Discount Beauty Supply In Pittsburgh From Schiller's Pharmacy & Cosmetique

By Sally Turkovich

Ready for a new tube of lipstick? Thinking that it's time to try a new face scrub product?

Instead of going to a big box store, why not try buying from a local, independent retailer? And why not go one step further and buy locally-made products at that retailer?

Impossible, you say?

Think again!

In the heart of Shadyside's increasingly chain store-oriented shopping district on Walnut Street, there are still a few Mom and Pop stores, like Schiller's Pharmacy and Cosmetique. Take one step inside the store and you'll instantly see what makes it so special. You'll be greeted by wall-to-wall cosmetics and not-so-typical drugstore finds on your way to the pharmacy counter.

The Schiller family gave the pharmacy its name in 1939 but a pharmacy has existed at the current location since 1903. Pretty impressive considering how many retailers come and go in Pittsburgh!

The family sold the business to Marc Goldberg and Jack London in 1971 and it has been owned by them ever since, with Mr. Goldberg as the pharmacist. And while Schiller's is a full service pharmacy that accepts insurances (they'll even deliver your prescriptions to you!) it is also so much more than that.

Sephora isn't the only place you can buy that luxe Dior parfum you love and Target isn't the only place you can buy your favorite Burt's Bees lip balm. With prices on nationally known brands that are comparable chain stores, it is a no-brainer to take the time to patronize a local business like Schiller's instead.

Bonus idea: Schiller's also has an awesome section dedicated to travel-sized products you can pick up the next time you fly.

If Schiller's wasn't fabulous enough, its owners also make an effort to carry locally made beauty products like Simple Sugars, a line of vegan sugar scrub products made by Pittsburgher Lani Lazzari. A friend of mine introduced me to the very reasonably priced Simple Sugars (about $15 for a large jar of homemade goodness) and I love that there is a locally owned store where I can pick up some of these sugar scrubs instead of ordering online.

Be sure to pick up a tube of Marina Cosmetics lipstick made by Pittsburgher Kristen Null-Croner before you total up your order. At $20 a tube, it is pricier than your average lipstick from Walgreens, but Marina Cosmetics is organic, hypoallergenic and preservative free.

This business is an absolute gem and its owners pride themselves on their fantastic customer service. Forget the chain store pharmacies and makeup specialty stores! Shopping with a conscience has never been so easy and convenient!

Hours: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sally Turkovich Wright lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, Jason and German Shepherd, Zeus. By day she works as an eyewear stylist for an independent eye doctor. By night, she writes a twice-weekly column for Twoday Magazine. Catch up with her there at twodaymag.com.