Lori Sensenbach is a certified post-mastectomy fitter and co-owner of Mariposa Beauty and Wellness Boutique in Bend. 

When they sold their senior care business in 2017, Bend-based couple Todd and Lori Sensenbach sought a new way to make a positive impact in their community.

Given the opportunity to purchase Prosthetics By Lynda, a business that sold post-mastectomy prosthetics and wigs, Lori recalled her friend, Dana, who died from breast cancer in 2001. She felt that purchasing the business would honor Dana’s legacy.

“The business spoke to me because of what it does for women, and I think about her a lot when I’m helping women,” Sensenbach said.

The Sensenbachs bought the business, now located at 2680 NE Highway 20 (Suite 370), and began the process of rebranding it as Mariposa, the Spanish word for “butterfly.”

“Our logo is a mosaic butterfly, which to me symbolizes broken pieces of something that are taken and put together to create a beautiful work of art,” Sensenbach said.

That spirit of beauty and wellness is a driving force behind Mariposa, which offers a variety of products that help women live their best lives:

• Merle Norman Skin Care products
• Post-mastectomy products such as bras, prostheses, and specialized camisoles
• Synthetic and human hair wigs
• Head coverings
• Swimsuits

Merle Norman Skin Care Products

As of April 4, 2022, Mariposa is a locally owned Merle Norman Studio. The boutique now carries a wide variety of Merle Norman’s skin care and makeup products, including foundations and color cosmetics.

Founded by Merle Nethercutt Norman in 1931, Merle Norman Cosmetics has a long history of creating breakthrough products and empowering women in the skincare business. The company’s goal is to give women the power to achieve their own definition of beauty by being confident and comfortable in their own skin.

“We get so many women who struggle to find good cosmetics that address aging skin and other specific skin care needs, and it goes hand-in-hand with our mission of helping women feel beautiful,” Sensenbach said.

Post-Mastectomy Products

“A lot of women that have had breast cancer and have had a mastectomy and choose not to have a reconstruction — or any woman who feels they can benefit from a prosthetic — can get products from us that help them appear balanced and symmetrical,” Sensenbach said.

Sensenbach is a board-certified post-mastectomy fitter, and many mastectomy products are covered by insurance providers if a person has had breast cancer.

The store and its products are available to anyone, however, and breast cancer isn’t the only reason someone might seek out a mastectomy product, according to Sensenbach.

“There are lots of women who, for whatever reason, have an imbalance in their chest, and there are so many different products available that address that,” she said. “We have products that can help those people.”

Wigs, Head Coverings and Toppers

Mariposa also offers a wide variety of wigs, head coverings and toppers.

“These products are available to all women, not just women who are cancer patients,” Sensenbach said. “As we age, many women develop some type of hair loss affecting their self-image.”

These aren’t your grandma’s wigs. The processes used to create wigs have improved significantly. It’s now impossible to tell that someone is not sporting their own hair in a new style or color. With the addition of Toppers, a hairpiece clipped into existing hair, women are able to create fuller, longer and varied styles simply by adding to their own hair.

Mariposa’s wigs, hats and toppers are available to anybody. Any woman dealing with any type of hair loss can benefit from a head covering product. Additionally, any woman who may simply want a different look is welcome to browse Mariposa’s selection. The boutique’s wigs are lightweight, comfortable and easy to maintain. 

Due to the highly personal nature of many of the products Mariposa offers, and concerns over COVID-19, customers are asked to make appointments and can be escorted directly from their cars into a private fitting room.

From there, Sensenbach uses her expertise to guide customers through the process of choosing a product that works for them. Each person is given as much time as they need to look at and try on products in the privacy of a comfortable and tastefully decorated fitting room.  

“We give them a lot of our time to help them make decisions,” Sensenbach said. “We just want women to feel good about themselves and to feel like we took care of them when they come in here.”

It can be an emotional experience for both the customer and Sensenbach, who encounters women at many different stages of their lives.

“We get women who use our products for all kinds of reasons. Some have just learned they have breast cancer or other medical issues, some are 20 or 30 years out from their diagnosis, and some just need help maintaining their beauty and wellness,” Sensenbach said. “When they start crying it’s hard not to get teary-eyed, too.”

Sensenbach has built strong relationships with many of her customers and feels that her work at Mariposa is deeply rewarding.

“I just want women to know that it’s not a vain thing to feel good about your appearance, and when we feel good about our appearance it affects all areas of our lives,” she said. “One of the things we hear often is, ‘I feel normal again.’” 

For more information, visit mariposaoregon.com or call 541-383-8085.