Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Castro.
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started making my own candles in early 2022, and candidly, it was for a totally selfish reason – I was tired of spending money on uninteresting fragrances in cheap vessels.
As I got started, I did some major research, diving deep into the world of candle making. I learned that many brands contain toxic ingredients, which *literally* burn into the air in your home. I was stunned and inspired – I wanted to create candles that lived up to a higher standard, with rich and interesting scents, clean ingredients, and lovely vessels that inspire repurposing or re-use.
As I pushed further and began testing scents, it dawned on me that this part of the journey – the unique blending of fragrances – could be a collaborative moment. Why weren’t custom candles a thing? You can choose flavors for a cake. Monogramming on a leather good. So why not custom candles? It just made sense. And thus, Made Scents Candles was born.
It started as something I would do for fun, the candles served as a type of thoughtful and handmade gift I could give to my friends and family, but it has kept organically growing, and I eventually launched my e-commerce website, madescentscandles.com in May 2022.
I now have a handful of “Signature Scents” that I keep in rotation year-round (current favorite: Sweater Weather) and I also work with customers to bring custom scent blends to life when they want to gift a loved one (or themselves) something special. Customers can give me keywords that I then translate into a custom scent blend, or they can request particular scents that they have in mind and I can use them as a starting point for a blend.
I am still small (I lovingly hand-pour every candle in my home) and I am having a great time seeing where things are headed and exploring my entrepreneurial side. I did my first holiday market recently and love the experience, so I may do more markets in the future! Stay tuned 🙂 and follow along @madescents_candles to see what’s coming next!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, so far so good! I think any small business experiences bumps along the way, but I just keep telling myself to stay curious, be open to feedback, and have fun with it!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In addition to making clean, luxurious, custom candles at Made Scents Candles, I am also a graphic designer by trade! My website for design work is www.laurencastro.com. I do all of my own branding, marketing, and packaging design – truly a one-woman shop! I am proud to say that I also do “candles for a cause” where I create limited edition candles and the proceeds go to nonprofits that I believe in. Most recently I sold “Roe-sy Glow” candles, with proceeds going towards the Center for Reproductive Rights.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Best – There is always something to do, and the people here are generally warm and kind.
Least – The traffic. Definitely the traffic.
Pricing:
- Candles prices start at $15, with a variety of sizes to choose from
- Custom candles are just $10 more per size
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.madescentscandles.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madescents_candles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeScentsCandle/
