Zitomer Pharmacy: A Beauty Junkies Heaven on Earth

It never dawned on me that I could have so much fun at a pharmacy until I made the acqauintance of the charming Zitomer Pharmacy located on the Upper East Side of New York City. Considered a landmark, Zitomer’s been around since 1950 serving up beauty wants and must-have items on three shopping floors. With over 15,000 square feet of shopping at your fingertips, it’s easy to get lost playing with the cosmetics and skincare testers or just walking through the store and marvelling at its many other offerings like the one’s I’ve mentioned in this entry. And if you’re lucky, you might even see an actor or two milling about. Just do yourself a favor and don’t stare.

As I continued my journey through this neighborhood gem, for some reason I started to wonder if I was a customer snob. I’m certain that my experience working in the retail industry has made me hyper-sensitive to the interactions between customer and salesperson. Case in point: the moment I walked in, I was greeted with a warm smile by an older, petite asian woman who evidently thought I was a regular because she said “it’s nice to see you again.” I smiled, played along and proceeded to talk skincare with yet another friendly employee who let me play with everything and because of her generosity and good-natured personality, the salesperson is now my best friend!. Don’t worry. I don’t stalk.

I call Zitomer Pharmacy a beauty junkies heaven on earth because the store carries products that I don’t readily see in other stores like Z New York Treatment Finishing Spray ($20). No matter the activity or weather, looking put together should be everyone’s God-given right. Right? So, if you’re bold enough to wear a full face of makeup when you workout, take a dip in the pool or just plan on going out on the town, then you must have this product. Just spritz this finishing spray on your face and your makeup will remain in tact for hours. What’s more, the spray locks in moisture and keeps your face feeling nice and smooth. Make room in your makeup bags ladies.

I absolutely dread washing my makeup off before going to bed, but it has to be done, so why not make what I call an ordeal easier to deal with by using Klorane Lotion Makeup Remover Wipes ($11)? Just pull out one of these extra gentle and soothing sheets (made with cornflower extracts) and wipe off your makeup in one fell swoop. Don’t worry if you have sensitive eyes because this product’s been ophthalmologically and dermatologically tested. Love it.

If you still haven’t figured out what product (s) to use to get the skin on your body super smooth, then I suggest MicroDermabrasion Crystal Exfoliating Body Soap Bar ($30). As discussed in my post Our Daily Face: Get Radiant Skin with Exfoliating Treatments, I found plenty of options to make the skin on your face (and lips) a dead skin-free zone, but we should never neglect our bodies. This exfoliating bar gets rid of dull dry skin, evens out skin discoloration and may improve the appearance of cellulite. But what gets me is that it prevents folliculitis which is when the hair follicle is damaged by shaving, clothes friction, scratching, or obstruction, and are subsequently inflamed or infected. An infected hair follicle sometimes appears as a red bump (if you are fair), but if you have a deeper skin tone, then it appears as a tiny bump or white pustule that could crust over later. A good example of folliculitis is when you see little bumps on the backs of your thighs because of the jeans you’ve been wearing that might be a little snug. I like this product because it’s a one-step treatment. Just use it in the shower, rinse off and towel-dry. Note: Do not use this product on your face.

Thymes Azur Body Wash ($18) is what I call my “just because” product. I love the smell of the ocean when I shower and this product delivers it with a soft touch. What a great way to start the day.

Here are more makeup and skin care products shopping tips:

Tip 1: Embrace window shopping. If you’re on the quest for a new beauty product, hold onto your purse strings and test different products at the stores (if you can) before committing yourself to buying it. But if you can’t test products (like in the case of Duane Reade Stores), you can always return that blush or face powder if the color doesn’t work. Just make sure you have your receipt.

Tip 2: Shop day or night. Even if you don’t live in New York City, you can shop from Zitomer Pharmacy’s website from anywhere in the world and rest comfortably knowing that the items in your “cart” will be shipped to you. And there’s another plus, Zitomer’s is open for business 365 days a year. I like a store that makes it easy to get the products that make you feel good any time of the year.

Hue Knew It? I did.