Shop Around: Upscale cosmetic store opens doors at new Devine Street location

Melissa Blanchard’s love for all things makeup started at a young age.

“My mother busted me sneaking lipstick to school at age five,” the Aiken native said. “And my boarding school roommates teased me for obsessively applying anti-aging products in high school.”

As she grew older, Blanchard transformed her passion into a career — one that began in 2003 at 2850 Devine St. in the form of upscale cosmetics shop, Pout. Her business was so successful in that location that Blanchard recently relocated Pout a block up to 2738 Devine St., where a larger space has allowed her to add a skin studio and offer waxing, tinting, tanning, makeup and bridal services.

“Columbia customers are very loyal and want to see local businesses succeed,” said Blanchard, who also founded the former Van Jean women’s apparel shop on Devine. “I find it rewarding that Pout now serves multi-generations of customers. Women bring their teen daughters to Pout to learn about skin care, how to apply makeup and how to establish a quality routine with each.”

The new shop features makeup stations where customers are encouraged to test new products and have makeup applied by professional makeup artists. The shelves are stocked with exclusive collections from Chantecaille, Oribe, Jouer, fresh, Mario Badescu, Molton Brown, NARS, and Kevyn Aucoin, among others.

Blanchard’s inspiration for Pout came after visiting Soak, a bath and beauty store in Richmond, Va., in 2000.

“That was the first time I came across a store focused on beauty that wasn’t a CVS or department store — (when) Ulta and Sephora really didn’t have a U.S. presence,” Blanchard said. “I remember thinking, ‘This is nice to enter a charming, cozy beauty store with a personable staff.”

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Shop Around: Upscale cosmetic store opens doors at new Devine Street location."