When Kátia with Schendel Home Scents first moved here from Brazil, she wasn't sure what she was going to do. So, she decided to pursue a lifelong passion - fragrances. Kátia is fascinated with scent's strong link to memory and emotions, and she loved the idea of working with her creative side. Now, she makes elegant and aromatic candles, reed diffusers, wax melts, and more. Get to know her below!
How long have you been making candles, and how did you get started? How long have you been selling your products?
I’m originally from Brazil, and my husband was invited to work in the USA by a German automotive company back in 2016. Then, when we accepted the job offer, I had no idea of all the paths and decisions I would have to take. But I knew I was a positive and a courageous person who liked the new changes and growth. To get to the passion for candles, it was a long process. Besides having to learn the language and a whole new culture, I wanted to find a path, a job that would give me pleasure, make me happy and independent. I spent the first two years analyzing, searching, thinking about what I could do here, since I left my profession back there in Brazil. So, I started studying about aromatization of environments, at first mainly because I've always been passionate about aromas, and secondly because I have a very dear friend in Brazil who already worked in the business. She gave me all the first directions and steps, the first recipes, and really awakened in me the love for scents.
I started with all over sachets, sprays, and diffusers, and ended up falling in love with the candles. At the beginning, I had many difficulties, being in a different country and without the fluency of the language, the search for information was difficult mainly due to the high number of suppliers and the immense choice of materials. I took advantage of the free time I had being alone in the household, and took many courses, from natural perfumery and aromatherapy to olfactory marketing, and especially candles of course. I’ve joined candles and fragrance communities on several social media sites, and sought to meet the vast majority of suppliers and materials. Time, tests, and learning made me understand the differences in materials and choose the best ones to compose a quality product.
There were infinite tests at home, when I started to feel confident about what I was doing. I started to give some candles to friends to test, and only then I started selling them. I'm still at the beginning of this profession and business journey, but I know the passion for my work can take me beyond, and that's the path I’ve decided to choose. All the difficulties gave to me a very meaningful learning experience, and today I’m grateful for the persistence and support I’ve received from my husband, family, and friends!
What do you love most about making home fragrances and candles?
I am passionate about the fragrances world, understanding the importance of the smell’s physique side, emotions, the memories, and also understanding the structure to create a fragrance. I like to choose fragrances with the sense of the whole process, combinations, the sensations, and feelings. Understanding the importance of aromas in our life and especially - making them! For me, a perfect day is the candle making day, where I put all my study into practice with a lot of love. I’m a restless person, and I always had difficulty following rules and processes, but I realized that in this world of scents, I can work with my creative side and then be able to innovate, and also learn to follow the production process steps, be accurate on the required measurements and exact temperatures, and learn the importance of curing time. It's a mixture of creativity, planning, and patience to obtain the results I’m really looking for.
What inspires you to create?
I believe the inspiration comes from my passion for the scents world, and also from my curiosity. Everything around me can inspire the creation process. A few examples are enjoying a good wine, growing herbs and flowers on my balcony, the passion for reading, and especially the smelling exercise. Seeking to know the olfactory notes isolated, to be able to identify the different notes in a glass of wine, or in a plate of food. You can silence all other senses, but smelling has historically been an important part of our survival and evolution as species. The other senses like vision, taste, touch, and hearing need to go a long way to reach the brain parts responsible for memories and emotions. Smell, on the other hand, is the deepest emotional connection, as when we smell a scent, this smell is registered in the brain together with the emotion we feel at that moment, and when we revisit that smell, we feel the same emotion. Smell is memory and emotion. It inspires me to help in the construction of iconic memories, which will be saved and revisited whenever this aroma hovers in the air.
What's your favorite candle scent? Any tips for getting a great throw?
I have a different favorite fragrance almost every day! I fall in love with the different scents tirelessly. I like to relate fragrances to people, moments, places, and sensations. I have a friend who I correlate to “Ginger Pachouli,” which is "Lemon Bar" and "Turkish Coffee." I have another one who is “Vitality,” and also one who is “Eucalyptus and Cotton.” I have a “Lavender & Chamomile” mom and a “Letter Lover” husband. I also have moments in my life that are “Pink Mimosa” and “Island Escape.” Nevertheless, the scent of “Peony & Amberwood” - for me was an amazing surprise, because when I smelled this fragrance for the first time, I had an immediate feeling of welcoming, affection, and dialogue, and I didn't know exactly where it came from. So, for three days, smelling this aroma around the house, I jumped with joy when I finally identified it! It reminded me of a friend's perfume in college, it also reminded me of the countless Sunday afternoons we spent talking about life, plans, the past, present, and the future. It reminded me how much I was welcomed and loved by this friend, the fragrance awakened in me all these good feelings, a mix of thoughtfulness, trust, and friendship. All that inspired and still inspires me, making me very happy.
