Tribecan Larissa Thomson, who created Onda Beauty as an online retailer of clean beauty products in 2016, has reopened the original store and spa on West Broadway as the sole proprietor after a series of corporate sagas almost took down the company.

Larissa, who spent 26 years in editorial at fashion magazines, opened the first brick-and-mortar store here in 2017 with partner Sarah Bryden-Brown; Tribecan Naomi Watts became a third partner in 2018; and the trio launched the Sag Harbor store that spring. The partners then sold the company to Amyris, which owned a group of clean beauty brands, in April 2022, and most of the employees stayed. But by this past August, Amyris had filed for bankruptcy.

“I realized then I wanted to take it back,” Larissa said. She bid for it in September, winning an online auction late in the month that granted her the lease here, the company name, website (which is just now being revamped), social media and all the products in the store. Sag Harbor has closed.

“I really only wanted Tribeca. I live here. I am not taking on a partner. I am going to put everything I have into this store, broadening community awareness and creating a happy healthy culture and staff here,” she said.

Larissa gave the store a refresh in a richer, darker palette with help from Tribecan Jaime Baird and her interior design company. And she now stocks more than 60 brands of skin care, body, fragrance, hair and cosmetic products; Larissa personally creates curated gift boxes for gifts and holidays. Services include a variety of facials, brows, body work and energy work.

“My plan is to create a tighter, more curated edit of products,” Larissa said. “And our services will be largely the same but we will focus on keeping things fresh and interesting. I want Onda to be a place of discovery as well as the tried-and-true.” There is no e-commerce for now, though that may be an option in the future.

Onda Beauty
117 West Broadway | Duane & Reade
646-870-9490
hellotribeca@ondabeauty.com
Open every day, 10a to 6p