C.O. Bigelow Apothecary

There was a time when every perfume, hair, and skin-care product was mixed or formulated by a resident pharmacist at the local apothecary. Those days are long gone, with few exceptions — including the original C.O. Bigelow Apothecary in New York City, which still has a pharmacist at the helm. The growing C.O. Bigelow chain has retained some of that original pharmacist-formulated integrity in its own line of body-care products, and it has also expanded to include some of the best and most interesting products from around the world.

Now C.O. Bigelow has arrived in the Boston area, recently opening stores in Copley Place and on the North Shore in Peabody. These are sizable stores, but they still manage to provide the kind of personal service that you might have expected from your apothecary of yesteryear. Chances are very good that if you walk in with a specific skin or hair problem, you’ll walk out with a solution.

The store is packed with both the original C.O. Bigelow products (which are priced at $4-$25 for most items, such as their Quince Hand Lotion), as well as hand-picked luxury items from around the world: Hair products by Frederic Fekkai (the perfect travel hairbrush for $48), face products from Sally Hershberger or from dermatologist Patricia (‘‘Good skin is a right, not a luxury’’) Wexler, M.D. (starter kit $45), or classically British skin-care products from Molton Brown ($30-$60).

The complete makeup line by the late Kevyn Aucoin, the celebrated makeup artist to the stars who claimed to see beauty in everyone, has 90 colors that range from $21-$350, including a complete selection of brushes.

There are familiar lines like Fresh, headquartered in Boston, whose Supernova Mascara ($25) has become very popular; Nars, creators of Zandoz, a new black smudge ($20) for that smokey-eye look; and exotics like the Greek Aptiva aromatherapy line ($9-$48). Super-smile products from Irwin Smigel, the father of aesthetic dentistry, will keep your teeth whiter than white, and include a whitening floss ($7).

C.O. Bigelow also carries an extensive line of both fine fragrances like Prada Beauty Eau de Perfume (2.7 ounces for $65) and home fragrances by Slatkin & Co., including the Elton John Line (Rocks, $32; Candles, $34) whose proceeds go to an AIDS charity.

Tips, advice, and samples abound. There are testers for almost everything, and salespeople to guide you along. The stores plan to host body-care visionaries of all stripes, and on Dec. 2 the Copley store welcomes Ellen Davies, creator of Davies Gate, the Southern California company that sells products inspired by all manner of fruits, vegetables, herbs, seeds, and grains. Call for more information.