Merry’s makes your world a little bit smaller

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Thumbing the price tags at Merry’s (“Fashion With Passion”) is a lot like playing with a globe—eyes closed, index on the surface as it spins, as your seven-year-old self used to do—only here, your finger never stops on Paris, Pittsburgh or Perth. Instead, you land [...]

Do you want it? Or need it? Depends
Though it’s long been a curious staple of health shops and the occasional gourmet supermarket, I was unfamiliar with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps until the little-liquid-that-could became the centerpiece of a battle between Germs drummer Don Bolles and the Newport Beach Police Department last year. Following a consented [...]

Do you want it? Or need it? Depends
Inside Irregular Choice’s recently opened New York boutique—boasting walls covered in brightly colored unicorns; a pseudo-balcony framed by curtains and flowers, perfect for an impromptu puppet show; and a monolithic plush red velvet chair with a stripper pole jutting from its center—the company mirrors the aesthetic ambitions imbued [...]

Bo’s Cigars offers a members-only setting with a porch stoop feel

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
On the northwest corner of Long Beach City College’s main campus, the unmistakable aroma of cigar smoke hangs in the air, a peculiar complement to the smell of fried rice from nearby Chinese and Thai restaurants. Do a little detective work and [...]

People watching and bargain hunting at the Long Beach Outdoor Antique and Collectible Market

PHOTO by ZACK PIANKO
There are swap meets, and then there’s the Long Beach Outdoor Antique and Collectible Market, which invades Veterans Stadium every third Sunday of the month. Unlike traditional swaps—where dudes with missing teeth sell bootleg CDs and potentially hot tools—the [...]

Do you want it? Or need it? Depends
Providing a compact and easy way to achieve the perfect smoky eye, the Tarte Peep Show palette is more than just makeup: It’s a makeover in a box. A very cute, slender, purple, fishnet-adorned box. Unlatch the flip-open lid (which conveniently sports a wide mirror inside) and you’re [...]

We all look awful in the morning. Ten Salon & Spa can help

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Last month, American-born screenwriter Tad Safran penned an opinion piece for London’s The Times in which he declared British women, compared to their Yankee counterparts, are “unkempt and lazy” when it comes to grooming. “I am a massive fan of [...]

Do you want it? Or need it? Depends.
Didn’t get a chance to sneak away for the holidays? Want to escape Long Beach for the day? Consider a trip on the Metro Blue Line. Long Beach’s light rail lands you squarely in the heart of downtown LA (Seventh Street/Metro Center) in about 45 minutes.
Wherever you go [...]

Refurbished vintage record players are the gospel Retro Stereo’s John Karras preaches

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
John Karras—Dr. John Karras—spends his days at Cal State Long Beach, teaching college counselors of the future how to, well, counsel.
The rest of the time, he runs Retro Stereo—finding and refurbishing stereo components that are old enough to be your father’s, [...]

Do you want it? Or need it? Depends
The brass tacks of the matter are a) it’s not easy being you and b) you’re very good at what you do. It’s well beyond high time you got some recognition around here, but the sad truth is with bills, errands, places, people, etc., everybody else is just [...]