Life: Lush White Rose VIP Opening Party

*caution - extremely picture heavy post*

When I received an email from the lovely Urika I very nearly jumped for joy and I replied faster than you count to three. I was very luckily invited to the VIP Opening Party of Lush in the White Rose (a local shopping centre of mine) last week. Since I first started blogging and discovered the magic of Lush events, I've wished to attend one and spending a night in the presence of every luxury you could hope for exceeded all my expectations. Lush speaks out to me as nothing but scent heaven, marvelous bath treats, skincare goodness, and a whole lot of super friendly faces. It's the unique products and the fun, busy atmosphere where you feel as though you genuinely belong which stands out for me. Wrap that up and times that by a thousand and here you have this fabulous event.

As the queue began to form outside (yes an actual queue behind a red roped barrier, I certainly felt like a top banana!) I spotted Jess and Claire - two gorgeous ladies that I met previously at an event and we shared our mutual excitement until the doors opened and were let in one by one. We were instantly greeted with open arms and a glass of bubbly which I treated myself to as I usually pass on the drinks (ooh get me being all naughty) and without hesitation we all joined in with the exhilaration and the admiration of the fresh, new, amazing store.

The three of us made our way through the store anti-clockwise (almost like a personalised tour) and wherever we ended up, there was a member of staff thrilled to show you more and give you a detailed insight on everything that was on show. That's what highlights the Lush vibe for me, I think so many people love going in there because the employees have so much knowledge and dedication to their role, and are always inviting, even when you just bob in for something specific, you leave with a mood boost. 

First on the agenda was the selection of soaps, bath bombs and bubble bars; admittedly my favourite part of Lush. It doesn't hurt to swoon over the oldies and the newbies (even if it is for the billionth time, you can never get enough) so that's what I went ahead and did. Except this time, we were given demonstrations on how certain bath goodies worked. The Luxury Lush Pud and the Golden Wonder were up first, both an absolute swirling dream. Not only is the Luxury Lush Pud made to look appealing, it also does the job of providing relaxation and a zesty pamper as it frizzes, froths and forms into a sea of pastel prettiness. Same goes for the Golden Wonder which is possibly the best Lush invention with its glittering greatness and the rattling miniature vibrant gifts inside that are revealed as it's soaked in the bath. The soft, citrus scent is so soothing and refreshing, setting off a spark as you settle down to enjoy feeling amazing.

If, like me, you are a sucker for anything cutesy with character to it which also allows you to be indulgent, then the entire Christmas range is perfect. Another assortment I was introduced to were the delicious and well crafted soaps. I never really consider buying soaps as I don't feel like you can venture too much into them but spending time experimenting with them changed my conception completely. My favourites were the Yog Nog, Baked Alaska and Reindeer Rock. Yog Nog was described by the staff as "not up everyone's street" I was on the half of people whose street it was up. I love anything with a fudgy, toffee smell, like the almost too good to eat kind and this ticked all the right boxes, not to mention the scent matches the carefully printed Christmas novelties. The Baked Alaska is a big whirl of bright colours against a blue background that is only truly appreciated once sliced. It has such a clean, calming citrus scent to it and is bound to give you a refreshing satisfaction. The Reindeer Rock was not only adorably festive, it also smelt divine - almost identical to the Comforter, a sweet, uplifting, Ribena like smell. Mmmm.

The gifts were up next, something I often stroll straight past around the busy Christmas period but something I also realised I was missing out on hugely! They aren't just your ordinary sets, each one has its own individual creation, either in a neon box or a beautiful knot wrap and are full of treasured treats. We had a sneak peak of a couple of the wacky boxes and as the big one says, I was wow'ed! The Jingle Bells released my inner child with it's tambourine lid, and then there was another one which I can't quite remember the name of but as you opened it you were greeted with a crinkled, jack in the box inspired surprise and it was like I was allowed to be 6 years old all over again.

Just as I thought I couldn't love Lush anymore, they'd brought in two professionals from the Lush Kitchen especially for us. Throughout the night, the attendees were given an opportunity to get their hands dirty and make their very own Comforter Bubble Bar. As the three of us were asked if we'd like to make one, we made no hesitation and jumped straight up to the artsy table with giddiness and got cracking. It was much simpler and quicker than I thought it would be; as we slipped on our gloves and were instructed to swirl the pink and white dough to form a cone and then squish down as hard as we could - we were then presented with our masterpiece in a matter of minutes. I think we did a great job and were pretty proud of the final outcome. I can't wait to use mine, knowing I've made it will make me savour the moment even more!

The challenges kept arising as time ticked by and it seems the freedom of being able to rekindle back to your primary school days was in full swing. Laid out near the ballistics was a tray full of creations and equipment. We gave building our own snowman a go with the Snowman Kit. I felt like I took this a little too seriously as I went all out and used the cookie cutter to recreate The Melted Snowman but I must have done a good job as one of the lovely Lush ladies thought it was a genuine bubble bar (cue the proud laughter). Jess's fabulous and well thought out German Techno/Nordic Pop snowman inspired by the theme of the Christmas gift sets is to the left and Claire's traditional snowan is next to that. I think we made quite the trio (did I mention we're all in our 20's?!)

