Beauty Store Confidential

One of the first things a newcomer to LA notices is the amazing number and variety of its beauty supply stores. Though other parts of the country certainly have their fair share of beauty stores, only in LA can you find two, and sometimes three, within a block of each other. This phenomenon creates the impression that in LA the essentials are not just food, water and oxygen, but also conditioner and exfoliant. Which, actually, is not that far from the truth.

Beauty stores occupy an interesting and important niche. They fill the rather large space between the impersonal and generic offerings of your local drug store, and the over-the-top (both in terms of price and sales pressure) cosmetic counters of high-end department stores. A good beauty store offers both a far greater selection than you can find at a drug store or department store, and the friendly expertise that can only come from someone who lives and breathes beauty products for their business.

With this in mind, I thought I would offer to the readers of Beauty News LA my personal list of my favorite beauty stores in the LA area. My selection is governed by two very basic criteria. First, I don’t want to shop in a store that is packed so full that I feel I’m rummaging around in someone’s very crowded bomb shelter, carefully maneuvering between towering walls of product, unable to bend down to read labels. When I’m in a store like that I pray the Big One isn’t going to hit while I’m there, because I’d prefer not to end my life under a ton of hair fixative.

My second criterion is how adventurous the store’s management is. We all know the four or five brands that seem to be in every store, all the time. If these are your rock solid favorites, then great. However, I prefer to see variety. Many beauty stores are bit like the movie Groundhog Day: the same thing, over and over again, day in and day out. So I try to seek out stores that are not afraid to experiment with new product lines, often from exotic parts of the world. That said, here is my list of faves:

Misty Beauty, 1207 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404. (310) 451-8501. Located just south of Wilshire Blvd, Misty is one of my favorite places to shop for beauty products. The staff is ultra-friendly and more than happy to make recommendations. Moreover, they stock many European lines that are hardly represented at all in the US, like Matis. The whole store has a nice European flavor to it, very different from the somewhat industrial nature of many US beauty stores. Lastly, they have the most amazing bargain tables I’ve ever seen in a beauty store. It seems every time I visit, there are discount tables (right up front, by the way – not hidden away beneath the stairs as in some stores), piled high with very high quality merchandise at deep discounts.

Beauty Collection Apothecary. 110 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles. (323) 930-0300. Beauty Collection is a chain, with stores all over the LA area. This particular store is located right next to The Grove and Farmers Market, and it is my favorite one of the bunch. For one thing, it has what seem like acres and acres of room to stroll around in. If you are claustrophobic, this is the place for you. All that room also allows them to stock a dizzying array of product lines, and the mix is constantly changing. I’ll often stroll in and find new lines from Australia, Iceland (yes, Iceland), Hungary, and other far flung parts of the world of world of beauty. They also stock several high-end lines like Natura Bisse and Darphin. Unlike many beauty stores, their make-up collection is as extensive as their skin and hair care offerings. The vibe is very hip, but also very friendly. The staff love to talk with customers. On the other hand, they won’t pester you if you’re clearly doing fine on your own.

Diamond Beauty. 11988 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604. 818-761-1778. I discovered this store long before I moved to LA, through their gargantuan web site (www.diamondbeauty.com). Marooned as I was in the Midwest at the time, it was like finding the keys to a very wonderful candy store. Located just east of Laurel Canyon Blvd., Diamond Beauty occupies a large and airy space. If you haven’t visited them in a while, you will be surprised, since their former location was much smaller. Like the Beauty Collection, they have space for almost Costco-sized stock, and they carry a dizzying array of skin and hair care lines. But what makes Diamond Beauty so special to me is that they are always trying out new brands. I continue to be amazed by how adventurous they are. It’s clear they are always actively seeking what’s new worldwide, not just waiting for a sales brochure to land in their mail. I had no idea, for example, that the Kingdom of Jordan produced a skin care line, but now I do (Revage, for the curious). They also are the sole seller of one of my very favorite skin care lines, Payot Paris. The staff is friendly and funky, and all these qualities together make Diamond Beauty the favorite among all my favorites.

If you’re intimidated by the high-end department stores, but can’t quite get too focused on night cream when you rush into the drug store for detergent and aspirin, the casual yet sophisticated beauty stores of Los Angeles offer you the experience you are looking for. Indeed, they are more than retail establishments. They are true temples of beauty, and a key part of the unique culture of Los Angeles. Give one a try next time you can’t bear the thought of buying one more generic brand. You won’t be disappointed.