I know I’m a bit late here but can I still say ‘Happy New Year’?! I realise it’s been a while since I’ve updated but if you are following me on social media, you may be aware that the last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind! As I had mentioned back in the summer, at the start of the first lockdown in March, I decided to centre my attention on a brand new venture – Swoon Worthy Scents.

Over the following 10 months of 2020, I poured so much of my heart and soul into this new project. I had always wanted my own range and making candles was something that I’ve loved doing for so many years. So combining those seemed the perfect use of my time and a way to focus my attention on something positive. Not only do I make every candle by hand in my own home, but I also created all the branding and packaging, I designed the website myself and took all the lifestyle photography you see on this post. So this has been the culmination of hundreds if not thousands of hours of work over the last year.

Of course, the aesthetics of my product was going to be important to me. I am an incredibly visual person and I wanted the design of the packaging to reflect my own personal style. Each candle is distinct, with its own pattern with touches of gold foil, its own soft pastel colour and of course, a gorgeously distinct scent. I wanted the candles to look amazing no matter where in your home they are placed but, of course, that they also smell incredible and burn beautifully. 

So this is certainly not a case of ‘all fur coat and no knickers’ (ha!) – these look beautiful but perform beautifully as well with no tunnelling, no soot – just a lovely clean burn!

Let me now introduce you to the signature range…

No 01 First Light

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The description on the candle itself: of quiet mornings bathed in the pink of dawn, the promise of renewal, a sensual blend of magnolia blossom and warm sandalwood

Top Notes: magnolia / Middle Notes: vanilla / Base Notes: musk and sandalwood

The story behind why its part of my signature range: “One of my favourites which is why I called it my No. 01. I wanted to capture the feeling of waking up before my alarm to watch the sunrise, the house is quiet, the entire day stretched before me. There is so much promise in the air. First Light is a warm and sensual blend combining soft floral and oriental notes with warming woody base notes that will ease the soul and quiet the spirit. I light this in the morning during meditation or when I’m winding down after a long day.”

No 02 Sunday Morning

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The description on the candle itself: Of weekends without plans, fresh washed linen swaying in sunshine, a clean blend of lemon, pine and jasmine

Top notes: pine and lemon / Middle notes: jasmine and gardenia / Base notes: cedarwood and musk

The story behind why its part of my signature range: “One of my favourite rituals is to change my bed linens on a Friday. Being able to languish in the clean fresh scent without the worries of work is just one of life’s small pleasures. I created No. 02 to envelope you in that feeling no matter what day of the week it is with clean scents of pine and jasmine in the top notes while the warmth of cedarwood and musk lie just beneath its radiant surface. This is a soft subtle fragrance that doesn’t overpower so it’s perfect for smaller spaces like an entrance hall, bathroom or really anywhere you want a clean fresh scent to promote clarity or relaxation.” 

No 03 Racing Hearts

 

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The description on the candle itself: Of stolen glances and secret liaisons, pulses quickening with touch, a heady mix of rose and oud wood, softened with vanilla

Top notes: rose, geranium, pepper and saffron / Middle notes: rose, cinnamon bark, clove leaf, nutmeg and palmrosa / Base notes: oud wood, musk, vanilla and patchouli 

The story behind why its part of my signature range: “The heady scent of roses will always be for me one of romance. It is a classic elegant fragrance but when combined with cinnamon, nutmeg and the deep earthy scent of oud wood it transforms into something much more passionate. This passion is what I wanted to capture with No. 03. It is the candle I light when I’m feeling indulgent, whether I’m readying myself for date night or sinking into a deep bath – it’s the perfect scent to spoil myself.”

 

No 04 Into the Wild

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The description on the candle itself: Of mossy trails and branches stretched, the invitation of an ancient forest, an enigmatic blend of cedarwood and fir, fresh lemon and heady musk

Top notes: bergamot and lemon peel / Middle notes: fir needle and vetiver / Base notes: cedarwood and musk

The story behind why its part of my signature range: “I grew up in a tiny town in rural Pennsylvania in a home surrounded by a dense forest. It was my playground and my escape, a way to change my perspective whether hiding behind a fort made of sticks or climbing through the branches as high as I could. The smell of the forest still entrances me to this day and capturing the feeling of finding yourself surrounded by that scent was the inspiration behind No. 04. It’s an engaging, earthy scent, perfect for when you want to reconnect and ground yourself or simply wish to change your own perspective.”

No 05 Waterfall

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The description on the candle itself: Of crashing waters and secret coves, a baptism of nature, the freshness of juicy orange and osmanthus, shaded with sage, chamomile & vanilla

Top notes: orange and bergamot / Middle notes: sage, osmanthus, leafy greens, chamomile / Base notes: patchouli, olibanum, vanilla

The story behind why its part of my signature range: “I always feel my most free, my most whole when I am near the clear turquoise ocean. My ancestors come from the Caribbean and so perhaps being near the water is just part of who I am. I wanted No. 05 to capture the feeling of freedom and escape that comes from those tropical locations, a melding of salty air, the citrus slice in a tall glass, the spices and flavours of the food. Whenever I crave an escape, this is the candle I reach for. Light it when you crave clarity during a working day or set it in your bathroom for a tranquil sea-inspired haven.”

Luxury Products with Eco-Credentials

The other thing that was important to me is that I was able to reduce the impact of my products on the environment. Aesthetically, I didn’t want something that looked like ‘eco-packaging’ (ya know, all brown kraft paper with minimal designs – not that there’s anything wrong with that look, of course, it’s just not me!) but I did want to make an effort to make choices in my products, taking into account things like sustainability, recycling and reusability as well as sourcing materials that were cruelty-free.

The candles are made using a blend of GMO-free and sustainable soy wax and coconut wax with a cotton lead-free wick which allow for a cleaner burn. I wanted to stay away from paraffin (a by-product of petroleum) and I wanted to be sure my products were totally safe for normal use in your home so they are all paraben and phthalate-free.

The fragrance oils I use have all been thoroughly tested for safety with very little environmental impact, unlike some essential oils which are less regulated, can be toxic to animals and are often less environmentally-friendly given that large swathes of land need to be used to create small amounts of oil – an interesting twist as I’d always assumed essential oils were somehow ‘better’ but there’s an incredible amount of misinformation out there. They are also cruelty-free and vegan (as are the dyes and the wax I use).

The outer packaging is cardboard and tin so easily recycled in most areas but of course, I feel they are just too pretty to be thrown away! I’ve used them myself as little pot plants (with a liner, they are cardboard!), dried flowers, as a pen pot, as something to hold makeup brushes – the list goes on! And finally, all the packaging is plastic-free – I use paper bubble wrap and biodegradable packing peanuts as well as paper tape for all the shipping packages. You can read more about my eco-commitment here.

Speaking of shipping, I’m also offering free delivery on all UK orders site-wide. I’m currently not shipping outside of the UK but I’m hoping to revisit this once life returns to some kind of ‘normality’.

Anyway, I’m sure I will be talking more about the candles and further expansions to the range as time goes by but at least now you can see where I’ve been for the last however many months! This new project is, of course, taking a lot of my attention these days but I do have lots of plans for the house this year as well for those of you who come here for interiors (which I imagine is most of you!). So hopefully once things settle into a bit of a new routine, I can turn my attention back to house-y projects ;)

In the meantime, thank you so much for all your support so far. I’ve had so many lovely emails, DMs and more, as well as so many sales in my very first week, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I hope you love the new range as much as I’ve loved creating it!

You can follow me on Instagram for the latest behind the scenes here or sign up for my mailing list for Swoon Worthy Scents here.