We can applaud Zoe B2 for the Fairy Dust Sparkling Dusting Powder. There she is smiling at us from the bottle, with her striking red hair and cheerful green shirt. Dil B1 gets the kudos for our Helping Hands Hand Cream. Poor Kate must sit in the fridge to stand guard over the Mask of Magnaminty she so lovingly created.

If you spin around the products from Lush Handmade Cosmetics, you will see a sticker photo of the compounder who made your sweet-smelling potion. It is a chance to meet the makers behind each small batch. Some of these compounders have developed dedicated fans who hoard their products and track them down at events. It’s Compounder-Con.

‘My favourite Lush compounder was Bartek,’ writes one forum fan, ‘He made amazing soap.’

Compounder Dan has racked up more than 20,000 views.

Lush was started in England by Mark and Liz Constantine in 1995. One year later, another Mark – Vancouverite, Mark Wolverton – and his wife Karen discovered the British Lush and brought the company to North America. Lush is a company that, from the start, has championed animal rights and ethical buying.

We were excited to get the chance to go behind the scenes and tour Lush North America Headquarters in Vancouver. There we saw some familiar sticker faces picking, stirring and pressing fresh ingredients into the latest bath bombs, soaps, massage bars and brews.

The compounders we met were listening to a wild range of playlists and proudly explaining their rotating roles in the product creation. I’ll be looking for more faces on the shelves.

Written by Elizabeth Newton
www.creatorsvancouver.com