A year ago, I opened OUMERE’s first brick-and-mortar location in Palm Beach, Florida, choosing the Worth Avenue shopping district for its luxury, exclusivity, and scenic charm. This is my first experience living in Florida; prior to moving here, I spent nearly 20 years in California, with time in New York before that. Over the past year, I’ve made observations about Florida that seem unique to this area.

The Island

Palm Beach is an island, isolated from the mainland to the west. With only three bridges—one each at the north, center, and south—entry to and exit from the island is limited, creating a sense of seclusion and a culture found only here, distinct from the rest of Florida, and perhaps the world.

This town’s identity is meticulously preserved. There’s a society dedicated to safeguarding its culture, another for its history, and various private clubs, roads, and beaches. The private beaches are a striking contrast to California, where all beaches are public, and property owners are required to accommodate public access—even to the extent of shaving off a piece of a home if it encroaches by an inch on public land. I’ve seen this enforced firsthand.

What I appreciate about Palm Beach is the commitment to maintaining its distinct character. Here, you won’t find a Taco Bell or sprawling McMansions with those hideous dueling double garages.

A cardboard box has more class than this monstrosity

Your estate cannot have a helicopter pad and if you want a new toilet in your 13th bathroom, you need a permit for that. Disruptive behavior isn’t tolerated; anyone who crosses the bridge to cause trouble is met by the local police, who respond in less than 60 seconds. 

The strict regulations in Palm Beach are a consistent source of  inconvenience —permits are hard-won, and rules are firm. For instance, you can’t play music in your store after a certain hour, and any exterior work, like putting up a sign, is prohibited during “high season” (from November 1 to May 1) when tourists flood the area. Yet, these measures are part of what sets Palm Beach apart.

Unlike other cities, Palm Beach remains truly unique. Many of America’s great cities—Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia—once had distinct charm, culture, and local flavor that made each a unique piece of Americana. But now, from coast to coast, cities feel nearly identical: the same chain stores, restaurants, and attractions repeat everywhere. It’s as though you travel miles only to find the same scene you left behind. In Palm Beach, however, as the saying goes, it’s *Palm Beach.*

Women dress up to visit Worth Avenue, and I appreciate this because dressing well reflects a sense of dignity. I was grossed out when I left Los Angeles, the home of Rodeo Drive, once synonymous with wealth, high class, and elite status. Rodeo was once notorious for its exclusivity: the notorious Pretty Woman scene, where Julia Roberts’ character was dismissed by the “mean Boulmiche Girls” because she was dressed like a prostitute wasn't far off from reality. While they were unnecessarily cruel in the movie, and it was glorious when she got her revenge, the avenue still embodied a certain elegance and exclusivity.

OUMERE, Palm Beach

Today, however, Rodeo Drive has descended into a trashy tourist trap where people wander around in pajamas, stripping away the air of sophistication that once defined it. And it’s not just Rodeo—this trend seems to permeate everywhere. But not in Palm Beach. Here, the tradition of dressing well remains, preserving a sense of refinement that’s increasingly rare elsewhere.

Skin is different here

When I arrived in Florida the thing I noticed immediately was how bad the skin quality of women was here. Coarse, thickened, leathery skin showing severe sagging and deep intense wrinkles. The skin sagging for some is so intense it resembles a wax figure sitting under a heat lamp. This sort of skin damage is not caused by walking the dog outside in the sun or just spending a bit of time at the beach, it is the result of decades of purposeful and constant tanning. The baby oil, coffee grounds and aluminum sun reflector kind of tanning. 

I would have expected to see the same kind of sun-damaged skin in other sunny locales like Southern California, but surprisingly, it was less common there. I believe this is due to a stark difference in health culture. In Florida, smoking is prevalent; in California, you’d sooner get away with smacking a child in public than lighting a cigarette. Food quality also varies dramatically between the two states. In California, I can only recall two disappointing meals in 20 years, whereas in Florida, dining out feels like a coin toss—even at high-end spots.

