A look behind the scenes.

You might already know that GLASSHOUSE FRAGRANCES co-founder and CEO Nicole Eckels was inspired to launch the brand when, after moving to Australia from the US, she discovered a gap in the market for locally produced high quality candles. What you may not know is that since then, we have continued to manufacture and hand-finish our candles in Sydney. Like many other industries, this is far from the norm, with the majority of brands now producing offshore. In Nicole’s own words: “We choose to craft our candles locally and by hand because it allows us to carefully observe the standard of quality for each and every one—we hand wick, hand pour, hand trim and hand polish.”

GLASSHOUSE FRAGRANCES’ commitment to quality is something that’s woven into every aspect of the artisanal journey. Our staff (dubbed “Sapphires” by Nicole) treat every product with love and care, and we think it shows.

Inspired by our recent relaunch, we’re taking you behind the scenes for a sneak peek at how our signature Triple Scented Soy Candles are made. From hand-pouring and finishing in our Sydney factory to burning in your home, they experience quite the journey! Along the way, we’re also answering a few frequently asked questions about our new soy blend wax and laying out the basic candle care tips and tricks every Scent Addict should know.

Keep scrolling for a VIP tour of our candle making process.

 

1. Fragrance formulation

We begin the candle-making process by formulating a new fragrance in partnership with some of the world’s best fragrance houses. Each unique GLASSHOUSE FRAGRANCES scent starts with an inspiration of some kind; a holiday, a memory, a bolt of incredible fabric, even a feeling. From there, we work with a team of skilled perfumers to turn these ideas into “juice” or pure fragrance, which is a nuanced and complex process that can take a year or more to bring to life.

 

 

2. Blending the wax

Once we’ve got a fine fragrance to work with, we begin transforming it into a candle. You may have noticed our candles are “triple scented”— this term reflects the high dosage of fragrance we use in all our candles. (The term came about because we use triple the amount of fragrance generally used in the industry.) Due to demand from our customers, our newly relaunched candles have been changed from a paraffin wax to a soy blend wax for the purest and cleanest burn possible.

 

Tip: The first time you light your candle, we suggest you let it burn for between one and four hours. You’re aiming for the wax to melt all the way to the outside of the candle to prevent tunnelling during future burns (tunnelling is where unmelted wax is left around the edges, resulting in a reduction in fragrance throw and burn times).

3. hand wicking the candles

We use cotton wicks in all of our candles and these are placed into the vessels by hand to ensure a high standard of quality and consistency. Cotton is a natural fibre that is highly absorbent (important for a clean burn) and is widely accepted as the superior choice of wick for candles. To quote Nicole: “Nothing compares, period.”

 

Tip: We recommend you stop burning your candle once there is 10mm of wax left. Why? Once the wax level dips below this, there isn’t enough left to absorb the heat of the flame which in some cases can cause the glass vessel to crack.

4. hand-pouring the wax

Once blended, the wax is hand-poured into our high-quality glass vessels. The original GLASSHOUSE FRAGRANCES design was based on a ‘20s Apothecary pot but was modernised recently for our relaunch. They’re built to be both beautiful and functional, with a thicker base that acts as a built-in coaster to protect surfaces when lit and includes a seal in the glass lid so the vessel can be reused and repurposed.

5. hand trimming the wicks

Before boxing, we trim all of our GLASSHOUSE FRAGRANCES candle wicks by hand to an exact 7mm. This measurement ensures an optimal fuel to consumption ratio which results in a controlled flame, steady burn and optimal burn time.

Basically, trimming to 7mm allows your candle to burn cleanly and evenly, and last you as long as possible.

Tip: Before each new burn, we advise trimming your wicks back down to 7mm once wax has cooled and solidified. This will ensure you’ll continue to get the best burn possible at home—controlled, steady, clean and even.

 

6. hand packaging the candles

Each one of our candles is individually inspected and hand-polished during the packaging process to ensure our high-quality standards are met every time. They’re then hand-boxed in our signature soft-touch candle boxes before being shipped to our customers all around Australia and New Zealand from Rydalmere, Sydney.