Bliss:The superchic spa offers instant gratification with its readily available products.

Beauty
Best Lotions and Soaps
Bliss
19 East 57th Street and 568 Broadway, at Prince Street
212-219-8970

You have to wait months for an appointment with Bliss's magic-fingered aestheticians, but the shop — loaded with high-end beauty products — offers instant gratification. Bliss moisturizers manage to be both rich and light, and the soap, like the Mammoth Minty Scrub bar, is great. The selection of other lines is comprehensive; check out Diamancel buffers, which use diamond shavings to turn your calluses into glamorous dust.

Bigelow Chemists
414 Sixth Avenue
212-533-2700

GREAT DEAL: If you're picking up a prescription at Bigelow Chemists, don't call in advance; accept the wait and browse the packed, vintagey shelves. There are European lines, like Weleda, plus lots of good old American standards (Calgon! Ivory!). There's a great selection of loofahs, too, and Bigelow's own label boasts fantastic soap in almond, honey, and vanilla scents. Also, there's a little-known upstairs, which is the city's most discreet source for home-care products for the sick and elderly.