By Ava Mackenzie
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With fewer and fewer mom-and-pop-shops, New York has long been criticized for losing its charm. So when I heard about a new store opening in the West Village, I flocked to see if Patyka could maintain the character of its new home in the West Village. Nestled on Carmine Street, Patyka’s only U.S. shop captures the true essence of the neighborhood – it’s inviting, quaint, and far from the massive chains infiltrating Manhattan.
Patyka’s products, first launched in France in 2002, are all certified organic by ECOCERT, but manage to avoid being too “crunchy”, as I sometimes find organic products can be. Instead, the brand is simple, yet luxurious, incredibly efficacious and ideal for women and men looking for the best natural products for their skin, without sacrificing brand integrity.
The store itself is lined with small shelves of each product collection, making the space look more like fancy French boudoir than a retail store. The “Green” line of shampoos, body washes, body oils, and face products, is the most affordable of the three collections, with all items priced under $19. The “Classic” line is Patyka’s original line of skincare, with their best-selling Organic Serum, cleansers, toners and creams for the face, along with fresh-smelling washes and lotions for the body. All Patyka’s fragrances are part of the product’s formulation, which means that no fragrances were added extraneously. If something smells like spearmint (a fantastic anti-septic), for example, it’s for a purpose.
The third collection (and my personal favorite!), their “Bio” line, was developed by Patyka’s private R&D lab to create organic performance ingredients like sesame and avocado oils, AHAs, Corn Flower, and even diamond dust, as found in their Biokaliftin Luminous Exfoliating Mask. The only certified organic cosmeceuticals on the market, the four products in the line are suitable for all skin types (as are most of the products in the complete Patyka collection).
If you’re looking for a taste of French luxury, make sure you pop into 33 Carmine to explore the world of Patyka. For a formal introduction to the line, I recommend indulging in a facial in the store’s private treatment room, where an esthetician can assess your skin and determine the best products to meet your preferences.
Patyka
33 Carmine Street
212.933.9097
http://www.patyka.com
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