Halarosis candle store opens at Roosevelt Field mall
Owner Joanna Vassiliades at her new store, Halarosis, at the Roosevelt Field mall in Uniondale. Credit: Newsday/Joann Vaglica
Scents of toasted spiced pumpkin and holiday cookies fill the air at the new Halarosis candle store at Roosevelt Field mall, even on a warm spring day.
Joanna Vassiliades’ more than 30 scents are available year-round, a perk that the 25-year-old Fordham graduate says is one of the things that sets her business apart. Shoppers of the sustainable brand, which opened at the mall this spring, can also expect all products to be vegan and free from phthalates, paraffins and carcinogens.
The self-proclaimed “avid candle buyer” says she's loved clean scents ever since childhood. She started researching the candle industry after realizing candle burning often resulted in soot. "It would stain the walls; it would go up to the ceiling," she recalls.
Vassiliades locked down a formula that wouldn’t comprise one’s health, she says, after a year of experimenting. The formula features scents like cinnamon roll, hazelnut coffee, island vibes and lemongrass verbena.
The all-natural soy wax candles are sold in seven sizes, the smallest coming in at 3½ ounces with a burn time of about 20 hours, and the largest at 17 ounces, with a burn time of up to 65 hours. Sharing shelf space with her line of candles are wax melts, warmers and air and fabric fresheners.
The melts are sold in pellet form, which “allows for control of how much scent people want," she says, adding that buyers can mix and match pellets to create their own scents. And, sticking to its eco-friendly approach, Halarosis’ fabric fresheners are sold in non-aerosol glass bottles.
The brand name Halarosis, which means relaxation in Greek, is a nod to her heritage. It launched in 2020 out of a Hicksville warehouse (where it continues to create and ship its inventory) while simultaneously being sold in Amazon and Walmart marketplaces before Vassiliades opened her first retail location at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville in November 2021, which she outgrew with the expansion of her line.
Shop Halarosis’ candles for $6.99 to $25.98; wax melts for $14.99; wax warmers starting at $12.99 and air and fabric fresheners for $17.99. Find them at 630 Old Country Rd. in Uniondale (enter by True Kitchen; on the main level across from Abercrombie Kids and Starbucks); 800-991-5699; halarosis.com
