Member Article

Heaven scent - new Christmas candle is perfect for homesick Geordies

At times like Christmas, people’s thoughts often turn to family, to home and to the things that matter in life.

And if you are from the North East one of the things that matters most is football, and Newcastle United in particular.

So this Christmas artist Ruth Herling has devised an effective way of conjuring up those fond home thoughts for exiled Northerners - the Geordie Candle - whose fresh and dewy fragrance is intended to evoke memories of a newly-mown St James’ Park.

The black and white candle with the smell of newly mown turf has become so popular it is among the fastest-selling of her range of luxury candles, which began as a cottage industry from her home in Newcastle.

“Fragrances can be very powerfully evocative, and can unlock memories and emotions we may long have forgotten about,” she says.

“I’d hope the scent of fresh grass when combined with the distinctive black-and-white design of the label will help transport people to a place which means a great deal to them.”

Ruth’s own fascination with the magical allure of candles led to her starting her own business making ones which are good for the soul, good for health - and even good for the planet.

And while regular candles may be marked as ‘natural’ they can still contain paraffin wax, which are not only cheaper to produce but can also contain toxins that may irritate respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Ruth’s range - Candela - differs from many other products because they are strictly vegan-friendly. Ruth doesn’t use beeswax in her candles, she uses vegetable wax - which exploits no living creatures and is free of toxins.

“It’s the healthiest of them all,” says the 39-year-old at her home in Gosforth. “It’s quite a complicated process. However, it produces a far better quality candle, as a result”.

“People are increasingly aware of the impact we can have on the environment around us, and the impact on the environment we expose ourselves to can have an impact on our own well being.”

Candela products are available at gift shops, art houses and galleries such as The Biscuit Factory and The Sage, and Ruth’s online store is drawing customers from far and wide - including those who’d like to scent the hallowed turf at St James’ Park. Unlike many mass produced products on the market, all of Ruth’s candles are made to order and sell for £9.95. She has a pre-Christmas online promotion of 3 for 2, with free delivery. The candles last 30 hours.

She said: “I got started simply because I’m just a big candle lover. Hopefully, I will help to make more people become candle lovers.

“I choose all of the fragrances and match them with the colour I find most attractive. There are no animal products involved in the fragrances and the dyes.”

* IN addition to the Geordie candle, Ruth’s range now offers 14 different fragrances, such as honeysuckle and musk, which are all individual scents rather than blends.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by MarxMedia .