Molton Brown Emporium

Profile

Founded in London in 1973, the Molton Brown brand began as an edgy hair salon specializing in customized products based on plant and mineral ingredients. Since then, the line has expanded to include a full range of up-market bath and body items, as well as skin care, cosmetics, and luxury travel accessories. Boasting dozens of retail outlets in the U.K., Molton Brown didn't cross the pond—except in British Airways' First Class flight bags—until 2004, with the opening of its first two American boutiques on New York's East Side. With their blond-wood shelving, leather club chairs, and sleek countertops, the chic one-room stores won't get mistaken for a Bath & Bodyworks; rather than cloying perfume scents, Molton Brown products are infused with effective exotic herbs and essentials oils like oak moss, Himalayan wild indigo, Arctic birch bark, and maracuja passion flower. A favorite of decorators (for beautiful bottles to match any bathroom color scheme) and Anglophiles (the naran ji hand wash is a fixture in Buckingham Palace) the stores also carry a rotating collection of luxe gift items like cashmere throws, leather weekend bags and massive, slow-burning candles. Molton Brown stores offer several signature, affordable touches including Skin Boost express facials (for $25 worth of products) and a Stowaway deal where customers can mix-and-match super-sized travel products for one set price. — Carolyn Murnick

Seasonal product promotions in February and December.