A beauty supply store guide to L.A.

A-listers, stylists and beauty experts flock to multi-platform brand Violet Grey’s Melrose Place boutique for a highly curated selection of luxury products (approved by the Violet Code, of course). After all, the part e-commerce site, part online publication (The Violet Files) and part brick-and-mortar has earned it’s title as “The Industry’s Beauty Edit” thanks to its thorough vetting process a la Hollywood pros. Step inside this posh beauty haven and browse the high-end range of skincare and makeup products. Talk about Hollywood glam.

Since 1990, men and women from near and far have been coming to this mom and pop beauty supply shop in Larchmont Village. Larchmont Beauty Center is where to go for the top of the line beauty products you can usually only get during a visit to Europe. The shelves are chock-full of cult skincare and cosmetic brands like Fresh and Shiseido, along with hair styling appliances and accessories. While browsing the aisles (also filled with gift-worthy items like Diptyque candles), check out the full-service salon menu, which offers everything from makeup appointments and body waxing to therapeutic body massages. For nail polish brands you won't find in your typical nail salon, check out the Center's extensive collection featuring Butter London and the toxin-free Côte.

We all know that outer beauty and inner health are inextricably linked—just think of how your skin looks after a gluttonous weekend in Vegas. This holistic idea forms the basis of French expats Valérie Grandury and Romaine Gaillard’s Beverly Boulevard shop, which resembles a particularly chic farm stand. At the Detox Market, you’ll find products that refresh both inside and out: edible beautifiers including juice cleanses, detox teas and supplements; and external revitalizers like all-natural deodorants, organic lipsticks, and freshly made, zero-toxicity skin potions from Grandury’s own brand, Odacité. You can also find them at their Santa Monica shop. French je ne sais quoi, finally within reach.

When it comes to scoring top-of-the-line cosmetics and hair products, beauty mavens, makeup artists and hairstylists head to Naimie's Beauty Center in North Hollywood. After all, the self-proclaimed "Hair and Makeup Pro Shop" is chock-full of classic and hard-to-find labels and products, from airbrush necessities to contouring essentials and pro brush sets. Plus, with an entire section dedicated to Character and FX (think adhesives, fake blood, prosthetics and bold color palettes), you can bet all of Tinseltown flocks to this two-story emporium to make their special effect dreams come true.

It wouldn't be a legitimate beauty store round up without mentioning the mecca of all things K-beauty, Aritaum. Tucked inside the Koreatown Plaza, this one-stop-shop is home to a coveted range of make up and hair care products from top Korean skin care labels like Mamonde, Hanyul and IOPE. It's a beauty lover's paradise. Find everything from botanical, energy-boosting serums and hydrating sheet masks to age-defying moisturizers and foundations. 

Rose-infused bath bombs, almond body butters, honey-toffee shampoo bars, jasmine salt scrubs—need we say more? Walking into Lush Cosmetics is like walking into a candy shop: shelves are filled with colorful, sweet smelling treats for the bath, shower, body and face. Each product is ethically made with fresh, all-natural ingredients, including fragrances, lip balms, eye shadows and skin tints. And if you forgot it was your friend’s birthday dinner tonight and you’re in a rush, it’s the perfect one-stop-shop for a last-minute gift. Tip: Pick up a fizzy bath bomb to spruce up your post-work routine. 

Step inside this makeup and beauty supply haven, and you will agree that it is rightfully called a Beauty Emporium. Makeup artists from all over Los Angeles flock here to shop from their rows and rows of cosmetics from hard-to-find brands. Whether you're a professional looking to make someone camera-ready, or a makeup novice wanting to expand a home collection, the shop has got something for everyone. They house popular brands like Make Up For Ever and Stila, and speciality ones like Koh Gen Do, Scott Barnes, Amazing Cosmetics, as well as an extensive supply of skincare products. Plus, they have an entire section devoted to on-set, movie makeup necessities like adhesives, flocking powder, fake blood, gelatin—you name it. Think of Nigel’s Beauty Emporium as the ultimate makeup solution to all your cosmetic, skin care, hair styling and special effect needs. 

Sure, Angelenos can find Kiehl’s skin and hair care products at high-end department stores like Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York, but if you’re looking for more must-have inventory, head to Robertson Boulevard. This New York-based brand holds court amidst Robertson's other high-end boutiques, bringing its vitamin-rich products to sun-kissed Angelenos. The brick-lined shop offers quality formulas for all skin types made with natural ingredients. Browse the shelves for coveted items like the skin renewing cream, hydrating whipped body butter and SPF moisturizer.

This isn't your average beauty supply store. A staple fixture in L.A.'s beauty scene since 1947, this family-run cosmetics shop offers a curated mix of American, European and Japanese skincare and beauty products exclusive to the store. Helmed by neighboring boutique owner Desiree Kohan (of Des Kohan) and her family, Wilshire Beauty stocks top-of-the-line brands including Dermalogica, Yonka, Caudalie, Ojon, the Thymes, Voluspa, Bliss, Bare Escentuals, Stila, the Art of Shaving and the like.

Consider Évolué your one-stop shop for all things relating to eco-friendly beauty. Lovely and knowledgeable owner Jean Seo has curated a mix of the most effective, highest-quality green brands on the market, from skincare (Tata Harper, Arcona) to hair (Rare Elements), nails (Sheswai Lacquer) and cosmetics (RMS). Facials, brow threading, manis and pedis are also on the menu at this industrial-zen pampering haven, making for a truly all-inclusive beautifying experience. Be sure to also keep an eye out for Evolué’s new proprietary skincare line, made for sensitive skin with all-natural ingredients.

Not only is La Peer Beauty a one-stop shop for all your costmetic needs, it is also a full service salon that offers haircuts, blowdrys, color correction, extensions, make-up application, facials, waxing, manicures and pedicures. For rows of haircare products, almost every kind of Moroccan oil, scented candles and more, look no further than La Peer Beauty. This store and salon also has a location in Brentwood so that East and Westsiders alike can be primped and pampered while getting all their shopping done.

Ever since Sephora opened the doors to its glimmering black-and-white-striped, Beverly Hills boutique, locals have been frequenting the store from morning till close—no really, it’s almost always packed. Located on the corner of Beverly Drive and Dayton Way, this beloved chain offers all of your favorite beauty products from cult brands like Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Dior and Benefit Cosmetics. Drop in to pick up that go-to mascara or foundation (read: you can use special Color IQ technology in-store that helps you find the perfect skin tone match) or get your makeup done by one of their trained makeup artists.

If the term "waxing studio" conjures up traumatic experiences of scolding hot wax, burnt skin and painful reflexing motions followed by loud wails of discomfort, head to Stark Waxing Studio and let the experts reinstate your belief in waxing. The secret behind their less painful method is the hard blue wax that your aesthetician will apply and wait until dry before peeling off, sans cloth. In addition to being the place to get beautifully shaped, Stark has a great selection of items for sale ranging from jewelry, cards, gifts, children's books, makeup and skincare products, candles and more. Get groomed and pick up a party gift all in the same place.