The Shopportunist: Eva Maison Skincare

Josh Posner describes his new shop, Eva Maison, as a cross between Whole Foods and Sephora. “And we want to look like Anthropologie,” he says. Considering Posner has spent most of his life in Aruba, which doesn’t have an Anthro, he did a fabulous job nailing the earthy, free-spirit vibe. The tubes and boxes displayed on industrial carts and rough-hewn tables represent 25 brands of specialty skincare products, many of them all-natural. One particular brand stands out, though. Aruba Aloe, owned by Posner’s family, bills itself as the world’s oldest aloe company. Posner has been running it for the last few years, expanding it to 16 locations on tiny Aruba alone. “The aloe fields are right next to the factory,” he says. “We hand-cut aloe in the morning, and by the end of the day, it’s in a product.” Eva Maison is the only store that sells Aruba Aloe outside of its native island, and some of the line’s best-sellers, including ultra-intensive cream and special-care lotion, are on offer. The cozy emporium also carries Herbivore (beard tonics, aloe mist, bath salts), Bar Soap Brooklyn (including the triangular Equilateral, easier to hold in the shower), Drunk Elephant (non-toxic facial serums), and Bixby (combs in cute cases). In addition to talking beauty, Posner is happy to steer you toward the best Aruba beaches, too.

Posner’s wife, an Indiana native, was feeling a little isolated on the Dutch island and wanted to return to the States. Since then, Posner has moved fast (perhaps in an effort to stay warm through the winter), opening this first location, partnering with local furniture-salvager Flux Indy to provide display shelves and tables (they’re for sale), and plotting an expansion to other parts of the city that could begin this year. It’s safe to say he does not operate on island time. 912 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-964-0918, evamaison.com