Last week I found a little “me” time while grocery shopping. Not in the cup of coffee I grabbed at the front cafe {which has almost become a standard at modern grocery stores}. Not in the aisles of gorgeously-packaged, ready-made foods which has neared requirement in any grocery layout. And not in the convenient curbside pickup; also now an expectation for any grocery biz in it for the long haul.
No this was completely different.
This “me” time was in the form of a facial and a blow-out. At the grocery store. And they were fantastic.
{I’ll let that sink in for a minute.}
I’d seen the words BEAUTY BAR emblazoned across one entrance at the new Market District in Carmel. And I’ll confess that as a vet of the advertising industry my first thought was “that’s sooooooo typical of a marketing team – attempting to rebrand the standard makeup + shampoo aisle as a beauty bar.”
But I was wrong.
Because tucked into Market District IS a Beauty Bar. It’s a department bedecked in aisles of your standard makeup and shampoo brands, but it’s also flocked with high-end skincare and makeup lines such as Lumene, Tokyo Milk, Serenity + Scott and more. My favorite was the mens’ line Billy Jealousy carrying mens’ beard wash and tattoo care kits.
And at the heart of the Beauty Bar is a mini-sized salon offering facials, make-up application, waxing and styling. It was like my own little haven; an escape from the doldrums of grocery shopping.
“Is the temperature in the room okay for you?” That was my aesthetician Natasha as she came in to the skincare room. Soothing music was playing; I was near asleep from the warmth of the room {because let’s face it as moms, anytime we’re in a warm, quiet room with cozy coverings, we’re candidates for shut-eye}. Hoping to turn back the hands of time – and perhaps those summers in my 20s spent sunbathing by the pool – I opted for the timeless, anti-aging facial. 60 minutes flew as Natasha exfoliated, masked and moisturized me to perfection. ONE WEEK POST CHECK-IN: My face is still glowing.
Next up – hair styling. “Soooo, I have a TV appearance tomorrow morning for Indy’s Child. I’d love my hair to look floufy but not too floufy – those are normal hair descriptions, right? Anyway, soft but not dull, and bouncy but not too much. K?” My stylist nodded at my ridiculous requests, then shampooed and scalp-massaged me through 10 minutes {side note: Fairly certain I’d pay someone just to shampoo and scalp-massage my hair every day if I could}. Before I knew it, my hair looked photo shoot worthy.
“Random question for you.” That was my next line to Natasha who seemed to get that I was the girl in high school with my hand constantly in the air. “How do charges to The Beauty Bar appear on my statement? Do they say ‘Market District’ or ‘Beauty Bar’?”
“That’s a good question – I’m not sure but I could check!” she replied.
If listed as ‘Market District’ I could just hear moms everywhere: Oh gosh, we’re out of bread AGAIN? I suppose I can go to the store but you know how lines are on Monday, Thursday, Sunday nights – I’ll probably be gone for a couple hours. Don’t wait up for me. {Mom returns home looking deliciously refreshed after sneaking in a facial between bread runs.}
So here, the ante ups again in the grocery industry – and while Market District is a bit of a haul from my house, I definitely see the benefits to returning:
Curbside pickup? Check.
In-house cafe? Check.
Delish restaurant? Check.
Pre-cook your meat while you shop? Check.
Pharmaceutical delivery? Check.
Grocery delivery service in progress? Check.
A little “me” time at the salon? Super check. They’ll even store your groceries while you’re being pampered.
Now THAT’S catering to the modern mom.
MOTHER’S DAY GIVEAWAY: Now thru Saturday, May 7th, I’m collecting entries for an exclusive giveaway, thanks to The Beauty Bar and Market District. Two winners will receive one {1} $100 gift card to The Beauty Bar! Winners will be contacted and announced ON Mother’s Day. How’s that for a little Mother’s Day love?
There’s no purchase necessary to enter, but you are welcome to tweet me at @themomista and let me know how you’d use YOUR certificate if you win! Include @md_carmel and #MothersDay in your tweet for a little extra oomph.
Why are we asking for your address below? So I can mail you a gift card if you win silly!
MORE INFO: Market District is located at 11505 N. Illinois Street in Carmel, Indiana. Store hours are Sun-Sat from 6am-12am, but Beauty Bar hours do differ slightly. Walk-ins are accepted but appointments recommended. See their entire menu of services here.  This is a sponsored post on behalf of The Momista and Market District. The Momista received services in exchange for this post; however, all opinions stated are her own. IndysChild.com provides the medium for which The Momista blog channel is written but did not receive any compensation.
