Good Scents brings a fresh perspective to Poulsbo

POULSBO — Walking into the Front Street shop, the clean smell of soap tinged with something one can’t quite put one’s finger on pervades the nose. Good Scents, organized to sell wonderfully fragrant soaps, lotions, perfumes, candles and all varieties of bath amenities, has been striving to present a fresh face and excellent customer service to North Kitsap residents and visitors for more than a year.

Open just 16 months and operated by Gabrielle Feldbau, 23, the shop is actually in its second incarnation, and she’s hoping to blow customers away with her concoctions at the scent counter and diversity of body and face pampering necessities.

“My mom owned the shop before me, she owned it for 10 years,” she said. “I was in the background and later I ran it for her for a couple of years.”

The store closed three years ago, and Feldbau managed to hang on to the space and decided a facelift and remodel was in order. She opened up the room, raised the roof, put a smattering of skylights in and designed the shelving herself. What debuted afterwards, despite the same name, was a whole new look to Good Scents, and both returning and new customers have found their niche for speciality lotions and body products.

“A lot of people are really happy we’re back,” she said. “It’s nice to have returning and new customers. ... There are a lot of new, fresh products, a lot more organic lines here now. That’s my mom’s stuff too, she does jewelry now.”

Lisa Lund, Feldbau’s mother, moved to South Dakota after transferring ownership to her daughter, but is still active in the store from afar. Lund also started the Potlatch Gallery across the street in 1985, a thriving art center in Poulsbo. Feldbau said growing up with an entrepreneurial parent was inspiring and enlightening. She homeschooled on and off, and was ringing up customers at the previous Good Scents when she was just 12. Now, still in her early 20s, people often ask how old she is on their first visit to the store. In addition to her duties at Good Scents, open seven days a week, Feldbau said she is the Historic Downtown Poulsbo Association’s community relations director and is working with their marketing group.

“I went and got my business degree before we reopened,” Feldbau said. “I got it at National American University, I got a business management degree.”

Feldbau said she’s hoping the store will continue to grow, and she’s always willing to bring in new products for customers. The shop has a full scent counter where she can mix up any smell specifically to a customer’s specifications, and she said she’s excited to see that grow as well.

“I guess the store has always been a part of our lives,” Feldbau said. “It’s nice to bring it back.”

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