La Vie En Rose Apothecary Coming to Downtown Clarendon Hills

Lauren Brunell is feeling pretty good about downtown Clarendon Hills being the location for her first business.

Brunell, who has a professional background in human resources, took over the storefront at 7 S. Prospect Ave. on June 1 and plans to open La Vie En Rose apothecary in September. His business replaces Divine Treasures, which closed.

“The inspiration for La Vie En Rose Apothecary lies in its name,” she said. “La Vie En Rose” translates to “life in pink”. It’s the idea of ​​trying to see beauty in everyday life. As such, our goal is to delight our customers with clean, green and simple beauty products, fragrances, unique jewelry and accessories, high-quality gifts, wellness products and a bit of French whimsy .

“Our goal is to simplify selection, offer cleaner beauty options, and ultimately reduce the stress of shopping.”

Brunell said the store’s strong French influence and old-world charm are inspired by the boutiques of New Orleans’ French Quarter where she grew up.

Although this is his first venture, Brunell has been thinking about a venture like this for several years.

“I’ve wanted to create something of my own, off and on, for the past 10 years, but I never really felt inspired by any of my business ideas until I realized I could mix several of these ideas and put them under one roof. at an apothecary,” she said.

“I’ve always been a bit of a walking infomercial for my friends, and after many times I’ve been asked, ‘Where did you get that?’ or “What product do you use for X?” “, I realized that I really loved discovering new and unique things and sharing them with my friends and family. I was already doing this on a smaller level and then something clicked. and I knew the time was right and it would be really fun to do it on a bigger scale.

Brunell said she plans to sell seven different categories of merchandise, each with its own inspiration, at apothecary La Vie En Rose.

“I have always believed in the power of fragrance, which is why I knew from the start that I was going to offer many scented products, such as perfumes, candles and diffusers,” she said . “There are so many chemicals and synthetic ingredients in beauty products, and with the growing interest in skin care among many very young people, it seemed essential to provide cleaner, greener options. and natural.

“Research shows that people are spending more and more time on their wellness and skincare routines. So I wanted to help them simplify their routines and save time. I specifically looked for products that had dual uses, like a candle that doubles as hand lotion. »

Brunell teaches yoga at CorePower in Hinsdale, and through conversations with students, he has realized that there is considerable interest in wellness products, massage tools and healthy ingredients.

“However, people are often unaware of the variety of products that exist, or do not know where to find them,” she said, giving examples such as unique massage tools, yoga accessories, balms muscles, etc.

“It was important to me to offer healthier products that people may not know about or find easily available,” she said. “I specifically looked for small batch products and products with unique ingredients.”

Finally, Brunell said, she wanted to offer a mix of products, either locally made or produced by women and minority-owned businesses.
“Plus, many products are made by sustainable companies or by companies that donate a portion of their profits to charity,” she said. “Almost every product I will carry in my store falls into at least one, if not more, of these categories.”

When she decided to pursue her desire to open her own business, Brunell said she looked almost exclusively for storefront space in Clarendon Hills.

“It was my ideal location from the beginning,” she said. “Not only is it minutes from my home, but it’s also the community where my family spends a lot of their time. »

Brunell said her children played sports on several Clarendon Hills teams, went to school and did activities with many of the children who live in the village.

“I like that downtown seems to be gaining momentum, as several new restaurants and stores have opened in Clarendon Hills post-COVID,” she said. “I knew the ambiance of my store could add to the cultured, small-town charm there. He has good energy. I also like that there is a lot of foot traffic to and from the trains.

Brunell said she hopes to attract buyers from nearby communities by partnering with vendors to host special events.

“I also believe I will attract customers from surrounding suburbs with my selection of products that are not offered in nearby stores,” she said. “I hope La Vie En Rose will be a place where people can come and find something new and unique each time they visit. It will be a place where shoppers can not only find treasures to help them live their lives with rose-colored glasses, but also a place where they can stop and literally smell the roses.

Clarendon Hills Village Manager Zach Creer said it’s good to see another new retail business getting ready to open in the downtown area.

“As part of opening this business, the village is working with the landowner to make investments to improve the building, which is the first building coming south on Prospect Avenue and is prominently visible from the train,” he said. “We’re excited to see someone who can make the investments necessary to bring their business into this space.”

Chuck Fieldman is a freelance journalist for Pioneer Press.