Business and Finance

bluemercury - A Store for Beauty Junkies

By Dave Roffman

October 2008

Photo By Paul Simkin

Georgetown has its share of small, charming boutiques, although nothing like 20 years ago. While creeping chainstorism has taken over Wisconsin and M Streets, there are still the side streets and the 1600 block of Wisconsin to give you an idea of what Georgetown’s businesses used to look like. But even some of the chain stores have seen the light, and are appealing to visitors and locals alike with quality service, quality products and good prices. Take for example bluemercury at 3059 M Street, N.W. This space used to house the Fendrick Gallery for nearly two decades, but today is a beautiful boutique where you’ll find upscale skincare, makeup, fragrances, hair care products, candles and general grooming goodness.

“bluemercury is a store for beauty junkies,” says Tracey Fields, the vivacious regional manager for at least five stores here on the east coast. “Marla (co-owner Marla Beck, who along with husband Barry John Beck own all 28 bluemercury stores in America) has always said, ‘If it doesn’t make it to my vanity, it doesn’t make it to my store,’” continued Tracey. Indeed, walking around the store is like being in a Tom Thumb department store. It is chock full of fragrances, shampoos, skin care products and body products for women and men.

The very first store was in Dupont Circle and opened ten years ago. Then it was known as EFX, but soon changed its name to bluemercury (blue because it is owner Marla Beck’s favorite color, and mercury because it is quick and fast). While the stores vary in schematics according to location, all bluemercury locations are known for their customer service, product knowledge among staff, well-versed sales people and “tons of samples.”

The Georgetown-based bluemercury (corporate offices are right here for all 28 stores, and there are 20 more to open in the next year) offers the best-known brands in skin care, fragrance, and makeup, including Laura Mercier, Skinceuticals, and Serge Lutens. If you can’t be tempted by REN’s Biomimetic Perfect Lip Honey, aestheticians are on hand to offer everything from facials (starting at $85) to Power Facials($220), to face and body wax jobs to body massages (ninety minutes for $145, thirty minutes for $50).

For professional pampering, clients can book an appointment with a skincare expert in the luxurious bluemercury in-store spa. Results-oriented treatments include world renowned oxygen facials, hydroxy-acid peels and microdermabrasion, as well as face and body waxing and makeup applications.

Bluemercury stores are recognized by the likes of Vogue, InStyle, Allure, Lucky, USA Today and Oprah Magazine, as being the best at marring innovative treatments and products with elegant design.

The staff at our Georgetown bluemercury is top notch. Erin O’Rourke is the manager, and several of the staff have been at the store from the beginning, which tells you something. They are all meticulously informed about the products they sell, and you will leave with what you need to look and feel beautiful. And what’s new for Fall? Try the Bobbi Brown one package, best of color, a sleek compact consisting of four lip glosses, four eye shadows, all in a neutral palette anyone can wear.

bluemercury
3059 M Street, N.W.
202-965-1300
www.bluemercury.com

OTHER BIZ

Come and visit the new Café in Georgetown! This unique new Swedish café in House of Sweden presents seven genres of Swedish music and natural sounds in a comfy setting, open to give you a veritable smorgasbord of flavors.

Enjoy a traditional “fika” (coffee break) with homemade delicacies and Swedish coffee while listening to music and natural - even endangered - sounds of Sweden.

It is now open Saturdays and Sundays 12 – 5 PM. House of Sweden is located at 2900 K St.

1344 “O” Street, N.W. still sits empty. A hefty monthly rent is the reason why. But we have a great idea for this location if BID or GBA will take the lead and “go for it.” Why not turn this Wisc. and O Street landmark location back into what it was for over 100 years – a pharmacy. Not just any pharmacy though. How about a working pharmacy museum? Here is where the Georgetown Pharmacy held forth for a century, and where Harry “Doc” Dalinsky meted out medicines and advice for at least 50 of those years. Here is where John F. Kennedy bought his cigars, where David Brinkley, Herblock, Ben Bradlee, Joe Califano, David Kennerly and Art Buchwald would meet every Sunday morning to kibbitz and solve the world’s problems, with Doc’s sage wisdom guiding them. Why can’t one of our country’s pharmaceutical companies recreate a working pharmacy here, a museum if you will, in honor of all drugstores across America? It will work. The project needs a guiding hand. First things first. Call Andrew at O’Neill Realty (202-741-9405) and find out the asking price, the monthly rent as it were. We need a drugstore on our main street…a real drug store, like Doc’s used to be.

L2Day Spa on O Street has closed. Interested in renting the space? Call 202-333-0922.

Who’d a thunk it? Champions is back in the alley behind Abercrombie and Fitch. Formerly Blue Gin (which apparently fizzled out) Champions returns with all its sports memorabilia. Does this mean Mike O’Harro is back in town?

Return to the top