Iggy Box Reveal | October Maker
Welcome to your October box ‘Pumpkin spice & all things nice’…
Meet your October maker
In 2020 Sarah decided to leave her job and embark on her passion project, candle making… and the House of Scent brand was born.
The collection was built on an overriding principal to spark mindfulness and awareness, calm the nervous system and tomomentarily suspend time. Sarah believes that the power of scent is endless, not only because it smells so good but also because of the health benefits different scents can bring and the difficult times they can help people through.
Wicks inside my box
Your October candle is housed in an elegant black matt vessel, hand poured using 100% soy wax and cotton wick.
The candle
Come home after a long day and curl up to the comforting blend of warming autumnal spices… including nutmeg, ginger and clove, all in perfect harmony with the sweet notes of creamy caramel.
Long and dark evenings call for the calm flickering of this inviting rich and sweet spiced pumpkin fragrance. Snuggle up as your space transforms into a warm and cosy den…
The Wax Facts
The Little One | 200ml | 35 hr burn time
The Bigger One | 300ml | 45 hr burn time
To shop ‘The Fox’ candle click HERE
Little Something Extra
Spoil yourself with October’s decadently delicious Little Something Extra with Gnaw’s take on the much-loved treat ‘Millionaire’s Shortbread’.
All of Gnaw’s fabulous bars, mini bars, buttons and hot chocolate shots are handcrafted on British soil at their Gnaw HQ in sunny Norfolk. On a sustainability path with zero waste packaging, less landfill, and an all-round cleaner planet, we love this brand!
Light your Spiced Pumpkin candle and indulge in your crunchy shortbread biscuit, enveloped in smooth, creamy caramel chocolate… a match made in heaven!
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 the business in October 2020 during lockdown when I decided to leave my corporate job and embark on my passion project! After a big push from friends and family, I decided to take the plunge. I have two small boys aged 3 and 8 months, so I fit my candle making around my full time job as mum!
Where in the UK are you based and what space do you use for your ‘workshop’?
I work from home in Mobberley, Cheshire and converted my utility room into a workshop, occasionally spilling out into the kitchen during busy periods!
What inspired you to start making candles? Do you have a passion that has been embedded in your brand?
When I first started making candles in 2015, I was trying to find a natural replacement for paraffin wax which was leaving large sooty marks on my ceilings and shutters. I later learned about the health impacts of paraffin wax, the toxic fumes it emits when burned and how hugely unregulated the candle industry is. All my candles are made with natural soy wax and cotton wicks and are free from paraffin and lead.
Aside from building a non-toxic candle brand, I have always loved yoga and make my own natural skincare, so I am never far from a bottle of essential oil! I started to add essential oils to soy wax and love blending the therapeutic benefit of natural fragrance, with the simple act of lighting a candle. Together they can strengthen mindfulness and awareness, calm the nervous system, and for me, momentarily suspend time. The power of scent is endless and creating new products not only because they smell good, but because of the benefit they can bring, or difficult times they can help people through, is the main driver for me.
What do you love about our featured scent?
You know that feeling when Starbucks bring back the pumpkin spice latte? This candle gives me the same happy autumnal vibes! It’s the same blend of nutmeg, ginger, clove, and caramel as is the perfect transition into Autumn. It reminds me of cosy nights by the fire, being wrapped up on bonfire night, and celebrates the start of candle season for me.
There are so many scents you can choose to make…How do you go about choosing for your collection?
Let’s just say I have nose tested A LOT of fragrances over the years! Fragrance is tricky, as it smells one way from the bottle, completely differently when added to wax, then different again when actually burned in a candle as the top, middle and base notes come into their own and fill the room. If I like the initial smell, I will make a batch of candles to send them out to friends, family, and very loyal customers for their feedback.
What has been your proudest moment since starting out?
I would say being selected as Maker of the Month for Iggy Box! It’s so great to be recognised but I have also made all of these candles with an 8-month baby on my hip so I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved in a short amount of time.
Do you have a fun fact or anecdote about your brand?
Let’s just say the plumber has been out twice to remove wax from the exit pipes as I keep forgetting to close the tap properly on my 70litre wax melter! The washing machine flooded the kitchen last week and water was rising up through the sink. He found about 10kg’s of wax in the pipes – hopefully that will be the last time!
Do you have any specific ambitions or goals for House of Scent?
As I mentioned earlier, the candle industry is hugely unregulated and it’s quite shocking that paraffin wax is still being sold in the majority of shops and used by some really big names such as Jo Malone and Aldi. My main goal is to raise awareness and shout from the rooftops about the health implications. But I also genuinely want my candles to help people. I received so many thank you post cards and emails during lock down from happy customers and honestly, it just makes my heart full knowing that I have created something that has genuinely helped someone else through a difficult time. For me it isn’t about the financial gain, it’s about building a brand that stands for something and that makes a (small) but real difference.
Is there anything that you believe makes your brand different or stand out?
I would say what is unique about House of Scent is the sheer determination to build a sustainable brand. Anyone can make a candle, but it really does take a lot of effort to make and ship a product that doesn’t add any more stress to the planet. I always think that bigger brands spend a lot of money making themselves “look” sustainable, but actually doing it is a different matter entirely. I have a refill initiative so that customers receive a 20% discount if they return their old jars which is working really well, I’ve had 500 glass jars returned so far. I’ve researched the type of glue on my packing tape to make sure this is recyclable and even my business cards are made from old cotton tshirt cut-offs! I would save a lot of money taking short cuts but this to me, is not something I’m willing to budge on.
Are there any plans for new products or news over the next few months?
I already make reed diffusers, and sell neat essential oils, but my aim is to expand the range into home fragrances and products such as room sprays/ hand soap etc. Fragrance is everything, and the power of scent is incredible, but so many of the fragrances around today are synthetic and shouldn’t really be used on our skin. If I can empower my customers with natural fragrances from the ground with the added therapeutic benefit, and expand this into more products that we use every day, it would be a huge accomplishment for me.
Anything else you’d like to share with our subscribers…
I will also be at the Knutsford Christmas Maker’s Market on the first weekend of December for any local customers.
There you have it, Octobers box revealed! Autumn is now in full swing, with crunchy leaves under foot and a cool wind in the air. So grab a blanket and indulge in this months sweet spiced aromas…
