Downtown La Jolla has a lot going on these days. If kate spade was not enough to get you deep into the Village then how about the new Cos Bar, located at 7912 Girard Ave? This intimate, one-stop cosmetic boutique has everything a girl could hope for, from Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier (they carry her amazing eyelash curler) to Dior, Tom Ford, Clinique and many more. I’m thrilled to have high-end makeup back in the Village! Lose your lip liner at Herringbone on Friday night? No problem, just pop in to Cos Bar over the weekend and replace it along with a few other goodies. We have not had this kind of luxury since Saks Fifth Avenue left in 2005. You can also get your makeup done for an event or night out and you don’t have to drive all the way to UTC or Fashion Valley. The staff can do anything from bridal looks to a “five-minute face” for a mom on the go. When I met with store manager Christine Sandoval and her staff, I was truly impressed with their passion for and knowledge of beauty. Many of the staff members have backgrounds in theater and runway fashion show makeup. I also noticed how they really work together to help the client get her best look. You might go in wanting a Bobbi Brown gloss, but if that color is not quite right, they will cross-sell brands so you might end up leaving with a Dior gloss, Laura Mercier liner, Clinique blush — whatever is best for the client, not a specific brand. That is a level of service you can only get in a boutique-type setting. Stop in and welcome them to the Village. You won’t leave empty-handed, I promise you. The two things I’m obsessed with are the Tom Ford lipsticks (FYI, it’s almost impossible to get this line — and at $48.50 a tube, it’s a splurge but so worth it, with amazing colors and a smoothness I’ve never seen in a lipstick before), and a mineral makeup/sunscreen from a brand called La Bella Donna. It comes in an all-inclusive tube with brush and makeup so it’s easy to keep in your purse for touch-ups.The product is so natural you can apply it after surgeries, face peel, etc. and at $65, it’s in line with other mineral makeups. Happy shopping!
