It’s hard to pick a favorite in the plethora of products.
I first met Keith and André West-Harrison in Albuquerque when their Bathing Bad products – modeled after the show Breaking Bad, of course – were causing a bit of a stir. And how couldn’t they? Bath salts that look like the blue meth Breaking Bad is famous for was bound to ruffle some feathers.
But the two were bound for far more than the fifteen minutes of fame that most enjoy. Now they are on the scene more than ever with all kinds of new product for the face and body that smell, look, and feel beyond delicious called Urban Fresh.
They have a vast array off bath bombs, over which a sign hangs that reads “Make baths, not war!” Many of their product are graced with clever names or the names of close friends from the Red Velvet Tubcake to the Pumpkin Crème Brule Soap to the Black Gunk Down exfoliation paste.
It’s hard to pick a favorite in the plethora of products, most of which I wanted to eat as much as I wanted to bath in. But the Espresso Latte Soap and the Coffee Body Buff are two of my favorites to be sure. And just last night, I took a bath with the red wine bath bomb, whose glory took a close second only to the kick ass tub in which I was using it in the most spectacular suite with a view in the Dallas Omni which my girlfriend swept me off to on a romantic whim.
The thing about Urban Fresh products is that they are light and natural and clean feeling, nothing gloppy or artificial about them. The products and the experience in the shop are equally refreshing. And it doesn’t hurt that Keith and André’s adorable potbelly pig Priscilla is wandering happily all around the shop as clients enter to peruse.
“Stripper rules apply,” André tells me. “She can approach you but you can’t approach her.” Truer words were never spoken. She finally allowed me to snap a few pics. But it was only my girlfriend who she would allow to stroke her soft, pink back.
It’s easy to lose track of time in their charming storefront between vying for Priscilla’s attention, smelling and testing every glorious product in the room, and being regaled with the most delightful stories from both Keith and André.
It may seem as if Urban Fresh and its founders just appeared on the scene in a snap, but the truth is, this dream has been in the making for nearly twenty-five years with an adventure that went from esthetics school to owning a hotel, urban spa and coffeehouse in New Orleans until Katrina, to finally launching an urban farm in Albuquerque.
They live in a restored historic adobe building, featured on HGTV’s “You Live in What?”, in Albuquerque that once was a as a music school and which now serves as their storefront. Along with Creating Urban Fresh, they also own Great Face & Body (a green day spa and “eco-urban lifestyle market” that sells natural skincare products), Spa Enrichment Strategies (a consulting firm to help day spa and salon owners improve their profitability), and My Sacred Fig (an organic private label skincare brand).
One of my favorite gay powerful couples for sure and some of my favorite product to be sure. My girlfriend bought gifts for all of her crew while we were there and now the only thing any of them care about is – how soon can we go back and get them more. Luckily for them – and any of you who don’t live in the ABQ – you can find Urban Fresh online. When it comes to Urban Fresh pampering, there’s no travel required…
