I walk into a shop, one of the new ones across from the Quarry. It is nestled among several storefronts that promise to treat my body from head to toe. Why would this one stand out?
Well, for one thing, I have a generous coupon, thanks to Living Social, my new coupon addiction. That, and Groupon. I can spend $35 at Bath Junkie, and I only paid $15 for the certificate.
When I visit a new store, I like to walk the perimeter, browsing the items, and then coming back up the center. I don't choose anything until I've seen it all. So, I start here. I pick up a container of white bath salts. Ok, I am a self-described bath junkie. I'm sure the scent will take me away to some vanilla-infused paradise with just one whiff. I unscrew the container, ready to inhale my little vacation. And I smell - nothing. Not a thing. Not a bit of vanilla. Not a hint of marshmallowy goodness. Not even peppermint to awaken my senses. What else could white smell like?
I am disappointed. I put it back, and walk to another counter. Shampoos and lotions. I pick up a container - it is empty. I pick up another one - empty. Ok, other than The Container Store, where do you go to buy empty items?
At the very end of the store, I see row upon row of little colored vials - two hundred of them. Aha. I think I'm getting the picture. This reminds me of the time I was in Egypt in a perfume shop, where I could customize a scent under the tutelage of ancient secret keepers.
"Welcome to Bath Junkie", said the perky clerk. "It's like Build-a-Bear for the Bath!" Surely, she did not come up with this line. No doubt, it was passed along in a corporate memo during training.
Yet, as I start to understand the concept, there is no more apt description. It is, indeed, like Build-a-Bear for the bath. The containers are empty because they are waiting for your opinion, your seal, your signature on your products.
"Let me show you." She's going to make me a convert yet.
She walks me over to a contemporary glass sink, and pours warm water over my hands from stainless steel carafe. I choose from three pre-made scents, and she massages my hands with a body scrub. She explains all its benefits, and has me convinced at "shaving". Anything to make that a better experience.
I'm becoming a believer. This is a one stop shop to coordinate your body scrub, body wash, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, body oils, household cleaning products, and yes, even your pet products! How luxurious. I think of my bath experience that morning. I washed my hair in citrus-scented shampoo and conditioner. I washed with lavender soap. I rubbed on cellulite cream that smelled like, well, cellulite cream. I finished my newly shaved legs with coconut/mango lotion that I bought in Hawai'i. I must have walked out of the bathroom like someone - someone that had not been to Bath Junkie.
Ok, so given the prices, I may not be a regular. However, now I know that if I want to smell like a waft of floating almonds (my all-time favorite flavor), I have only to buy all of my products from Bath Junkie.
Bath Junkie
350 E. Basse Road
San Antonio, TX 78206
210-824-7837
www.bathjunkie.com
