Ooh! Beautiful

As you well know, I love love makeup and skincare, and so do the gorgeous Grit readers. We also all love new brands, stores, and products, and what makes new even better is when we can find products that make us more youthful, more beautiful, make us feel wonderful, AND are good for us! That is exactly the niche market that event coordinator extradinaire, Lisa Thomas—of the creative and meticulous business of Ooh! Events and Out of Hand tapped into when she opened her new cosmetic shop, Ooh! Beautiful.

Already a leader in the event and wedding businesses in Charleston, and someone whom I love working with and respect enormously, Lisa took another step towards cementing her place in the heart of Charleston and brides worldwide, as well as the everyday woman on the go, when she expanded her existing businesses to include cosmetics and fragrances.

She really put an emphasis on products that, like her businesses, are a breath of fresh air—innovative and good for the heart and soul. Situated conveniently inside Out of Hand on Pitt Street in the Old Village with free parking, Ooh! Beautiful is a one-stop shopping destination for every woman. The store carries everything for creating and perfecting everyday looks, a night out on town, and of course, event makeup. Lisa and her knowledgeable team have created a serene and welcoming atmopshere inside the jewel-box boutique.

Ooh! Beautiful carries so many of my favorite brands of fragrances, skincare, and cosmetics. RMS Beauty, Jane Iridale, and Bottega Organica are just a few of the many brands they carry. I encourage you to delve into their website or simply swing by the store to check it for yourself, I promise it is a delight.

I sat down with Lisa to pick her brain on beauty and the beauty business. I found the conversation insightful and refreshing and could not wait to share. In a world where we have so many choices, and even in a city where we have so many choices, it is my duty to help my lovelies find their cosmetic destinations. I'd be lying if I did not say I like to go by Ooh! Beauty and pick up products for my beauty kit for my blushing brides. 

AP: Your cosmetic shop is so quaint, sophisticated, and welcoming! What prompted you to open a cosmetic boutique on Pitt Street?

LT: I have always been a fan of perfumes and beauty products! As a child my father always told me of makeup, “Use only enough to highlight what God gave you.” So I really didn’t get out of the house with many “smoky eyes”….. As a result, the natural approach has stuck with me, and as we all become educated on the importance of what we put on and in our bodies, good choices stack up to good results. I enjoy creating an environment that is not only creative, but hopefully in some small way makes a difference and makes people smile. That’s a good day!

AP: What separates your elegant cosmetic haven from the pact? 

LT:  We are the ONLY all organic beauty source in the Charleston area. We strive to produce the very best clean beauty options in the marketplace and work hard to educate people as to healthy choices about what they put on their bodies.

AP: You are a very busy woman with one of the most renowned reputations when it comes to weddings in Charleston! How do you juggle it all?

LT: I am so lucky to work with some of the best, nicest, and most talented people I know. I have the ideas and they help me make the magic!

AP: Tell me about the wonderful selection of products that you offer and about your special beauty team? 

LT:  We truly offer some of the very best products. We strive to carry the cleanest make-up, skincare, and body products in the area. Our focus is to educate our guests on how to better take care of their skin and body with clean products and demonstrate through one-on-one instruction how to get the best look for each unique person who walks in our door.

Our Premiere Artist and Manager, Charlotte Yeager, is a Los Angeles industry make-up artist. She has experience in everything from editoria makeup to runway on on-set location, and she was a veteran artist and master class teacher for Chanel West Coast! Meghan Reilly is a gifted young make-up artist with a Bachelor of Arts in film and television! Both beauty experts care genuinely for their clients and, through research and training, are constantly evolving and increasing their knowledge of non-toxic organic beauty products!

AP: What is the one thing that you want your clients to take away from their experience at Ooh! Beauty Cosmetic boutique?  

LT: I want them to walk out having learned something, whether it is how to highlight their eyes or what ingredients to look out for when purchasing cosmetics. Just because something may be labeled as "organic" doesn’t mean it's clean. I want them to learn to really read the labels, or check out at apps like “Think Dirty”  to learn what's in the products in their beauty cabinets. Knowledge is power!