My Story Doesn’t Start with a Business Plan

It starts with a conversation I had with my daughter in 2020, during a year where joy was hard to find. 

We were talking about scent and memory, and how it connects people across cultures, ethnicities, and generations.

Some of our most meaningful memories aren't in photographs. They're found in scent. 

The smell of your grandmother’s garden can touch you before you can name what you’re remembering.

Cleaning takes you back to Saturday mornings with the music turned all the way up, fresh air moving through the house, and something good on the stove.

That conversation became Black Culture Candles.

I wanted to create something that honored those memories. Something that celebrated the joy, culture, and fullness of Black American life, and the everyday experiences that connect us to ourselves and each other.

So, in 2021, I started pouring candles in small batches in my studio in Akron, Ohio.

Every fragrance begins with a shared memory or experience. Every glass vessel is etched in my studio. Every candle is made to carry a moment that connects us.

That’s still how I work today.

Make Space for Joy, Culture and Connection.
Take a Scent Journey through the moments that connect us.

The Four-Stage Artisan Process 

Each Black Culture Candles piece is created as part of a larger Scent Journey , one that begins with memory, takes form through craft, and continues in the spaces where we live.

From concept to completion, the process moves deliberately; from memory and material selection to form, light, and finish, allowing scent, vessel, and light to work together.

I. The Curation — The Beginning of the Journey
Each custom scent is developed over time using high-quality, phthalate-free fragrance oils blended to evoke a specific moment: the ease of a Friday night, an afternoon in Grandma’s Garden, or the fresh satisfaction of a Cleaning Day well done.

II. The Etching — Giving the Journey Form
Each matte glass vessel is etched by hand in the studio. This isn't a label. It's a permanent maker's mark cut into the glass, allowing candlelight to pass through for a soft ambient glow. The vessel becomes part of the Scent Journey, holding both fragrance and light. Long after the wax is gone, the etched glass remains.
 

III. The Detail — Grounding the Experience
Before pouring, sustainably sourced wood wicks are carefully centered and set. Chosen for their steady, clean burn and gentle crackle, they add a subtle layer of sound that grounds the experience in the present moment. 

 

IV.  The Pour — Bringing the Journey to Life
Each candle is hand-poured in small batches using a vegan coconut-apricot wax blend selected for its clean burn, strong scent throw, and faint shimmer when lit. The result is a refined, long-lasting candle made with care in every detail—so you can enjoy the full experience of scent, light, and sound in your space.