Saint x Ease candles with Alice
Our second collab of the Saint x series in 2022 is one with small business owner, Alice, who started Ease London back in 2020, mid-global pandemic. Alice's vision for her brand and what Ease represents ties in beautifully to our Saint neighbourhood ethos, so this partnership made perfect sense. We are proud to say the result of this new, exciting relationship are two premium, eco-friendly, glorious smelling candles.
We give you 'City Life' and 'Morning Stroll', a nod to fuelling some of London's most prominent spots, and guaranteed to add some calm amongst the chaos.
City Life: Amber, Jasmine, Sandalwood
Morning Stroll: Green Tea, Patchouli, Driftwood
Read on to unravel more about this bespoke project...
Can you tell us a bit about how Ease London started?
I've always loved home fragrance and candles in particular but I'd only ever really been satisfied with one or two, and the more research I did, the more I realised how many well-known, 'luxury' brands were using paraffin wax – something I definitely wanted to avoid.
Like so many others, I was put on furlough quite quickly at the beginning of the pandemic but I noticed my mental health was starting to suffer and I knew I needed some form of project to focus my time and energy on. I decided to take a bit of a leap of faith and invested some of my savings into ease. I spent pretty much the whole of 2020 teaching myself everything I could about running a small business.
I finally launched at the end of November 2020, and the response was unbelievable, I completely sold out within a matter of days! A local Instagram page for my area (@balhamnewsie) had posted about ease london which gave me so much local support. Ease has grown steadily since and I've been fortunate to work on some exciting projects, but this collaboration with Saint Espresso has definitely been a highlight for me!
What was the process of creating a bespoke fragrance for the Saint x series?
I've been working closely with Saints Marketing Manager, Natalie. We worked our way through my current collection to identify which fragrance notes were most appealing. From there, we took the favourite notes and decided to offer the Saint Espresso community two candle choices, between a warmer, more rich fragrance and a lighter, more crisp scent.
I took Natalie's feedback and had a play around with different complimentary fragrances to create something brand new. I use fragrance test strips to layer different oils to test out different combinations. I then usually put them in an air sealed container for a day or two to see how they develop. If I'm happy with the combination, I make a set of wax melts which gives me a slightly more accurate indication of how the combination may smell in a candle.
I decided on some final options and shared them with Natalie before she made the final call. Once I had the confirmed blends, I then set about testing them in a candle.
You helped us come up with one of the names, 'Morning stroll', talk us through that idea and how it aligns...
When I first came up with the name 'ease london' for my brand, I had spent weeks brainstorming different ideas of what I wanted the brand to stand for. First and foremost, I wanted everyone's homes to smell beautiful but I also wanted to make sure my candles helped to create a sense of ease and calmness in our ever hectic lives. Nothing quite beats a morning stroll – it's the perfect opportunity to gather your thoughts and get yourself ready for the day ahead. 99% of my morning strolls involve having a coffee in hand so I thought it was perfect for Saint Espresso!
Whats your go to coffee?
It's simple but I love a black Americano! I studied Spanish at University and spent part of my year abroad in Colombia where adding milk to coffee is an absolute no no. I tend to drink black coffee at home but may treat myself to a cappuccino if I'm out and about. If I ever have the option to pick an origin, I always go for Colombian! I visited some coffee plantations when I was there and found the process fascinating.
So, whether you're after a warm, cosy scent or something to awaken the senses, City Life and Morning Stroll will add a little touch of London magic to your home. Treat yourself or buy for a loved one, and let us know your favourite!