Upon meeting Melissa Kingston, you know that this is a woman you would trust to dress you without you ever seeing the clothes beforehand. She is super chic without being pretentious; you know...the epitome of cool. The kind of woman that makes you give yourself the once over just because she looks so effortlessly chic. Not only does she look amazing, she is amazing, because she is unpretentious, friendly, and patient enough to answer all of my questions.

Melissa is twenty eight years old and has had just over ten years of experience in retail. She grew up in Seattle, but has lived and travelled all over the world; exposing her to many cultures and styles of dress. So it seems fitting that she opened her own boutique this September, Bijou Boutique at the Borgata. With so many boutiques in the Scottsdale, she understood that she had to differentiate herself without alienating the Scottsdale customer.

So what differentiates Bijou from the other boutiques? For one, Melissa decided to go to market not only in the major cities in the United States, but also to Paris, Milan, and London. The results of those market trips are edgy, sophisticated, chic, classy and sublimely sexy clothing. It's the kind of clothing with the ability to make anyone look stylish without too much effort; effortlessly chic.

Bijou carries men and women's clothing, lingerie, jewelry, and the most amazing scented candles by Kobo. Men's designers include Canterbury of New Zealand, Griffin, Nicholas K., Oliver Spencer, and Yigal Azrouel; with the exception of Yigal Azrouel, the other designers are definitely new names to Scottsdale. With men's clothing starting to look like a Scottsdale uniform, it is a breath of fresh air for men to finally have some more choices. Bijou carries twenty five different designers for women, and the majority of them are either up and coming designers or have never been heard of unless you're an extreme fashionista that seeks out obscure labels. The labels that Bijou carries for women are definitely fashion forward. There was not one piece that I did not want for myself; every single dress, blouse and coat she had out were amazing pieces. The designers that stood out were Grace Sun, Crispin & Basilio, Heidi Merrick (amazing dresses), and American Retro. They all did classic pieces with a twist or an edge and did them extremely well. Sometimes classic pieces can be boring, but these designers were able to make them into fashion forward items that are definitely wearable season after season.

If you've been craving a new place to shop (and what woman doesn't?) definitely stop in at the Borgata and take a look around Bijou. I promise you will not be disappointed and you definitely will not leave empty handed. If you're tired of looking like your friends, and want a change in wardrobe (perhaps differentiate yourself?) Bijou is the place to do it. If you're craving effortlessly chic, visit Melissa Kingston at Bijou; you will take one look at her and realize that that tiny woman you've met is about to change fashion in Scottsdale.