did hate having to pounce on customers though - I have noticed that in most stores now, the assistants will leave you alone if you ask them to
Its sad to see so many negative experiences with employees. I've never had a bad experience in our Lush store. They've never touched me, they help when I've asked but also happy to leave me to shop when I don't need it.
I do love them for my skin and will rarely shop anywhere else for bath products.
Was scrolling through your Instagram posts and BOOM! you posted..🎉❤
I've only shopped at Lush once because the perfumes gave me a headache even before I walked in, then the sales people would not stop trying to touch me when I said no firmly. There were collections I liked (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) but could not bring myself to even consider walking into their store. I couldn't imagine working there.
Haven't walked into one since before covid. I try to avoid those pushy sales tactics at all costs. But I would like to get a bar or two, you know?
What I find really interesting is how I applied for a job with them in their Sydney factory many many years back now. Went into a group interview with a disability group, either people were there for mental health or injury. I was there for the latter. Asked about PPE and safety, and didn't hear back. Not one person in our group (about 15 of us got bussed in).
I also worked at Lush years ago in canada and it was terrible; low pay, pushing sales tactics and targets. Getting in trouble if we didnt meet sales targets. I hated it. I appreciate enough what the brand stands for but I dont respect treating employees terribly.
Im nervous for this one, im disabled from chronic conditions, and a couple of them are really helped by taking a hot bath. As weird as that sounds, it's been shown to help one of my conditions, and nobody knows why. Then a different condition that causes chronic pain, has been somewhat helped by a hot bath. A hot bath makes me able to relax anyway, which is a big help when I'm in excruciating pain. So I love me some lush bath bombs, I just haven't found any other bath bombs that are better🤷♀️
Hey, you do what you have to do. I am able to not buy from Lush but if I also had chronic pain, I might not be in the same position. Please don’t feel bad.
Yayyyy a new video😀
I love these documentary type videos. I fall off to sleep to them
I have been waiting for an exposè on them since years.
Even though lush had a factory in Brazil it was so overpriced they went out of business before expanding beyond their first capital city 😢 I really miss having easy access to karma soap
Best thing to watch while making tea for the family 🤩
I worked at lush in like… 2015-2016 here in the US & we were taught to do the whole “test products on every customer” thing. However, we would get into a fuck ton of trouble if we did not have permission & if we did not ask if they had allergies first. & if a customer said no we would just do it on ourselves & then have them smell the product on us if they wanted to. It was way more relaxed & less invasive. Atleast at my store. But I did get the vibe that there was a reason for them taking this so seriously… so it was probably after complaints that they pulled back on it. i will say, lush was my favorite job ive ever had. i still use a few of their products like ultrabland, shower gels, lord of misrule perfume, sandstone soap, and their newer happy skin exfoliator. im obsessed with it. the lord of misrule is my signature scent. during october i buy like 20 bottles of the body spray bc i use it on my couch and bed and jackets. but the perfume they sell year round now and i couldnt live without it. my opinion on lush is that, theyre way better than most other brands & i love how they have campaigns for social justice causes & how much they care about animal testing. So even though they have had a couple controversies… i still believe that they’re one of the good ones & their intentions are always good. I also love that they don’t use traditional marketing tactics bc i hate how everything is an ad these days. Like… when is the last time lush spent millions on brand trips for rich ppl just so they can try to sell products? Never. Literally never. But the day they hire Mikayla Nogueira to sell their products, is the day I’ll never touch their products again. So I hope that never happens bc every week I’m adding new brands to my list that I will never support bc they have no ethics or morals & they don’t stand for anything except for money.
