Faces has served as an iconic shop since 1971. Formerly located in Amherst Center, in the early 1990s it moved to the streets of downtown Northampton, where it remains a colorful and unique store compared to its expensive neighbors.

For college students that are seeking the relief of shopping without the stress of high costs, Faces has more affordable prices to fit a collegiate budget. Good thing too, because it is almost impossible to resist buying something in the store.

The ever-changing window displays draw individuals of all ages inside, especially the average college student. Walking into Faces, you are greeted by a plethora of fuzzy socks, scarves, blouses, purses, shoes and other colorful items. There’s also an entire section devoted to jewelry and other accessory items like headbands and hair ties. Parallel to that is a wall of sunglasses. Yes, a wall.

Aside from fashion, Faces contains a selection of novelty toys that you might not have seen since your childhood. The more obscure items in the store are anything from a light-up gummy bear to bacon toothpaste, and then there are the classics, such as Rubik’s Cubes and stuffed animals.

There’s also a section dedicated to kitchen accessories such as salt and pepper figurines, aprons and kale cookbooks. All that shopping can work up an appetite, so Faces has recently incorporated a café. Menu items include salads, sandwiches, and espresso for customers to enjoy while they shop.

The downstairs level of the two-floor shop contains dorm room essentials. These include lights in the shape of popsicles, comedic and endearing signs with phrases and a wide array of posters to fill the blank walls students are presented in their dorms.

The downstairs section is a great place to find holiday gifts for friends and those strange in-laws whom you never know what to get. Faces has an entire selection of wax melts in the shapes of pie, pancakes and cinnamon buns. They also have a large array of hygiene products like scented lotions and soaps. For lovers of mainstream pop culture, you will most definitely find items that relate to your favorite television show or musician.

On days when you just need a few hours away from campus, keep this store in mind. It is a short bus ride from campus and brings students to a melting pot of knick-knacks and outlandish merchandise that wouldn’t be found elsewhere.

Lauren Crociati can be reached at [email protected].