Me and my Husband have just come back from a fantastic weekend in London, another mini holiday I may have hijacked for Lush. We had a whole day of beautiful scented activities, that pleased all of our senses. We started our day by visiting the Gorilla Perfumes store at The chocolate festival (which I will be posting another blog about) as well as getting to interview the gorgeous Jon who is the manager of the store. Finally, we stopped by Lush Oxford Street for a shop and ended our scented day at the scented cinema. So as you can imagine, I have so much to tell you! But where to begin! Lets start with the reason I planned this little get away. The Gorilla Perfume Scented Cinema! 

Gorilla Perfumes, along with Lush Oxford Street, have transformed what was the Gorilla Gallery on the lower floor of the Oxford street store, into a retro Cinema. Starting from the 5th of December, they will be screening High Fidelity, Elf and Home Alone in the evenings, as well as featuring selected short films during the day. The experience is free and is on a first come basis, it will be running right till the 24th of December.

On Saturday the 5th we were treated to the first public screening of High Fidelity. A comedy, telling the story of Rob; a record store owner working through his past relationship mistakes to try and work out why his girlfriend Laura has left him. It may not be a christmas film like the other screenings, but it works perfectly as a scented production.

We were given our beautiful tickets and welcomed into the quirky little cinema. So much attention had been payed to detail, I really admire all the small touches, such as Marks and the Gorillas faces hiding on our tickets and the Gorilla perfume branding running right through.

Upon entering we were offered a selection of sweets and popcorn from a fabulous retro cart, called the Sunshine Snack Bar. The seats looked like they were right out of a 1950s diner and the screen was a replica of a drive-in theatre. We settled down and were told we could look through the mysterious themed boxes that were placed on our seats.

I don't know if its the paper crafter in me or the fact that a box of curiosities that tell a story, makes me feel like I've just discovered a wardrobe that leads to Narnia, but this inclusion to the experience already set me in a state of awe. The box was full of scented props such as a book of Robs past girlfriends, a note listing 5 reasons why he misses Laura, a Stiff Little Fingers concert ticket, a wig and a Sonic Death Monkey T-shirt. It also opened up to a menu of what perfumes were being used and a brief description of why they were chosen for each character. This not only perfectly sets the scene but also helped us gain a familiarity with the characters we were being introduced to.

While watching the film, fragrances were released into the room and we were prompted to smell different items at the appointed timing. We were also offered scented chocolates. These were fragranced with 'Love' made from Apple Jelly, Rose Petals and Tonka Beans and 'Sonic Death Monkey' produced with a blend of Vanilla Flavour, Ground Coffee Beans and Lime Oil.
A 'Sikkim Girls' Cocktail had also been created to compliment the experience, made with a mixture of Spiced Gin, Monin Jasmine Syrup, Darjeeling Tea and served with a Slimline Indian Tonic. It was accompanied with a scented napkin to engulf you from head to toe. All my senses were engaged, and at some points minor adjustments of scents, and the way they were introduced, meant I could predict when a certain character was approaching, as clear as if they were simply walking by.


I had never seen this film before, and I am so glad that my first time was with the scented cinema. It is amazing to watch a film with so many of your senses, and I truly hope everyone has a chance to experience this. It took me back to my teenage years, hanging around my favourite record shop, waiting for glimpses of my crush, hoping desperately that music would always be apart of my life and, though I didn't know it, making memories and shaping who I am today. Lush know how important perfume is, they know that it is not only a fashion statement, but about creating special moments, encouraging different emotions and touching your heart.


Thank you so much to Lush, Gorilla Perfume and the wonderful staff who welcomed us and worked so hard putting this together. Thank you to the lovely people I met, who spent time with me, helping me and making me laugh. Also thank you to the beautiful lady who gave me some Lush goodies before I left. I can not tell you how perfect this event was. I always feel like I'm apart of a very happy family whenever I am around a Lush event. You can always see how much they care, and how passionate and thoughtful they are. They go out of their way to make sure every little detail is thought about, and to make sure everyone feels special. In a time when manners, and doing things just to make others feel happy is scarcely seen. I will forever love Lush for doing things like this.