I’m quite looking forward to the new Lush make-up range, Emotional Brilliance. The twist is that the range is based on colour therapy and the set up in store will be quite revolutionary. The products (lipsticks, liners, eye shades, skin tints and mascara), will be displayed on a wheel that customers can spin to pick the three colours they are most drawn to as well as choosing words that describe their mood such as Confident, or Glamorous.
I’ve explained it in very basic terms, but ultimately, your three shades are what Lush term as customized mood retailing on the premise that you will choose the shades that your mood dictates and wearing them may support your emotional well-being. Now, I am a believer that colours can lift your mood… in times of chaos, I crave white surroundings to calm, I’m addicted to orange.. I love wearing it, whether clothes, shoes or make-up and feel that for me it is a happy colour. I like the soothing nature of taupes, and it is a rare day that I would opt for super-confident red lips. But, you know, everyone has those bold days where red lips make us feeling enticingly glamorous and ultra-confident. Wear red on the wrong day and it makes you feel self-conscious, over-dressed and well, just all wrong. So colour and mood are definitely linked.
It’s a really bold step by Lush; I don’t know whether it is a concept that generally will grab women, or even convince them that spinning a mood wheel or motivational words is the way to choose cosmetics, but I think the novelty factor will generate oodles of press and initial sales. It’s only in the longer term, when consumers realise that the blue eyeshadow did or did not do anything for their mood that we will know if the concept of mood marketing has legs.
Nice try though to bring something really different to the market. I think we will see this towards the end of July in the UK.. and as a heads up, the products will be very roughly around the £15 mark, so not cheap and cheerful stuff like their last make-up venture, Be Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful.
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55 comments
I think it’s certainly a very novel idea and will be a fun addition to Lush stores.
I love going into Lush just for the experience and to have a chat with the staff – it can be great fun to just have a browse and test a few things.
Making cosmetics a little more, interactive could be a fantastic idea but I think if it had been anyone else other than Lush it would have been a disaster.
I wonder if it’ll just be a passing craze… Looking forward to trying them out all the same.
Love the sound of this, like you I think it sounds refreshingly new.
im a bit confused by this, but it looks exciting all the same
Im pretty sure that you shouldn’t of written about emotional brilliance yet.
I’m also fairly certain that there is an embargo on posting about this yet. Especially considering the press launch isn’t until the beginning of next month.
I love the sound of this – and Lush is a favourite store of mine so I think it’ll go down a storm! x
Hi Anon.. I haven’t been notified of any embargo on this, and if you google it, you will find that it has already been written about quite extensively in the beauty trade press, including Women’s Wear Daily. That’s the the thing about the world wide web…
I’m not sure I like the whole interactive thing…. I use shopping for cosmetics as a chill out time and not sure I’d want to be spinning wheels etc! However I do like the whole colour affecting your mood idea…
Rachel from http://www.whatabeauty.co.uk x
You have spoilt this for me and for this I am very sad inside. The whole point of a big launch is to make it really special and you have completely ruined the special nature and excitement of this. You suck
Interesting. I can’t wait to see how this fits into Lush stores, really can’t imagine what it’s going to look like. So I look forward to finding out more.
Hi Anon.. there are still lots of surprises about the range to come so I don’t think you will be disappointed in the longer term. But, maybe following a blog that is known for first news isn’t for you and you should follow some other blogs instead of this one.
How interesting. If I can overcome my aversion to the all pervading Lush scent, I will investigate. Thanks Jane x
Another anon here…there is definitely a press embargo in play for this range, which every blog/review is violation of.
That can’t be true Anon.. just check Google.. it is on Fashion Monitor, WWD.com, a marketing website.. several places, with interviews from LUSH, so they must have known they’d be published and available for the wider community to read. I think maybe what’s happened is they didn’t realise that lots of bloggers read ‘trade’ press, and again.. I have no notification of an embargo. Absolutely none. On the web, you can’t embargo some publications and not others…
‘dy hell. The anonymous commenters are on fire today. I couldn’t have access to women daily thing but I read the fashion monitor daily and saw it there. I don’t get why the anons are so vehemently against this post. I, myself, will be boycotting anything which comes out from lush for a while, until I can forget their shocking recent campaign. so there. xx
Honestly, it sounds a bit confusing (ok very confusing) but it’s a new idea so I’ll be willing to give it a go
I love Lush normally but this all seems a bit of a novelty. I will definitely be checking it out but whether I actually like it, I’m feeling a bit doubtful :s
hi i also work for lush and the staff do not even know about the content of this release yet….so in agreeance yes you are in violation of the embargo on these products, and you have indeed ruined it for lush staff and the people who stumble upon this site, well done!
note: i have also notified our head office of your site and the others with images and/or information.
