Bliss Out and Relax with Hush Candle
Peppermint Orange, Sandalwood Nutmeg, Jasmine Orange…don’t those scents sound divine? If you’ve got a thing for candles, oils and all things scents, you need to shop Hush Candle now! We recently sat down with the founders to chat about their brand and inspiration. Read more to find out about the brand and head down to one of their stockists.
UJ: What inspired you to start Hush Candle?
Nicole Su: I started Hush Candle with my friend, Chelsea Low in 2015. She just got back from a trip in Australia, where there were a lot of lovely candles and aromatherapy goods in their farmer’s markets, so she got inspired to make candles for friends over Christmas.
I received a candle from her, and while I appreciated the gesture, I felt that the smell was too strong, artificial and overpowering. We started talking about it and we realize that there was a gap in the market. Most candle out there were either too artificial smelling and lacking in quality, or targeted at the luxury market and are really pricey.
We decided to bridge that gap by coming up with affordable and good quality candles, as we saw a huge potential in the local market.
UJ: Can you tell us more about the products you offer and what makes them unique?
NS: Currently, we’ve branched out from just candles and we do have essential oil room sprays and roll-ons in our mix of products. All our products are 100% natural, chemical free and scented only with therapeutic grade essential oils. We keep the look of our products simple and fuss-free, in order for cost savings to be passed to our customer. Our products are also simple and straight to the point. We don’t have fluffy, gimmicky names for our products, and what you see is what you get.
UJ: Where can we find your products?
NS: We are currently stocked at Tangs, Robinsons, Naiise, as well as a few other smaller boutiques in Singapore. We’re also available in Snackfood and Naiise in Malaysia. From next month on, you can also find us at Watsons Ngee Ann City!
UJ: What inspires your scents?
NS: Our scents are predominantly inspired by places and things that we’re familiar and in love with – this was what inspired us to create our first three scents that we believe are classic, timeless favourites –Lavender, Rose and Lemongrass.
Subsequently, we were inspired by our travels as well as our own local culture. For example, the Jasmine Orange and Sandalwood Nutmeg candles were created based on our traveling experience and encounters in Southeast Asia. Jasmine has a very distinct, sweet scent that can be found in certain temples, and Sandalwood’s calming and meditative properties have also been used in ancient cultures in the past.
UJ: What has been the biggest challenge in creating your brand?
NS: The biggest challenge would be coming up with a product or new products, as we only choose to work with natural ingredients. It is always a lot trickier working with all natural ingredients as they are more volatile and go bad at a quicker pace, and it has resulted in countless rounds of trial and error.
There are many times when things don’t go according to what we hope for, and we are often have to return to the drawing board in order to perfect a specific product.
UJ: What has been the biggest reward?
NS: Getting to create a brand from scratch and see it grow from it’s infant stage to what it is today. Nothing beats the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of nurturing and creating something of your own.
UJ: Are we going to find you in any pop ups soon?
NS: We will be at the WeWork Creator’s Market next month alongside other local makers, so do keep a lookout for that!
UJ: What’s your best selling product
NS: Our Lavender candle has always been our constant best seller.
UJ: What’s next for Hush Candle?
NS: This year, we took a leap of faith to focus on Hush Candle full time. We also moved our operations to new office space and studio. We’re hoping to expand on our current range of products and eventually turn Hush Candle into a lifestyle brand.
This article was first published in Urban Journey.