Aussie skin care brand Aēsop arrives on Queen West

Queen West has a new sweet-smelling addition: Aēsop, a 28-year-old Australian skin care brand, has opened its first Canadian flagship just west of Trinity Bellwoods. The store resembles Aēsop locations around the world, so it’s slickly minimalist but still in keeping with the character of the building and neighbourhood. Here, this translates to exposed brick, and blackened steel accents that are a nod to both the area’s industrial history and the streetcar tracks out front (a look that was achieved with the help of local architecture firm superkül). Shoppers will find an array of brown bottles both big and tiny, filled with botanical ingredients like parsley seed, geranium leaf and grapefruit extract. Gentle, oil-based facial cleansers and chamomile masks are particularly popular among the sensitively skinned. Price-wise, though, be prepared to shell out: if you think spending $300 on an eye cream is ridiculous, stay far away, because there’s something about the chic design and herbal notes in the air that make it difficult to leave empty-handed.

Monday—Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 880 Queen St. W., 416-532-9623, aesop.com