I’ve known this was embargoed, however, that BBB has broken embargo isn’t the end of the world really. isn’t it creating more of the want factor?
Doesn’t it make you want to be first in the queue for when the product IS available?
Jeeez, what’s wrong with the Anons on here? Blogs are widely known for breaking news and launches of products – you can pick things up about the range easily online already so I don’t understand the issue.
I for one have been sent info about the launch with no detail of an embargo. You can’t be in violation of something you’re not aware of; this isn’t the launch of a new Britney Spears album and BBB isn’t ruining Christmas for lawds sake. Who are you anyway, the blog police?
Back to the launch… Love the idea and can’t wait to see it in store!
Everyone wants their man to be besotted from the word go, but if seems too good to be true he probably is. The player has a stack of rehearsed lines in his head and will dish them out for every
The anons on here seem slightly ridiculous. I’m a journo and have (accidentally) broken reported embargoed news before. The PR just calls me up and asks me to remove it from the site. If any of you worked for Lush you could quite easily have done this via the contacts page. Additionally if news is really ‘top secret’ it’s not released in any format embargoed or otherwise.
Not sure what you’re getting your knickers in a knot about anyway. We’re talking about a new beauty product here, not the latest MI5 terrorism investigations.
NEE-NORR NEE-NORR!! *flashing blue lights* The blog police is out in full force today, ey!?
Sod em, BBB tends to be my first stop for the scoop on all beauty bits so don’t listen to them Jane.
Oh and speaking of scoops, some of these Anon’s need a scoop or two of ice cream. Everyone knows that ice cream makes everything better.
Please ignore the first part of my comment. In my haste to make my point I accidentally copied in part of a sentence from a feature I’m working on. Ha ha. Sorry if people are completely confused right now!
Lizzie I realised what you’d done but I can’t amend comments.. you can remove and resubmit if you like? xx
Ha ha. Will do that! Can I remove from my end? Doesn’t seem to want to let me… That feature was embargoed by the way. 😉 Hope my readers won’t think I’ve ruined their lives by giving out part of a sentence!
Why aren’t Lush thrilled with all this free publicity? They couldn’t buy this much coverage and yes, perhaps things got out before they were meant to but I genuinely don’t think BBB would’ve done it deliberately. She’s a journalist for gawds sake, she knows the rules of embargoes, clearly there’s been some craptacular handling of the press release by someone earlier on and the embargo is now defunct. Not BBB’s fault. It’s just added to the “excitement” for me.
Wowzer! Can’t believe you’re getting grief over this!
If there is an embargo then this should/would be stated on the press release sent to bloggers, as is the norm.
Also, as somebody mentioned in an earlier comment, if an embargo is breached – accidentally or otherwise – the first thing to do would be to contact the writer and ask them nicely to remove it giving the reasons why.
As a blog known for bringing us news from the beauty scene, I would expect to see nothing less than new exciting products and innovations on here. If I didn’t want to see them, quite simply, I would read it.
As for the idea itself, not 100% sure it would work for me as I am a bit of an impulse buyer anyway and think it would just encourage me to buy products I’m not going to use that often haha!
Yeah I knew this was embargoed too as I’d emailed looking for info on it a while ago but if you’re soooooo shagging concerned about BBB breaking an embargo she had no information about then at least have the stones to do it using your real name. Just like I’m doing.
Anons, you’re pathetic and kindly learn no one takes a jot of notice of you until you woman up and comment using something you can back up. Like a name, a blog link or something verifiable. Otherwise you’re just fluff on the wind; baby whingers. End of.
And BBB’s point stands: if it’s out there, it’s out there. This ‘selective’ embargo crap is just that: crap. Brands need to cop on too.
right i see your point about say free publicity, which is great seeing as we don’t advertise, and the fact that its exciting so see the new products early…..but the thing is here at lush we have building up the suspense for months now, since there were mere whispers of a new range we have been looking forward to the big launch. the staff here (me included) treat lush products as something special, and to us well… it IS like ruining Christmas 🙁 we were planning ‘VIP’ champagne, invite only preview parties for the new range a few days before release, as well as a release for the staff at lushfest – a staff only festival. And now we are probably going to cancel most of it, we are certainly thinking about it in our store, it makes us feel like there is no surprise and no anticipation left.
you are not the first to leak these products, but like the first your explanation of the concept is well, incorrect, we had a great deal of trouble getting the other site pulled and they refused to take down the images. i mean in the future i cant imagine lush even trying to make it a surprise, i mean it is like there is no point.
