When Iris of Rouge Deluxe found out that I’d been wanting to try Lush Angels on Bare Skin again ever since Lush closed down in Singapore, she quietly asked her brother (he was making a trip back to Singapore from the UK) to purchase a jar for me. I was very surprised when she texted me one day to say that she had AoBS to hand to me! Thank you, dear Iris. :)
While today’s Angels on Bare Skin still has that pleasing floral and oh-so-soothing scent from years back, the new formula seems gentler. I remember the older version being scrubbier (the almond was almost abrasive in some of the batches I’d bought) and the kaolin taking longer to dissolve. It’s easier to use now and delivers the same results as before – skin feels clean without the tightness that such cleansers might impart.
And if you’re wondering what I thought of it in the past, below is the review that I’d written on Emakemeup ten (!) years ago, in 2000.
S$7.95 for 100 g
To be honest, I never dared to try Lush in the past because of the overpowering smells that drifted out from its shops as I walked passed. They’re quite taxing on the olfactory glands, especially when they make up a lethal combination of all the most cloying scents you can find (ok, I’m exaggerating but erm, you should visit a Lush shop one day)!
However, curiosity got the better of me one day (those chocolate soap bars in the fridge were rather intriguing), so bracing myself and holding my breath, I ventured in. And what a delightful surprise I got. Amongst other lovely skin and haircare products, I espied Angels on Bare Skin, a lovely concoction of ground almonds, kaolin, lavender and Turkish rose absolute. Now, this product looks nothing like the images its name may conjure up. In fact I think it looks exactly like the spicy Japanese horseradish condiment, wasabi: an ugly, dull green paste. But appearances can be deceiving and this product does deserve the name for its performance.
Angels on Bare Skin leaves my skin silky smooth even as it fulfilled its exfoliating function. Wonderfully calming (I believe it’s the lavender), this daily cleanser is *so* good to use. But there’s one thing I don’t like though – the paste is rather hard to spread across the face. You’ll have to wet your hands (and preferably your face) before application to get the paste onto every part of the face. Sometimes the consistency of the paste varies and it could be thicker or slightly softer at times. If you like, you could ask the SA to let you have a look. I recommend buying the softer mix for ease of application.
Lush was in SG before? But why did they close down? I thought Lush never existed in SG you know :(
Wonder if it will make a comeback someday?
I’d love to try more Lush stuff but I hate the waiting period, 1 month to reach Msia and then the shelf life is shorten, especially for Fresh products. sigh.
Hi Plue,
Yes, it was. There were Lush stores at Suntec City and Wisma Atria (Isetan).
I was just gonna ask if you remembered where the Lush stores were located. Coz i was cracking my head and trying to recall. Yups, u are right! When Lush was on our shores, i didn’t really fancy it. The smell when u step into the store was awful!!! It gave me headaches and indeed i had to brave myself to venture in. However, that’s not the case when i visited the stores in the States and in HK. I wonder if they’ve changed their formula and lowered the fragrance content. Anyways, now with all the hype on youtube and beauty blogs… i do wish for LUSH to return (“,)
Hi Hazel,
The scents were scarily overwhelming! I do miss it now though. :P
It is very expensive to franchise it! Just look at the 20+ stores that closed in Taiwan. No more Lush in Taiwan now. I did consider franchising but the cost is too high to bear. Also, Body Shop is so much more cheaper, has infiltrated Singapore and SIngaporeans prefer soaps that can last for a long long time. Lush items on the other hand, expire faster and cannot be kept.
Hi Amanda,
That is a good observation. I’m sorry it pulled out of the SG market though; there were so many products that I loved (I’m thinking of Lush’s Back for Breakfast Shower Gel as I type!). Perhaps when the mentality/taste of local consumers change, you could consider bringing it in again. :)