Heritage
A house, in its own words
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. 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.