Spotlight On:

Sense of Aroma

The CraftCover team has had a very busy few months but don’t worry, we have still managed to fit another Crafter in the Spotlight in! We spent time getting to know the very talented mind behind Sense of Aroma, Sonia Singadia.

For those readers who aren’t familiar, Sense of Aroma make and sell luxury hand poured eco-soy wax candles. These candles come in a variety of gorgeous scents, including coconut and lime, lychee and black tea, and vanilla and caramel.

Sonia is a lawyer by day, which she really enjoys, alongside running her handmade fragrance company. The craft business was only set up in November 2019, so it is ‘still early days’ for getting things going!

“I create a luxury collection of hand poured candles in my workshop in Surrey. I make a range of different scents and sizes for everyone.”

“Each candle is made with care and attention for each customer and comes with high quality packaging. The brand reflects me and what I would buy if I was in search for an amazing quality scented candle for a gift or my home.”

Sonia has always had a passion for perfume and unique scents and has collected candles throughout her life. She found that the ones available in stores were low in quality, yet high in price, and wanted to make candles that smell nice and everyone can afford.

“Not only were the candles in high street stores costly but contained harmful toxins that people breath in causing allergies as most are made from paraffin. Then came Sense of Aroma!”

“After doing a lot of research, learning how to make candles in Singapore and a year of testing and trials, I created the business. This included everything from designing the products and brand to sourcing the best quality materials. I remember in December 2018 I had in my diary this idea sketched out!”

From there, Sonia started selling her ecofriendly soy wax candles locally. Her customers loved these straight away as not only are they long-lasting, but are also made from organic, vegan materials.

“My candles are hand poured with their own charismatic fragrance which soon became so popular. I then branched out online as I saw a gap in the market and knew more people out there would simply love my candles.”

“I felt everyone deserved a delicious fragranced home. With quality and affordability being my main focuses, which the current market lacked, I started sharing my passion with others.”

One thing that we love about Sense of Aroma is that they offer an extensive range of scents for their candles. From vanilla and caramel cookie to lychee and black tea, there really is something to suit everyone’s tastes.

When asked where she gets inspiration for the fragrances she uses, Sonia told us: “My inspiration comes from a wide range of places. I love perfumes and anything that smells nice and when I smell something I like; it instantly makes me think of how these smells would go together. This is the start of the journey for my next candle scent to launch.”

“I also travel a lot and even when I’m on holiday, my head is always thinking about candle fragrances. So, when I’m away, I go out exploring scents in other countries and cultures to bring back to consumers.”

“The lychee and black tea is a unique scent in my collection that was very popular in Singapore, so it was added to my collection. I wanted people in UK to experience this scent, so I brought it here.”

We went on to ask whether Sonia has a favourite scent and she told us: “That’s a tricky one because there are so many!”

“My chosen scent all depends on my mood for the day. If I want something cozy on a winter day, I love the orange, clove and cedar leaf. It’s a spicy fresh cinnamon and clove fragrance with hints of peach and strawberry which instantly gives you that warm feeling like being sat near a hot snug fire.”

“I also love the lychee & black tea. It’s a delicately unique scent of black tea leaves infused by the sweet exotic smell of lychee fruit which originates from southern China.”

“Finally, the new addition vanilla and caramel cookie, or the bakery scent as I like to call it, is another favourite as it reminds me going to a bakery shop after school when I was younger. I love them all though so it’s hard to choose just one!”

All the candles that are available from Sense of Aroma are made from eco-soya wax which is allergy friendly. Sonia told us that she uses this material as she wanted something that isn’t harmful to her customers and is safe to use.

“Candles from shops are made from paraffin which is harmful as they release toxins and soot. This is called Petro-carbon soot which is not great for people with allergies or breathing issues like asthma and especially in the elderly and children.”

“Eco- soy wax produces zero Petro-soot as its derived from natural vegetables. Lower soot levels help maintain pure air quality which makes it allergy friendly and safe in homes.”

“I decided to use this when producing my candles as I wanted everyone to enjoy delicious scents including people with allergies without having to struggle with health issues.”

Using organic, vegan and biodegradable ingredients are extremely important to Sonia. She told us that: “As a society I feel we are becoming more aware of the environment; from the food we eat to the products we use and the way we dispose things. It’s important as a company to use products which are clean, organic and biodegradable as they are natural materials with zero waste.”

“We must continue to raise this awareness and be more environmentally friendly while encouraging brands to think about the ingredients they use in their products which will create a healthier and cleaner place to live in.”

With Mother’s Day coming up, this could be the perfect time to order your mum a beautiful candle. Sonia told us that candles make the perfect gifts because they are “great quality and affordable.”

“With Sense of Aroma, you can choose from a range of different scents and can mix and match if you want to try a variety. There are lots of sizes available so there is definitely something for everyone.”

“Candles are a great way of showing someone just how special they are and how much you care.”

One thing we commented on was that Sense of Aroma’s products are just as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside. Sonia told us that the packaging makes a “huge difference” to any brand.

“For my candles, it was just as important that as well as the product being high quality and smelling nice, they look visually appealing too.”

“Packaging is the first thing a consumer is drawn to and that’s why the packaging had to reflect the luxury feel of my brand.”

Sense of Aroma’s candles are slow burning, compared to store-bought candles, and can burn for up to 40 hours or sometimes even longer.

“Customers want good quality and why shouldn’t they have this? If you buy a traditional candle some of them are expensive and not long lasting.”

“I am sure they would want a candle that smells great but also they can enjoy for a long time and as a company my role is to give them just that.”

When she isn’t busy making candles, Sonia spends her time travelling, meeting people and exploring other cultures.

“I love reading books and I have a keen interest in fashion, beauty, health and keeping fit. I enjoy cooking and am a believer in healthy eating for the mind and body to be in tune together which allows you to focus and grow better.”

And Sense of Aroma doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon! Sonia told us: “There is lots more in the horizon for the company.”

“We launched in November 2019 so it’s still early days and I am so happy that we have got such a great response in such a short period.”

“We plan to introduce more amazing scents to the range and add more luxury fragrance products to our lines, as well as get involved in more exhibitions and events to grow the brand further.”

“I also want to engage with charities and raise awareness for things that I am passionate about through Sense of Aroma.”

The final question we had for Sonia was regarding insurance and why it’s so important. She said: “As a craft business that sells to public it is very important to have insurance, especially as you never know what is going to happen.”

“CraftCover is for this exact purpose. They offer policies designed specifically for those in the craft industry and can even tailor insurance to your own specific needs which is fantastic.”

“They protect and cover your business online, third party shops and events a combination of all which gives the company selling peace of mind that no matter what the business is always looked after.”