Sometimes it seems as though high-end beauty-product companies have been competing in the “green” arena for ages. In fact, Patyka is one of the more venerable natural and organic boutique lines, having recently reached the ripe age of four years. Its only freestanding store in the United States is located in New York’s West Village, where it presents an unassuming façade amidst other neighborhood shops.
Patyka’s small, sun-washed space is neatly organized and welcoming in an understated way. Artfully distressed shelving displays Patyka’s three Ecocert-approved product collections: the classic Patyka range, including four all-natural fragrances; Biokaliftin specialized skincare; and the new Family line of organic body and face products in brightly colored plastic bottles. The products themselves are set off against the room’s subtle textures and details: a brick-wall painted creamy white, mirrors of different vintages, hand-written price tags dangling from tester bottles, a frosted-glass doorknob. If you aspire to duplicating this touch-worn, country-cottage chic in your own bathroom, you can also purchase small, handmade-looking ceramic bowls, patterned glass candle votives, and natural-fiber hand towels at Patyka.
Best selling fragrance: Chypre.
Not to be missed: Rosewood is one of Patyka’s signature ingredients, and the best-selling Rosewood Organic Body Oil is luxurious simplicity in a bottle.
Details: Patyka, 33 Carmine Street, New York, NY 10014, (212) 933-9097; website.
Nearby: L’Occitane (247 Bleecker St.), Aphrodisia (264 Bleecker St.), Enfleurage (321 Bleecker St.), C. O. Bigelow (414 6th Ave.), Aedes de Venustas (9 Christopher St.). Also, be sure to get a cup of coffee at the neighborhood landmark Grey Dog Coffee, next door to Patyka, before indulging your other senses around the corner on Bleecker Street (where Murray’s Cheese and Bleecker Street Records are two other essential stops).
— report and images filed by Jessica.
See also: Perfume Shopping in New York City
Update: the Patyka store in New York is now closed.