Also, their founders can be terrible ppl or have bad views but that doesn’t mean the whole company is bad. Name one company or corporation that has good ppl running them. If we stopped supporting every business that doesn’t align w/ our values. There would be none left. Which, I’m not okay w/. But that’s the reality of living in a capitalistic society… you cannot avoid shitty ppl & shitty companies. Unfortunately. Some of them absolutely belong in the trash though…. I’m very conscious of where I spend my money & lush is one of the few that I don’t feel bad about supporting. They could be better. But in the grand scheme of things…. They’re really at the top when it comes to ethics & morals. I wish there were more & I wish they did better w/ their charities & stuff. But again, there’s very few companies that have made even half the effort they have. & they deserve to have a spot in the marketplace.
omg finally someone else who stock piles lord of misrule 💀😭
I met Mo, got a ton of one off products! Also used to be a Lush mystery shopper...they made it worth while! The online forum was a riot...no wonder it had to go when they wanted to go more mainstream!!!
I was on the forum! It was indeed a chaos riot. 😂
The one thing I have bought for almost a decade now is their Sympathy for the Skin cream. It’s not perfumy at all and I can put it on freshly shaved legs with no rash or irritation. I can’t stand the smell of the store when I go in as it’s just too many scents all mixed together. I love this series🥰🥰🥰
Lush or as I like to call it the migraine store🖤
Ahhh haha when I worked there that’s what every customer used to say 😅
😂 I call it the Respiratory health problems/Asthma store, I cant breath in there😅
I don't seem to have an issue with migraines or my asthma in there, which is odd given I'm so sensitive to smells. I find it quite relaxing.
A normal cosmetic section in a department store totally sets me off though.
I am a bit skin sensitive to some of their products but at least I get to try them first instead of making expensive mistakes over and over again like with buying so many other skincare products. Wish I knew exactly what it was that irritated me.
Omg especially every dad who came in with his family or children asked me if i never got migraines while working😂
I cross the street or cover my face when I have to walk past the shop. The shop does actually give me a migraine 😂
Omg Chelt Lush was my main store back in the day lol. I’ll forever wonder if I got served by you!
I used to be on the international forum back in the day. The things I saw from management made me never want to give them another penny. Another notable cock-up was the way that they handled the cyber attack on their site back in 2011 (hacked in October, didn't alert people until after the Christmas rush and literally told customers to just laugh it off). I also remember when they attempted to break the record for most lip prints collected in a day by encouraging customers to kiss t-shirts that were being worn by their (mostly female staff) without any consideration for safeguarding.
Thank you so much for this video! I used to love lush back in the day but I haven’t bought any products from them in a number of years due to the controversies surrounding them. It sounds like I still won’t be buying from them until they treat their workers properly!
Don't believe a word about the Sydney factory. I have friends who work there, and I asked about the claims mentioned in this video. The "stalking/sexual harrassment" victim didn't like being told "No. I won't date you". The "stalker" was a married co-worker, with a lovely HUSBAND, so he had no interest in her whatsoever. He had refused her advances - over and over - and she proceeded to try and destroy the poor man's life! THAT is why they tried mediation - to show her that they knew she was lying. It wasn't the first time she'd tried this. The first time, the victim ( not her, obviously) lost his job. All because he told her he wasn't interested ( he was married with two little kids). He lost his job as a result. It wasn't even six months and she tried it again, but it fully backfired on her, causing HER to lose her job.
Also, there are plenty of trolleys to be used, but they're mainly used by the people doing the packing and stacking for the products to be put onto the massive shelves ready for distribution. There's no way in HELL that anyone would be able to put the masses be crates onto shelves by hand alone. The shelves stand around 15 - 20 feet high! And as for the company not calling an ambulance? Pull out your phone and do it yourself! But I doubt that has occurred, because the person telling The Guardian Australia wasn't even the person who was injured! And you wouldn't run to the media, you'd go through the official channels, like the state OH&S office, and your union, to get this all dealt with.
Just for clarity - I do not work for Lush, or any other type of beauty business. I'm just a middle aged woman on DSP who did their homework, and asked questions..Also, I don't buy anything from Lush - not my style. ( They don't make black/ dark blue/ emerald green lipsticks)!! And I can't afford their products anyway.
I love the products, i LOATHE going to the stores. Last time, i had a horde of employees corner me and ask me what i was in for... I just wanted shampoo. A guy then hung over my shoulder for the entire time i was looking at things. I got out of there as soon as i could. I was so uncomfortable.
