DIY soy wax candles with T. Lees
Now that we have ample time indoors, I realise my home entertainment is not so entertaining. Typically, the abode remains synonymous with stillness. It’s a place to unwind and unravel, and despite feeling starved for social interaction, I enjoy being a hermit. But with perpetual lockdowns, it’s starting to get restless around here.
Last spring, to keep idle hands busy, I gave in to all the popular trends. I tried the dalgona coffees, the banana breads. And when baking wasn’t cutting it, I took to jigsaws and zoom parties. But soon enough, I exhausted those too. I needed a homebound hobby that would keep me engaged and gratified, which is why in lockdown 2.0, I upgraded to candles.
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Situated in Montreal, Quebec, is T. Lees, specialising in quality fragrances for the home and body. Each product is handmade, formulated with sustainable and organic ingredients where possible. Accordingly, their candles are made from soy wax, which is far superior to petroleum-based paraffin. Soy wax also burns much slower and cleaner, resulting in a longer-lasting, less sooty candle.
I’ve known about T. Lees for some time, and I’m personally partial to their ‘Collection Caféinée’, favouring scents like ‘coconut chai’ or ‘peach and hibiscus’. But what I really like about T. Lees is that you can make your own candles using their DIY boxes-a potential solution for my domestic tedium.
Each DIY box comes with the appropriate tools to create six, eight-ounce candles in two delicious fragrances of your liking. The updated fragrance list includes sandalwood and amber, driftwood and coconut, lavender fields, lemongrass, eucalyptus, wild roses, sea salt and sage, or French vanilla.
When I got started, I opted for wood shavings and sandalwood, each reminding me of a distinct moment from my childhood. Because ultimately, that’s what candles are: memories wrapped in warmth. They have an emotional ripple effect. And when we come out of this weird, chaotic time, I’ll have my candles to remember it.
Originally published at https://www.lescalejournal.com on September 22, 2021.
