November 1 was National Scented Candle Day — a new and real holiday — and while we love the aromas that fall and the season can bring, we found ten Black-owned brands that will make you want to smell the beautiful scent of Blackness. Similar to Black people, these candle brands offer a diverse set of aesthetics, scents and price points. Here’s a list of ten Black-owned Candle makers that BLAC believes will help to enhance your home, office, man cave or mother escape ambiance — and can be great for gifting.
Toni’s Collection
Detroit-based Toni’s Collection uses the finest fragrance oils from Europe. Toni’s Collection candles are hand poured with a luxurious, clean burning, proprietary coconut & soy wax blend. This proprietary blend was developed after 12 months of research by our CEO and chemists. Available at toniscollection.com
Elevate + Glow
Detroit-based Elevate + Glow is an all natural candle studio created to uplift atmospheres and promote the art of gift giving. Available at elevateglow.com
FORVR Mood
Beauty influencer Jackie Aina is shifting the “strong Black woman” stereotype by prioritizing self-care and luxury through the rich fragrances of her FORVR Mood candles. Encouraging women to be “bougie on a budget,” the brand offers a range of candle scents, sizes and sets retailing for as low as $15. Available at Sephora and forvrmood.com.
Harlem Candle Company
Harlem Candle Co. is a luxury home fragrance company creating scents that the rich culture and history of Harlem inspires. Created by founder & lifestyle expert Teri Johnson’s love for fragrance, jazz and the famed Harlem, her candle scents draw inspiration from Black trailblazers like Langston Hughes, Josephine Baker and Frederick Douglass. The full-size candles cost $48 and $17 for travel-size. Available at HarlemCandleCompany.com.
Frères Branchiaux Candle Co.
Started by Collin (16), Ryan (13), and Austin Gill (11) to earn more money for video game, Frères Branchiaux Candle Company is an international candle company with retailers across the U.S. and Japan. Selling candles named after classic films like “Love Jones” and “Marvel’s Black Panther” for $25, the brand donates 10% of its profits to homeless shelters nationwide. Available here FrèresBranchiaux.com.
Bright Black Candles
This family-owned brand uses fragrance to spread the beauty and brilliance of Blackness. Through intentional candle collections like the “Diaspora collection” and “Genre collection,” the brand honors “cities of Black greatness” like Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Durham, N.C. (USA), Kingston (Jamaica), Paris (France) and Salvador, Bahia (Brazil) as well as “the sounds of Black rhythms, beats, sounds, moves and moods: Bachata, Gospel, Hip Hop, Rock and Yemanja.” Bright Black offer $30 candles; available on brightblackcandles.com.
BLK Sunflower
BLK Sunflower uses both custom fragrance blends and scientific studies to develop relationships between fragrance and emotions, all in an effort to make you feel good. The brand is best known for its “Tall Dark & Handsome” scent — aka “Michael B. Jordan in candle form.” These hand-poured, coconut-soy wax candles range between $19.99 and $45 on blksunflower.com
Alexandra Winbush
Owner Brittney Winbush encourages everyone to elevate their routine by indulging in luxury candles. However, the brand offers the full experience. In addition to selling individual candles for $29, it also offers sets, including tea blends and curated playlists that compliment each scent. Available on alexandrawinbush.com.
Beyond Interior
In a fusion between art and fragrance, Beyond Interior’s various silhouette-shaped candles highlight the endless curves and idiosyncrasies of the female body. The 100% hand-poured beeswax candles are crafted to release negative ions that help neutralize toxins in the air and are available for $30 on beyond-interior.com.
LaRoux Fragrances
Born from a random dream of founder Tyshaia Earnest during the pandemic, LaRoux Fragrances is more than just a family company. The affordable, sustainable and user-focused candles allow “women across generations [to] have a deeper connection to themselves, to their communities and the world.” Purchasing any $25 candle leads to donations to programs and organizations supporting women of color.
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