Lost in Lush

It was a beautiful summer evening in a small German town where my parents went every summer. Our host, Ms Gerda gave me a scented bath bomb and said that if I took a bath at their house, the bath bomb will be a lot of fun. I got the water running and went to the garden for a little walk. I don't know what happened, but I lost all sense of time, and when I was playing in the garden, I remembered that the bath water was on...

So I ran through the garden full of flowers that seemed endless, into the house, through the rooms, into the bathroom and stepped into.... a bathroom lake. I was in despair, because the bath water was all over the floor. I was probably about 10 years old and it at the time it was the end of the world. So I turned the bath water off, and since I was so shocked, I couldn't get the bath plug out, and I was so scared I nearly jumped into the bath to drown myself. Finally, with tears in my eyes and wet socks, I went to Ms Gerda and had to confess everything. Ms Gerda smiled like the sun and said: "Oh, don't worry, this happens here often!" She went to the bathroom, dried the floor, let some of the water out of the bath, and asked if I now wanted to have a bath. I didn't quite want to, because I was still shaking from horror... But finally I climbed into the bath, and then she gave me a bath bomb that fizzily melted before my eyes. It seemed to me like I was in a boiling witch well, but that's my first memory with bath bombs. 

I was reminded of this dramatic story when Polhem invited me to the Lush workshop where their Christmas collection was introduced. I took my daughter Rene with me who loves taking a bath more than anything. So we collectively made a bath bomb, put it in a shoe-shaped mold, and in addition to that we made Cupcake face masks. My daughter was busier with the invited guests than I was. 

I was looking around the shop, smelling bath bombs and all of a sudden... I was back in Germany, in that bathroom, in that garden, in that drama... All of a sudden I was the little girl who was running through the garden with red sandals and socks with lace... It's amazing how a scent can take us back in time, and you're suddenly reminded of a story that happened decades ago. Definitely go check out those soaps, shampoos, bath bombs, and other wonders by Lush, because it's an experience in itself. Thank you Katrin for inviting us, and the cheerful staff of Lush, who hosted us so generously. And in my thoughts I thank all those people who say "Oh, don't worry, this happens here often!" when they see a flooded bathroom.

See oli ilus suveõhtu ühes väikeses Saksa linnas, kuhu mu vanemad igal suvel sõitsid. Meie võõrustaja, proua Gerda andis mulle lõhnava vannipommi ja ütles, et kui lähen nende juures vanni, siis saab vannipommiga palju nalja. Panin vannivee jooksma ja läksin ise korraks aeda jalutama. Ma ei tea, mis juhtus, kuid mul kadus ajataju ja aias mängides meenus mulle äkki, et vannivesi ju ikka veel jookseb... 

Nii jooksin läbi lilledes aia, mis tundus lõputu, rohelisi taimi tulvilt rõdult tuppa, majast läbi vannituppa ja astusin... lainetavasse ruumi. Ma olin ahastuses, sest vesi oli üle vanni tõusnud ja see oli kõikjal põrandal. Ma võisin olla kuskil 10aastane ja sel hetkel oli see maailma lõpp. Niisiis keerasin ma ahastades vannivee kinni, suurest ehmatusest ei saanud ma mitte kuidagi vannilt troppi eest ära ja minu süda värises nii hirmsasti, et see oleks äärepealt vanni hüpanud ja end ära uputanud. Lõpuks, nutuvõru ümber suu, märjad sokid jalas, läksin ma proua Gerda juurde ja pidin kõik üles tunnistama. Proua Gerda naeratas nagu päike ja ütles: "Oh, ära muretse, seda juhtub meil sageli!" Ta läks otsustavalt vannituppa, tegi põranda kuivaks, lasi vannivett vähemaks ja küsis, kas ma tahan nüüd vanni minna. Ega ma ikka ei tahtnud küll, sest ma värisesin veel õudusest... Kuid lõpuks ronisin vanni ja siis ulatas ta mulle vannipommi, mis minu silme ees sulas suure kihisemisega. Mulle tundus, nagu ma oleksin sattunud mulisevasse nõiakaevu, kuid selline oli minu esimene mälestus vannipommist. 

See dramaatiline lugu meenus mulle, kui Polhem kutsus mind Lushi töötuppa, kus meile tutvustati nende jõulukollektsioone. Võtsin üritusele kaasa oma tütre Rene, kes armastab ülekõige vannis käia. Nii tegime koos terve seltskonnaga vannipommi, mille surusime kingakujulisse vormi ja lisaks meisterdasime Cupcake näomaski. Mu tütar oli ühes kutsutud külalistega rohkem ametis, kui mina. 

Ma ise luusisin poes ringi, nuusutasin vannipalle ja äkitselt... Olin tagasi Saksamaal, tagasi selles vannitoas, tagasi selles aias, tagasi selles draamas... Äkitselt olin ma jälle see väike tüdruk, kes jooksis läbi aia, jalas punased rihmikud ja pitsist äärega sokid... Hämmastav, kuidas üks lõhn võib viia meid ajas tagasi ja äkitselt meenub lugu, mis juhtus aastakümneid tagasi. Sina aga mine kindlasti Lushi seepe, šampoone, vannipomme ja muid imesid uurima, sest see on elamus omaette. Mina tänan Katrinit, kes meid lahkelt kutsus ja Lushi rõõmsaid töötajaid, kes meid nii heldelt võõrustasid. Ja oma mõtetes tänan kõiki neid inimesi, kes märgates oma üleujutatud vannituba ütlevad: "Oh, ära muretse, seda juhtub meil sageli!"  

FOTOD: Marek Metslaid ja Stella K. Wadowky