So Blue But Not Sad

There used to a magical old drugstore on the upper east side of Manhattan called Boyd's NYC. It was a New York institution and the owner claimed to have invented the in-store makeover as a way to sell cosmetics. The store carried all sorts of wonderful, hard-to-find cosmetics and beauty products. In this era of everpresent CVS's and Walgreens, and even, dare I say, Sephora's, it was a treat to wander their cramped aisles and discover an amazing  grooming product (since men aren't allowed to purchase beauty products) that I'd never seen or even heard of. Alas, the original Boyd's is gone although there is a showroom on 36th street and a far-from-magical website, boydsnyc.com. 

One of my favorite discoveries at Boyd's was a German bath product,

Algemarin. To this day, however, they have virtually no retail presence in the US and, as far as I can tell, not much in Europe, either. But you can find it at Smallflower and a few other webtailers although it isn't always in stock.

Algemarin claims to contain sea algae and other nutrients gathered from sea. But beyond the long list of ingredients, the product is amazing. Pouring a capful into a running bath turns the water an amazing Agean blue color that instantly transports me to the Greek island, Santorini. The bath is imbued with a scent that is at once complex, organic and ocean fresh. Truly beautiful. Oh, and it makes lots and lots of fun bubbles, too!