Sweet Traditions, Bold Scents: Inside Lush’s 2025 Día De Muertos Collection
- Tyzza Macias
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
When the global cosmetics company Lush unveiled its 2025 Día De Muertos collection, it wasn’t just a product drop; it was a cultural offering. Featuring sweet conchas, papel picado, and hummingbirds, the 11-piece range embodies Mexico’s most luminous holiday with scents and symbols that honor both tradition and storytelling.
Día De Muertos, observed November 1–2, reunites the living and the dead in a celebration where remembrance replaces grief. “Unlike any other holiday, mourning is exchanged for celebration, and it is often found to be a healing experience,” notes Lush’s press release.
This year’s collection draws from Mexico’s most powerful symbols: the cempasúchil, or Mexican marigold; folkloric hummingbirds; and vibrant papel picado banners that fill streets and altars each fall.
Co-Created, Globally Rooted
The 2025 collection is born of Lush’s Co-Create program, which gives employees space to design products rooted in personal heritage. Six staffers from across the globe contributed, four from the U.S., one from Canada, and one from Leeds, UK.
Ana, a sales assistant at the Lush Spa in Leeds, has deep ties to the holiday. “Día de Muertos is a living tradition for me and my family, just as it is for many people in Mexico and the Mexican diasporas,” she said. “As an immigrant, it has become a symbol of closeness, both to my land and to those I can no longer be with.”
For Ana, scent was non-negotiable: “The scent had to be cempasúchil, as this lovely story or legend tells of the ‘birth’ of the cempasúchil flower. The strongest symbol of the holiday, whose smell and bright colour create the path from the underworld to our homes.”
Sweet Treats Meet Self-Care
Lush’s Día De Muertos line is a feast for the senses. The Champurrado Shower Gel swirls cinnamon, clove, and raw sugar into a velvety hot-chocolate lather, while the Concha Bubbleroon bubbles up with almond buttercream and citrus oils, echoing the sweetness of traditional pan dulce.
The Dulce de Leche Lip Balm softens with “moisturising glycerine, softening toffee and the comforting scent of vanilla absolute,” making nostalgia pocket-sized. Bright Papel Picado Soapsin Verde, Rosa, and Morado channel the festival’s iconic banners, and the Cempasúchil trio body spray, bath bomb, and soap anchors it all in marigold, the legendary flower gifted by the Sun god Tonatiuh to guide souls home.
Artistry in Packaging
Design also takes center stage. The Sweet Recuerdo gift box and Amor Eterno knot wrap were created by Blanca Molina from Guadalajara, who brought Mexican iconography to life. “Día de Muertos is a celebration where we honor and remember our loved ones in a positive way,” she said. “With my design, I wanted to capture that same spirit, using vibrant colors and movement to reflect joy and life, while still honoring the traditional imagery of Día de Muertos.”
Why Supporting These Initiatives Matters
For the Latino community, brands like Lush taking the initiative to celebrate our traditions is more than seasonal marketing; it’s validation. By investing in Día de Muertos products and telling these stories authentically through co-creators, the company affirms the cultural richness that is often overlooked in mainstream beauty campaigns.
When we support these collections, we send a clear message: there is both cultural and economic value in our heritage. Supporting these brands helps ensure that our traditions are not commodified as fleeting trends, but respected as narratives worth celebrating year after year. It also pushes the industry toward more inclusive and representative storytelling where our voices are not only heard but also centered.
More Than Cosmetics and Why It Matters
Founded in 1995, Lush has built its reputation on innovation and activism. Its iconic bath bomb, invented in a shed in 1989, became a global phenomenon, with more than 21 million sold last year. Beyond commerce, the company passed £100 million in charitable giving in 2024, showing its commitment to grassroots activism and long-term impact.
Lush’s Día De Muertos line is more than seasonal marketing. It’s an invitation to honor tradition through sensory storytelling, a recognition of cultural depth within global beauty, and a reminder that when we support brands that invest in our culture, we empower future collections, campaigns, and initiatives that keep our heritage alive in meaningful, lasting ways.
