Lisa Dolan, the founder of Lark Skin Co., an all-natural skin care and wellness line based in St. Louis, opened her first Lark-branded boutique last month in Webster Groves.
The 800-square-footspace at 8709 Big Bend was inspired by Dolan’s travels to California. It features a black-and-white tile floor and open shelving set against soothing all-white walls. Dolan commissioned artist Marissa Todd, who painted the mural at neighboring The Clover and the Bee, to design a mural for the bathroom. At the shop, customers can peruse the entire collection of Lark products, accessories for the bathroom, and a sampling of items from other niche beauty care lines such as, Smyrna Collection, Pure + Native, and Karaccotta.
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Four years ago, when Dolan was expecting her first child, she became interested in all-natural beauty products for herself and for her baby. Her mother’s cancer diagnosis was also a wake-up call to the artificial and toxic chemicals people unknowingly put into their bodies.
“Products are called organic when they’re not. Products are called natural when they’re full of chemicals,” says Dolan. “So, I thought; ‘I can start making products for myself, that way I know they’re natural.’”
Dolan relied on her background as a cosmetologist and esthetician as she experimented with natural ingredients such as coconut oil, sacha inchi oil, and rosehip. Two years ago, she launched Lark Skin Co.
“The best part about the shop,” says Dolan, “has been meeting people as they come in and share their stories.”
