

Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Hooper.
Denise, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I live for creativity and adventure. I love planning trips and nothing makes me happier than a boarding pass. A lot of people would be fulfilled with my day job. I have been a makeup artist for over 20 years. ( currently on Scandal ABC) I, however, am a serial daydreamer and I am always dreaming of travel to far flung places, turquoise waters, cool cafes, hunting for treasures at flea markets or creating my own candle to forever hold the scent of that faraway place. I have a good eye for finding unique and cool goods. I used to just shop for myself…collecting pottery, art, skincare and handcrafted goods but then I realized I could turn this passion into a business. The formula was simple~travel, collect and create my own little marketplace. Being a makeup artist and a product junkie, I started with an Apothecary collection and grew from there. I would always say “Someday I’ll have my own little shop” All of this had led me to my boutique~A curated collection of artisanal, natural skincare, fair trade and a lovely assortment of goods collected from around the world. Someday has turned out to be a place to support other women in business, communities, co-ops, artists and the daydreamers.
Has it been a smooth road?
No one ever said following your dreams would be an easy road but I can’t imagine NOT doing the things I dream of. The biggest challenge is that I work full time and then run a business on the side. I started online which was a little more manageable. I created an office and warehouse in my spare room. Finding merchandise for the shop is my favorite part…dealing with the technical end of building a website is not my forte. There have been a lot of frustrating moments in that dept. and unfortunately, now that the boutique is up and running, the website is going to go thru another beauty makeover. Our brick and mortar happened on a whim. I went to visit a friend who had a shop in the space and found out she was moving to bigger digs down the street. I really had no idea what I was doing but decided to take the leap because I felt like it was serendipitous. The shop is in a tiny nook in Santa Monica on Montana Ave. I definitely qualify for the hidden gem which is another challenge but the rent reflects the “hidden” as well and for now, it works. The experience of running the shop has been invaluable and it’s so amazing to sit in the space and look around at all of the goods I have collected. I can see my travels, my hard work, my heart and the stories of the brands and artisans all around me. It’s a dream come true…
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the SOMEDAY BOUTIQUE story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a little shop that offers an artfully curated collection of Apothecary & artisanal goods.
We have natural skincare from around the world, handbags, fair-trade goods, shoes, home decor, gifts, jewelry and so much more. The store is organized by collections~Sea the Sea=Beach life, Into the Woods~Cabin life, Apothecary=skincare, Aloha the Soul~Summer and so on. The shop has an endless summer vibe which reflects my personality as I am always chasing summer with the travel plans.
We are a super small business. Owned by one person (me) and I have personally collected everything in the shop. I like supporting other women in business and I am a sucker for a good story and great packaging. Conscious consumers like to know the background of a product they are buying, how it’s helping a community, I am constantly trying to stay ahead of the bigger stores. It seems like everyone is carrying natural skincare and discovering small batch brands these days. There is a huge maker movement going on and everyone is jumping on it.
I will just have to travel off the beaten path to find the goods that no one else has discovered. I would say that is the biggest challenge…trying to stay ahead of the larger stores and still compete but still be unique.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Natural beauty~
I do feel like natural skincare has become way more mainstream in the last few years. It will make the bigger companies more accountable on the ingredients they use and animal testing…which I can’t believe companies still do this!! A lot of the actresses that I work with want natural makeup & skincare so it’s great to have so many choices now. The natural beauty business has come a long way
As for being a small business owner~
It takes a certain kind of customer to sustain a shop like mine. I am always so excited when someone comes into the shop and they really look around and ask questions. Shops like mine are the new Mom & Pop shops but it takes a conscious shopper to get it. I know where all of the products are made and the who behind each brand. On some items, the price point may be higher but that is due to the handmade quality and the fair wage the artists are given.
My future~
I am hoping I can retire someday to a small beach town and open a little shack with all of my goods found on travels. It’s the goal and the daydream…which is where the name of the shop comes in. That Someday came true but there are always more some days. For now, I have two lives, one of a makeup artist on a hit TV show and my other side biz life running the shop.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1611 Montana avenue, suite 101
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Down a little walkway next to Shopaholic - Website: www.somedayboutique.com
- Phone: 4242720499
- Email: info@somedayboutique.com
Betsy monroe
February 21, 2017 at 14:09
Hi Denise so proud of you!! My daughter lives right next to you and will drop in. She loves to shop!! If I fill this out does it mean I can shop online? Haha