Essentially Charlie
Candles

After the countless brands I have dedicated myself to professionally over the years, it turns out the one I’m most proud of was a passion project in the comforts of my own home. For five years, my partner Charlie and I created and ran our own candle business with the goal of crafting an affordable and eco-friendly alternative to the commercial world of soy, paraffin, or synthetic fragrances. The result was a wildly successful adventure that was one-hundred percent true to who we were. From scents, labels, photography, packaging and partnerships; it was pure branding from beginning to end. This is our story!

Our Story

For years, Charlie was frustrated with the chemical fragrance industry’s “greenwashing”, price gouging, and corruption in the agricultural sector. He entered the candle market offering something unique, safe, and affordable with his background in public health and a deep passion for environmental justice.

Charlie developed a durable and environmentally conscious wax blend made with coconut oil and beeswax and scented exclusively with pure essential oils. It was almost immediately that I entered the fray hand pouring beside him and providing my expertise as a designer to create the business’s visual identity through years worth of products and exciting collaborations.

A Major Success

Everything was developed 100% by us, with a focus on quality and creativity. Each candle is hand-poured with original scents that are carefully crafted, packaged in their own unique and aesthetically pleasing designs, all created within the comfort of several Brooklyn apartments! Essentially Charlie began this journey by selling candles on Etsy, and since that humble start, we have proudly fulfilled over 6,000 orders, sold over 18,000 beautiful candles, and have received more than 1,000 phenomenal reviews from our delighted customers. Many people have praised our clean, long-lasting burn, which has garnered love from countless individuals who previously struggled to find a suitable alternative due to their sensitivities, allergens, and various illnesses that kept them from enjoying a simple yet profound pleasure in life.

THE SIGNATURE
COLLECTION

The signature collection that started it all. We launched with eleven unique scents that catered to every nose! From woodsy, floral, spicy, herby and everything in between, our customers couldn’t get enough. As their popularity grew, so did our offerings. Throughout the years we launched holiday editions, coffee blends, and citronella candles for the great outdoors.

Each candle label was personally designed by me. Color was key. Bold tones that best suited the scent’s description were used, along with a dual purpose of being able to stylistically exist among anyone’s home decor. It was necessary to utilize color in order to make each candle stand apart and immediately convey a message to the viewer, avoiding the competition’s standard of a basic white label with black text. Once the labels were designed and a textured cream material was chosen, I pulled everything together through photography and editing. Their final listing appearance as seen by customers in our Etsy shop is presented below.

THE QUEER
COLLECTION

As two proud gay men, it was important to offer a niche selection of candles that spoke to our community and friends. Participating in many local queer markets over the years across Brooklyn and Manhattan thanks to my own illustrative works, it was the perfect opportunity to craft something that resonated to that audience and represented all walks of life for the LGBTQ+ community.

With little existing in the queer candle market at that moment in time, a common trend still existed for those that did… throwing a name on a candle and calling it a day. It was a lazy step of using plain text to automatically theme a candle around a subject, void of a proper scent profile or visual communication. It was vital that we took charge and reflect the love, joy, and individuality of those around with a product that made sense. Utilizing a color scheme reminiscent of the Pride flag, we developed six signature scents each with their own illustration. Once labels were complete, I dived into the product photography by illustrating over the imagery so that our candles would immediately catch the eyes of shoppers in the e-commerce market.

The original Bussy Candle. What is a "Bussy" you ask? Google at your own discretion! Moral to the story, there have been many copies from competitors over the years, but we will always pride ourselves as being the one that started it all.

Queer Femme Candle - Geranium, lavender, bergamot and palmarosa radiated light floral notes of clean refreshing air perfect for boosting your inner femininity.

Queer Daddy Candle - Fir needle, cedar wood, eucalyptus and orange formed a warm woodsy scent reminiscent of a big hug from a strong leather daddy.

Queer Masc Candle - Amyris, patchouli, cedar wood, niaouli, and pine brought forth masculine energy with this earthy and musky scent.

Queer Queen Candle - Lavender, cedar wood, lemongrass and rosemary was the fierce balance of sweet and spice to embrace your powerful inner diva.

Queer Pride Candle - Pride was developed to appeal to all beautiful nostrils, with a scent profile that had a little bit for everyone with a sweet vanilla, classic lavender, spicy copaiba and a splash of lemon.