Candle Crafting ~ The Psychology of Fragrance

One of my homestead income ventures that I've been involved with over a period of years is candle making. I came into the craft in 1999, because I wanted to have the super fragranced candles, but couldn't afford them! Having just bought my homestead the year before, as a single working mom of three, funds were tight! I felt that if I could get that good, I could have a supplemental income to my salary as a sale clerk/water analysis expert at our local pool store. It became my mission to be just as good as that particular candle maker...it took some experimenting and classes through my craft supplier, and then, more experimenting. But, I did it. Gemini Gardens Candles was born in 2000. Yep, that long ago!

I have done both pillar and container candles; but I currently offer only the hand poured, soy blend container candles...our local market doesn't have the demand for high priced pillars. Just because you build it doesn't mean they'll come! Today, I work from a demand side business philosophy, having once tried that old 'field of dreams' pattern, to a loss. So, now I make what the clients want...and it changes from year to year. Sometimes drastically!

That's where the psychology of fragrance comes in. Each fragrance collection brings us to a different space in time, whether it's The Coffee Shop Collection, The Bakery, Never Ending Summer, The Teahouse, The Mancave...whichever.
Each category has a range of fragrances within it, where I can usually get at least one or two likes even from the pickiest of candle fans! You know those couples...she'll like a fragrance, then hold it up for her hubby to smell...he'll either give it a nod of approval or a squint of 'not so much'.

I have bakery fragrances that take you back to a comfort zone in mom's kitchen, like Apple Cinnamon Streusel, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Cinnamon Sticks, Maple Walnut Fudge and Vanilla Bean. These are usually he most asked for fragrances of the Fall & Winter seasons. I should say, 'were'...! Then we have the newer of the old favorites, Mulberry, Spiced Cranberry, Pomegranate Cider, Creme Brulee and the like, which are new enough that we have our own memories attached to the fragrances; they don't drag us back to 'the halcyon days' that never were.

This year, the trend was quite different! My clients aren't, for the most part, wanting to turn that clock back!!! It's almost as if there was some unspoken feeling of 'we won't get fooled again' to it!

These traditional fragrances that we associate with the good old feelings used to represent a loving, warm feeling...feeling included, cherished, part of a larger importance. The memories have been tainted, I must assume, by what is going on in our society. Those once treasured fragrances now seems to represent a cloistering effect with a feeling of being over-parented. It's quite interesting!

And, so, what DID these unpredictable candle fans want?? They wanted the beach fragrances!!! The town clearly wasn't over vacation! So, after I'd thought I'd be putting away the Endless Summer fragrance collection, there I was, pulling it back out, and ordering the ones I'd planned to wait until Spring 2018 to put online! Sex on the Beach in October...sure, why not? Monkey Farts, Butt Naked...no problem!

The Summer fragrances don't drag us down memory lane in a retrograde...they just take us away, like the proverbial Calgon moment...it's an emotional salve, of sorts. So, we have the fruity, happy beachy fragrances...with the pineapple, the coconut, banana...we can laugh and remember happily.

The other unexpected trend this past Fall & Winter season was the return of the popularity of the Happy Hippie! You've got to know these fragrances...if you're old enough to remember 60's and 70's head shops, that is! Or if you have parents who remember! Patchouli, Nag Champa, Dragons Blood, Sandalwood, Absinthe...these were running a close second.

So, I guess, until we, as a collective, can figure out our way back to the garden, I'll keep returning my friends' and clients' hearts and dreams to the beach! Oh, mine, too!!

For more about Gemini Gardens Candles & More, visit
http://mamajeani.wix.com/geminigardenscandles

Shop my Etsy store at
http://etsy.com/shop/geminigardenscandles