Meet Imber Bathory and Gabriel Vela | Licensed Cosmetologists & Co-Owners of A Little Alchemy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Imber Bathory and Gabriel Vela and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Imber & Gabriel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Initially we decided to start making our own soaps an colognes because we were bored of the same old scents that were circulating in every bath and body store ( lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, etc). We wanted more nuanced scents that we liked and would be happy to wear. Scents that evoke a memory like how it smells after it rains, or the smell of the air on a crisp fall night. After making and testing some recipes we got the idea to turn it into a business for other folks that may want an escape from the ordinary.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our products are an Escape from the Ordinary, we offer unique scents with a Dark Luxurious aesthetic. We’re proud to make everything we carry by hand, from the formulations, the hand painted details, and the design and assembly of our packaging. When people tell us how professional and interesting our products and event set up looks, it makes us feel recognized for the hard work we’ve put into everything we do. Getting to where we are now hasn’t been easy, its taken a toll on us physically, mentally and financially. However, we are proud with how far we’ve come in the past 7 years doing everything ourselves and without any large financial debts. We tried to use Kickstarter to help us start up in the beginning but we weren’t as technically savvy at the time so not many people had heard of us or what we had to offer, so in the end we had to start off completely on our own and with what money we had from our primary jobs. Over the years the different events we’ve been to have increased the exposure of our products as well as connected us with many vendors, artist and crafters who have been incredibly supportive. With everything we’ve been through we’ve learned that if we have a dream, the only way to achieve it sometimes is to make it happen for yourself, no matter what it takes.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We are homebodies that tend to keep ourselves occupied with work or personal crafts but we do have places that tend to hold a little magic for us that we would share with a visiting loved one. Walking around Downtown Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs has always been fun for us. We would probably sleep in, then have lunch at the Skirted Heifer or Panino’s Downtown, then peruse some the local shops. We would then go down to Old Colorado City to have a snack at the TAPAteria, and look around at some more shops and maybe get some treats from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Throughout the week we would probably go to Joann’s Fabric or Michael’s to see what crafting supplies we can find. Then off to a metaphysical shop like Springs Spirituality to get a new tarot card deck and maybe some crystals or the occasional poppet that happens to speak to us. Then we would go to Manitou Springs. The trails, small shops, and river make it a fun experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Marlene Garcia, Imber’s mom, has been a huge supporter and help to our personal and business endeavors. She always lends a hand when we need it, whether its help setting up for an event, purchasing ingredients, or even something as simple as making us dinner when we’re overwhelmed with work. Also, Andrew and Chris at Cronk Art and Curiosities have been very supportive while our physical store has been under construction and carry our products in their shop currently. Lastly, Anti Sally, of the former shop Goth Rosary, whos work and wonderful products we loved, inspired us to create our own after she went out of business.

Website: www.alittlealchemy.com

Instagram: @alittlealchemy

Twitter: @alittlealchemy

Facebook: @alittlealchemy

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