Did you know that one in four millennial women buy 10 or more candles a year? That's what Abigail Stone found after she conducted an independent study in 2016 surveying a group of women across the United States. She also knew that, according to NPD, the home scents market is a $50 billion industry. This knowledge, along with her passion for candles, all led her to create Otherland, a direct-to-consumer candle brand aimed at the self-care, hygge-obsessed generation of twenty and thirty-somethings.
On Tuesday, Dec. 12, Stone launched Otherland's first collection comprised of five beautiful candles with different and unique scent stories, from smoky, woody wilderness to sweet, sun-soaked rose gardens. Stone worked with a master perfumer — whose "nose" was behind the scents of luxury fragrance brands like Tom Ford and Le Labo — to create these specific scent stories. She also worked with a team of artists and designers on each of the candle's chic (read: Instagrammable) packaging. While she considers these candles to be on the same level as your Diptyques and Byredos, Stone hopes to set her company apart from others with her more affordable price tag — you can purchase one candle for $36 (including shipping) or a three-pack for $89.
Stone, a candle-loving millennial herself, felt there was a hole in the market between the luxury candles most people display and rarely use and those lower-priced candles that were pretty forgettable and unexciting.
"I kept finding myself settling for candles that all looked the same or were too expensive to light every day," Stone tells me over email. She also felt like the millennial candle shopper was looking for something a little different than those who were investing in higher-end candles.
"Otherland’s ideal customer is the urban nester who's constantly on the look-out for ways to create a haven that keeps up with what they’re all about while helping them disconnect from their non-stop, tech-filled lives," Stone shares.
Each candle is eight ounces and has a 55 hour burn time. They are made from a coconut and soy wax blend and are hand-poured into a 3.25 inch glass. They also come in a artfully-designed box with a small pack of matches.
Here are the five scents from Otherland's inaugural core collection.
1. Kindling
If you love the smell of campfire and the outdoors, you will love Kindling. It's got wood, clove, and smoky notes, and according to Otherland, will remind you of cowboy hats, mezcal, chopped wood, horseback rides, and wool blankets. Sounds cozy, yet adventurous!
2. Chandelier
Chandelier, $36, Otherland
If you want your home to smell rich, Chandelier might be your new go-to. With notes of champagne, saffron, and leather, it'll make you feel like you're at a lavish mansion party, bubbly in hand.
3. Canopy
Give your space a refresh with this bright and clean-smelling candle with notes of fig and ivy. Otherland suggests it'll remind you of being in a tropical rainforest filled with tangled vines, palm breeze, and warm rain.
4. Rattan
Dreaming of an island getaway? Light up Rattan and you might just transport your bedroom to a paradise of sandalwood and amber scents.
5. Daybed
This candle was made for the floral scent-lover. Roses, peonies, spanish moss — that's the sweet aroma you'll get from Daybed.
Stone plans on working with new artists, designers, and perfumers to create an entirely new collection of candles every single month. To learn more about the brand and to stay up to date with what next month's collection will be, be sure to follow Otherland on Instagram here.
