Mexican dogs, monarch butterflies and cempasúchil flowers adorn Lush’s 2024 Día De Muertos collection
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Fresh, handmade cosmetics company Lush has announced the launch of a brand new five-piece collection launching 19 September to celebrate Día De Muertos (Day of the Dead) this year.
The 2024 Día De Muertos range is part of Lush’s ‘Co-Create’ programme, a product creation internship for Lush employees which aims to promote diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging by lifting up authentic stories from respective communities.
Día De Muertos is a holiday typically celebrated 1-2 November that reunites the living and dead. Unlike any other holiday, mourning is exchanged for celebration and it is often found to be a healing experience.
The new collection features key symbols of Mexican legend, including the Cempasúchil – a Mexican variety of marigold which is said to have been given to people by the Sun god Tonatiuh to honour the dead.
A new bubble bar is shaped like a monarch butterfly which, for some Día De Muertos celebrators, represent the souls of the beloved, deceased family members who return home from the spiritual world in time to participate in the earthly celebration.
The Alebrijes knot wrap features the iconic calavera – ‘skull’ in Spanish.
This artwork pays homage to Mexico’s rich cultural tradition and heritage. The Alebrijes, mystical and colourful beings, have been my greatest source of inspiration.
In Mexican cosmology, they are perceived as spiritual beings that accompany us beyond life, guiding us on our journey to the world of the dead or on our traverse in the land of the living. Their powerful presence makes them important elements in contemporary offerings, where it is believed they facilitate the transit of souls between different planes of existence. I have also tried to infuse my work with a very colourful style, thinking that, although we honour death, it is essential to celebrate life and its vitality.
The Lush 2024 Día De Muertos collection will be available in stores and online from Thursday 19 September.
This Mexican xolo dog is adorned with alebrije patterns and packed with bursts of pink, purple and teal to fizz across the tub. The friendly, fruity aroma of The Comforter scents this adorable bath bomb.
Xolo (itzcuintle) dogs are sacred guides to the underworld, Mictlán, in Mexica mythology. They are linked to Xólotl, god of death and transformation, and often appear alongside the deity of death, Mictlantecuhtli.
The Monarch butterfly is a significant symbol in Mexican culture where they migrate each year, travelling 2,500 miles from Canada. Their arrival coincides with Día De Muertos, symbolising the return of ancestors’ souls. Scented with Oakmoss Absolute to resemble pine trees, relating to the Oyamel trees where the Monarch butterflies hibernate each year.
This butterfly honours activist Homero Gomez (the ‘Guardian of the Monarchs’) who fought during his life to preserve the habitats of Monarch butterflies.
Cempasúchil is a Mexican variety of marigold. Legendarily, it was given to the people by the Sun god Tonatiuh, to honour the dead. These earthy, vibrant orange and yellow flowers are often put on ofrendas or strung into garlands, leading the dead back to the world of the living.
Fruity buchu, davana and bergamot oils add a lively, fresh essence to the tub. “Let the colour and fragrance act as the bridge between worlds!” – Rodrigo from the Lush Studio team, co-creator of the Día De Muertos 2024 range.
This shower gel features the same fruity oils as its bath bomb counterpart; buchu, davana and bergamot. In October and November, it’s impossible to escape the intoxicating aroma of Cempasúchil wafting through the streets and homes of Mexico, and this shower gel captures both the fragrance and pretty burnt orange colour of the flower – with some plastic-free glitter added in to make it sparkle too!
Alebrijes are spirit guides thought to escort souls to and from the Mictlān (the afterlife). Made from 100% organic cotton grown, spun and woven in India. The fabric is then screen printed by artisans at a traditional Sari printer where colours are matched by eye by an ink mixing master. Use as gift wrap and reuse time and time again for a ‘lush’ environment!
Carolina Monterrubio, a Mexican illustrator passionate about feminism and veganism, has woven a creative career that spans various artistic fields and created this unique design for the Día De Muertos 2024 collection.
About Lush
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Since establishing in 1995, Lush has been driven by innovation and its ethics. Creators of pioneering beauty products, one of Lush’s most well-known creations is the bath bomb.
Invented in 1989 by Lush Co-Founder Mo Constantine in her garden shed, bath bombs have become a global sensation – all hand pressed in Lush’s own manufacturing sites across the world, Lush sold over 21.2 million last year.
A beauty company with a campaigning heart, Lush is on a mission to create a product for every need and a cosmetic revolution to save the planet. The ultimate goal is to leave the world ‘Lusher than we found it’.
In August 2024, Lush reached £100 million in charitable giving, supporting grassroot organisations and activists through multiple programs since 2007. In FY23 Lush donated just under 1% of the company turnover to grassroots groups driving tangible positive impact, showing commitment to a long term giving strategy.
Today, Lush operates in 50 countries with over 850 shops, 38 websites shipping worldwide and a global network of native apps, broadcasting channels and digital communities in over 30 languages.
For further information or imagery, please email lushpr@lush.co.uk
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