Meet the Makers: Heaven On Main Street
Based in Andes, New York, Heaven On Main Street creates small-batch skincare that feels deeply personal. From botanical formulas infused with homegrown rosewater to natural bug sprays and illuminating makeup, founder Taylor Foster approaches beauty through a slower, hands-on process centered around simplicity, seasonal ingredients and small-scale production.
Q. What made you decide to build a hands-on, USA-made business?
"I’ve always been drawn to create with my hands. I love the process. Before this I had a bakery where I hand baked everything! I started making skincare and makeup because I wanted products that felt beautiful, effective, and natural without feeling overly complicated or manufactured."
Q. Walk us through the process of making your formulas. Where do the ingredients come from, what do you strictly avoid, and how long did it take to perfect?
"Every formula begins with me wanting to create something for myself or a friend. I spend a great deal of time sourcing ingredients that are both effective and beautiful to work with — nutrient-rich plant oils, butters, waxes, botanicals, and pure essential oils. Many of the botanicals we incorporate are locally hand harvested in the Catskills and infused directly into our products.
Formulating is an incredibly tactile process for me. I work in very small batches, blending, testing, adjusting textures, absorption, scent, and wear repeatedly until the product feels intuitive on the skin. Some formulas came together quickly; others evolved over years. A lipstick shade, for example, may go through countless pigment and oil adjustments before it achieves the exact balance of color, hydration, texture, and emotional feeling I’m looking
for.We strictly avoid harsh or unnecessary fillers and heavy synthetic fragrance. I care deeply about products feeling alive — breathable on the skin, easy to wear, and supportive rather than masking. The goal is always to create products that feel luxurious and high performing while remaining approachable and deeply usable in everyday life."
Q. If we remove the labels and the marketing, what undeniable proof within the materials themselves separates your work from mass-produced competitors?
"The difference is immediately apparent in the texture, absorption, scent, and overall sensory experience of the products themselves. I’m actually growing my own roses, making the rose water. Growing the chamomile, steeping it in oil. Foraging for wild botanicals and incorporating them into my formulas. The care and energy that goes into that alone is definitely felt!
Mass-produced beauty products are often engineered for shelf life, consistency at scale,
and cost efficiency first. My products are created from the opposite direction — performance, feel, and emotional experience come first. Because they’re made in small batches with high-quality oils, butters, and botanical ingredients, the skin response is different. The products melt into the skin more naturally, wear more intuitively, and feel less cosmetic and more integrated with the person wearing them.Our makeup is intentionally designed to enhance rather than conceal. The textures move with the skin, the colors are highly wearable, and the finishes create a lived-in radiance instead of a heavy or overly perfected look. The essential oil blends also create an aromatic experience that people consistently respond to emotionally — there’s a feeling to the products that goes beyond surface-level beauty. Every lipstick on the line has its own unique essential oil blend.
At the end of the day, the greatest proof is that people come back. Many customers discover us through one product and slowly transition much of their routine because they can physically feel the difference in quality, freshness, and intention."
Don’t forget to check out Heaven On Main Street, now available on Aware House.
