Our fourth apothecary will open June 2013 in Carnegie Hill.  Here is a history of our marvelous new digs:

Carnegie Hill is a neighborhood within the Upper East Side, in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Its boundaries extend from 86th Street on the south to 96th Street and Spanish Harlem to the north, between Fifth Avenue (Central Park) on the west and Third Avenue on the east. Carnegie Hill is widely considered one of the most prestigious residential areas of New York City.

The neighborhood is named for the mansion that Andrew Carnegie built at Fifth Avenue and 91st Street in 1901. Today the mansion houses the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution. Facing it on 91st Street is the Otto Kahn House, a Florentine palazzo, now housing the private school, Convent of the Sacred Heart. A number of other townhouses in the area have been converted to schools, including the Spence School and the Lycée Français, a former Vanderbilt House on 93rd.

The architecture of the neighborhood includes apartment buildings along Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue, brownstones (with stoops) and townhouses on the side streets, condos, co-ops and a handful of mansions now used by organizations including the The Jewish Museum, the National Academy of Design and the Dalton School.  Frank Lloyd Wright’s celebrated Guggenheim Museum is on Fifth Avenue and the New York Road Runners occupies a townhouse around the corner at 9 East 89th Street. The famous 92nd Street Y calls Carnegie Hill its home as well.

We are excited to soon be included in the historical account of Carnegie Hill!

The holiday season has come and gone. We ate our weight in potato pancakes for Hanukkah, Panettone Bread for Christmas and sipped a glass (or two) of bubbly to ring in the New Year. Now, if you’re like me, you’re thinking two things: Man, I have to get to the gym. And darn it, it’s the winter doldrums. For those of you who get to experience all four seasons like those of us in New York City, we all are feeling the winter blues and blahs.

At the first sign of winter I found myself running to New York’s mecca for affordable trendy clothing, Uniqlo, to get those high-tech, “Heat-tech” undergarments that keep you warm from the ferociously freezing cold days. Add a puffer jacket, silly looking wool hat, mittens that a four year-old would wear, and a cashmere scarf and I am ready to face New York’s most frigid and gray weather head on!

In my apartment, when the heat is on in full force, there’s snow on the ground, and I’m dreading my messy, morning commute to work, I found some ways to stay happily cozy, turning that frown upside down indeed! I have my Pandora radio streaming the greatest hits of Sade (I’m old school, if you’re not a fan of Sade, try some Adele!), hot cocoa with marshmallows in hand, and my face layered with my favorite go-to products from Malin + Goetz. Yes, to a product junkie such as myself, spa nights are a sure fire way to bring just as much comfort as Southern Comfort or for those who keep it non-alcoholic, as cozy as that mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows!

I suggest a Detox Face Mask, followed by a facial massage with the Malin+Goetz Replenishing Face Serum, finished with a mixture of equal parts of Replenishing Face Cream and the new Chamomile Treatment Oil. Moisture overkill? Not at all! I find that I do need more moisture during these colder times, so I opt for it all. I think it might even be time to light a Cannabis candle to get the maximum effect! (I don’t smoke Cannabis, but I hear this is the next best thing!

So all of you reading this from Miami to Malibu, I suggest you sip on a cocktail … and then light the appropriate Malin + Goetz candle. I say, let the intoxicating, refreshing scent of the Mojito candle permeate the room. For the rest of us caught up in dead of winter: Smile, do something good for yourself, meditate, do some yoga, try that recipe you always wanted to make, have that cup of hot cocoa and remember the days when you were a kid longing for these snowy days! Winter is here but before you know it, Spring will have Sprung and our winter woes will have just been a distant memory. Maybe it’s the Cannabis candle or the sounds of Sade, but I’m feeling serene now, and the weather outside – albeit frightful – is not so daunting anymore. It’s a time to relax, replenish and recharge our batteries because the warm, sunny days we are all longing for are soon to come!

- Kenne Kuramochi, MALIN+GOETZ Manager at Barneys Madison Ave

HAIR REMOVAL is nothing new to women.  Shaving legs, plucking brows, bikini waxes and beyond–it is something modern women do (unless of course you are a part of some rebellious, feminist pro-hair counter culture).  Men, on the other hand, have traditionally had the good fortune to be decidedly more low maintenance, shaving their beard when they have to.

Fast forward to the early 2000s “metrosexual”–a man meticulous about grooming.  He typically spends time and money on shopping as seen on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Pandora’s box is open and women now expect a new level of hygiene from their men. If their perfect gay best friend can do it then why can’t their boyfriends and husbands?!

