I am SO EXCITED about today’s post! It has been on the calendar for awhile and now today I finally get to hit “publish!” Arch Apothecary has become a small business that is near and dear to us — we love the powerful team of women who own and run it, we are constantly sending our brides there for hair and makeup, AND I just love it personally as a place to shop for specific skin and haircare products as well as my own professional makeup needs! So of course, I want to share about them!!

Over the past six months, I had the opportunity to photograph all four of Arch’s locations (Madison, Chicago, Rockford, Milwaukee) and today I get to share some of the images with you! The stores are just beautiful and this was such a FUN and different creative project for me! But I thought … instead of me tell you about exactly what Arch is … who better than the founders/owners to share more?! So without further ado, meet Cera and Betsy!! ENJOY!

The Arch Apothecary Story

Arch is a luxury beauty boutique with locations in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois and Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With exclusive cosmetic and skincare lines at their fingertips, our expert licensed aestheticians and certified cosmetologists create the look that’s perfect for you. Relax and bask in our welcoming atmosphere, surrounded by the warm ambiance and art work of local artists.

From everyday eyebrow and lash upkeep to a special makeup application and blowout before that big night out, Arch Apothecary is the one-stop-shop for your best look. Arch was started in 2011, with our first store in Rockford, IL. While encompassing all things brows & express beauty services, we also wanted to offer a curtain of luxury cosmetics and beauty products for clients. As a one-stop-shop for all things beauty, Arch focuses on daily micro services along with special events and high end retail.

Aesthetician Betsy Branca founded the company at 23 when she decided there was a void in the marketplace for not only our services, but also the products we offer. Betsy went to school and worked for a couple of years in downtown Chicago where she curated the idea based on working with clients going to events and having to bounce around to different places to get their services done. Her favorite part about owning a business is making her clients laugh while perfecting their brows. She loves her two gold retrievers (Rose & Sonny), entrepreneurship with her husband Brent, interior design, and snowboarding in our desolate winters.

Betsy and Cera Fass met when they were in school at the Aveda Institute Chicago. With a similar background in art and time in the city, their ideas were paralleled. Cera loves to travel, especially to Lambeau, and enjoys Wisconsin sports. Her and her husband named their Bernese Mountain dog Malone after ‘Post Malone’, who they love to take on road trips and hikes.

Our stores are located in boutique, urban settings, with the importance of avoiding commercial areas. Each store is unique to their location and community. Rockford is in the beautiful Standard Building downtown, while Chicago is in Old Town, Madison is on the Capitol Square, and Milwaukee located in the Historic Third Ward. It’s important that we wow clients with our aesthetic and neighborhoods we choose to place the stores. Currently we are focusing on the four stores, with the possibility of expansion down the road.

Madison

Chicago

Rockford

Milwaukee