Wendy Ouriel
A year ago, I opened OUMERE’s first location in Palm Beach, Florida, choosing the Worth Avenue shopping district for its luxury, exclusivity and quaint charm. This is my first experience living in Florida. Before moving here, I spent almost 20 years in California, with time in New York before that. Over the past year, I have made observations about Florida that seem unique to this region.
The Island
Palm Beach is an island, isolated from the mainland to the west. With only three bridges—one in the north, one in the center, and one in the south—entry and exit from the island is limited, creating a sense of isolation and a culture found only here, different from the rest of Florida and perhaps the world.
The identity of this city is meticulously preserved. There is a society dedicated to protecting its culture, another to its history and various private clubs, roads and beaches. Private beaches stand in stark contrast to California, where all beaches are public and property owners are required to provide public access — even to the extent of shaving off a piece of a house if it encroaches an inch on public land. I have seen it enforced first hand.
What I appreciate about Palm Beach is the commitment to maintaining its distinct character. Here, you won’t find a Taco Bell or big McMansions with those hideous double dueling garages.
A cardboard box has more class than this monstrosity
Your property can’t have a helicopter pad, and if you want a new toilet in your 13th bathroom, you need permission for it. Disruptive behavior is not tolerated. anyone who crosses the bridge to cause trouble is met by the local police, who respond in less than 60 seconds.
Strict regulations in Palm Beach are a constant source of hassle—permits are hard to come by and rules are firm. For example, you can’t play music in your shop after a certain time, and any outside work, such as putting up a sign, is prohibited during the “high season” (November 1 to May 1) when tourists flood the area. However, 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 a distinct charm, culture, and local flavor that made each a unique slice of Americana. But now, from coast to coast, the cities feel almost identical: the same chain stores, restaurants and attractions are repeated everywhere. It’s like traveling miles only to find the same scene you left behind. But in Palm Beach, as the saying goes, it’s *Palm Beach*.
Women dress up to visit Worth Avenue, and I appreciate that because dressing well reflects a sense of dignity. I left Los Angeles, the home of Rodeo Drive, once synonymous with wealth, high class and the elite. Rodeo was once notorious for its exclusivity: the infamous Pretty Woman scene where Julia Roberts’ character was rejected by the “bad Boulmiche girls” for dressing like a prostitute was not far from the truth. While they were unreasonably cruel in the film, and it was glorious when she got her revenge, the avenue still embodied a certain elegance and exclusivity.
UMERE, Palm Beach
Today, however, Rodeo Drive has descended into a trashy tourist trap where people wander around in their pajamas, taking away the air of sophistication that once defined it. And it’s not just Rodeo — this trend seems to be permeating everywhere. But not in Palm Beach. Here, the tradition of dressing well remains, maintaining a sense of sophistication that is increasingly rare elsewhere.
The skin is different here
When I got to Florida, the thing I noticed right away was how poor the quality of women’s skin was here. Thick, thick, leathery skin with severe sagging and deep, pronounced wrinkles. The sagging of the skin for some is so intense that it looks like a wax figure sitting under a heat lamp. This type of skin damage isn’t caused by walking the dog outside in the sun or just spending some time at the beach, it’s the result of decades of intentional and continuous tanning. Baby oil, coffee grounds and aluminum sun reflector are types of tanning.
I would expect to see the same kind of sun-damaged skin in other sunny areas 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 common. In California, you’ll get away with slapping a kid in public more quickly 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, while in Florida, eating out feels like flipping coins—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 can help reinforce skin problems here, which are exacerbated by prolonged sun exposure without the balance of a healthy lifestyle.
There also doesn’t seem to be the same awareness of modern skin care approaches in Florida as there is in California. When I first launched OUMERE, people would ask about my products and immediately turn the box over to look at the ingredients. They used terms like “pure” to describe the natural content and asked questions about my formulation choices, making sure the product was cruelty-free and asking about the origin of the ingredients.
In Florida, however, there isn’t the same level of curiosity. The mentality here seems more old-fashioned, bordering on simple creamers, favoring mass-produced creams with heavy fragrances and elaborate packaging over quality ingredients or careful formulations. This outdated approach to skin care is another reason why skin quality is so much poorer. In fact, OUMERE is the only skincare boutique on the boulevard.
Honestly, both annoy me but for different reasons.
In California, there’s an unfair atmosphere of self-righteousness—a sense that “natural” automatically means “clean.” Customers with no background in biology feel obligated to scrutinize every detail as if it is their duty to check my sources, formulations and animal ethics. This role of researcher 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 nuisance. Here, there is a general lack of knowledge about skin care beyond what was on TV 40 years ago. People often prefer familiar, common brands and are more influenced by scent and packaging than by ingredients or innovation.
I’ll take Florida any day, it’s better here. People are nicer, more open-minded and there is not the pervasive victim culture, arrogance and petty materialism here that is ubiquitous in California.
People are Weird
The drive between Delray and Palm Beach, where my boutique is located, is a big 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 little more time, but the tropical views, ocean breeze, and peaceful surroundings make it more than worth the extra time.
Every day, I drive by Mar-a-Lago — or at least, I used to. Mar-a-Lago is 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 that stretch of A1A for added security, effectively shutting down one of three exits from the island. This closure has created both traffic congestion and a potential safety issue, forcing drivers like me to take a detour: we have to cross the Okeechobee Bridge into West Palm, go down Flagler, cross back over the South Bridge, and finally get back on A1A at island, now with Mar-a-Lago on our left, swarming with Secret Service agents, police cars and roadblocks.
This detour introduced a strange pattern that I encounter almost every afternoon on my way home. As I approach the South Bridge and get back on A1A, I often find myself behind a car – usually with an out-of-state license plate – that begins to slow noticeably. As we pass Mar-a-Lago, the car in front slows further, often well below the speed limit, and this Sunday the 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 make a sharp U-turn towards Mar-a-Lago or turn into a closed business like a golf course at 8 PM, where they lag or turn around.
Once or twice it might be random, but I see this behavior almost every night. It became so predictable that on Saturday, I found myself thinking, “The car in front of me is going to do this,” and, sure enough, it did. Friends have suggested reporting it to the Secret Service, but without hard evidence, I’m hesitant to bother them. It’s just an unusual behavior I’ve noticed consistently over the last couple of months – something I’ve never encountered elsewhere.
A fun future
Some exciting things coming up include UMERE sponsoring the Historical Society’s Archives Night, which is honoring Jane Holzer this year. I will supply the gift bags which will contain a bottle of the newly launched red OUMERE perfume. I will do the same for the American Heart Association’s annual Heart Ball, which will be at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. There will be some exclusive in-store events to launch the upcoming new OUMERE products such as Advancement II and No. 9 Body, in addition to the new product sets that I’m excited about.
To get updates on what’s happening at Boutique OUMERE, subscribe to OUMERE’s Newsletter and Instagram (@Oumere).