You may already know that MALIN+GOETZ is available at some of the best stores, salons and spas around the world. This includes Strip – a Singapore based waxing studio with an uber-hip outpost in the super-chic Nolita neighborhood here in Manhattan.  Founder Cynthia Chua, the original smooth operator, believed that there was a place for body culture that is practiced safely, hygienically and painlessly. So, she set about seeding the beginnings of a wax revolution.  Selflessly, she trialed and tested new techniques and experimented with new waxes. Eventually, she created a brand new set of Brazilian waxing techniques that was significantly less painful and embarrassing.

We have worked with them for several years now, and every time I visit them to train and work with their staff, they always invite me for a Boyzilian (Brazilian for guys).  Being newly single and back on the market I thought “why not”? It’s competitive out there and every little bit helps!  Now don’t think I made this decision lightly–thinking it was going to be one of the most painful things I have ever experienced (but, pain is beauty, right?). I could not have been more wrong.

Upon my arrival I was greeted by Cameron and Ramon – both of whom are a pleasure.  Then, off to my treatment room with Elyana, my technician. She was friendly, quick and efficient, ensuring I was not in any discomfort, queuing me to “breath” and to “brace myself.”  It was all over in an eye-blink, and I had over-hyped it in my head.  The whole process was virtually painless!  For post waxing she used the MALIN+GOETZ Ingrown Hair Cream, developed for Strip and just such occasions.  I could not be happier with the experience and will definitely be back for another Boyzilian and more!

So what is the point of my disclosing all of this pretty personal information?  Feeling “free” to indulge and look your best!  And, in case you’re curious, you can keep as much grass on the lawn as you wish.

Barely even into day two of New York Fashion Week and already the glamorous masses were in need of some pampering and rejuvenation. Running from show to show and party to party takes its toll on even the most seasoned fashion week veteran. Luckily for all (well, anyone who was invited), there was the Beauty Suite hosted by Ford Artists – a two day event where models, socialites and the like could come and get everything from their hair and make-up done to a massage – all by Ford’s artists using Malin+Goetz products.

As soon as I walked into the bright, open, airy loft space I could immediately smell the cool, crisp scent of the Malin+Goetz Mojito Candles which were elegantly placed on low cocktail tables alongside fresh, white floral arrangements. After being handed a glass of champagne, I was walked over and introduced to my manicurist, who used the M+G Peppermint Body Scrub and Vitamin B5 Body Moisturizer during the treatment. She was bright, bubbly and so much fun to talk to – the afternoon was definitely off to a good start. Once my nails were perfectly done, I roamed the room, received an amazing and MUCH needed massage, and mingled with all of the artists. I was so thrilled to see everyone from the makeup artists to the hairstylist using M+G products! Malin+Goetz has definitely broken into the inner sanctum of the most fashionable! Now I could go on and on about what an amazingly fabulous Friday afternoon it was, but a picture is worth a thousand words – so here are a few thousand…

There is no doubt about it – it’s hot outside. Very hot! And from the looks of the extended forecast, we better get used to it. I love summer as much as anyone, but when it’s too hot for me to lay out on the patio and attempt to get a healthy glow, that’s a problem. It is incredibly gross and uncomfortable outside – and unlike most of the country that is able to get from point A to point B in an air conditioned vehicle, we here in NYC are forced to navigate the steamy streets of what feels literally like a concrete jungle. Now more than ever, it’s important, nay – a matter of survival – to find little ways to make getting through the day more comfortable, even if just slightly.

One thing I like to do is keep all of my summer fragrances in the refrigerator. This not only helps to keep your favorite fragrances fresher longer, but feels incredibly refreshing when you spritz it on in the morning. My favorite at the moment is the M+G Lime Tonic. It’s light and crisp and even on the hottest, most humid days, it is never overwhelming or cloying. So crisp in fact, that I’ve been known to wear a spritz of this to the pool or the beach!

When I get home at the end of the day, and I feel like a gross, sweaty beast of a human being, I immediately jump in the shower and grab my other summer time staple – the Peppermint Body Scrub. Not only is it great for exfoliating and smoothing out your heels (which if you’re going to wear sandals at all is a MUST), but the natural peppermint extract physically cools off your body. It is at the same time calming and rejuvenating.

Now it’s time to relax. If you’re like me, the air conditioner got turned on as soon as you walked through the door, but if you haven’t already done so, turn it on now! Settle in, grab a good book or turn on your favorite TV show, and light the Mojito Candle – the crisp scent of spearmint, lime, and basil will remind you of all that is good about summer. But if you need a little extra convincing, mix yourself up a REAL mojito. Our empty candle glasses make for perfect cocktail tumblers.

Now think cool thoughts and enjoy the summer – winter will be here before we know it, and we’ll be yearning for these days once again!

Brian Lynch,  National Training Manager