Hi everyone! How are you? I seem to start all my posts with an apology lately… but you know the score, right? Chronic illness is kicking my butt and making blogging rather difficult! But today, I win the battle! I wanted to take the chance to tell you all about the new Lush Karma spa treatment.
The beautiful Lush Leeds store!
I was lucky enough to be invited to the Leeds Lush Spa, for the launch of the new Lush Karma spa treatment. The theme of the treatment is ‘slow down to speed up’. The treatment is based around a 65 minute full-body massage, which Lush were inspired by Ayurveda to create. Ayurveda is the traditional Hindu system of medicine, based on the idea of balance in bodily systems; including herbal treatments, and yogic breathing.
Lush Karma Spa Treatment – What Happens?
The session starts with a 20 minute consultation in the gorgeous Lush spa kitchen (see below). I love this room! It looks like a country farmhouse kitchen, just randomly sitting under Commercial Street in the busy Leeds city centre – very unexpected! One thing to note is that all Lush Spa treatments are suitable for, or can be tailored to, vegan clients. Obviously Lush are big on NO animal-cruelty, so they are great with adapting anything that the client is uncomfortable with.
The Lush Spa Kitchen farmhouse table with some of the Karma products!
The stand out thing about this treatment (which we were lucky enough to see being demonstrated live – see below) is that there are TWO therapists working on the client at once. We were told by a staff member that the Lush Karma spa treatment looked a bit like a dance being performed. I have to admit to being a bit skeptical! That is, until we saw it being performed live. The two therapists move in long, slow, sweeping movements. They work completely in time and tune with each other – it really is amazing to watch (and very relaxing!) Imagine – two people giving you a synchronised full-body massage… perfect! Now I just need to come into some money…
Lush describe the treatment as, “A combination of coordinated, invigorating massage and meditation (which) enables you to return to reality feeling balanced, calm and empowered”. They use hot oils to gently cleanse your skin, then perform a grounding stomach massage. This is intended to treat the core of your emotions. The end result should be a very happy, relaxed client whose energies have been redirected. They should experience better concentration and aligned body and mind (not to mention feeling utterly pampered!)
An Introduction to the Lush Karma Treatment
One unusual thing I saw being done during the Lush Karma spa treatment was the client having something poured gently but incessantly over her head (you can see this above, right). Lush explained that it is usually warm oil, but they chose to use warm coconut water as some clients don’t like getting oily hair. The warm water is poured from a Shirodhara vessel over the third eye and hair with the purpose of creating a meditative state of mind. It did look strangely soothing!
After the treatment, the client is free to get dressed, or use the shower facilities first. They are then taken back to the kitchen area to relax for a while, before they have to re-enter the madness of the city centre! I can tell you, after being down there in the utter peace and quiet, going back upstairs seems so loud, bright and crazy!
How Much Does it Cost?
The Lush Karma spa treatment costs £225. I’m not going to pretend that’s not a LOT of money! Saying that, I can understand where the expense comes from. You have two therapists working on you for the full 65 minutes, not to mention the 20 minute consultation and the quality products used during the session. I just hope I can save up and experience it for myself (as the client, rather than watching) some time!
The Karma Launch Event (Leeds)
Lush were amazing, as they always are! They set up such a fun event for us bloggers, and the staff were all just gorgeous and sweet, as they are every time I’ve met them They are such genuine, lovely people who really do seem passionate about the company they work for, which is such a nice change. They put on some really nice things for us on the night, including a two-piece band who sang and played the guitar throughout the event. We were also treated to some mini-treatments whilst we were down in the spa. I had a blissful head massage for a few minutes, and a really nice hand and arm massage (plus a good gossip with the Lush staff member giving me it, as she was into makeup too!) We also had a mini meditation session, to give us a taster of part of the Karma spa treatment.
Lush DIY!
There was also a little station set up where we could make our own products! We could make a Creamy Candy bubble bar, or a Butterbear bath bomb. I got very lucky – I was one of the last ones to the making station, so I got to make one of each! Well… if I’m honest, I made one of each plus an extra Butterbear. I told them my nickname for my husband is Bear (I know – cringey as!) and they insisted I made a Butterbear to take home to him – bless them!
Exciting New Lush Products!
I obviously had a good nose around the shop, looking at and sniffing all the new-to-me products too. One of the most beautiful things I smelt had to be the Karma massage bar. I swear, if you’re in a Lush shop, give it a sniff – it smells exactly like chocolate orange! The new jelly bath bombs are also really fun! They did some demos for us, putting them in bowls of water. I got my hands stuck into the bowl which had a dissolved black, sparkly, Secret Arts bomb in it. The texture is so much fun – quite thick and gooey but in a very pleasant way. I couldn’t stop playing around with it! Although I did hear from another blogger that it stained their bath, so do be careful.
I also treated myself to one of Lush’s new Jelly Face Masks. I picked Birth of Venus, as it was the best formula for my oily/combination skin which is blemish prone. The self-preserving masks get their unique jelly texture from a blend of carageenan extract, fresh fruit and clays. I’ve already tried it and although it feels strange digging a chunk of jelly out, it feels lovely on your face. It left my skin nice and soft too!
The New Range of Jelly Masks!
After all that, it was time to make our way out of Lush’s glittery, colourful, lovely world. Back to the real world – grey, dull and cold – boo! But I was cheered up as Lush very kindly gave us a little goodie bag with some of their products in it. We had a Karma Bubble Bar, a Marmalade Jelly Bomb, and a Karma Solid Oil Fizzer (which I don’t think you can currently buy). Thank you so much, Lush!
What’s your favourite Lush product? Have you tried any of the newest ones? Let me know!
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