This was the first Lush Spa treatment I have ever had and it has begun a new tangent in my addiction to everything Lush. One of the most expensive strings to their cosmetic bow, Lush have developed the ultimate spa. Promoting their own products as well as using unique techniques in the world of relaxation, Lush Spa is not just a range of treatments - it’s a range of experiences and emotions.
I was booked in for two treatments in the first week of May 2016 in the Edinburgh spa as my birthday present from my parents. My first one was The Comforter?. Advertised as a chocolate full body scrub with rolling massage followed by a rose serum, it sounded like the perfect initiation in to Lush Spa. I was very very excited.
We turned up to the Lush store 15 minutes early (they say to be 10 but I was far too keen) and were greeted by one of the girls. Oddly enough her name was Hannah too and we immediately hit it off. My stepmum was joining me for this fist treatment and we were both offered a glass of ‘Spa water’ which is flavoured differently each day. Today’s flavour appeared to be a strawberry and lemon concoction which I’m informed was delightful (I was far too hyped on nervous excitement to drink anything). We were invited to browse the shop while we waited and I went about making mental list of everything I would buy when we emerged from this later… There was also a little waiting area with two seats which I eventually took refuge on to prevent myself spending anything until afterwards. Before too long, my little sit down was interrupted by our therapists. The one taking charge of me was Amanda and she was lovely, making me feel very at home (although to be honest I feel lost at home when surrounded by Lush and likeminded people).
We were taken downstairs to what I can only describe as an old style English kitchen. The first thing to meet the eye was a little seating area that was softly lit and behind that was a kitchen type area with a very long table down the centre with chairs on either side. We were invited to remove our coats (it is Scotland in May after all, jackets are pretty much essential) and handbags before taking a seat at the end of the table across from our therapist. Between us sat a tray and upon it was a contraption not dissimilar to an oil burner but in stead had a cup and saucer on top with a small wooden spoon in it. There was something warming away in there and it turned out to be the body scrub they were going to use in the treatment. Smelling strongly of chocolate, the scrub almost seemed edible and while we examined it the therapists explained it would be more of a polish than a deep exfoliation. Off to the side of the burner were two bars, one was the chocolate scrub in solid form and the other was the rose serum in solid form. The rose smelled amazing, not too unlike Rose Jam combined with Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner. My therapist then went on to explain the soundtrack for the treatment, each one has a unique sound to go with it, and ours was to be happy Willy Wonka type songs which I was delighted with. That was the last part of the explanation and it was soon time to actually have the treatment…
Picture this: I’m in the Lush Spa and before my treatment I succumb to the weakness that is my bladder. I have to pee. I’m just about to indulge in 60 minutes of scrub and massage in which I do not want to be disturbed by the hot chocolate I drank a half hour ago. I am led by my lovely Amanda to the bathroom of my dreams… Within it lies a whole host of delightful pots and potions that you are completely free to use while you’re in there. Well, you can imagine my face as a devout Lush worshipper. I did my business and took to the sink to see what I could possibly use in the socially acceptable time limit available for emptying one’s bladder. I decided using the shower was probably pushing it so I opted for a toner water to spray on my face to check I wasn't dreaming and then set about creating a hand wash routine using the soap (I’m not sure which one it was I sincerely apologise), Salted Coconut hand scrub and then Dream Cream to finish. I also dabbed on a bit of Rose Lollipop and added it to my mental shopping list I was going to get later.
When I eventually vacated the bathroom, it was time to enter the treatment room. Amanda asked me to take a seat and then she explained I would need to strip to my panties before hopping in to the bed in the centre of the room. She told me to take my time and enjoy my treatment room while I undressed. It was only once she had left that I really began to take in my surroundings. looking from the door, the chair I was sitting on was in the far right corner, had a small table beside it to put your clothes on and had a mirror behind it. Next to my chair was a wardrobe which I found out later housed the sound system this fuelled the speakers that were hidden all around the room. An non-offensive tune played in the background as I took a quick look at the other section of the room. There was a bath in there, presumably for a different treatment that I am excited to try at a later date, and it was also lightly stocked with Lush products such as Karma Kream and some toner waters at a beauty table next to the bath.
