A few weeks back i discovered Voyager Candles - being a nut for a scented candle, i couldn't believe i hadn't found them earlier.
The packaging is truly unique, & now that i have the divine Augusto candle - inspired by the gardens of Capri (takes me back to my honeymoon) in my hot little hands, i can confirm the scents are just as magical as the packaging!
Each candle is hand poured, using a special blend of soy, coconut & beeswax, with pure cotton wicks (sounds amazing right?!)
They come in 5 scents; Augusto (Capri), Belleville (Paris), Alexandra (Melbourne), Tirta (Bali) & Imperial (Tokyo).
Kerrie Golias, the founder of Voyager, was kind enough to have a chat with me.
What was your background before launching
Voyager?
I modelled for 25
years, and was very lucky to have the most wonderful experiences travelling to
and living in many different parts of the world. My love of travel, fragrance and
beautiful products came from this time. You could say that these years were my
education!
We all love an amazing scented candle –
would you mind sharing the process you went through in creating your own range?
I began
researching everything I could about candles – how to make them, the different
waxes and their properties, wicks, fragrances…
Let me tell you, it’s an art
form! Suddenly, the kitchen was full of homemade candles, and we were eating a
lot of takeaway…
My vision for Voyager began to take shape – I wanted my candle
range to be unique in every way, and I found some wonderful
people in my
suppliers, who shared this vision and helped me create Voyager.
What sets Voyager candles apart from other
scented candles on the market?
I guess the first
thing that people would notice and find unique is the Voyager glass; no other
candle brand has used double-walled glasses, which give the candles a beautiful
floating effect. Voyager’s distinctive fragrances are developed together with a
perfumer,
and are inspired by my time travelling. I would like to think that
people connect to the story behind Voyager, and can see that it’s not just ‘another
candle brand’! There is no palm wax or paraffin used in the candles, as it was
important for Voyager to fit in with my ethical values… and everything in the
candles is the very best quality possible!
What is your favourite part about running your own business?
I have to say that Voyager has given
me a huge amount of confidence in my abilities, and, after living a rather
flighty and nomadic life,
it is nice to feel grounded and purposeful. I am also
meeting some really great people.
Sometimes I struggle a little with
prioritising. And I think I may need to let go of my tendency towards
perfectionism…
What does your schedule in a typical day at work look like?
I usually write and reply to emails
in the morning, and then my days usually involve lots of driving to and from my
suppliers and visiting my retailers. In the afternoons, I generally pack my
orders (from our dining room table!) and send them out. Then it’s more emailing
and researching, figuring out what the next step for Voyager will be… At the
moment, it’s seven days a week… and I’m loving it.
Who or what inspires you?
I am constantly inspired by travel,
art, nature, design, architecture, film, photography, music…
Any favourite websites/blogs/magazines?
Too many! But I love The Design
Files, Hello Sandwich (I’m very nostalgic for Japan…).
Brain Pickings is great…
Persolaise Perfumes, Interiors Magazine.…
Actually, I am pretty happy with my
nose in any design, travel or interior mag!
Outside of work, what do you love to do in your downtime?
I love watching live music.
I do
wish more musicians toured Australia, as I think we miss out on so much great
music purely because of geography.
