When an email landed in my inbox with the title ‘The scent of Melbourne now available Australia-wide’, I was quick to open and scroll through. I was so excited to read that TÄNDA Modern candles have released a new scent that encapsulates the true essence of Melbourne, with notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate, named simply Melbourne. Available in three sizes of glass vessels, with burn times ranging from 30 hours to 90 hours. This candle, and the entire range, are made using pure soy wax, and natural soft wood wicks. All candles are scented with a maximized fragrance load, tailored to their size to make for an experience of luxury.

I simply adore Melbourne and I am so excited that one of my favourite cities has been immortalised in a candle! Where did the idea for the Melbourne candle originate and what was the inspiration behind the fragrance notes? Thank you so much! Melbourne is such a beautiful city, and I always feel so lucky to live here. The Melbourne candle was originally part of a wider Cities Collection, paying homage to some of my favourite places around the world. It’s been brought back to (larger than) life again with a slightly tweaked scent, and it’s being received so well! We seem to be such snobs about our coffee here in Melbourne, so it was certainly no stretch to look to that for inspiration. I partnered the roasted coffee scent with dark chocolate both to make it a little sweeter, and to pay tribute to some of our brilliant chocolatiers too.

As a candle expert, where do you see this candle working best, by the kitchen bench or maybe on the coffee table in the lounge, and why? Personally, I always prefer to have strongly scented candles in the more open plan areas of a home. The kitchen and lounge / living room are perfect for our Melbourne candle, especially because of its gourmand nature.

The Melbourne candle is noted as having a maximised fragrance load. What does this mean? At TÄNDA we use high quality fragrance and essential oils in our entire range of candles and diffusers, so that we can ensure our customers are getting the very best products possible. A maximised fragrance load refers to the candle containing the most fragrance possible for its wax weight. Once a candle reaches this amount (which is different for each glass size, fragrance, fragrance type, wick choice, and so on), it can hold no more, and will begin to weep the excess oil out.

If you had to associate one fragrance with each city in Australia, what would it be? You just might be onto something with this question! Although I’m definitely biased towards beautiful Melbourne, I think Adelaide may be my very favourite place to visit! I would go with something featuring native gum leaves as a nod to the beautiful Adelaide Hills…or something deep and heady to match the Barossa Valley. For Brisbane or the Gold Coast, I’m definitely leaning towards a loud, citrus based scent – something to remind us all of holidays spent in the sun! Sydney’s style and fast paced nature lends itself to strong notes, such as leather or tobacco. I seem to always visit Tasmania in the winter months, so I’d have to go with a super fresh, clean fragrance for those crisp, foggy mornings. Something like our Oak Moss & Amber would be perfect! Perth’s beaches are so beautiful, so we’d certainly be leaning towards a fragrance with references to salt water and fresh air. I’m sadly still yet to visit Darwin, but I’d love to create a scent full of incredible native plants for the city.

TÄNDA Modern candles are vegan, kosher, organic and animal friendly. Why is this so important in this day and age? TÄNDA strives to be as sustainable as possible, and we really pride ourselves on being entirely vegan, kosher, and eco-friendly especially. It’s so important to know what’s in any product you’re using, but particularly when it’s something that is permeating both our personal and wider atmospheres (such as with burning candles). Our entire range is made using recycled glassware and packaging also, and we try our best to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible.

Can you please explain your scent process? How do you concoct the perfect candle fragrance? I tend to base our fragrances on my different memories and personal experiences, so the majority are all slightly left of the centre – I’m completely unable to put any products out that I don’t absolutely love! I’ve gone through who knows how many absolutely terrible combinations to get to the current range – some of them didn’t leave my nose for days and days! For the most part, I have quite a clear idea in mind, and then set out mixing the various scents that I think will get me there. There have been the occasional few fragrances that have been happy accidents after endless misfires – that’s always a wonderful surprise! I’m definitely most proud of our Constellations Collection; they’re made with organic essential oils, and they took weeks and weeks of combining individual oils to get just right. Definitely worth the time taken!

Which scents do you think work best in the different areas of the home? Are there particular scents we should place within the bedroom for a peaceful nights sleep? I suppose I could be considered a bit of a traditionalist in this – I mostly have very specific scents in each area and don’t often stray from them.

• bedrooms: I personally prefer the more subtle scents, such as Japanese Cherry Blossom, or Oak Moss & Amber in the bedroom, as they’re not too overpowering. Our ANDROMEDA candle is also perfect for the bedroom, as it’s full of organic essential oils designed to induce a sense of calm and reduce stress.
• bathrooms: I tend to gravitate towards citrus based fragrances in the bathroom, so things like our Tangerine & Guava, or Tahitian Lime & Coconut work perfectly. They’re bright and sweet, and will have you dreaming of an island escape while you’re in the bath!
• entrances: I think it’s quite important to ensure that your home smells inviting, but not overwhelming to the senses – there’s nothing worse than walking into a place and feeling like you’ve been hit in the face with any kind of fragrance (good or bad!). I am consistently burning Lavender, Cucumber & Sage in the front room – it’s super fresh and welcoming, and people are always commenting on it. It’s definitely a different kind of fragrance, and my favourite of all of the TÄNDA range.
• lounge room: I am often drawn to the deeper scents for the lounge room, and frequently burn Lime, Basil & Mandarin, Lychee & Black Tea, or CETUS while unwinding from a busy day. CETUS includes essential oils such as patchouli, ylang ylang, sweet orange, and cardamom; it’s designed to combat feelings of fatigue and anxiety.
• kitchen: In the kitchen, it really depends on what is happening in the area. Sweet, food-like fragrances, such as French Vanilla Bourbon and Melbourne (of course!) are great for after dinner, or when you’re in the mood to bake something.

What is next for TÄNDA Modern? I’m so excited for this coming year, there are so many things going on in the background! We have a new release coming in the next 6-8 weeks, which is going to feature the artwork of one of my absolute favourite artists. I can’t wait for this to be out in the world! In July we’re also popping up at Melbourne’s Finders Keepers market, which is going to be insane – if you haven’t been before, I definitely recommend visiting!