What you see – Are you the person for whom bath is not just a necessity, but a true luxury? Then you must drop in at Lush in Mumbai. Lush is one store in Phoenix Mills’ Grand Galleria that stands out; not for its size or for the curiously shaped multi-colored blocks you see inside, but for its smell. You can smell Lush when you’re a few steps around the corner. Smells that are at once fruity, pungent, sour, bitter and very strong. It takes a while to get used to them. But well, Lush is all about natural fragrances that find their way into piles of soap bars and mounds that look as though there are flagged pieces of different planets on display.  

What you get – A UK based company, Lush’s products promise to be as eco-friendly as nature itself. Lush makes mostly solid products to avoid too much packaging. So you’ll find massage bars, bubble bath bars, hair conditioner bars and shampoo bars instead of liquids. The soaps and shampoo bars are simply large mounds that are cut as per the quantity you demand, and then wrapped in paper. In addition, Lush products are completely vegetarian and use only real fruits, vegetables, plant extracts, and only the safest synthetics. The only animal products in lush soaps are beeswax, honey, free range eggs and lanolin.

There are so many lovely products in the store, it’s quite enjoyable just walking among colorful mounds and identifying individual smells of the soaps and butter creams. If you’re apprehensive about something, the Lush employees are only happy to cut you a sliver of soap to sample. Customers are welcome to sample temple balms, hand and body lotions, moisturizers, and gentle face cleansers. Skin toners and shaving creams are among more masculine of their products. Some of their most popular soaps are the Porridge soap (a warm, creamy, mild soap that doesn’t lather too much), Chox away soap (a succulent blend of dark and white chocolate), Queen of hearts soap (one of the few Lush soaps that you can use on your face), Ambrosia (a soothing shaving cream), Breath of Fresh Air (a lotion made with real sea water), Goth juice hair gel, and the Honeybee Bath Ballistic. Lush also has a range of fragrances that complement the scents of the soaps.

Tempting as it may sound, Lush is expensive; so expensive, that if you do buy a soap, you’re going to feel guilty about using it and watching it disappear. The products are all priced between Rs. 260 and Rs. 960 per 100 grams.

Our verdict – In terms of quality, Lush is tops; you can assure your skin a real treat with any of their products. Perhaps only the prices are a downer. But do keep an eye out for the occasional sales and offers. Parking space is available

Anytime between – 11 AM – 9 PM