Love these videos! Very informative, I neither love them or hate them, one of those brands, that I just don’t care for, but the controversy bit was an eye opener tbh…
Ive been loving these deep dives, I must say this and the L'oreal are two of your best yet.
I throughly enjoyed this.
Thanks James 💜
This was a really great video - interesting and informative - but the minute James brought up the smell of the Lush store, I got so distracted. I always hated the smell of their shops, haha.
Ahhh haha I used to love it! I think working there made me a bit immune to the smell 😭😂
I loved Cosmetics To Go as a teen! There wasn’t anything else like it at the time and it was really exciting to get a parcel of goodies through the post. Also my cats LOVED the boxes of shredded paper they came in
I loved Cosmetics to Go. Was really sad when it went away. I have loved some of Lush’s old products. Almost to the point of addiction. But not even checked it out for a few years now.
Fox hunters are starting a court case trying to be recognised as minority group and that hunting foxes with hounds on horseback is part of their culture. So if anyone is anti blood sports and they don’t want it to start again they should see what they can do.
Worked there in US 2014-end of 2019. Such a poor work environment. Poor pay. Poor leadership. Negligent handling of HR complaints. Rampant bullying. I am not surprised its profits are dropping and its popularity is on the downfall. Can’t have happy customers when you have unhappy employees.
I left working for them because of crappy pay. I made enough to pay for my rent and electricity, I couldn't afford enough food and definitely couldn't afford luxuries like bus tickets or nights out.
I was in London and Edinburgh in 2001, and loved the Lush stores. When they came to the states, it was a shock how much they changed. I still like some of the products but really miss the original feel.
Edited to add, it would be difficult to scale as it was.
I don't know how it is for others, but in my store, they emphasize not touching people without their direct consent. We have a lot of autistic employees and managers so maybe that's why. Also, since COVID, my store has done some hand-on-hand demos but now we encourage customers to do it themselves with us directing them and chatting about the product.
if you think Lush is a cult, you should do a video on Aēsop. The biggest cult like brand and even more controversial since their acquisition by L'oreal in june 2023.
Love your videos James. You tell them so very well. You always make my day. Thank you
The rubbing products on people thing is like one of my core mild trauma memories (TM) because one time when I was like 13 I went into Lush with my mom and this GROWN ASS MAN was trying to sell me on a lotion and he like rubbed this lotion all over my arm and put products in my hair unasked for and even when I was like visibly uncomfortable and trying to get away from him. My mom thought it was funny but I've literally never entered a LUSH store since
It was possibly one of the worst parts about the job. It was so obvious it made so many people so uncomfortable!
I am with you this just traumatized me. I have many allergies thankfully nothing happened but I didn't expect them to touch me.😱
@@JamesWelshI worked in Lush in 2013 and it was absolutely horrible attacking people with products. 😂
That reminds me of those creepy Seacret Dead Sea cosmetics guys (always guys) who used to attack you with hand cream at the mall!
While I think being anti animal cruelty and animal testing is a really worth while cause, it feels SO disingenuous to me when companies don't pay their workers fairly and treat them like shit. Kinda just seems like being anti animal testing is a popular cause and being pro worker isn't so they can make money from the claim that they are against animal cruelty and yet up their profit margins while hurting their employees. It's so upsetting so many brands are like this. I hate capitalism.
yes, the allergy issues...i went to lush for the first time and the worker asked me if i wanted to try a product and practically grabbed my hands before i could say yes. she started listing ingredients and i bristled when she said almond oil 😵💫i told her i was allergic and she was mortified. thankfully i washed my hands and nothing further happened. but we did get to shop unbothered after that lol
Lush is skincare you gift to people you don't like but have to buy something for... like an annoying cousin or coworker
🎯
If it's someone you don't like, why pay Lush prices?? They are sooo over priced
I don’t think lll ever use lush skincare for face, but their body products and fragrance are great
LOL! Yesss. This used to be The Body Shop too.
@@jonniclark5549 For the same reason I’d have men coming in for gift sets for their female employees/friends/family members when I worked at Bath and Body Works- it’s easy.
