“What is that delightful smell?” a guest asks.

“I found this new place online that makes scented stuff—some of the scents are magical,” you say.

A few years back, when everyone stayed inside and wore masks, I picked up a new hobby. I started blending fragrance oils—“scentology,” “mixology,” whatever you call it—and fell in love with creating something new. It isn’t as easy as it sounds. Candles are finicky: wicks, containers, dye, wax, ratios—tiny changes swing the results. Some blends smell great at first but won’t hold together. Trial and error taught me plenty, and sometimes a happy accident revealed a beautiful, unique note.

Getting it right takes patience (and more than a little wasted material). After months of testing and feedback from long-suffering friends and family, I finally had melts and candles worth sharing. Not every nose agrees, but most of these blends passed the test.

The name A Familiar Flame stuck because it points to what we’re after: the familiar—events, places, things, feelings, nostalgia. We began with candles, added melts, and later diffusers when certain blends shined without a flame. Candles cure about 14 days, and the aroma shifts during that time; the chemical change when fragrance meets wax can be surprising.

Everything here is mixed in southern Indiana with oils purchased from American retailers. We buy local when possible and prioritize American products. If you’re unsure where to start, try the seasonal sample pack for that four-month stretch. Though made for warmers, the samples give a solid preview of the candle scent. Each sample equals two clamshell cubes.

Thanks for your interest—and for reading our story. Check back each season for new arrivals. We generally release 10–15 scents every four months. Some carry over if they fit the next season or become patron favorites; others return annually; a few retire. When a season ends, outgoing scents move to Special Deals for closeout pricing to make room for what’s next.