It takes a lot to release bewitching new scents in our collections because we prefer to do things differently to make our products truly unique. Instead of chasing fragrance trends, slapping a new name on the same generic label, and making "just another candle," we offer a new experience every time you receive one of our spellbinding products.
Every scent must have a “WOW” factor because writing chilling tales, making new illustrations, and ordering all the supplies for our luxury packaging takes time and investment. We began Hex and Wax because we LOVE storytelling, handmade artwork, and luxe fragrances, so we remember that every time we design an irresistible new candle.
People often ask us, “What comes first? The fragrance, story, or illustration?”
Our answer…”It depends!”
Having these options gives us three great starting points when coming up with new scents. All three areas need to be strong enough to support each other like legs on a tripod because they’re all equally important to our spooky brand.
Sometimes the candle begins when we fall in love with a fragrance. Our delicate beauty, Highland Mourning, was discovered when we tested a lovely, calming blend featuring scent notes from the national flower of Scotland. So, of course, the candle had to pay tribute to one of our favorite places on Earth.
Meghan learned of an old Highland folk legend about a ghostly funeral procession from one of her Scottish friends, and wrote a story inspired by it. All that was left was for Eric to create a striking image, and voila! A haunting new fragrance was born!
On other occasions we may start with an idea for an image. Fresh Grave was one such candle. I mean, how could you have a horror themed candle company without a label that features a graveyard?!
But we weren’t going to just stick a graveyard image on any random fragrance. Our candles are all about creating a fully immersive story experience for the senses, so the scent had to represent the feeling of walking through a rainy graveyard. The smell of wet soil, damp woods, and storm clouds wafting in the air.
When we concocted a blend for the perfect petrichor candle, we knew we finally had our winner. Meghan wrote up the spine-tingling story, and Eric created one of his favorite labels thus far. This wicked combination was so popular, it dethroned Ghostly Visitor as our best selling scent!
Other times, we’ll begin with an original story to focus on certain sub genres, capture a particular season, or when a good idea simply pops into our heads! For example, we recently realized our capsule collection was missing a quintessential slasher candle, and we knew no self-respecting horror lineup was complete without one. Like iconic slashers of the 80’s, it had to be something frightening, yet cozy.
Eric wanted to make sure our slasher on the label was a unique, original design. He knew the best way to do this was to begin with the backstory of the legend to develop the look. He loves a good slasher in the woods, and a classic campfire tale, which would all inform scent ideas later. Well, who hangs out in the middle of the woods, and would know his way around an axe or chainsaw?
This was the foundation for our newest manly scent, Ranger Danger. Eric was so excited about the idea, he wrote up the story himself, and knew exactly how he wanted The Ranger to appear on the label. This led us to ideas for woodsy, cozy scents that would live up to the legend. After some testing, we came up with an irresistible combination for this seductive "mandle."
Not all of our candle pre-productions go this smoothly. Sometimes we have a story and image idea, but can’t seem to find a scent that’s the right fit. Other times we have to revise a story simply because it doesn’t give us a lot of great options for compelling label illustrations. If something isn’t working out, we won’t force it.
We’re filled with pride when people discover our candles at markets, and their eyes light up. The 5-star reviews on our product pages help us to know we're doing things right, so thank you to all who have left us feedback. We want our products to stand out amongst the crowd, which is why we keep our lineup tight, our standards high, and our scents and designs unique.
This provides you peace of mind knowing that whether you’re interested in our current offerings, or an upcoming release, every detail of our otherworldly fragrances are sure to haunt you forever.
