“When people come inside, the first word out of their mouth is 'beautiful,'” says Kelly Arnold, “and they leave feeling beautiful, too.” Arnold is the owner of the new Huntington Beach sugaring shop and spa Almery N Co. With the help of her husband, Arnold converted a cold office space into an oasis for women.
“We have a passion for collecting and had storage [units] full of antique furniture, but we never knew what to do with it all,” she says. With some polishing and paint in a muted palette, the space transformed into a modern Victorian parlor that even Anthropologie designers would envy.
Although the “beauty” comes from the soul of the business, “I try to help people be realistic about their skin,” Arnold says. “We shouldn't punish ourselves for having wrinkles, lines and natural features.” While she believes intensive treatments have a place, it's not at Almery. “I've found that skin responds well when it's nurtured. It does so much work to protect us from the elements and our own habits, so everything I do—from facials to sugaring—is to nurture the skin back to health.”
This philosophy makes Almery a respite for women who've experienced sugaring horror stories. “My appointments are longer than at most shops,” Arnold says. “I don't rush, and I create time for extra treatments like a mud mask and vitamin serum.”
Plus, Arnold lovingly manufactures some of her own organic products. When she first began experimenting with skin care, she worked out of a walk-in closet that stored all her oils. “That's where Almery comes from,” she explains. “It's an old word that means cupboard or pantry, sometimes a little recess in a church wall where sacred oils are kept.” We say Almery N Co. is like church for your skin.
