Spruce Apothecary

I came here on my last Portland trip to browse and look through some skincare options. The person at the til running this modest size shop was helpful.

I’ve always been helped and greeted here. I’m not sure what the other reviews are all about. I’ve dressed as a sloppy bum– sweats, raggedy shirt and I still get helped.
I like their product line. While half of it is interesting (for men), the other half can be utilized by the ladies. It is fair and balanced.
This is where I often get my shaving and guy grooming needs.

I had a similar bad experience with the lady shopkeep. My wife wanted to buy some stuff so we browsed for a while, commenting quietly and nicely on the things we enjoyed, wondering if it would be okay to sample. We received no greeting or offering of help, which was alarming considering we were the only customers in the empty store. Another couple finally walked in and she greeted them right away, they bought some stuff and left. The only reasoning I could imagine might have been that the other couple was dressed in considerably nicer clothes, although we do dress accordingly when we shop (e.g. clean clothes, no flip-​flops or tank tops). I felt like our purchase was poignantly made to demonstrate that you can’t judge our book by our cover.

What a pleasant place to shop. Nice lady. Great products.

what a gorgeous space, i loved walking into the little mall off of burnside.
it made me feel like i was back in europe, enjoying the simplicity of streamlined design and beautiful products, that actually make you feel pampered and give you nice memories. the product line is a fantastic product, and i will certainly be coming back to get some more molton brown.

I read about this store from an article and I was looking forward to going there because I like toiletries, especially hard to find products. When we walked in we were not greeted by the salesperson. She stood behind the counter and looked preoccupied. When we looked at products she didn’t offer to help with sampling or information about the products. After we walked in another couple walked in and she greeted them and offered to help them with the fragrances. When we had questions she didn’t leave the counter, and seemed reluctant to help. I worked in retail for several years so I expect at least a proper greeting when I enter a store. WHen I go into a new store I appreciate an explanation of their concept and samplings of products. The woman in the store seemed like she wasn’t invested in having productive customer interaction. I bought to products I wanted to try but I probably won’t return.

I’m a loyalist when it comes to skincare products, and for years I’ve been using REN (a line I can’t recommend highly enough). That worked when I lived in Seattle, but upon moving to Portland I was so, so sad to walk into shop after shop to discover REN’s line wasn’t there.
Until Spruce Apothecary. A couple months ago while walking around town with my mom we visited the lovely little pass-​through that is Union Way, across from Powell’s. And there they were: my familiar little bottles in all their beautiful glory! Of course, Spruce stocks a thoughtfully curated collection of many different lines, some of which I knew (Malin + Goetz), but many of which were new to me and made for a good half-​hour of sampling whiffs of many an exotic lotion, shower gel, soap, or perfume. The brands appear to have quality, simplicity, and a strong natural base in common, and there’s actually an extensive range of prices. Plus there are supplies for the guys too, especially when it comes to shaving accoutrements.
It’s a small space, but takes a surprisingly long time to browse through given how tempting the eclectic selection is. Now I get to be a loyalist twice over (and branch out for a little something new every now and then)!