244/365 Squeaky clean and can't resist

As a general habit, I don't wear perfumes or girlie lotions that smell of anything from lavender fields to citrus groves. Straightforward soap and unscented lotions are the name of my game.

And yet, I can't resist these kinds of stores. They completely suck me in.

Bath & Body Works? Yep. I go in and all of a sudden have a huge desire to own everything that smells of vanilla or lemon. Of course I need yet another half-used hand lotion cluttering the top of my dresser.

B&BW is a common sight in central Indiana, so my really-don't-need-that self-control has become better about resisting the temptation to even enter.

But then we encountered a store called Lush in Chicago. Oy vey. Handmade soaps with natural ingredients being sold by ultra-enthusiastic hip female saleswomen. I was doomed. Just one of these stores exists in Indiana, and it's two hours away in Fort Wayne. But in Chicago, we passed three different locations in four days.

They have piles of fresh soap bricks stacked against one wall, which they'll cut to any size you like. They have tennis ball-sized "bath bombs" that bubble up, smell heavenly, and make your bathwater soft and luxurious. I don't even take baths -- but I want some!

Somehow I managed to escape with just three bars of soap for about $25. But I wanted to keep going and try every one, believe me. Lush's sales strategy is very interesting to watch -- in a store space the size of a large family kitchen, they easily had six sales reps or more on hand. They attach themselves to you, one on one, through the entire shopping experience. They demonstrate the bath bombs, encourage you to try any and every thing, and don't leave you to "just browse."

And yet I didn't really find this oppressive, like I often do with these kinds of sales strategies. Rather than being overly pushy, these women were excited and passionate -- giving you the impression that they'd volunteer their time working there, they love it so much. It's genius. And persuasive.

What soaps did I get? The one pictured above is Porridge, which has chunks of oatmeal to exfoliate. I also got a bar of Honey I Washed the Kids (which smells like honey, yum) and Bohemian, for the fresh lemon scent I can't resist.

I have a feeling I'm going to become good friends with Lush's website.

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and 430EX Speedlite, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 400