Florida’s approach to health is outdated compared to the more progressive culture in states like California. This traditional mindset may contribute to the amplified skin issues here, worsened by prolonged sun exposure without the balance of a health-conscious lifestyle.

There also doesn’t seem to be the same awareness of modern skincare approaches in Florida as there is in California. When I was first launching OUMERE, people would ask about my products and immediately flip the box over to examine the ingredients. They used terms like “clean” to describe the natural content and would ask questions about my formulation choices, ensuring the product was cruelty-free and inquiring about the origins of the ingredients.

In Florida, however, there isn’t the same level of curiosity. The mindset here feels more old fashioned, bordering on unsophisticated, favoring mass-produced creams with heavy fragrances and ornate packaging over quality ingredients or thoughtful formulations. This outdated approach to skin care is another reason why the skin quality is considerably poorer. In fact, OUMERE is the only skin care boutique on the avenue. 

Frankly, both annoy me but for different reasons.

In California, there’s an undeserved air of self-righteousness—a sense that “natural” automatically means “clean.” Customers with no background in biology, feel compelled to scrutinize every detail as though it’s their duty to police my sourcing, formulations, and animal ethics. This investigator role they assume is nothing short of obnoxious, especially given that I created OUMERE precisely because the other products on the shelves were garbage.

In Florida, it’s a different kind of annoyance. Here, there’s a general lack of knowledge about skincare beyond what was marketed on TV 40 years ago. People often favor familiar, common brands and are more swayed by fragrance and packaging than by ingredients or innovation.

I'll take Florida any day, its just better here. People are nicer, more open minded and there isn't the pervasive victim culture, arrogance and petty materialism here that is ubiquitous in California. 

People are Strange

The drive between Delray and Palm Beach, where my boutique is located, is a great part of every morning and evening. I take the scenic route along A1A, a single-lane highway that winds along the ocean. It takes a bit longer, but the tropical views, ocean breeze, and tranquil surroundings make it more than worth the extra time.

Every day, I pass Mar-a-Lago—or at least, I used to. Mar-a-Lago sits on the south side of the island, with A1A running just south of the club. For the past eight weeks, however, the Secret Service has closed this stretch of A1A for added security, effectively shutting down one of only three exits off the island. This closure has created both a traffic bottleneck and a potential safety issue, forcing drivers like me to take a detour: we have to cross the Okeechobee Bridge to West Palm, drive down Flagler, cross back on the Southern Bridge, and finally return to A1A on the island, now with Mar-a-Lago on our left, swarming with Secret Service agents, police cars, and barriers.

This detour has introduced an odd pattern that I encounter nearly every evening on my way home. As I approach the Southern Bridge and rejoin A1A, I often find myself behind a car—usually with out-of-state plates—that begins to drive noticeably slowly. As we pass Mar-a-Lago, the car in front slows down further, often to well below the speed limit, and this Sunday pace continues south into the residential section of Palm Beach. Eventually, after 1-5 miles, the car will either pull over to let me pass and then abruptly make a U-turn back toward Mar-a-Lago, or turn into the lot of a closed business, like a golf course at 8 PM, where they linger or turn around.

Once or twice might be coincidental, but I see this behavior nearly every night. It’s become so predictable that on Saturday, I found myself thinking, “The car in front of me is going to do that,” and, sure enough, it did. Friends have suggested reporting this to the Secret Service, but without hard evidence, I’m hesitant to bother them. It’s just unusual behavior I’ve consistently noticed over the last two months—something I’ve never encountered elsewhere.

A Fun Future

A few interesting things happening in the future include OUMERE being on of the sponsors for the Historical Society's Archival Evening, which is honoring Jane Holzer this year. I will be supplying the gift bags which will contain a bottle of the newly released OUMERE Red Fragrance. I will also do the same for the annual American Heart Association's Heart Ball which will be at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. There will be a few exclusive in-store events to launch the upcoming new OUMERE Products such as the Advancement II and No. 9 Body in addition to the new product sets that I am excited about.

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