The demand for green beauty has spread beyond coastal and metropolitan areas to Uptown Butte, Montana, with the opening of Gloss The Green Beauty Counter. The new green beauty cosmetic store and spa focuses on beauty products with organic and natural ingredients to serve green beauty consumers. The organic personal care market is expected to reach $25.11 billion globally by 2025, according to CNBC. As mainstream beauty products contain an array of synthetic ingredients, chemicals, and even heavy metals in some, the demand for greener, cleaner beauty products has steadily been on the rise. A green beauty store opening in a small town such as Butte signifies that this is a lasting trend, possibly becoming requisite in the near future.
Shelly Connor, a licensed esthetician and the owner of Gloss The Green Beauty Counter, which is both a spa and a cosmetics retailer. Connor wishes to cater to a broad range of consumers by carrying a spectrum of clean makeup lines and beauty products, as some customers are more restrictive than others due to allergies or skin issues. The Gloss shop includes perfumes scented with essential oils, natural eyelash extensions, numerous non-toxic products for individual skin conditions and more. In addition, the Gloss spa offers makeup consultations, organic facials and spray tans, and a list of other services.
“I was really drawn towards using chemical-free, fragrance-free, toxic-free products because I had a lot of sensitivities to the products and makeup I was using,” says Conner. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do if I could open up my own space,” she continued. “And that was to offer products and services in the green-beauty world.”
Thanks to Connor’s friends and husband, Ryan Munson, the shop has brought a sophisticated, clean and modern look to Butte. When asked about his wife’s accomplishments, Munson responds, “It’s been her dream as long as I’ve known her.” With the addition of Bailey Arbaugh, a certified cosmetologist, and esthetician Amanda Peterson, Gloss is operating in full effect, as all three women are able to address the individual needs of clients.
Connor plans to gradually expand Gloss as the largest green beauty retailer in Montana.