I did one shift as a christmas temp at a Lush, and they "let me go" after that shift because I wasn't pushy enough with customers. They wanted to pay me in products as well, instead of the actual money I was owed.
I still pop in to grab a bath bomb or something every so often but its so frustrating because I *know* what I'm looking for I don't want to be slathered in body lotion and guilt tripped for not buying it.
I like some of their products. I love the way the stores look. I love that it was a place for LGBTQ ppl to work. But my god, hell on earth for introverts. The behavior I had to endure from Lush employees would have the cops called on a regular person. Absolutely loathed shopping there and the performative bullshit really irks me. Because it really is the best place to buy someone a gift when you can't think of anything lol.
literally this is the most information I've ever heard about Lush, not even knowing they were a sustainable brand.. if you would've told me after the first 20 minutes that they would've disappointed me this hard i wouldn't have believed you 😂
Daddy oh and R&B (cant remember the new name) have been my hair savers for ages. i still add a bathbomb or small thing to gifts and have a few showergels at home and refill handcreme in the small sample boxes that i have in my bags… but yes, the way they treat their ppl is… more than questionable…
I think this is a fair review/assessment of the brand (I buy from them). The questions asked are important and wider follow up would be a good thing.
A friend talks to me a lot about liking Lush's products and how she's sad I don't have access to better hair care products because of financial status and location, but like, going into Lush sounds terrifying when they put products all over without asking and I am allergic to a lot of natural ingredients. What I have that is cheap drugstore stuff works, and it's mostly or completely synthetic which is what I'm not allergic to. This isn't to rag on her or on Lush but like, I just get tired of "omg lush is so good" from people with money for them when their products would give me rashes and red splotchy skin and cheap drug store synthetics are just fine rn.
Lush creates a cult like mentality in some and she has been sucked in. Use what works for you. If she keeps harassing you to use the stuff, sit her down and talk to her about her behaviour.
@@Beebee192-j7i It's less that she's harassing me, and more that she just acts so sad that I don't have access to nicer stuff. And it's not just Lush but other bigger and more expensive beauty brands too. It feels awkward because yeah having nice stuff would be nice, but I don't need something so expensive and I have a lot of allergies to natural ingredients in beauty products and a lot of these big nicer brands use natural ingredients. And cheap drugstore stuff works just fine for me right now.
I wash my hair twice a day right now because of sensory issues with it being oily, and she made a big deal about how that is too much and I need to wash it less. I told her about when I was a teenager and my mom forced me to wash it less, I was constantly crying from sensory overload from how oily hair felt. And this was weeks of being forced to wash it only every other day. She said it was probably the product then, and that I needed to try something else. But what I use is the only thing I can use from the local Winn Dixie. It's all that is available and I'm fine with having to wash my hair twice a day with it. And she was like "but washing your hair too much can cause scalp irritation." I told her that it wasn't in my case, and she was like "it's still not good for you" like she knows what's best for me and what is doable in my situation.
I know she doesn't mean it in a "you need to get these other products instead even though they cost more money and wash your hair less" way, but rather a "it makes me sad that you have to do that because you can't afford better products" way and it's just so awkward because she's in New York and middle class and has claimed her family struggles with money too but it seems to just be bad spending habits considering the stuff her parents constantly spend money on and how much her dad makes. I'm in a very rural area in Florida, and under the poverty line. It feels like I'm being pitied for being in rural poverty when she's a middle class city woman. (We're both disabled jobless dependent adults)
@@alistairrosehearts9734 you keep doing what works for you ❤️ there's no point in using something else if you like your products. I get very oily hair too. I shampoo my hair with a scalp brush, rinse, shampoo again and rinse. I find it takes a second layer of oil out of my hair. I don't know if it would work for you, I find it gives me fresher hair for longer. You keep being you ❤️❤️❤️
@@alistairrosehearts9734 I see you said you are in. Florida, hope you are ok after the recent weather.
Tricked into marrying a cop?! That phrase made me nauseated. Do we really need undercover cops?