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This D.C.-based makeup haven and spa opened its first New York outpost in 2008, bringing an assortment of indie and high end cosmetics and skincare products into Sephora’s Upper West Side turf. Founder Marla Malcom Beck targets neighborhood beauty junkies with her hand-picked cosmetic collection of cult-favorites like Acqua di Parma, REN, Reméde, and Jurlique. The one-room shop’s wooden shelves and display tables are packed with products ranging from obscure finds, like lip gloss from Parisian brand T. LeClerc, to competing product lines like Bliss, Fresh, and L’Occitane. The shop also stocks department store staples from Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, and Trish McEvoy, which the clerks refer to simply as “Laura,” “Bobbi,” and “Trish” when assisting makeup buffs. The diverse clientele includes both giggly, tester-sampling teens and moms stocking up on age defying creams. In back, the tiny, two-room spa offers no-frills waxing, massages, and facials using in-store brands like Molton Brown, Darphin and SkinCeuticals. The popular 50-minute Brightening Facial includes a glycolic peel and vitamin C treatment to combat hyperpigmentation and exfoliate dry skin. — Chanize Thorpe

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