Christmas is (already) just around the corner, and everyone is running and racing to pick up that perfect gift for a special someone. The conversation comes up more frequently every year- how much waste are we producing with gift packaging, or even gifts themselves? How can we reduce our waste at a time when colossal amounts of it are being produced every second? We don't need to sacrifice all the bells and whistles to gift ethically, just let LUSH do it for you.

Know someone who will talk the talk but not walk the walk when reducing plastic waste? Have they googled every possible way they can cut out waste but won't cut the crap? Gift them (nicely) with a Corktainer with a shampoo bar and conditioner bar within it! Unlike previous editions of the corktainer, this vessel is slightly deeper and is cubed, which allows both the shampoo and conditioner bar to sit snugly on top of one another within the same container. The container will also have a QR code on the bottom, which is already used by most new gifts for the Lush Lens app. This QR code will take the person to the haircare section of the website (for now!) and allow them to not only access ingredients of the products inside, but also to explore the range as a whole. (Renders were created using Adobe Dimension CC)

Lush want to create gifts you will want to keep forever. Because cork is a carbon-positive, regenerative material, the creation of this gift actually has a positive impact on the planet; so you can gift with a guilt-free conscience! 

This gift is designed to be multifunctional- inside the colourful box, your FUN goodies await full of colour and amazing scents that tempt the senses... but once the box is unfolded in front of you, a world of creativity awaits! I designed a game that can be played with 4 people using the contents of the gift, 4 exclusive FUN products. Each person takes one FUN product and the QR code in the centre is scanned, taking you to a spin-the-wheel that decides what you must create with the FUN! The timer begins and the players get making within the white dotted circle, keeping everything tidy! The person who completes the task first wins a point. A QR code can also be scanned to discover the products that are within the gift, situated at the base of the box.

The colours within the box are coherent with the colours of the decorative spots on the outside of the box, creating a theme within the gift itself. The font chosen was intended to reflect board games from the 60s and 70s, when games were central to a family Christmas before computers and tablets took over. It is reminiscent of flower power while also creating a modern twist on standard 60s design.

This design was created using a mixture of Adobe Dimension CC and Adobe Photoshop CC.

One thing I always get asked on the shop floor is 'is there information in the gift about Lush?', because more often than not, a gift is being bought to introduce that special someone to some of their favourite Lush products! So I took to Adobe InDesign and created a small and convenient leaflet that can be placed within any-sized gift, giving the recipient some information on what Lush is about, the concept of gifting ethically, and the benefit their gift has to the environment over run-of-the-mill gift sets. It not only informs them about the basics of Lush as an ethical brand, but makes them appreciate the gift and allow them to value the packaging it comes in (and its history) that little bit more! Let's take a look below:

This design is inspired by newspaper layouts, with a splash of the 'Fun and Games' design for uniformity should it be added to this gift. The design is informative yet accessible, and would, of course, be printed on 100% recycled paper to seal the sustainable deal. How about using soy-based inks to print it also?

Lush gifts are the perfect way of trying your hand at a sustainable Christmas, and don't worry, anyone can do it! With so weird and wonderful designs and concepts to choose from, you're bound to give the perfect gift of Lush to anyone on your nice list.