BEAUTY CONFESSIONS: Barry Beck, co-founder of Bluemercury

If you feel shopping for beauty products at a department store too pressurized and impersonal, then you need to check out Bluemercury. Started in 1999 by husband and wife entrepreneurs Barry and Marla Beck. Their concept was to create a neighborhood beauty and spa boutique that offered varied or exclusive products in a more relaxed setting. With over 130 stores nationwide the luxury retailer has been wildly successful, they’ve just opened their 7th Chicago store and plan to open seven more throughout the city. I spoke to Barry to find out his beauty confessions.

WHAT IS YOUR BEAUTY ADDICTION? I love Molton Brown; I use their body wash every single day, it's my favorite product, it’s like a treatment in the morning, and it makes me feel better. People always think that I use ‘Black Peppercorn’ because it’s more masculine, but the truth is I use ‘Pink Pepperpod’.

WHAT’S YOUR FAV THING ABOUT LIVING IN DC?
It is a gateway city. When you look at America you got these gateway cities; you got NY, DC, Chicago and LA. So it’s an incredible gateway city, it’s still manageable, and you're able to get around. And it still has that wonderful suburban feel to it even though it’s growing so fast. It’s an incredible city, and I love it. And I love Georgetown, where we are based, it’s so vibrant and exciting with incredible shops and restaurants, and I love being there.

WHICH CITY SPENDS THE MOST ON BEAUTY PRODUCTS?
Definitely, New York City but Number 2 is Chicago and number 3 is LA. Chicago is in front of LA!

LAST FILM YOU WATCHED?
Miss Sloane, with Jessica Chastain, great movie and you know what I loved about it the most? Her outfits. Every woman should go out right now and watch that movie just to see what she wore. The outfits were so chic, so stylish so wonderful. It might be hard to pull some of them off like the patent leather, but she was so elegant, so timeless.

WHO WAS YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH GROWING UP?
Heather Locklear … and my guy crush is Leonardo DiCaprio, I love him. He’s my favorite actor in the world; he’s such a movie star. I was in a room with him once, in California we were at a party together. And he walked into the room, and you can just tell he was a true Hollywood star, love him…elegant, refined and he is a Bluemercury customer.

FAVORITE PRODUCT IN YOUR STORE?
My favorite number one product is the Power Glow Peel. I love it, especially for guys... it’s one minute, change your life, make you look better, swipe to the right, and it’s no fuss!

WHAT’S YOUR CHOICE OF DRINK?
Macallan 18, I’m a scotch guy.

FAVORITE BOOK?
The Snowball about Warren Buffett, you know why? It teaches me lessons on business and life.

Bluemercury's new North River store, 356 North Clarke Street, is now open.