Boyd's Madison Avenue
Beauty & Glamour
The legacy of Boyd’s is one of classic beauty and glamour. Situated on Madison Avenue and 61st Street in Manhattan, Boyd’s Cosmetics was the beauty destination for fabulous New York women of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
Boyd's Famous Women
Jackie O.'
Madonna
Cher
Origins
Our Humble Beginnings
Originally named 'Boyd’s Chemists' in the 1940s, the apothecary faced overwhelming competition when discount drug stores began to crop up in the 60's. That's when Carol Fader, Boyd's Vice President and co-owner combined her keen imagination with her love of fashion, culture and make-up to spark an avant-garde revolution in the cosmetics industry.
The Store Emerges
Hailed as "The Beauty Brain" by The New York Times, Carol hired one cosmetician and arranged a dazzling cosmetics counter, stocked with a carefully chosen palette of exclusive products and luxury items that she and her husband Al sourced from all over the world in their travels. Women were invited to sit at the counter for an "in-store makeover" and were given a personalized how-to face chart with detailed instructions to create the same professional results at home. It didn't take long for the word to get out. Carol Fader is to thank for the in-store makeovers practiced today by the biggest names in cosmetics.
1966
Carol’s vision had expanded to include 30 make-up artists and a clientele that included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Madonna, Cher, and Princess Grace. Cosmeticians lined up for a chance to train and work in Boyd's. Chief among them was the renowned makeup artist and entrepreneur Trish McEvoy.
July of 1977
New York City experienced a power failure in all five boroughs. The New York Stock Exchange was forced to close and only the base of the World Trade Center flickered with light. Shea Stadium postponed the Mets-Cubs game at the bottom of the sixth inning. Madison Avenue was devoid of traffic; hundreds of New Yorkers were trapped on subways. Still, women kept their makeup consultations at Boyd's, as their cosmeticians worked by flashlight. The famous Blizzard of '78 saw determined women arriving at Boyd's on skis, so as not to miss their appointment at the makeup counter.
"Boyd's is a phenomenon"
- Paul Woolard, (President of Revlon from 1962-1986)
Boyd’s officially closed its doors in New York City in the Spring of 2007.
Boyd's Today
Beauty Staples for the modern Age
This Boyd’s Madison Avenue is the resurgence and revival of the iconic apothecary. Here you will find the very same beauty staples used by the most famous faces, and enjoy new classics we’ve carefully curated for the modern woman.