To have a good explosion of scent, we first have to understand that each olfactory note has its characteristics, each chord was structured in order to fulfill its role, a well-built chord achieves its purpose with mastery. You just need to understand and choose properly, whether the goal is an explosion of scents that is strong and striking, or a light, smooth, and subtle combination in the environment. In addition, choosing the right and quality materials, and following the production process carefully and responsibly, will always give excellent results.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
When people ask me if it's easy to make candles, my answer is yes! The hard part is learning to do it right. To start a project, you need to have courage and focus, you need persistence, you need to pursue knowledge and improvement. Understanding everything is a process and there are steps along the way has to be respected, because a good base structure has always made castles tall and safe. Having the sense that if the production of candles is not a hobby, but the search for a profession, you need to study, you need to understand the process, materials, and learn about standards, and that requires time, dedication, and above all, love for work.
When I started making candles, I didn't start with the kit because I didn't know it even existed. Now, definitely my main advice would be: start with the kit! It will save you a lot of time, energy, and money.
Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
There are many professionals I admire, and I follow their work through their social media. Right now, for example, I'm reading Jo Malone's book, and I have a lot of admiration for her life story. Knowing that like the vast majority of us, she also started her project inside a small apartment, then grew and developed her passion until she got where she is today. Discovering she faced obstacles, that she had the vision to uncover opportunities, and also started over for the love of this fragrant world. I like stories that inspire us to continue, to improve, and especially to never give up on our dreams.
Sandalwood and Vanilla wax melts
Have you experienced a failure? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
Mistakes are part of the learning process. My first big mistake was thinking like… okay, now I'm going to make candles! So, it should be pretty simple, I just will need wax, wick, and fragrance, then put it all together in a container and it's done! Very simple. My first candle was a complete disaster and I immediately realized it wasn't as simple as I’ve thought. And I tried several other times and I couldn’t made it right. My husband was always by my side encouraging me not to give up, and in the midst of my trials and errors, I was already in love with the process, so I went after learning, taking classes, understanding different types of wax, wicks, and fragrances. Test, make, fail and next time do it differently. I still have my first candle, it reminds me that in life - things are not so simple and easy - but with persistence, energy, and passion, we manage to go further, we manage to seek our best and give our best every day. It tells me we need to be humble and seek help to learn, it tells me that if we are persistent, we will be able to reach our goals, and it also tells me I need to always have respect and patience with those who are just starting, because I made many mistakes to learn how to do it right. And that doesn't just apply to candles, it applies to life.
What plans do you have for your business moving forward?
I always thought that in my life, I didn't need to be a millionaire to be happy, and today I'm sure that the little things give me a lot of pleasure. I'm happy to see my patchouli growing on the porch, happy to see my gardenia bloom. I want to grow my business, but in a way that still allows me to be able to customize my deliveries with all the love and affection they deserve. I don't just want to sell a candle, I want to establish relationships, I want to help create life memories, have records of happy moments through the smell. I want to help my client choose the right scent, if she is going to give a candle to a friend, I want her to know how to explain the composition of the fragrance chord, because they talk about love and care. Because they can boost your mood or relax a tense day. I want to grow my business, but always with the main objective, which is to scent the world and make it more cozy and loving.
Tuscany Brunch reed diffuser fragrance
Kátia's top Bramble Berry picks
I make the first selection of fragrances, but the ones who really approve and keep them as bestsellers are my customers. We work with many different fragrances, because in addition to the products in the collection, we also create custom ones. And these cannot be missing from my portfolio:
- Lavender Chamomile Huggies Type Fragrance Oil - This combination of lavender and chamomile is loved by all ages, it's the first one I offer at shows and fairs because I know there's no error. In addition, the structure of the fragrance is perfect and complete, and allows me to make either candles, or home spray and stick diffusers.
- Bergamot Black Tea Fragrance Oil - That is a very good choice, people in general love the scent of bergamot, and this particular composition can be used all year-round, as it suits any season.
- Black Amber and Lavender Fragrance Oil - This fragrance is perfect and adored by my customers. It has a perfect balance of notes that result in a great explosion of aromas, but at the same time, being soft and complementing the ambiance.
- Lemon Bar Fragrance Oil - For me, this fragrance permeates between the gourmand, sweet, and fruity olfactory families. It has a citrusy and sweet composition that instantly puts anyone in a good mood.
What's the first project Bramble Berry project you tried?
I think kits are the perfect way for any beginner - in the kits, we will learn what materials are needed to produce a quality product. These initial learning steps will give certainty and the knowledge to put into practice all the creativity we have. In addition to the candle kits, I tested the bath salts and soap kit, which are my next projects for the future.
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