By Sophia Lennox
Elm Staff Writer
On April 9, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics — a popular skin and bath care company known for fun, novelty, and all-natural products — released their collaboration with animated movie franchise “Shrek.”
The collection consists of 6 new products: a body wash, body spray, shower slime, and two bath bombs. Additionally, LUSH released a limited-edition “Shrek” themed package design for their preexisting Mask of Magnaminty face mask and paired the collection with 6 other items from LUSH’s permanent line.
The body wash and body spray, called “Fiona” and “By Night One Way, By Day Another,” respectively, have the same scent. They are advertised on LUSH’s website as a “fragrant fairytale blend with notes of green apple, melon and fancy florals transformed into a beautifully cleansing shower gel” and contain cucumber, mango, and lime.
Uncharacteristically of most LUSH body washes, the “Fiona” scent has a very overpowering chemical smell behind the fruity notes. Although not advertised as the primary scent, the cucumber dominates, leaving only a hint of apple and virtually no mango.
The body spray, however, has a much more balanced payoff and emphasizes the apple notes.
The first bath bomb, “Shrek Swamp,” is the best conceptual display of LUSH’s innovation and fun theming. The bath bomb transforms the water into an appealing swamp, with a minty chocolate scent and seaweed that leaves the skin incredibly soft afterward. To complete the vibe, the product includes moss and cosmetic-grade mud ingredients.
While other LUSH body spray prices range from $40-50, the “Shrek” version is $55. This shift is representative of one of the issues with the collection, as the “Shrek” items are priced higher than comparable products; however, this is likely due to the addition of the Shrek branding.
LUSH is no stranger to fun collaborations, as they have worked with “Barbie,” “Spongebob Squarepants,” and “Mario” in recent memory. According to a LUSH press release for their “Barbie” collaboration, due to licensing and branding costs, the collection was going to be slightly more expensive.
One of the major pitfalls of the product line is that it is an online exclusive in the United States. Therefore, because the items are not sold in stores, not only do interested customers have to pay for shipping, but they do not get to test the scents or products before buying.
In the past, such as with their monthly experimental boxes called LUSH Kitchen, the stores receive a sample box they can put on display for customers to come in and view the products to help them decide if they would like to purchase it, which resolved some of the previously mentioned issues.
Unfortunately, the “Shrek” collaboration does not continue this idea, so interested customers will have to make the monetary, scent-based risk if they are interested in the products.
Regardless of the online-only issue, this collection still leans into one of LUSH’s strong suits: whimsy.
The scents play into the ambiance and attitude of the “Shrek” brand and are perfect items for people who are looking for something fun and unique to brighten up their day.
Photo by Sophia Lennox.
Photo Caption: Popular skin care brand LUSH recently collaborated with the Dreamworks franchise “Shrek” to create a line of themed products.