as well as this you say there is surely more to come, and there will still be some surprises– well no, what you have put up is all of it, the colours seem to be a bit off but that doesn’t change it.
i was directed to this site by a very upset co-worker of mine i can see why she was so upset, and reading the comments im pretty sure most of the annons are staff its natural that we would be angry.
ohhh and last thing – a reply to a comment near the top – feel free to boycott lush our last campaign was fighting against animal testing, what we showed you was a reality its not nice when the truth is inflicted on a human is it ? so imagine what it is like on an animal who cant fight back. if you don’t agree with our policy and campaigns on animal testing…and feel that it is right to torture animals for your own vanity..then you shouldn’t be shopping here we don’t WANT your ‘custom’!
we have had people and organisations try and boycott us before for our strong beliefs and it has never worked, in fact the last time a large group tried to boycott us – at Christmas- we hit a record high in sales it was our best Christmas ever (at that point, even higher last year) . you will make no difference to us.
im sorry that this comment is so long and i am on annon i do not have an account thing, but i do not apologize for voicing my views on this blog or any other!
Lushfest isn’t for staff only, there are tickets on sale this year. I doubt you work for lush at all!
*Rolls eyes*
Okay LUSHIE. 1. Lush have never, ever sent me an embargo notice. 2. Lush have seeded their own information all over trade magazines including WWD and Fashion Monitor. That had to have come from Lush press office as there is nowhere else for the information to have come from. 3. If it is like ruining Christmas, why are Lush fans sending so many other Lush fans to my site – if you dont want anyone to know, shut up about it. All you are doing is sending fat stats to my site and actually spreading the word not halting it. 4. I haven’t been contacted by anyone at Lush in regards to this post and it has been up for four days. If your head office have a problem, they know where I am. Why do you think they haven’t done this? Could it be that they are enjoying the publicity? I haven’t been asked to alter or remove or change any of the content or comments by Lush. 5. If I have explained it incorrectly (and I haven’t shown any of the products, only the official pic given out by Lush PR) then your party is your chance to put the record straight. 6. Ideally send your complaints to your own head office who spoke to – and gave quotes to – the press in the first place as early back as May.
I’m sorry you are getting so many ridiculous comments on here 🙁 I actually used to work for Lush and although I can understand what the anon’s are saying about their surprise launch, I agree with you that their press office should not have sent out any information at all if they wanted it to be kept top secret until launch. My thinking is that there perhaps has been a miscommunication between Lush HQ and Lush staff members?
On another note, Emotional Brilliance sounds very interesting and and I for one can’t wait to go in store and have a look once it comes out! x
Ohhh Christ. Get a grip Lush.
Lush are just making their reputation so bad for themselves at the moment! Shame really, but it doesn’t take much for a lot of people to boycott it. Yes of course, the mass majority of the public not in the blogging community won’t see it and continue to purchase products, but they’re showing theirselves up on here quite a lot!!
Regardless of these stupid comments, this doesn’t entice me in the slightest and I definitely won’t be buying. Expensive and probably will be over hyped!
Toys. Pram. Thrown out of!
Knowing Lush management, is anyone even vaguely surprised that this has been handled so poorly? I know I’m not!
The three minute youtube video for this range via the lush site is naff and tuneless and not the exciting second coming that staff are making it out to be on here.
But then I’m not a fan of Lush. I find the products too overpowering and it just makes me think of itchy, glittery bath bombs 🙁 face bombs.
Well put BBB! Just discovered this site, already hooked.
S x
Emotional hyperbole from various commenters aside, they are calling the range EMOTIONAL BRILLIANCE?! That seems a little OTT.
Classic Lush. I worked there around 8 years ago and staff aren’t so much trained as indoctrinated. Most of us laughed it off but some, especially management, go totally bat crap crazy.
Maybe you should offer some PR consultancy services to Lush? Seems like they badly need it!
How can it be ruining anything?????
I would have said I was super interested in this new range and would have wanted to be first in line to try it but all these silly replys from (so called) lush employees is putting me off tbh.
Look to thine own faults first
Hello, I work for lush too, and again only found out yesterday about the products since it was a surprise lanch! but I think everything is ignoring the best part about this: yes the surprise is no more, but people can purchase vegan and vegatarian make-up and know for sure it hasn’t been tested on animals!
I for one am ridiculously excited to see these products and am glad everyone else is too. The make-up sounds almost like alice in wonderland meets lush, can’t wait.
