Lush is something like the Marmite of the beauty world – there are those that walk past gagging at that overpowering signature Lush smell, or those that walk past happily rejoicing in that gorgeous signature Lush smell! Lush have previously stuck to the skincare side of the game, specialising in scrumptious bath bombs, face masks and other lotions and potions, but now they’ve taken their first steps into make-up with the new Emotional Brilliance cosmetics range… and good news for those who can’t stand the smell – there’s not a scent in sight!
What I love about Lush is that they have fun with their products, making them in a rainbow of colours, shapes and textures (shower jelly is my current fave!), all with silly catchy names – so it’s no surprise that their make-up comes with a fun twist too. Every Lush store now boasts an Emotional Brilliance colour wheel, where staff invite you to spin the wheel and discover what shades suit your current state of mind. After picking the three colours that stand out the most to you (note: not just your favourites!), they’ll give you a colour reading, telling you what those shades says about your character – definitely more fun than reading your horoscopes!
I picked out Motivation, a turquoise liquid eyeliner that represented my inner strength; Vibrance, a glittering orange liquid lipstick that represented my “subconscious need” (presumably because I was ridiculously tired that day… well, all days really!); and Feeling Secure, a pretty purple eyeliner that represented my talent (hrmmm… may need more analysis on that one!). The Lush girls then gave me a mini makeover in store – don’t worry, Vibrance is a lot less crazy on than it looks in the packaging! – before sending me home with a few other colours to play with.
Left to right: Motivation eyeliner, Feeling Secure eyeliner, Wise eye shadow, Ambition lipstick
My favourite, still several weeks on meaning I must be an extremely motivated person (or at least that’s what I tell myself), is Motivation. It’s a vivid shimmering mermaid turquoise that delivers bright beautiful colour in just one sweep. It’s intended more as a liquid eyeliner (so comes with a thin brush applicator, as opposed to the cream eye shadows, like Wise, which have sponge ones) but you can easily blend and use it as an eye shadow too. Though I loved how vibrant the colour was, I found that it didn’t cope too well with water or sweat – a bit of a problem for humid HK – and didn’t last as long as I’d hope once met with those obstacles.
The liquid lipstick, Ambition, was MUCH more impressive. A true searingly bright red, this was almost more like lip paint – and once it was on, it did not budge! I applied it early morning… and after several meals, drinks and a shower, it was still there come bedtime! Ambition has incredible pigmentation and intensity, plus it wasn’t drying either, so if you are looking for a lippie to last you all day and stay true to colour, this is the one.
All of the lipsticks, eye shadows and eyeliners come in clear glass dropper bottles with applicators inside the lids; in keeping with Lush’s eco-friendly ethos, the glass is designed to be easily recyclable, the black caps are made from Lush’s own recycled plastic pots and the applicators are deliberately shorter than standard size to save on waste (see the biddy mascara one above!). To be honest, I found the brush and sponge applicators a little cheap feeling, but they do the job well enough, and whilst the packaging is more cute than sophisticated, it’s for admirable reasons.
The Emotional Brilliance range also includes a mascara, skin tints (light liquid highlighter/bronzers) and a translucent finishing powder, plus the whole range is 100% vegan-friendly, handmade and cruelty-free – all too rare for cosmetics in Hong Kong.
With the eye shadows, liners and lipsticks coming in a rainbow of 30 different shades and all priced at $199 for a generous 5g of product, the Emotional Brilliance range is a fantastic addition to Lush and the make-up scene in general; it’s great to see more eco-friendly beauty products easily available in Hong Kong, in loads of vibrant bright colours too and not just the normal neutrals. This is make-up that makes you feel good both inside and out… so next time you catch a whiff of that signature Lush smell, pop by and get your colours on!
Lush, Shop No.125, 1/F, Windsor House, 311 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 3162 8812; see all other Lush locations in Hong Kong here.
www.lush.com.hk/shop/common/home
Hi,
I stumbled across your blog about 2 weeks ago when I was looking for information on beauty and skincare shopping in Hong Kong as I will be visiting next month for the first time!
I was wondering if you could let me know if there is a good variety and colour range for cosmetics in HK. I am Malaysian, of Indian descent and my colouring is MAC NW35/NC42 or thereabouts. Do the stores stock colours in this range or even darker?
Price-wise, from a comparison of the MAC Marilyn Monroe collection, the prices in HK are more competitive than back home. So I intend to look for a bunch of stuff at MUFE and several other places, especially now that that I have read your announcement about Boots opening!
I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!
Hi Selvi
I’m sure you’re gonna have fun beauty shopping in HK! Quite a few brands here (especially the Japanese ones) do not bother to stock darker foundation colours; however, I believe MAC does have a big range yet I don’t know how or which exactly they stock up to. It is probably best for you to look when you come here – and there are MACs everywhere here, so you will stumble upon one very quickly!
I advise you to hit up one of the big department stores (SOGO, Lane Crawford) or malls (IFC, Pacific Place, Festival Walk) and browsing round all the make-up stores there to find what you want. Hope that helps!
Rach
Hi Rach,
Thanks so much for replying and for the tips on where to go! I’ll definitely keep those places in mind!
LOVE Lush. As an FYI, most of these colours have been adapted from their old sister brand ‘B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful’ which was like an Aladdin’s cave of beautiful cosmetics. Glad they’ve made a comeback, albeit in boring packaging
Thanks for the heads up Rina! Aaaah… I think I missed out on B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful (wow that’s a mouthful!) at the time sadly, so this is my first time experience with Lush make-up – the lipsticks are the star products for me!
I went by Lush in the Central MTR station today near the Landmark exit, and they had very few items in the store. The salesperson in the store was very cagey about when they would get more supplies. Have they gone bankrupt or lost their lease?
Hey Mia
Apparently Lush (in the the UK) have ended their relationship with the current license holders in HK – the full statement is here http://www.lush-hk.com/. It says they will be opening an awesome huge new store in TST sometime in 2013 but I’m not sure about what is happening with the current stores and whether they will be continuing, closing or relocating, so I imagine that may be why there is some uncertainty among staff and stock problems (they’ve run out of my fave products too and have next to no Christmas stock, so I feel your pain!). Will bring you more info as soon as we know more!