An Interview with Amber Champagne, Owner of Champagne Apothecary
How long has Champagne Apothecary been open and what inspired you to start it? Champagne Apothecary will be celebrating its 4 year anniversary on May the 4th!
After working for many years in retail management and corporate retail, I found many people don’t focus on self-care the way they should and it’s harming the overall wellness of our society. My business has evolved dramatically since I first started, but the intention has always been the same; to create a business that would provide ways for people to relax, remember how important self-care truly is, and to help people live abundant lives full of self-care and one-of-a-kind moments and treasures.
Under the umbrella of self-care, and as a Licensed Esthetician and Clinical Herbalist of nearly 10 years, I see skin health and skincare as a major piece of the self-care world, so I also created a skincare line called ETHYST®.
ETHYST® combats both hormonal issues and aging simultaneously (something I call The Midlife Skin Crisis©), is gluten free, paraben free, fragrance free, cruelty free, vegan, and made in the USA and has sold out over 5 times nationally since launching in May of 2022.
What were you doing before Champagne Apothecary? And/or what else are you doing now (school/work etc)
I had a 20+ year career in retail management and corporate retail. Most notably, I was a Senior National Educator and Global Content Writer for Benefit Cosmetics, where I trained thousands of other Estheticians and wrote content contributing to the $2 billion company’s corporate success.
Now, I own and operate three different branches within my business. Champagne Apothecary, ETHYST® skincare, and The Esthetician’s Guide to Business, a consulting, branding, and marketing company specifically designed to help Esthetician’s build their dream business and become 6 figure business owners.
How would you describe Champagne Apothecary?
Champagne Apothecary is a small-town, enchanting self-care shop full of one-of-a-kind treasures and is the home of ETHYST®.
Champagne Apothecary is also a certified LGBTBE® as well as a business with a big heart – We give back 10% of our profits to support our local community every year. In both 2021 and 2022, we were able to donate $10,000 annually to support local youth, cancer patients, animals, and more!
What was the most recent interesting conversation you had?
This is a great question! I get to have so many incredible conversations with clients and other small business owners every day.
Recently, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with other business owners, residents, and town officials to learn about the history of the town of Westfield and all of those conversations have been really insightful and humbling. I love being part of a small town and getting to know the people in and the history of the community has been more than amazing!
I also have A LOT of absolutely mind-blowing skin science conversations (with myself, other professionals, and clients!), which I love because I am a nerd for skincare, but I won’t bore you with the specifics of those here! You can check out my Instagram, Facebook, Blog, or Pinterest for those!
What products/services do you offer?
At Champagne Apothecary, there is something for everyone. The store is full of all kinds of herbal remedies, meditation supplies, body care, premium coffees and teas, relaxation tools, essential oils, skincare, and more. The products we carry are typically things you won’t be able to find elsewhere. We put lots of effort into curating unique, results-oriented items.
Plus, we have a lot of our own Champagne Apothecary branded products and, of course, we carry ETHYST® in store and online. And even though I no longer physically practice as an Esthetician, I am still licensed in both CA and MA and offer Virtual Skin Health Consultations online.
What is your favorite product you would recommend to everyone? You know I have to say ETHYST®. I mean, truly, this skincare line having sold out 5 times nationally since launching last May has helped tons of people all over the country.
I love nothing more than opening up social media or my email and reading the constant messages/reviews of pure joy for what ETHYST® has done for someone’s skin and ultimately their confidence.
The way I see it, when someone’s confidence has been transformed, that trickles down into everything they do each and every day, so ultimately ETHYST® is not only helping the client, it’s helping them pour into others around them… and that’s what’s really beautiful.
If I had to call out a runner up, I would say our candles. They’re beautifully scented and made by an incredible couple who own a small business in TX. Not only are they made with 100% soy wax and organic cotton wicks, for every one we sell, a meal is donated to Feeding America and that’s amazing because they’re one of our best sellers!
What’s your favorite thing about your business? Most rewarding? Most challenging?
One of the most challenging things so far has been learning what to do as the business really scales. When things start really moving, you want to know all of your systems are solid, you’re making the right moves etc. Luckily, I have found a lot of support up until now and have just been accepted into a business accelerator program through the MALGBT Chamber of Commerce that I believe is really going to be a huge game changer for me.
I’d also say breaking through the noise on the internet (especially in the skincare industry) to introduce people to a product that will truly work for them without getting discouraged is also pretty challenging, but I’ve been able to do a lot organically and am patiently looking forward to when those floodgates open!
The most rewarding thing about my business is how many people it helps daily. Like I said earlier, there is nothing more rewarding to me than reading messages and reviews from people about how my products and services have changed their lives.
My favorite thing about my business is waking up every day to the fact that I have been blessed with the opportunity, wisdom, and knowledge to be able to live this life and get to do this for a living. It’s something I have the utmost and absolute gratitude for.
Shampoo/Conditioner of choice:
Omg my shampoo and conditioner changes more than the crazy weather in New England!
I had a thing for Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner for a while (great for people dealing with acneic skin by the way!), I was obsessed with Pureology at one point, I had a fling with VERB… so many.
But the one thing I will say I’ve loved the most for my hair is a product called K-18. If you haven’t used it, get it now. It’s legit the best product ever.
What do you do for fun in your down time?
I honestly do a lot of self-care. To me, that’s lots of face masques, reading, comedy writing, watching comedy tv (Schitt’s Creek, The Mindy Project, The Office, & Gilmore Girls are some of my all time faves), art, painting, crafting, working out, yoga, cooking healthy meals, spending time with my family, hosting mini events and dinners for my friends, journaling, meditating, gardening, and making my home feel like it’s the most zen space anyone has ever walked into. Helps me to enjoy my rest and time at home so much!
I also spend a lot of time watching and/or listening to what my incredibly, talented (almost 18 year old!) son has created for the day. He’s a very gifted music producer and creator and it’s been fascinating to watch him grow and develop his skills.
Overall, you might be thinking whoa that’s a lot! I could probably go on and on! I’m so grateful for the time I am being blessed with in this life and I try not to let a second of it go to waste.
What is your morning skin-care routine?
Are you ready?? ETHYST® Clarity Cleanse, ETHYST® Awakening Toner, ETHYST® Visionary Eye Serum, ETHYST® Daily Ritual 24/7 Hydrating Moisturizer, ETHYST®The Holy Grail Facial Oil with (currently) my Amethyst Roller, and our new (not out yet at the time of this writing) ETHYST® Tinted Mineral Sunscreen (<– I won’t give you the name of that one yet! lol)
And, if you can believe it, my nighttime routine is even more calculated than this!
What motto/quote do you always try to live by? I write my dreams in pencil. Not because they can be erased, but because they can always be revised. I believe in being authentic to who you are in the current season of your life and to always remember to do what you love; not what you once loved.
What do you want to achieve in the future? We are currently working on how to bring ETHYST® to an even bigger market, so I’d love to see that happen! And I have this really wild dream of once all of that is at a place where we are helping people globally, to open up the most beautiful Apothecary anyone has ever seen. I have a pinned doc, a pinterest board, and a notebook full of ideas I come up with regularly for this place. I promise people would want to visit from far and wide!
Loving Amber’s blog and photos? Don’t forget your branding photos to help bring your vision to life!
