Beauty shopping in North America
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A
Adrenaline
Many of the city’s tattoo and piercing places are in the ‘seedier’ or more alternative parts of town like Blvd St-Laurent or Rue Ste-Catherine Est. But oddly enough Adrenaline chose to set up right next to upper-crust Westmount in the shadow of a university and a hospital. It’s considered one of the best tattoo and piercing places in town. For those who aren’t ready to make a lifetime commitment to body art, Adrenaline offers red henna ‘tattoos, ’ lasting anywhere from two to eight weeks. Other options include temporary ‘airbrushed’ tattoos, lasting three to five days, and body glitter designs that can last up to two weeks.
reviewed
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B
MAC
Join the fabulous folks who have, at one point or another, been spokesmodels for this trés hip makeup shop: RuPaul, KD Lang, Linda Evangelista and Diana Ross. You’ll be ready to do a testimonial, too, once you fall in love with the cosmetics’ sleek packaging, fab hues, subtle fragrance and great staying power – as well as the shop’s policy to donate all sales profits from its Viva Glam lipstick to the Mac AIDS Fund.
reviewed
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C
Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company
Rock stars and Hollywood celebs attended the grand opening of H&H, the notorious lovechild of a freestyle motocross legend and a nightclub promoter. Turntablists perform inside this plush, leather-walled tattoo parlor (incidentally, Vegas’ first ever inside a casino) while you get pierced or needled. Still undecided about whether or not to get inked? Ask the psychic in the velvet-curtained booth outside to tell you what your future holds.
reviewed
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D
Un Air De France
A lovely simple shop devoted to artisanal soaps and bath products. Animal fats aren't used in the soaps and they're kept as 'vegetable based' as possible. The odors are wonderful; rich without smelling fake. The melon and cucumber, green tea or maple syrup soaps are real standouts! The owner isn't the best ambassador for his products (don't even think about picking up a non-tester soap unless you're prepared for the full breadth of his wrath).
reviewed
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E
Black & Blue Tattoo
This women-owned-and-operated tattoo parlor gets it in ink with designs that range from graphic armbands to shoulder-to-shoulder spans of the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the artists’ work at the shop or online first for ideas, then book a consultation with the artist whose work interests you most. Once you’ve talked over the design, you can book your tattoo – you’ll need to show up sober, well-fed and clear-headed for your transformation.
reviewed
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Lyle Tuttle Tattooing
This shop was started by tattoo legend Lyle Tuttle, who inked San Francisco, and celebs like Janis Joplin, Cher and Joan Baez. Since his retirement, the shop's owned and operated by Tanja Nixx, who's developed a following of her own for full-color flying carp and Day of the Dead sugar skulls. Tuttle's shop worked with the SF Health Department to set industry standards for safe, sanitary practices, so you're in good hands here.
reviewed
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G
Rebecca's Herbal Apothecary
A groovy herbal apothecary where herbs are sold loose, in lotions and in oils. There are aromatherapy cases of tinctures and a library and expert herbalists that can guide you through it all. The western school of herbal thought dominates the thinkspace here. There are also classes available for those who want to learn the basics about herbs, infusions and salves.
And, no, this isn't an outlet for medicinal marijuana.
reviewed
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H
Spring
Spring has sprung a fresh new idea: housework shouldn’t mean an instant headache from noxious cleaning fumes. Instead, this store thoughtfully provides all the nontoxic lemon and lavender products you need to clean up your home and your environmental act. The bamboo-fiber bedding is pricey, but Caldrea cleansers and Farmaesthetics soaps in ‘sweet pea’ and ‘cornmeal chamomile’ smell scrumptious and are priced to move.
reviewed
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Lush
You’ll likely smell this body, bath and beauty store where packaging is generally frowned upon from several meters away. You can stock up here on all its special products – including ‘sex bomb’ bath ballistics or ‘black magic’ massage bars – or just peruse the teetering stacks of soap piled up like blocks of cheese. It might look tasty, but try not to eat anything.
reviewed
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J
Napoleon Perdis
A judge on Australia's Next Top Model, Napoleon Perdis has brought his 'star powder' to Hollywood where he's adding extra luster to Teri Hatcher, Paula Abdul and other famous faces. At his flagship store you can go color-crazy with samples displayed on mirrored tables or ask the non-snooty sales girls for some advice. There's another branch in the Westfield Shoppingtown Century City mall.
reviewed
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K
Perfumería de Tacuba
This place has remained firmly in ‘50s mold, with its shelves of old-fashioned bottles containing perfume essences. You can pick up a 10g vial of perfume – a sniff at just M$3.50. At that price it may be worth trying out a few more, with tantalizing names like ‘honey’, ‘vogue’, ‘cappuccino’ and, er, ‘Christmas’.