The shelves were packed with all the beloved lotions and potions which were all so neatly organised and displayed. I love how hands on it is inside Lush! As we followed the trail and moved on we had a feel and a sniff of so many products. A new discovery for me was the dusting powder. I tried the Lustre, although the assistant said it is more suited for darker toned skin, we both had an "ah, let's try it anyway" moment and she sprinkled a smidgen on my hand up to my arm. I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely it felt and the aroma it gave. It left me golden, glistening and the glitter made my skin stand out for the rest of the night. I think this would be perfect for when you catch a tan on holiday! The second one I tried was the First Snow, a sensual shimmer that mattifies your skin and gives it a subtle glow.

Lush Skincare is up there with my preferred winners and being invited to my dream, exclusive Lush event allowed me to try out the products I've always wanted to try but never got round to snapping up. The Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser is something I've heard so much about and as we were able to analyse the texture I found it to be just as nice as it's stated to be. When crossed with water it is a paste like formula but one which works deep into the skin and leaves you feeling brightened and squeaky clean. A definite gentle pamper product filled with a sufficient amount of nourishing ingredients ideal for my skin type.

I had a good wander round the section of cosmetics and realised a good proportion of them were made to look edible (seriously how much does the Movis Face Soap look like chocolate flapjack?!). That also applied for the shampoo bars, they were built up to imitate macaroons and oh how pretty they were. That is next on my list for my collection of Lush buys, I'd like to venture into the world of their hair-care, hand-care, and foot-care after hearing so many positive remarks about them.

Lush face masks are without a doubt my idea of paradise. The presentation of both the masks in storage and out in the open were so delightfully intriguing. Decorated with fruit, eggs and flowers gave off the whole organic sense. It was great to see my all time favourites on show; Cupcake, BB Seaweed, Mask of Magnaminty and so on but it was also great to discover some unfamiliar products and hear all about their perks. They're all so revitalizing and jam packed with goodness!

Massage bars are my most recent Lush introduction; I've only tried Therapy which I was highly pleased by but by the time I left the embracing experimental area, that tripled and I desired the entire range, not just one. As per I was greeted with smiles as I was ushered over to pick out and be spoiled with my choice. Obviously with my love for dainty products, I picked the hyped favourite, Snow Fairy Sparkle. The lovely Lush lady sat me down and gently rubbed her magic. I was left with super soft, shimmering and sweet smelling skin and of course I couldn't leave without picking one up and plonking it in my basket. I managed to lecture myself when thinking about buying more as it is coming up to Christmas and I can't afford to be over spending but the others were just as appealing. I adore how nourishing the massage bars feel, the buttery oils sink right into the skin giving you a velvety finish.

The perfume and makeup range in Lush is something I'm a stranger to, I didn't realise how large their selection was and I was eager to find out more. As usual, the unique and individual packaging from Lush was highlighted. As for the fragrances themselves, a tantalising jasmine scent is one I find charming so Lust was the one that stood out for me. A close joint was Furze, I seriously can't resist any hint of coconut and vanilla, it's such a light and refreshing smell. 

How gorgeous is the array of makeup? It's displayed with colour coordination in mind and is so fetching. I'm hoping to try some of the makeup when I save up some pennies, I'm always on the lookout for something that will enhance my boring features. I can't find faults with any of the lip scrubs either, I tried them all and although Popcorn remains my favourite, Bubblegum is filled with candied caster sugar which smells like a sweet shop and Santa's Lip Scrub reminds me of Cola Bottles, such a nifty addition to the Christmas range - I may just have to invest.

Towards the end of the night, Jess, Claire, and I were gathered up to have a small taster of the Lush Spa treatments available. This was the most surprising and bizarre moment of the night, just a minute or so of the experience was mind blowing. Our Lush representative used meditative tuning forks which are available in The Sound Bath along with ear candles, singing bowls and a facial massage. The forks were held up to and moved around by our heads and we even got a sample of it being placed on our chest aimed at the heart chakra. The vibrations passed through your upper half and created such extraordinary yet amazing relaxing sounds and sensations. I'm being truly honest here when I say this simple treatment transports you on a journey to another world. The shop was busy, loud and people were everywhere but as you were sat in that chair you were fixated in your own soothing bubble. The treatment was almost spiritual, capturing every detail. Extremely strange but also remarkable - I'd have never of thought something that looked like an ordinary metal tool would make such a difference. As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover, ey?!

As you can see the staff were on hand making and offering out some luxury cocktails inspired by their Gorilla perfume range all night long. There was so much enjoyment and entertainment in the air, everyone were constantly on their feet but the energy never died. To spend two hours in a Lush environment was an absolute dream come true (and an honour) and it was lovely seeing Jess and Claire again. Thank you so much to Urika for inviting me and the Lush team for putting on an awesome night. I had the best time and now can't wait to get cracking with the kindly gifted goodie bag (an insight and review will be up as soon as a day bright enough to take photos sails by!)

 Has anyone else ever been to a Lush event before?

Bridie x