Update: Lush review

Last month, I posted how excited I was to had won a gift certificate to Lush Cosmetics at a silent auction for a charity event we attended. Well, a few days later when I received my item... I was pissed, to put it delicately. I bid on a $200 gift certificate to Lush... what I received were 10 coupons for a foot soak selling demonstration, a hand soap and 10 samples of their Dream Cream.

For tax purposes, only the donating business can claim tax value on auction items... so I wrote to Lush's corporate office that 10 coupons for a service they provide for free for all customers, a small hand soap and 10 samples does not equal $200. I also requested that if they could not provide me with what I was told I was bidding on, if they please would make a donation to the organization instead for the same amount as their tax deduction (I authorize our in-kind donations on behalf of the museum).

Turns out, they never donated to the organization's silent auction. They gave the organization the cream samples and coupons for the "free foot soak" to sprinkle on the tables as freebies/advertising... the volunteers/organizers just decided to create a silent auction item and god bless their hearts, thought it was valued at $200. The store manager at Old Orchard called me and explained what must have happened and offered to not only do their foot soak, hand soak and mini-facial demonstration for me and a friend (I invited my friend Sam and offered to treat her if she liked any of the products) but would give me a goodie bag of travel-sized samples. We travel frequently on weekends, so I never turn down decent travel-sized beauty products!

I popped in yesterday, and the store manager is a total doll!

She gifted me with a Hello Gorgeous gift set, containing the Gorgeous facial moisturizer created for Lady Diana, a marshmellow bath melt, a sakura bath bomb, a body scrub, and a hand cream:

I ended up buying a beauty mask she recommended that has to be kept in our refrigerator, because it contains no preservatives. Before anyone worries how this might impact my husband, I went over with him three times how this beauty mask is not food. It's not food. It probably will not taste good with pretzel chips. Do not eat the thing labeled "BB Seaweed."

I also bought a lemon cuticle cream that she claims can double as a foot cream and an elbow exfoliator.

I'm really impressed with Lush's customer service and outreach. I'm pretty excited to try some new products, since I purchase my husband's bar soaps there but never really tried anything for myself. I am fairly confident I will become a repeat customer for the body scrub (it really makes your skin incredibly smooth, and I hear that boys like that), bath melts and lemon cuticle cream.

I can't wait to try the mask tonight!