My Candle Collection + A Giveaway!
If you’ve been following along for even a short while now, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I love candles. I like the way they look styled throughout my house, I enjoy the ambiance they add, I appreciate the flickering glow of a tiny flame, and I’m all about the way they make my home smell. Speaking of scent, I think fragrances have the ability to transport us to a past point in time or a memory. Has that ever happened to you? Certain candles remind me of a specific moment, favorite place, people, and have a way of stirring up sweet nostalgia. Shortly after Emmett & I decided to start our shop, I began brainstorming how I could create my own line of candles for Tuesday Made, since it’s something I’m passionate about. I wanted to share the story with you, a glimpse into the process, and details behind each fragrance. Click through! This is a fun post and I’ve got a giveaway for you at the end… don’t forget to enter.
I started this process last March, but before diving in, I made a list of everything I wanted our candles to include and encompass- natural soy wax, cotton wicks, high-quality fragrance, a clean burn, a heavy glass jar that could be reused or repurposed, made in the USA, hand-poured in small batches, and I wanted to work with a women and minority-owned business. After searching high and low for that tall order, I finally found someone and began the fun part of the process: formulating and nailing down the fragrance profiles. I knew I wanted five unique candles to start, and I had a very specific vision for how I wanted those to look and smell. After sampling hundreds of fragrances, making notes, and adjustments, I finally landed on five fragrances I’m really proud of. I’ll talk about those in a bit.
The next part of the process was almost as fun as fragrance testing… designing the jars and packaging. Some of you already know, I actually have a background in graphic design, so luckily I didn’t have to hire a production artist. Fun fact- I used to design chocolate packaging back in the day, but that’s a story for another time.
I opted for simple black, glass jars with a heavy weighted bottom. They’re sophisticated and can easily be reused or repurposed once the candle is empty, by removing the label. I could envision them as highball glasses, vessels for toiletries (cotton balls, cosmetic rounds, cotton swaps, etc), a jar for makeup brushes, pens, or pencils… or even a bud vase. I didn’t want the vessel itself to be tossed in the trash once the candle was finished burning.
As for the box, I kept it equally as simplistic. The minimal typography shares more about the fragrance notes and candle care details, then once you open it- you’ll notice a tiny embossed box of matches. I’m a details person, so I wanted to include a tiny surprise. I love matches just as much as I enjoy candles! You really can’t have one without the other.
Back to the fragrances… they’re all so lovely! My favorite changes based on my mood and the time of year. My current favorite is Woodland, followed by Warmth and Amber. Those three are perfect for the fall and winter seasons. Clean and Grove will be incredible for spring and summer, but they all work year round- as in, none are too specific. It just depends on your preference. I spent a great deal of time figuring out what each candle reminded me of and the best way to describe them, so I’m just going to copy my notes below…
- Woodland … is a combination of fir needles, patchouli, leather, and spices. It’s a deep, fragrant escape into the forest. This sophisticated masculine scent with cedarwood notes is perfect for the fall and winter seasons.
- Amber … is a testament to the beauty of balance. This intoxicating scent offers the femininity of floral tones with a masculine edge of light musk and amber notes. It will fill your home with an invigorating fragrance, perfect for fall and winter.
- Warmth …is currently the most popular member of our collection. It brings light notes of spiced tobacco and leather, complemented by ginger and vanilla. It’s a versatile fragrance, and is ideal for a cozy night at home.
- Grove … is an incredible mélange of citrus, spices, evergreen, and fir that is light, fragrant, and romantic- like walking through a citrus grove. This crisp candle is the perfect fragrance to burn year round.
- Clean … is an homage to one of the most beloved scents in the world: clean laundry. It smells like crisp linen and a fresh breeze on the perfect spring or summer day. It’s the perfect fragrance that fills your home with that crisp scent we all crave- the one that accompanies a tidy home.
I actually need to rephotograph the candles for our website, and am really looking forward to it. Emmett photographed the current thumbnail images and while they’re great for that, I’m excited to style them and better depict their fragrance profile via photo in the coming weeks. It’s a fun creative project I’ve been itching to tackle! I’ve always envisioned them a certain way, but in an effort to launch before the end of the year, we included basic photos to start. Our shop has been such a fun learning experience for the both of us, and has allowed me to be creative and challenged in ways I never expected. Thanks again for your encouragement and support along the way!
Ready for the giveaway info? It’s actually taking place on Instagram, but I’ll be doing more of these across other platforms as well, in the future (Facebook, Pinterest, The Blog, etc).
GIVEAWAY!
I’m giving away an entire set… the full Tuesday Made candle collection: Woodland, Amber, Warmth, Grove, and Clean! One lucky reader will receive all five candles, valued at $160.
Here’s how to enter:
- Follow @tuesdaymade and @roomfortuesday on Instagram.
- Like this candle photo I shared on Instagram and tag a friend in the comment section of that IG post.
Which candle do you think you would like the most? I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I’ll see you back here on Monday. We’ll be packing boxes again this weekend and I’m hoping to take the dogs on a little hike, as well as spend some time baking in the kitchen. How is there only three weeks left of this year?!