Cozy Fall Candles From Black-Owned Candle Brands

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If you have a friend who has recently gotten into making candles, they might just be the most business-minded in your crew. According to The National Candle Association (yup, that’s a thing), there are well over $3 billion sales of candles in the U.S. each year. The NCA also reports that 35 percent of those sales happen just around the holidays. People want to fill their homes with scents that are warm and welcoming when the weather cools down, and candles are the perfect way to do that.

Scent can be a powerful emotional trigger. The Harvard Gazette interviewed one life science professor who explained scent goes directly to the part of the brain associated with feelings and memories. Choose the scents in your home wisely, and you can be taken back to some pleasant places the moment you step in the door. If you’re looking for something that will remind you of that mountain ski trip you took with your family, or grandma’s kitchen when she was baking, here are some decadent candles from Black-owned candle brands to light up this fall.

Spoken Flames

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Shavaun, the founder of Spoken Flames, wanted to “create mindful sensory experiences that connect you with all parts of you,” and so her candle brand was born. Each candle blends the perfect scents to make you feel at ease – including her candle appropriately called “Autumn Ease, Crisp Air.” It has notes of orange, pumpkin, patchouli, bergamot, and cedarwood. You can also get the autumn trio, which will contain the “Focus Candle” (vanilla, eucalyptus, sandalwood), the “Slow Speeds Welcome Candle” (fig, amber, frankincense) and the Autumn Ease all in one box.

FORVR Mood

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FORVR Mood was created by Nigerian-born, U.S. Army vet Jackie Aina so when you shop her brand, you are honoring Aina’s service, too. Her candles are distinctly decadent and luxurious – they’d make a great bridal shower or Valentine’s Day gift. In line with the brand’s name, you can shop scents by mood and for the fall, you’ll want to check out the Sweater Weather Collection; you’ll find scents like candied pecan, buttery caramel corn, mountain tulips, and sweet vanilla bean.

Southern Elegance Candle Co.

Southern Elegance Candle Co. is Black woman-owned and collaborates with many local suppliers in the North Carolina region for its products. Their hand-made soy candles can be purchased on a subscription base, so your home will never have to smell bland again. There’s always a fragrance of the month, and for October, it’s “Fireside & Bonfire Nights,” which boasts notes of smoke, wood, clove, amber, sandalwood, and patchouli.

Alexandra Winbush

Alexandra Winbush is one of those Black-owned candle brands that’s so popular that most items are sold out. However, you can still snag the “Window Seat” candle, which has a combination of zesty and sweet notes of pomegranate and ginger. It’s perfect for – you guessed it – sitting at your window with a cup of your favorite hot beverage, and watching the leaves fall. It boasts a generous 70 hours of burning time to get you through that winter romance novel.

Honorable Mention

Lit By Regies

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Although we focused on Black woman-owned brands for this list, Lit By Regies deserves a spot. These candles are available in an array of intoxicating scents that will make your home smell like sweet treats wafting out of a woodsy cabin – just what you want this time of year. Think sandalwood + baked apple pie or sandalwood + gardenias + caramel. They come in several sizes so you can opt for a longer-burning one for your coffee table or a 4oz decorative candle.

Young, Black entrepreneur REJ, the brand’s creator, got into candle making during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to de-stress. After friends and neighbors noted how amazing his candles smelled, REJ began to sell them online and now the public can bring the aromatic creations from Lit By Regies into their homes.