Lush finally comes to Wycombe (From Bucks Free Press)

Lush finally comes to Wycombe

1:24pm Friday 11th December 2009

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The city in which I went to university had a Lush. I spent far too much time (and money) there; I would go in for a lip balm and come out with three bath bombs, some shampoo and some cleanser. I would have to make a note to go back the next day for the lip balm. A friend of mine came with me once, and spent twenty minutes poking the shower jelly and cackling. Which made him happy, even though I think it did unnerve the staff.

Ever since, I have bought all of my soaps, shampoo, shower gel etc from Lush. The problem has been, as I don't drive, where to get it from. I have been, at various times, to Windsor, Milton Keynes, Covent Garden and back to Exeter. The Lush website has been on my internet favourites list for a while as well. But it is never the same online - Lush shops are incredibly hands on. You pick things up, you smell them, the staff are incredibly obliging and demonstrate some of the products. You can even, as my odd little friend did, poke things. And the products themselves are unusual. Shower jellies, for example. All you need is a tiny little bit, and it lathers up. Solid shampoo, solid conditioner. They are an incredibly ethical shop - as little packaging as possible is used, and they use natural ingredients.

And today, they came to Wycombe, an event I have been longing for since Eden opened.

I have been peering through the windows every time I go past for the last week, and I was hovering in the entrance to HMV at 10.50 this morning, waiting for the 11.00 opening. At 10.55, the staff were congregating inside, so I wandered over, determined to be the first customer to step foot in the High Wycombe Lush. As I arrived outside the door, a crowd was starting to congregate. Mostly women, I have to admit. We began chatting, comparing notes on how we had been buying our Lush products in the past - one girl would go to Cardiff. One woman I was chatting to said that she had been writing weekly to Lush since March regarding coming to Wycombe, so there was a real sense of excitement. At 11.00 there was a '3, 2, 1' countdown, and we bustled inside, grabbing a basket on the way, yours truly in the lead. It is a small shop, so for about 15 minutes it was literally impossible to move, which suited me fine, I was picking up and sniffing soaps and bath bombs. I chatted to the staff, and I spotted a very bemused looking man huddled in the corner clutching an expensive looking camera - the BFP photographer, who appeared to be desperately trying to get a shot of the soaps without people in the way - a bit of an impossible feat at this point!

Champage, Bucks Fizz and orange juice was provided by the staff, who were ducking and weaving with plates of mini muffins and fondant fancies. Everyone was getting very hands on with the products, and the smell was divine - it is still lingering in my hair.

After 45 minutes and too much money spent, I left - the shop was still heaving, people were spending, and the staff were chatting and helping. Lush is a fantastic shop, which is brilliant for presents and incredibly environmentally friendly. The fact that we now have one in Wycombe really speaks about the fact that the town, especially Eden, is making a name as a shopping centre, which is brilliant. We have joined the ranks of Towns with a Lush, and I, for one, couldn't be happier.