The Heritage
The Story of Lush
Lush is a British cosmetics company founded in Poole, England, in 1994 by trichologist Mark Constantine, his wife Mo Constantine, and five additional co-founders. The brand gained international recognition for its hand-pressed bath bombs, which Mo Constantine invented in her garden shed in 1989. Now operating in 49 countries, Lush has evolved from a single High Street shop into a global retailer while maintaining its commitment to ethical manufacturing and cruelty-free products. In-house perfumers Mark Constantine OBE, Emma Vincent, and Alina Gliwinska create the brand's fine fragrances, which are presented through the Perfume Library concept stores in Liverpool, Florence, and London. The fragrance collection spans over 230 perfumes dating back to 1989, organized into thematic volumes that serve as milestones in the brand's perfumery history.
Heritage
Mark Constantine began his cosmetics career working for British United Traders (BUT) in the 1980s alongside business partner Rowena Bird. A non-competition agreement restricted their activities until 1994, after which Constantine and Weir opened their first cosmetics shop on High Street in Poole in 1995. The store created products from freshly purchased fruits and vegetables, and the name Lush was chosen through a customer competition featured in the store's newsletter. Early expansion brought locations to Covent Garden and King's Road in London. The fragrance line, which had existed since the late 1980s with scents like Elder and Brown, was reorganized under the Gorilla Perfume banner in 2010. That same year, older Lush fragrances and selections from the discontinued sister brand B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful were incorporated into the range. In 2003, Lush had launched B Never as a focused perfume company with fragrances developed by Mark and his son Simon Constantine. Standalone fragrance stores followed, including the Gorilla Perfume location in Islington (2014) and the first Perfume Library in Liverpool. The company continued expanding its perfumery presence with locations in Florence (Via dei Calzaiuoli, inspired by Catherine de Medici's legacy in perfumery) and London's Soho on Beak Street, where Lush now sits alongside Le Labo, Avestan, Byredo, and Ffern.
Craftsmanship
Lush produces its fragrances through a structured in-house process led by three perfumers: co-founder Mark Constantine OBE, Emma Vincent, and Alina Gliwinska. Additional contributors across the brand's history include Simon Constantine, Pia Long, Emma Dick, Alessandro Commisso, and Jeff Brown. The perfumes feature essential oils and absolutes sourced from family-run businesses and local farmers, with deliberate prioritization of ingredients that benefit communities throughout the supply chain. Bath bombs, a complementary category to the fragrance line, are hand-pressed in Lush's own manufacturing sites across the world. The brand reports selling over 21.2 million bath bombs annually. Fragrances are released in thematic volumes, each acting as a distinctive milestone in Lush's perfumery history. Notable releases include The Old Songs Are Waking (2024), Lush X Lazy (2022), and Intergalactic Body Spray (2025), alongside archive staples like Potion (2005), Twilight (2010), and the foundational Elder (1980). The Perfume Library concept stores provide dedicated spaces for fragrance consultation and discovery, stocked with books on perfumery curated by Mark Constantine.
Design Language
Lush's visual identity centers on its Perfume Library concept stores, which function as temple-like spaces dedicated to fragrance discovery. The Florence location on Via dei Calzaiuoli, positioned near the birthplace of modern perfumery, features deep fragrance notes, ambient bird song, and impressive collections of books dedicated to scent alchemy. The London Soho store on Beak Street invites visitors into consultations with fragrance experts to build their scent wardrobe. Each stone in the Set in Stone perfume discovery gift is scented with a different fragrance from the volume, reflecting a tactile approach to scent presentation. The brand maintains minimalist, eco-friendly packaging across its products. Fragrance collections are organized thematically into volumes, with gift sets like the B-Sides and Rarities perfume discovery and the exclusive Set in Stone offering curated introductions to the range. Lush sits in a cluster of independent perfumeries in Soho, positioning itself alongside established niche fragrance houses.
Philosophy
Fragrance has always been central to Lush's identity. Mark Constantine revealed to The Perfume Society that the company emerged in 1995 from his impulse to create scent. The brand describes its perfumes as olfactory journeys with themes, where each fragrance serves as a hallmark in the company's history and demonstrates the perfumers' passion for fine fragrance. Lush prioritizes ethical sourcing, obtaining essential oils and absolutes from family businesses and local farmers wherever possible, selecting ingredients that benefit both customers and producer communities. The Perfume Library concept reflects a modern approach to fragrance selection, inviting visitors to consult with experts and build their scent wardrobe. Rather than relying on conventional retail displays, Lush frames its fragrances as discoveries meant to delight the senses and promote wellbeing, drawing on ancient perfumery traditions through a contemporary lens.
Key Milestones
1989
Mo Constantine invents the bath bomb in her garden shed; the earliest Lush fragrances are created.
1994
The non-competition agreement expires, allowing Mark Constantine and his associates to launch Lush as a company.
1995
Lush opens its first shop on High Street in Poole, creating cosmetics from fresh fruits and vegetables.
2003
Lush launches sister brand B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful as a focused perfume company.
2010
The perfume line is reorganized under the Gorilla Perfume name; the Volume 1 collection is released, incorporating older Lush fragrances and B Never scents.
2014
The Gorilla Perfume standalone store opens in Islington, London.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
United Kingdom
Founded
1994
Heritage
32
Years active
Collection
5
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.1
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm