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BEST REASON TO BATHE

Lush

We don't generally rejoice when a big chain comes to town, but we can't help but get bubbly about the impending arrival of Lush, our favorite bath and beauty products shop. The Vancouver-based company is reportedly picky about where it pitches its tent, which is why we're so excited to hear that it's chosen Scottsdale Fashion Square as one of its next spots. Lush is so, well, luscious because all of the company's products are homemade and totally natural. Our current favorite is the Think Pink bath bomb, and just to give you a taste (or a whiff) of what Lush is all about, here is the description of Think Pink from the Lush Web site:

"Darlings, this is the ultimate in fuchsia pink baths. Four candy flowers top this marvel of utter pinkness and, as it fizzes furiously, it unleashes a shower of pink confetti into the bathwater. We're using our brand new favourite tonka bean essential oil because it smells so wickedly fabulous, darlings! It also helps you to get in touch with your deeper emotions. Do be careful whom you meet for lunch just after you bathe! We don't want to go eleasing our deeper emotions all over the starter and upsetting the other ladies, do we? (Or do we?)."
Until Lush formally arrives here, you can order its products -- or just read about them -- on its site, at www.lush.com. That's also the place for the latest updates on the shop's Scottsdale arrival.

BEST REASON TO SCRUB

Emelmahae's Almond Shea Sugar Scrub

We could have called this award "Best Reason to Go to a Local Farmers' Market," because that's where you'll find a sweet young woman named Kari, selling her homemade soaps, bath teas and scrubs. We love the samples of soap she's pressed on us, and a friend says you can no longer drive a truck through her pores, since she's used Emelmahae's face masque. But our absolute favorite product -- the best beauty find of the year -- is the Almond Shea Sugar Scrub.

We did our homework, so we could explain to you that the scrub is made of almond meal and turbinado sugar that "delivers powerful moisture and aids with cell regeneration," according to the little company's Web site. But all you really need to know is that this sugar scrub feels great -- grainier than the stuff we bought at Origins -- and smells even better. Best of all, it cost only $14 for a 10-ounce jar of the stuff. It should have lasted us at least six months, but we keep having to go back to buy more; we can't stop slathering it on.

BEST TEE SHIRTS

Roy Wasson Valle

The whimsical creatures Roy Wasson Valle silk-screens onto primary-colored tee shirts seem vaguely disturbing -- one looks like a Cheshire cat on crack, another appears to be a bear that resembles the demonic rabbit from Donnie Darko -- but they're strangely endearing, too. Wear one around, and you're sure to gather compliments all day long. Expect people to ask you where you got it. And expect to give vague answers, too, since Wasson Valle hasn't yet leaped from local artist to streetwear mogul. So far, we've only seen these shirts for sale at 515 gallery on Roosevelt Street (when Wasson Valle had an opening there several months ago), and, more recently, at MADE, the boutique just down the street. Get 'em while you can, if you can.

BEST SHOPPING OPPORTUNITY ON GRAND

Sophistikatz Boutique

When you first walk into Sophistikatz Boutique, you might find one of the three sisters who own the business rearranging clothing racks or meticulously setting up an antique shoe display. They care about image (after all, they do "image consulting"), so they want their clothes to catch the eye right away. And they do! Everything is separated by season, so you can find things like a handmade crocheted winter scarf or a designer red leather miniskirt any time of the year. Whether your taste is modern, baggy street thug, or vintage cool cat, Sophistikatz stocks your style. It's got original, edgy, urban designs by co-owner Yasmin Ibrahim, classic silk button-down shirts from the '60s with funky retro patterns, obscure European summer dresses, and accessories galore. And the price tags are just as appealing as the clothes, with most items ranging from $15 to $30.

BEST CUP OF COFFEE ON GRAND

Paisley Violin European Cafe

Molly Smith
We liked Paisley Violin when it was on Roosevelt Street, but now that it's on Grand, we're in love. We're not sure what it is -- the owners are the same, the place looks similar, if a little less dingy -- but still low-rent enough to make the grungiest scenester happy. Maybe it's Pete Deise's metalwork (his studio's nearby) or the fact that there are actually people inhabiting a business on Grand Avenue on a Wednesday afternoon in August. The location is perfect, truly walking distance (even by a Phoenician's standards) from some of the best new galleries popping up along this diagonal strip. We can't wait to go back.

BEST SHOPPING OPPORTUNITY ON ROOSEVELT

MADE Art Boutique

Too many times, we've fallen in love with some gorgeous artwork at a gallery on Roosevelt Row, but only had several dollars to spend, not several hundred. But MADE has stuff we'd gladly fork over our last few bucks to take home. A carefully edited selection of unique jewelry, tee shirts, and greeting cards appealingly displayed alongside some choice reads. A wonderful side note: occasional "themed" art exhibits, including a series of birdhouses, then boxes, by celebrated local artists like Joe Willie Smith and Sue Chenoweth. MADE has merch that's artistic and affordable -- ah, they've found our sweet spot.

BEST CUP OF COFFEE ON ROOSEVELT

Fair Trade Cafe

Lynn Trimble
After at least one turn as a conventional coffee house, Fair Trade Cafe now answers to a higher authority. Conveniently located in the bottom of the Post Roosevelt complex, Fair Trade is a comfortable place to get a strong cup of coffee, or a bag of beans. Bonus: The organic coffee is sold to benefit charity, as Fair Trade is run by the Trinity Cathedral next door. The art on the walls is local, and while this place may not be as wild as some locales on Roosevelt, it's a great place to relax and watch the scenery out the big windows.

BEST CD STORE TO DISCOVER NEW BANDS

Stinkweeds

We already know that Stinkweeds owner Kimber Lanning has good taste in music -- she also owns Modified Arts, the downtown gallery-slash-music venue that's hosted edgy acts like Arcade Fire and Wolf Eyes. So whenever we drop by Stinkweeds to find some new music to fall in love with, we know we're in good hands. Lanning herself works the counter at both locations during the week, but she also relies on employees who are just as passionate about the sounds. Chat up the staff for the inside dish on indie rock, punk, electronica and underground hip-hop, or, if you're feeling shy, just don some headphones and lose yourself at one of the listening stations -- they're the city's most eclectic.

BEST CD STORE ON A BUDGET

Zia Record Exchange

Who isn't a sucker for a good sale? Seems like Zia always has CDs marked down -- and not just older titles. If you stop by with a shopping list of some of the most in-demand new releases, chances are you'll snag some for a couple bucks less than you'd expect. Better yet, Zia has an overwhelming selection of used discs, which are handily filed right along with brand-new ones. So while you may not take a chance on something for, say, 15 bucks, if the asking price is seven or eight, it's a lot easier to be open-minded.

BEST PLACE FOR BOYS TO BUY GIRLS' JEANS

Buffalo Exchange

Have you noticed lately that some boys are wearing jeans so tight it looks like they've raided their sisters' closets? They probably have. We haven't seen jeans this tight since the '80s, but even then the boys stuck to the boys' department. No more. Now the boys are wearing girls' jeans, regardless of sexual preference. (And trust us, we've heard from confused parents -- not that there's anything wrong with it, but why would a straight boy dress like a girl? You can believe him -- it's really just a trend.) And when something's trendy, we think the best way to get it out of your (or their) system is at Buffalo Exchange, the King (or Queen, or King wearing Queen's clothing) of secondhand stores. We hear the boys regularly shop for girls' Sevens and Diesels at Buffalo, where you can find a used pair of jeans (boys' or girls') for a fraction of the original cost. Which means you'll have plenty in your bank account to accommodate the next trend.

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