When I had stopped gawping and actually got in to bed I found it to be warm and waiting for me. The memory foam was heated from underneath and I got in under a sheet with a snuggly duvet on top of that. I was in a lying position, on my back with a comfy pillow looking up at the ceiling turned pink by a light in the corner and dotted with green stars that another light was producing. I truly felt the magic of The Comforter at this moment. I tinkled a small brass bell to tell the therapist that I was ready and she re-entered the room. Although I was almost naked, being under the duvet made me feel decidedly at ease and not at all self-conscious as I had expected to feel.
Amanda began by covering my eyes with a warm pillow type thing and then pushed my shoulders in to the bed firmly as if to cement me there (I took this as a hint not to move but that probably wasn't what she meant). The music in the background changed as the treatment began, it was the happy tunes I was promised and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Amanda moved in a circular path around my body, exposing one limb at a time to rub in the delightful scrub in massage-like motions that weren't too little or ever too much scratchy. I totally relaxed, she manipulated my limbs as she needed to giving me a darn thorough polish up. Amanda then moved in to the rolling massage over the sheet which was quite nice but to be honest there wouldn't have been much lost without it. Then we got to my favourite part, the hot mitts.These were used to remove the scrub and somehow Amanda moved between wet and dry ones without a pause creating the impression that there could have been a small team working on me. I had my eyes shut, at team of oompa loompas was perfectly plausible in my sweetness addled brain at this point.
After the hot mitts, my therapist spoke to me for the one and only time during the treatment, asking me to turn over while she held up the duvet and looked away. I had actually forgotten my state of undress. I then popped my head in the hole face first and Amanda covered me up started on my other half. She scrubbed my back and the other side of my legs before another little massage that wasn't as lost on me this time before the hot mitts came out again. There was a twist when it came to my back though, air was blown on to my damp back before a large hot pad of some description (don’t laugh, I was away in a fuzzy land of my own at this point) was rolled on to my back which I wasn't expecting.
Then came the warm rose serum. It smelled amazing and was delightfully massaged in to my back and every limb. My memory goes fuzzy at this point so I must have been in the ‘world of my imagination’ that Jackie Oates was tinkling about through the surround sound. Dreaming of the bubbles, fizzes, oils and rubs that were being sold upstairs. Considering the Spa is directly under the shop, they did a jolly good job of soundproofing it down there.
At this point my magical treatment was complete. I felt floppy and nearly fell asleep after Amanda had left the room to let me get changed. I struggled to get up, drawn only by the fact that I could have a second explore of the treatment room… I was a bit wobbly but managed to get my clothes all on the right way by some miracle and left to find Amanda waiting in the cosy seating area for me. My stepmother wasn't out yet and I took the opportunity to go and visit the bathroom again while I waited, this time trying a moisturiser and sniffing the Let the Good Times Roll cleanser (adding it to my growing list of things I really needed to get upstairs to buy). When I emerged the two therapists were waiting and we got down to the Cloud Cocktails. These were two cocktail glasses piled high with candy floss with small stoppered bottles of pinky liquid beside them to pour on top. When poured the candy floss fizzled away and a pink sweet cocktail was left that I quite enjoyed. We sipped them while we read the visitors book and naturally signed our names with praise for the spa.
And then it was time to leave… I really didn't want to. We got our coats and bags and were escorted to the shop floor where I proceeded to spend almost every penny of my birthday money in a matter of minutes. We were advised not to shower until the next day to allow the oils to soak in and why would we have wanted to wash them away? We spent the rest of the day sniffing ourselves and watching other trying to find the source of the sweet smell emanating from us.
All in all, my Lush Spa experience was amazing. The staff are friendly, attentive and polite as they are in every store you visit. This was a fantastic few hours of my life that I will never forget. Thank you Lush Spa!
