This itty-bitty, very pretty boutique is packed with must-haves you won’t find at big-box shops, all by indie, often international beauty brands. Bonus points for legitimacy: Owner Sabeen Zia is a cosmetic chemist by trade. Read More »
2247 Grays Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA Website
Sure, it’s not quite as luxurious a shopping experience when you’re tossing your BB cream into a cart alongside butter and bananas, but consider this: While the FDA has pretty strict standards for the food we eat, it’s way more lax about the stuff we put on our skin. (Go figure.) This means the beauty market is flooded with products containing phthalates and formaldehyde – both no-no’s for their potential links to cancer. Whole Foods, however, has banned more than 100 such ingredients from its shelves, and it prioritizes plant-based and naturally sourced ingredients, so its serums, masks, cleansers and cosmetics are practically pure enough to eat. So yeah, the brands WF carries may not be designer, but I’ll take a clean ingredient list – and, fine, the free food samples – over a luxe lipstick any day. – Caroline Cunningham Read More »
Among the aisles of instant noodles and pickled veggies at this Asian supermarket, you'll find a selection of hard-to-find Korean beauty products, like pearl-infused sheet masks, of-the-moment beauty cushions, and hyaluronic acid moisture packs. Sounds weird, but it's magic, we swear. Read More »
7320 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA | 215-782-1801 | Website
Meet the neighborhood mom-and-pop shop with a holistic twist. Under the store's small-batch organics line, you'll find Dead Sea salt mud masks, silky body butters, and a giant hutch housing every kind of bar soap you never knew you needed. Read More »
1439 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA | 215-500-5874 | Website
Remember the montage from Pretty Woman where Vivian goes from gaudy to glam in a Beverly Hills minute? Had she been in Newtown instead, she could have come here for a soothing scrub in the grotto-like spa, a conditioning treatment and blowout in the bustling salon (if David's booked and he always is request Jack), a whirl through the lovely makeup bar, and a twirl into the super-secret upstairs boutique, which she'd find stocked with essentials from Theory and James Perse, plus the show--stopping frock required for her night at the opera. Read More »
25 South State Street, Newtown, PA | 215-579-1200 | Website
It's known for its dry cuts and customized two-hour ayurvedic facials, but we also love the take-home treats: mango shea butter, lime body polish, Max Green Alchemy shampoo. Read More »
55 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-922-6656 | Website
The products here are so good, they can almost make you believe that, Yes, I could look like a picture in a magazine. We can't promise you will. But the unending selection of nifty products and tools will get you closer than you ever dreamed possible. Read More »
1733 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-487-3333 | Website