Photo courtesy of Ann Wade Photography.
Jodi Sullivan, center, opened her new makeup boutique, Beaute Therapie, in early 2018. She, along with makeup artists Carol Grubbs, left, and Leslie Corts, work with customers to add more clean and natural makeup to their daily regimens.
The saying may go that beauty is only skin deep, but at Beauté Therapie, a new cosmetics boutique in Mountain Brook Village, they believe beauty starts on the inside.
“And the cosmetics? That’s just the fun part,” said owner Jodi Sullivan. “That’s the part where you go to play up the beautiful features that you have.”
Her new cosmetic store, located at 2834 Culver Road, focuses on something that she finds important for makeup users of all ages: clean and natural beauty.
“That’s a movement that we’re going through right now, is looking at the ingredients of products,” she said.
Prior to opening Beauté Therapie, Sullivan was a Pilates instructor for eight years. She said she’s always been fascinated by cosmetics and skin care, especially as she has gotten older. Sullivan has always been cognizant of what she was putting in her body and it made sense to have the same vigilance when looking at what she was putting on her skin.
“Skin is the largest organ in your body,” she said. “What you put on it every day matters.”
So as she began looking at different beauty lines she wanted to carry in her new boutique, Sullivan did her research and found a selection that fits the style of “clean beauty alternatives.”
Upon entering her store, shoppers will see counters to review makeup selections with Sullivan and her artistry team as well as displays of the high-performance makeup she carries. But she said, “It’s not a beauty free-for-all.” It’s beauty with guidance.
Sullivan aims to talk through each makeup decision with her clients to help them determine what is best for their current situation and their skin. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick look through someone’s makeup bag to make a suggestion or two for products to transition away from.
“A lot of conventional cosmetic companies, their priority is to sell, sell, sell,” she said. “The difference lies here that, of course I’m a business person, I want to sell, but I want to sell something I know is good for you.”
She said she strays away from “overhauling” a makeup bag and encourages customers to make incremental steps towards clean beauty selections.
“And eventually, yes, we would love to transition you out of conventional beauty products,” she said.
Sullivan has worked closely with the companies that Beauté Thearpie carries now, and said that many involved in the lines have even come to visit Mountain Brook to see where their products are being sold. Her beauty selection includes Tata Harper, Kat Burki, RMS Beauty and The Beauty Chef, among others.
“These are all brands that, prior to now, you’ve had to order them or travel to large cities to find them,” she said. “It’s nice to bring some of these larger lines to our community so that they don’t have to travel to experience them.”
And for those who are looking to change up the pace a little or find a new makeup style, Beauté Therapie offers artistry services by Carol Grubbs and Leslie Corts. Sullivan said they have been working together for 16 years and they do events in-store, travel for special events and create cosmetic editorial work.
Sullivan said customers should schedule appointments to work with one of the artists, but walk-ins are welcome to review makeup selections. She also keeps track of what each person buys to know which cosmetics they prefer.
And while she’s looking forward to working with the community and getting to know her shoppers, she hopes to help people take care of their skin and their beauty.
“There are beautiful things out there that are good for you, too,” Sullivan said. “And when you know better, you can do better.”
Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Find Beauté Therapie on Instagram, @beautetherapiebhm, or online at beautetherapiebhm.com.
