Supple Apothecary, Arcona & Soulstice

This post is loooong overdue! When I was home on the Cape in August, my mom & I stumbled upon an amazing refuge in Orleans called Supple Apothecary. The name sounded inviting enough, but once we saw the sub-header on their storefront sign ("berkeley ca + orleans ma"), I knew I was going to love this place.

The best part about Supple Apothecary is its proprietor, Alison Supple-Evans. She's friendly & fun - by the time I left we'd exchanged business cards and made plans to 'jam' over Thanksgiving (her husband's a musician). Also impressive are the beautiful and luxurious product lines she carries. She hooked me up with a free sample of Arcona's Basic Five Normal Skin Type package, and I bought 3 bottles of pastel Soulstice Nail Colour polishes.

Arcona's Basic Five Normal Skin Type package

Arcona products get splendid ratings from EWG's Cosmetics Database, so I didn't have to worry about using them on my skin. And they felt soooo gooood ... my skin felt plump and protected after slathering them on. The scents took a little while to get used to, but knowing that the ingredients are cold-processed from natural sources like essential oils and sea vegetables was more important to me than fragrance. According to the company, their products never contain petrochemicals, parabens, sodium lauryl sulphates, perfumes, dyes or any other caustic ingredients. This is a great line for someone who likes a high-class, cosmeceutical-type product but values health & safety and wants to keep their personal care products toxin-free.

So many formaldehyde-free nail polish lines are boring when it comes to the colors they offer. That's why I was thrilled to find a trio of trend-right pastel colors from Soulstice. Their polishes are vegan & free of dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene (the "big three" when it comes to nail polish toxins). I'm still wearing them as summer winds down, and I know they'll still be fashionable as Easter 2013 rolls around.

Supple is officially my new favorite. They offer facials & gift certificates for long-distance daughters who want to pamper their mamas. I just love that combination of luxury products with down-home friendliness ... the perfect mix of my West Coast city & East Coast townie sensibilities!