Vivrant Beauty

220 St. Nicholas Avenue; 212-865-0100

Options for the Harlem beauty shopper have historically been limited: either navigate cluttered beauty-supply-store aisles or hit the local drugstore. Desiree Verdejo, a former lawyer, has made a difference. “Uptown deserved a better shopping experience,” she said.



Ms. Verdejo’s minimalist space manages to feel spalike without being sterile. But the real magic is in her editing. The eclectic mix of luxury and accessible brands makes shopping at Vivrant feel like discovery. “When I’m picking brands, if something is already too available in the neighborhood, then it doesn’t make sense here,” she said.

The Italian hair-care line Davines shares space with Soultanicals, a natural-hair-care line out of Brooklyn. The presence of premium skin-care lines like Ren, Ahava and Indie Lee may be Vivrant’s biggest coup. The entire category had been noticeably absent from the neighborhood.

Ms. Verdejo also stocks products from local artisans. “There are so many amazing black-owned lines that should be on the shelves of major retailers but aren’t,” she said. “I now have an opportunity to give exposure to them.”