Q&A: Meet the duo behind our new favourite candle brand

• What was the concept behind EYM when you first started the brand?

EYM stands for Elevate Your Mood. We decided to start the brand as we felt there weren’t many beautifully designed but 100% natural candle brands out there. We also wanted to create a clean candle that not only smelt amazing but also had a really positive impact on your mood. 

• What is your inspiration for when you start to design each of the candles? 

This is one of my favorite parts of the process! Firstly I start with the mood, what do I want the aromatherapy benefits of this candle to be? Then I research the oils, what blends well and smells beautiful too? That’s the difference for us, these candles don’t just smell amazing, they are made to serve a purpose as well. 

• You are a husband and wife duo, how do you find the work / relationship balance?

Haha, this is a good question. We tend to have a lot of rushed lunchtime and evening conversations, we have to time this around children sleeping as we have a 3.5-year-old and a 2-year old who have a really good nose for sabotaging an Eym conversation! But what’s really good about Sam and me is that we have quite complementary personality traits for working together. Sam is such a perfectionist, he’s the creative director and designed everything for the brand, he is incredibly visual and detail-driven. I’m more of a doer and really love meeting people and dreaming up new ideas. 

• How does it work using natural ingredients to create the chemical-free candles?

It’s a very very detailed process working with naturals, they just aren’t as straightforward as synthetics. In the beginning, it was REALLY hard to create chemical-free candles! We very quickly realised why so few other brands weren’t making them. Whilst researching, we were basically told by many perfumers and candle makers that there was no way to make cost-effective, 100% natural fragrance and that it would be a lot easier if we used the long-serving ingredient of synthetics. Synthetic fragrance is cheap and simple to make - a kilo of synthetic rose fragrance costs about £100, compared to a single teaspoon of natural rose oil costing around £150. But we just didn’t want to compromise, and so, after years of development, working alongside the UK’s top natural perfumers, we managed to create unique blends for the purest candles possible.

• Which is your favourite city to visit around the world and why?

We love Lisbon, it’s got such a good vibe. There’s a real feeling of freedom there, and being from Cornwall Sam loves anywhere that’s near good surf.

• What do you love about London?

There is so much I love about London, it’s got such incredible creative energy. I love how it’s a city that constantly adapts and changes yet still manages to remain current and cool. I also really don’t subscribe to this idea that no one ever helps you out or talks to you in London, I have had so many moments when I’ve thought it’s a city full of kind-hearted people. 

• Looking forward, what is next in the pipeline we can get excited about for EYM? 

We are super excited about expanding our product range, expect a lot of new additions this year.