Hello, same lushie here, message was cut off. Just wanted to end with: like many people here I was only aware of this once seeing your blog, only having the video as a clue! So as much as this sounds exciting am a little concerned that the information given maybe inacurate? And that like said before, there is a press embargo, since the launch date shown in the video is next month?
Jane, I can’t believe you single-handedly ruined Lushfest; HOW VERY COULD YOU??
The cynic in me leans towards the idea that all these anons are being sent here deliberately to charge forward the publicity; we know those at Lush HQ have a funny idea of what constitutes good publicity as it is and the fact that so many of the alleged Lushies use bad grammar and poor spelling tells me that there’s nothing official going on here other than a bit of stirring.
I’ve never been a fan of Lush and now I’ve witnessed the stupidity on here it’s safe to say that their poor PR handling skills turn my stomach as effectively as the overpowering smell from their shops.
The sad thing is that they are not being sent but sending themselves as emissaries! I believe these anonymouses are Lush employees, acting in good faith but going over the top with it. Communication is notoriously bad within the organisation (anyone remember the open-doors-in-winter fiasco that dragged on for years?) and combined with the born-again fervour Lush produces, this is the result. I used to be a real Lush fan and still frequent the shops but truly, they do not do themselves, including their staff, any favours. Quite apart from that, I’ll probably have a go at the makeup but won’t be involving any wheel thingy. Orange will never suit my face no matter what mood I’m in!
lol @ all the irate Lush staff getting so antsy.
It’s make-up guys, not anti-missile equipment.
Oh and you were wrong.
This row had passed me by until today. If the press release was embargoed then it’s down to the Lush press office/PR to deal with the issue, not its employees. Jane, I feel for you, how unprofessional of people working at Lush to comment in this way. If they’re unhappy they should have spoken to their press office/PR contact, otherwise what’s the point of having one? And the fact the press release wasn’t embargoed anyway, well that proof if any were needed of why they should have gone through their press office/PR in the first place, then they wouldn’t have gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick.
The Lush staff are one of the reasons I buy online…I hate their in your face hard sell as soon as you enter the shop. I hate the fact they won’t let you browse in peace and seeing these aggressive comments only goes to confirm my belief in how nasty they all are.
Hey.. I Work for Lush.. and quite frankly I’m ashamed of the behaviour of Lush Staff!
Whether there is a lack of communication top down, this kind of ‘anonymous’ posting without having the facts is somewhat ignorant and I honestly would have expected better from our staff.
Rest assured BBB that staff have been informed that you nor any other blogger has broken an embargo. I just hope that those who posted have the decency to hold there hands up and say they were wrong.
I was quite excited about this until I read the comments on here. Lush is not the only ethical company and I will be spending my hard earned pennies with those that treat customers with a bit more respect and where the staff actually deserve my custom. I’m absolutely disgusted with the attitude they have shown on here. There’s no point making a fuss about being kind to animals if you can’t even respect your fellow human beings. I really hope they realise the damage they have done to their company’s image through the awful things they posted which turned out to be misled and unfounded.
Oh for goodness sake people throwing their toys out of their pram for the sake of what appears to be crossed wires. People need to get over it there are more important things to be worrying about.
Becky
beckys makeup
I think some of the lush staff need to get a life…….it’s make up, not a life or death situation……
Btw – love this blog! Keep up the good work! Lol!
Late in joining the party on this one but my word what an uproar!
Sad to see so many Lush staff posting so negatively. Regardless of whether there was an embargo or not (we know there wasn’t now), the way the staff have handled this is incredibly unprofessional & ridiculous. Reporting you to head office…honestly it’s like school!
I know Lush staff love their new products & take pride in new launches, I love them too! But as a customer, what I don’t like is reading comments like the ones posted here, especially when it’s false accusations.
Shame the friendly smiley manners are left behind on the sales floor…
“we have had people and organisations try and boycott us before for our strong beliefs and it has never worked, in fact the last time a large group tried to boycott us – at Christmas- we hit a record high in sales it was our best Christmas ever (at that point, even higher last year). you will make no difference to us.”
Forget about the boycott and all, but LSUHIE your statement here is not nice. All I understand from reading this is we don’t care about your opinions and our only belief is money, because if it wasn’t then you will try to make a difference try to be a little more pliant and try to regain your unpleasant customer.. Shame on you..
I work for Lush too and I think other staff on here need to be careful what they are saying. Check the forum – there is no embargo and the reviews and a lot of bloggers have actually been encouraged by us.
I, too, work for Lush…
This blogger has done nothing wrong. God I hate some of our staff.