Grand Opening for WITCH HAZEL? This One! 
Which Hazel located at 176 Main Street Beacon, NY, Is Celebrating Their Grand Opening on 7-1-22!
Which Hazel is a modern-day apothecary that taps into the calming beauty of nature. Yes, yes, that sounds very woo-woo, but I'll explain what I mean by that.
First and foremost, Witch Hazel is designed to give people moments of beauty, in an eco-conscious way—perhaps through clean beauty products, sustainably made home goods, vintage finds, or beautiful flowers. At the risk of sounding woo-woo again, I believe that plants and nature create the best gifts, and everything at our Shop
(and our online store) uses botanical ingredients or is strongly botanical-inspired.
I started this company because nature basically saved me. I spent most of 2019 in treatment for an early form of breast cancer (all good now, thank God!), and those were some dark times. I was low. My life was all Cancer Stuff, all the time—cycles of doctor visits, being poked and prodded, zapped, sliced, you name it. My treatment wrapped up in fall 2019, and when I had enough energy to go out and do something fun just for the heck of it, I went to the farmers' market near me. (I lived near Union Square in NYC at the time.) I bought a few flower bunches, whatever was in season, and took them home and arranged them. It was one of the first times I felt actual joy during that whole year. That quickly turned into a hobby, into taking classes, into selling bouquets, and into eventually selling what I considered "flower-adjacent" products like vases and botanical beauty products. 
My vision for the shop is for people to find something nature-inspired that gives them joy, too. We have products at a variety of prices and it's meant to feel inclusive—a place where you can poke around and find something new. I love everything we sell, but one of my favorite categories is beauty. Once upon a time, I worked in corporate beauty at places like Chanel and Oribe Hair Care, and I was grateful to learn about formulations, packaging, ingredient efficacy, all that good stuff. I use all of the beauty brands we sell, and hey, I am very paranoid about what I put on my skin :)
Why Beacon? Love it or hate it, I was one of those people who migrated from NYC to Beacon in 2021. (I also adopted a second dog a month later, so that's two squares on the pandemic bingo board!) Beacon is a city that I've loved visiting for some time, and having grown up in the Midwest, it has the same community atmosphere I was used to, with the added dose of culture and creativity that is so unique to this place. When my husband (Mike) and I were looking to move out of our sixth-floor walkup (92 steps for a decade, yikes), we wanted to choose a new location with a thriving creative scene. He's a graphic designer and I'm a writer by trade, and the connection felt right.
Last but not least, Witch Hazel isn't meant to be a cute shop for the sake of being a cute shop. Every product is thoughtfully chosen (minimizing the use of plastic, excess packaging, icky ingredients, etc.). Many products are created by friends and acquaintances with those same values. We donate monthly to Honor the Earth, a Native- and Indigenous-led nonprofit dedicated to protecting the environment, and in the future, I hope to have flower classes and other get-togethers that raise money for good causes. Right now, I'm focused on basic things like making sure my furniture arrives (prayers welcome), but in the months and years ahead, I would love for the store to be a positive part of the community where people feel welcomed, feel inspired, and feel joy. Hope to see you soon!