Women of the Beaches have a new destination for high-end skincare, accessories and beach attire with the opening of Gypset & Pearl, a boutique off of Jacksonville Beach’s 10th Avenue.
The locally owned and operated business features a stock that founder and CEO Brittany Manning said combines the beauty and apparel offerings that are often separated from one another in larger chain boutiques.
The Ohio native made the move to Jacksonville 18 months ago from Manhattan after deciding she wanted to try her hand at running a boutique. The beach atmosphere and quality of life in the area encouraged Manning to try her hand in Jacksonville Beach, where Gypset & Pearl opened a month ago before holding its grand opening event June 18.
Promoted as a time for “pampering, shopping and bubbly,” the event featured complimentary chair massages, giveaways and makeup consultations by Kara Barger of Beauty Therapy by Kara.
With the opening, Manning hoped to inform more women of the new store, which she hopes will fill a niche by catering directly to the interests and styles of local women.
“Jacksonville women crave boutique experiences,” Manning said. “There’s a sense of coastal, easy-going lifestyle and refreshing, carefree and eclectic elements. So I’d like to combine beauty and style by bringing in unique brands and products (that are relevant) to them.”
For Gypset & Pearl, that includes green and organic skincare lines – something she said is “highly desired” by Jacksonville women – and sun care, with heavier mineral formulas for protective and reparative properties. Among those brands are Sara Happ, Maui Babe suncare and Budapest-based Omorovicza.
In accessories, those tastes translate to unique, trendy cover-ups, beach bags and pieces featuring materials such as quartz and coral.
“I definitely try to obtain lines and pieces that are uncommon … things from vendors I’ve met during my travels from different parts of the world,” said Manning. “And so every brand has a story attached to it.”
Manning said she tries to keep a “finger on the pulse” by listening to both the industry and her customers, in addition to trying to anticipate what customers would like to see in the store.
“It can be difficult trying to predict what customers will want before they even know they want it,” she said. “And since the area isn’t entirely ‘walkable’ I’ve been in the process of getting the word out.”
But Manning is confident her offerings will provide the incentive local women need to drop by.
“I was always frustrated with the way regular apparel boutiques would separate products, so I’m really focused on the merging of beauty and skincare with accessories,” she said. “I’m taking the ‘lifestyle approach’ in keeping products holistic and all-encompassing so the store speaks to all different types of women.”