reviewed
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L
Kiehl's
Making and selling skincare products since it opened in NYC as an apothecary in 1851, Kiehl's has expanded into an international chain, but its personal touch remains – as do the coveted, generous sample sizes. Pick up some of the legendary moisturizers, masks and emollients, including Creme with Silk Groom for the hair, Creme de Corps for the body or Abyssine Serum for the face.
reviewed
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Nancy Boy
All you closet pomaders and after-sun balmers: wear those products with pride, without feeling like the dupe of some cosmetics conglomerate. Clever Nancy Boy knows you’d rather pay for the product than for advertising campaigns featuring the starlet du jour, and delivers locally made products with effective plant oils that are tested on boyfriends, never animals.
reviewed
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Sumbody
Tans are too LA; in SF everyone is after that dewy, fogged-in-for-months fresh face. This Sebastopol-based company uses natural ingredients like rice bran and honey in the aptly named Rice & Shine facial wash, kava kava in the narcolepsy-inducing Knockout Bath Melt, and coconut cream in sea-salt scrubs that leave you as emollient as a Pier 39 sea lion.
reviewed
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O
elizabethW
Thermometers permanently hover around 70°F in San Francisco, but local scent-maker elizabethW supplies the tantalizing aromas of changing seasons without the sweaty brows or frozen toes. Sweet Tea smells like a Georgia porch in summertime, Vetiver like autumn in Maine. For a true SF fragrance, Leaves is as audaciously green as Golden Gate Park in January.
reviewed
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Momentum
In a sign that a well-groomed appearance has become an equality issue, not only can visiting males enjoy a full menu of treatments at locals spas, they can also drop by this men-only grooming shop for the best in quality razors and shaving brushes and enough skin-care products to have you taking over the bathroom cabinets back home. You go guy.
reviewed
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Q
Strange Invisible Perfumes
Walk-ins welcome at this upscale but accessible perfumery where fragrances are personally crafted. Discover that perfect soulful scent at the consultation bar or wander past cool, lavender-toned walls for an equally fascinating array of naturally fragranced cleansers, scrubs and creams that will leave you feeling neither strange nor invisible.
reviewed
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Benefit
Get cheeky with BeneTint, the dab-on liquid blush made from roses, or raise some eyebrows with Brow Zings tinted brow wax – they’re two of Benefit’s signature products invented in San Francisco by the twin-sister team. Surgery is so LA: in SF, overnight Angelinas swear by LipPlump and Lindsay Lohan dark-eye-circles are cured with Ooh La Lift.
reviewed
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Hové Parfumeur
Grassy vetiver, bittersweet orange blossom, spicy ginger…New Orleans’ exotic floras have graciously lent their scents to Hové’s house-made perfumes for over 70 years. A brief sniffing visit will leave your head swirling with images of the Vieux Carré’s magnificent past. Thus intoxicated, you can ask staff to custom-mix a fragrance for you.
reviewed
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Pod
Befitting of its tiny space, Pod celebrates the art of minimalism. Organic lotions and body oils. Cotton towels and sheets in soft textures and soothing hues. Candles and incense giving off enticing aromas. There is a wide variety of goods - including women's and children's clothing - but the common theme is its simplicity and purity.
reviewed
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Aidan Gill for Men
Welcome to the metrosexual headquarters of Orleans Parish. It’s all about looking stylish, in a well-heeled, masculine sort of way. High-end shaving gear, smart cufflinks and colorful silk ties are sold in front, and there’s a popular barber shop ($35 for a trim, $40 for a shave; reserve a week ahead) out back.
reviewed
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Metroboom
This place is ideal for the man who wants a little pampering, either with custom menswear, personal grooming products, designer fashion or a shave. The packages range between the basic ('Presley') to downright luxurious ('Cary Grant') including haircuts, hot towels and hand treatments (that's just man-talk for a manicure).
reviewed
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Pussykat Tattoo Parlor
Dirk Vermin, a singer and guitarist for a local punk band, excels at full-color custom tattoos, especially rockabilly-style pinup babes. A staff of nine artists and rotating guest stars keeps things interesting. Look for the shop, which also houses Vermin’s way-out art gallery, in a rough-and-tumble strip mall.
reviewed
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El Milagro Herbs
This little shop is stocked with goodies for your skin and body, mixed by a resident herbalist. We swear by the Desert Dweller Deep Moisturizing Lotion – it cures even the driest skin. Also available are a host of herbal tinctures to boost your immune system or help you adjust to the high desert altitude.
reviewed
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Kiehl’s
Since 1851, when this old-fashioned apothecary got its start in NYC’s East Village, this simple-label, simple-formula line of products has had many ardent fans. This sleek South Beach emporium hawks high-quality lip balms, skin moisturizers, shampoos, soaps, hair-styling lotions and shaving products.
reviewed
