Iggy Box Reveal | December Maker
Welcome to your December Box ‘The bright star that shines in the dark…’
Meet your December Maker
Introducing our December maker Guillaume founder of Ma Lumiere. Starting his home fragrance brand in 2019, from his kitchen alongside being a Zumba® Fitness Instructor which he’s been teaching for the past 10 years! Guillaume is originally from Normandy, France and for the past 12 years has been living and working in Manchester.
Offering amazing candle making workshops from his studio and working closely with a local charity called “Prevent Breast Cancer”.
Wicks inside by box
This Christmas, bring a little bit of magic into your home with Decembers candle . Featuring a timeless timeless vessel and classy black label, 100% soy wax and a cotton wick.
The Candle
This unique fragrance is inspired by the darkest, most mystical parts of winter. It’s a rich blend of frankincense, amber and myrrh giving the earthy wooden tones, With the gentle sweetness of tuberose and violets.
A warming fireplace with sparkling embers and velvety petals, brought to life by Ma Lumieres Frankincense and Myrrh candle. The magical yet traditional scent of Christmas is here to help you relax through the chaos of the festive season…
The Wax facts
The Little One | 200ml | 35 hr burn time | RRP £20
The Bigger One | 300ml | 50 hr burn time | RRP £25
Little Something Extra
This month we have treated you to these luxurious Epsom Salts with Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils. The perfect ingredient for relaxation, whether its a full body or just a quick foot soak, these salts will help you to melt all of your stresses away.
Kilnsea Spa was created by owner Brad at the start of the pandemic to help friends and family who struggle with muscle pains, stress, congestion and more. Brad plans to begin the production of sleep aiding sprays, gift sets and more. All with the same focus on using the highest quality natural ingredients.
It’s time to meet your maker
How long has your brand been going/ is it full time or do you do other things?
I started Ma Lumière from my kitchen in May 2019 and it is now my full-time job. On the side, I am also a Zumba® Fitness Instructor and I have been teaching for the past 10 years!
Where in the UK are you based and what space do you use for your ‘workshop’?
I am originally from Normandy, France and I have been living in Manchester for the past 12 years. My workshop is based on a Business Park and is a blessing as I don’t think my partner would be too happy for me to keep all my material in our 2 bedroom flat! It is also my little “man cave” which I absolutely love and could spend days in.
What inspired you to start making candles? Do you have a passion that has been
embedded in your brand?
I have always loved candles and home fragrance in general, as well as everything DIY related. One day, I ran out of candles and decided to order a candle making kit instead of buying one as I wanted something fun to do. I absolutely loved it and started researching the world of home fragrance, which got me extremely excited. Part of my previous job was brand designing and awareness, so it made sense for me to come up with my own home fragrance brand.
What do you love about our featured scent?
Frankincense & Myrrh is one of those mystical fragrances: It’s the magic of Christmas within a candle. Out of the four Christmas fragrances that I offer, I have got to admit that it is my favourite one as it is just beautiful.
There are so many scents you can choose to make…How do you go about choosing for your collection?
This is one of the perks of owning your own brand: I get to choose the fragrances that I love to offer my customers and I am very lucky to say that I love every single one of them. Personally, I love a fragrance that creates an atmosphere, brings back childhood memories and add a touch of luxury to my home. I am very lucky to work closely with my supplier based in Scotland and through an intense curating process, I pick the ones that I know my customers will love. And that is the reason why I’ve only come out with 14 fragrances since I started as I want to make sure that every single one is special.
What has been your proudest moment since starting out?
I started my business 8 months before Covid hit in January 2020. Knowing that my business went through those unprecedented times, I am proud that I have managed to survive this. It has been very tough at times but also extremely rewarding. I have learnt so much on this journey and met amazing people along the way.
Do you have a fun fact or anecdote about your brand?
Ma Lumière means “My Light” in French. There are several reasons why I chose that name: First of all, this project came at a time in my life where I felt lost and it gave me a purpose, which helped me get back on track. I also wanted a French name that English people could understand: As pretty much everyone has seen Beauty & The Beast at some point, they will probably remember “Lumière” who’s the candlestick!
Do you have any specific ambitions or goals for your brand?
To steadily keep growing my brand and products. I also offer candle making workshops for people to attend in Manchester and my goal is to hold them as often as possible for people to discover the beauty of candle making.
Do you have any charitable or environmental partnerships we should know about to share?
Through Ma Lumière and also my job as a Zumba® Fitness Instructor, I work closely with a local charity called “Prevent Breast Cancer “(https://preventbreastcancer.org.uk) to raise much needed funds. Their main goal is to predict and prevent the disease as much as possible.
Is there anything that you believe makes your brand different or stand out?
The French touch, obviously (Olala!) – I recently came out with a brand new collection called “Artiste” and each fragrance pays tribute to a French Artiste. Each candle comes in a beautiful fully illustrated ceramic jar and each fragrance has been selected to match the Artiste and their story. As a one man band, I designed the illustration and also handprint them onto the ceramic jars myself. Those are also available in a medium size jar as well as a matching reed diffuser and wax melt. I am also extremely proud to offer an artisan product that comes in a beautiful & professional packaging.
Are there any plans for new products or news over the next few months?
At the moment, I currently have 4 Artistes in my new collection. I am thinking of introducing a couple of others as we have some many talented people in France. In a business like this, there is always something to do or create so it’s a matter of time until I come up with a new collection or even product!
Feel free to add any other information you would like us to share with our subscribers…
It is an absolute honour to have been chosen to produce the December box, which is also my favourite time of the year! I really hope that you will love Frankincense & Myrrh as much as I do. If you are in Manchester, you will be able to find me at artisan markets every weekend. If you are interested in attending one of my candle making workshops and see where I have made all my Iggy Box ones, feel free to check out my website for my next workshops!
That is it our final box of year revealed! A Christmas dream fuelled with frankincense and myrrh, happy burning Iggy Boxers!
Click HERE to shop Decembers Candle!
