On a recent warm summer morning, with pink balloons festooning the door, Calypso St. Barth women’s boutique held a special shopping event in partnership with its Montecito Country Mart neighbor, Space.NK.apothecary.
I swear you could almost smell the Caribbean flowers and feel the soft breezes of St. Barts on your skin while shopping at this retail oasis, now in its third year at 1014-E Coast Village Road. With pastel walls and beachy perfumes filling the air, it’s a favorite stay-cation for me.
Calypso St. Barth has established itself as a year-round clothing destination for women, with an emphasis on a casual resort wardrobe with a vacation vibe. Cool and bright colors, and dreamy fabrications — from tunics to dresses, pants, batik prints and accessories — are all part of a color-coded merchandising that makes shopping easy. The varied collections have something that fits everyone.
Space.NK.apothecary — started by Belfast-born Nicky Kinnaird as a London boutique — is now a worldwide cosmetic juggernaut specializing in cult-favorite scents and face and body products that appeal to those in pursuit of the latest beauty buzz.
“I was born curious,” Kinnaird said, explaining the store’s commitment to finding product lines that are not as well known.
The Space.NK staff is well-versed in their inventory and will help put together a skin regimen that includes different products from all the shop’s lines. They also provide free touch-up makeup consultations and applications.
At Calypso, I checked out some of the featured summer clothing collections, grabbed a French macaron and breezed through a great sale section.
I was then offered a treatment — of course, I said yes! — by Santa Ynez facialist Stacey Gourson, who had set up shop in one of the dressing rooms. She settled me into a comfy massage chair and introduced me to the featured skin-care line, Omorovicza.
This tongue-twister to pronounce has been a feature line at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City for the past eight years. The company was inspired by the mineral-rich water from Hungary’s Lake Hévíz, one of the largest active thermal lakes in the world.
The Budapest-based brand is co-owned by Florida–born Margaret de Heinrich de Omorovicza, who co-founded the line 10 years ago with her husband and business partner, whom she met while serving as chief of staff to the U.S. ambassador to Hungary.
After an hour of experiencing the various products, I left the facial feeling very relaxed from a dynamic but soothing treatment, and carrying Omorovicza samples to try on my own. I also had a pink Calypso shopping bag with a great dress for a summer wedding. Mission accomplished.
Over the last three years, Montecito’s Coast Village Road and the Upper Village have been a mecca for fashion-conscious women.
Chasen, Whiskey & Leather, Whistle Club, Blanka, Angel and Intermix are popular with the younger crowd. Higher price-point retailers like So De Mel, Malia Mills, James Perse, Imagine, Antoinette, Lily, Jenni Kayne, Clare Swan, Wendy Foster, Upstairs at Pierre Lafond and downstairs, Leggiadro, Julianne, Maison K, Bonita, Mischief and J. McLaughlin have a loyal clientele for luxury and wearable items from well-edited boutiques.
Montecito’s changing landscape of restaurants and lifestyle stores will soon have the addition of K. Frank, which is moving from downtown Santa Barbara to be closer to its customer base. This charming and beautiful contemporary clothing boutique has carried men’s, women’s, home and children’s merchandise for many years.
Although late afternoon traffic congestion is increasingly brutal, the personal service from neighborhood owners and their knowledgeable and personable staff makes shopping easy and fun in Montecito.
Besides, if traffic is too bad, Coast Village Road is a very walkable street, with plenty of charming outdoor restaurants and one of the world’s most beautiful beaches just a couple of hundred yards away.
Calypso is located at 1014-E Coast Village Road in Montecito Country Mart. Click here for more information, or call 805.565.3104.
Space.NK.apothecary is located at 1014-C Coast Village Road. Click here for more information, or call 805.969.5566.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judyforeman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.