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We proudly introduce our featured maker, Audrey Neville, owner and operator of Audrey's Boutique and Luxuries. Audrey has worked as a licensed nail technician for 20 years, opening her own boutique and salon in 2013. When the pandemic threatened to shut her small, family business down, Audrey tapped into her background in nursing, knowledge of skincare, and her crafting creativity to make a full line of skin nourishing bath and body products made with top-quality butters and oils.
Here’s what Audrey had to say:
Tell us a little about your shop and what inspired you to make bath and body products?
Audrey’s Boutique and Luxuries is the result of 20 years of having hundreds of clients’ hands in my hands. I’m a licensed nail technician, specializing in enhancements and healing pedicures. I have a background in nursing, so healing in a different way, outside the healthcare system was absolutely where I fit best. We started with a small nail salon and a gift shop and slowly added cosmetologists as well. Once the time came for us to move on and buy a building of our own, we renovated what was once a laundry mat into a full service salon. However, we lost our retail space.
In 2019, my 17 year old daughter had double hip replacement surgery. Her saving grace was the bathtub. She could sit, and soak, and it would give her some relief from the agony she was in. Eventually, the hard water was wreaking havoc on her skin, and was taking away that relief, so we were putting in massive orders for bath products from a worldwide company who offered fabulous products for her sensitive skin, but wasn’t necessarily on the affordable side.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit I had to close the salon to keep everyone safe, losing all of my self- employed income, and I could no longer pay my employees their full time pay. We were on our way to selling. All the while, my daughter was going through a small fortune in bath products. That’s when I had a lightbulb moment. I have a background in nursing and skincare and a decent understanding of chemistry. I CAN MAKE THIS STUFF!!! Weeks of research combined with a lot of experimentation, later, HERE WE ARE! A full service salon, with a completely handmade soap and body products boutique!
Our retail space is small, we have officially had our first anniversary with our website, and have had a decent turn out for vendor events. I love creating and experimenting, and I couldn’t do any of it without my amazing staff! It’s hectic, it’s busy, yet slow and steady as well, but we all have a wonderful time and love each other like family!
Why do you like to shop with Pepper Jane?
Pepper Jane’s Colors and Scents was just a wonderful find for us. We were ecstatic to support another small family business and as soon as our first order came in, we knew we would be loyal customers. And the more we have worked with Pepper Jane’s, the more we adore them. It’s a small business thing!
What is your favorite Pepper Jane’s Colors and Scents ingredient?
So far, the fragrance oils have been nothing short of EXCELLENT! Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow and Brown Sugar and Fig have been the biggest makes we have had so far, but we just had what we consider a pretty big order come in and we cannot wait to get to making.
Audrey and her team can hook you up with whipped soap, bath truffles, shaving scrub, and body butter, just to name a few of her handmade delights. Show Audrey’s Boutique and Luxuries some love and grab a virtual shopping cart now.