SPILL THE WAX with SIR CANDLEMAN
Featured scent: HIROKO
Welcome to our SPILL THE WAX series, where we delve into the fascinating world of fragrance. This time with the brilliant mind behind the flourishing fragrance and candle community known as @sircandleman - join us as we unravel the scented tapestry of Kudzi's remarkable journey.
Our paths crossed early in our respective candle journeys when this outstanding fragrance curator discovered our most coveted HIROKO candle in the powder rooms of @petittroisla and @foundoyster.
Now, we have the privilege of sitting down with him to talk shop and uncover his latest venture as the author of Let It Burn.
RUKSKE: What is your earliest favorite scent memory?
KUDZI: The roses we had in the garden in my family home in Zimbabwe. They were the sweetest smelling roses. I remember taking some for a teacher at school and she mentioned how great and “real” they smelled. At that moment, I realized that you could be specific about scent.
RUKSKE: What’s your favorite room to burn a candle in?
KUDZI: My living room. I spend the most time there. I love to be drenched in the magic of scent in my day to day life.
RUKSKE: Rain soaked earth or ocean breeze?
KUDZI: Rain soaked earth. Always. I do not love aquatic or ozonic fragrance. I prefer to be grounded.
RUKSKE: Congratulations on your latest venture of writing your first book, “Let It Burn”! How would you describe it (using scent descriptions only)?
KUDZI: If the book was a candle it would be a magical combination of golden amber, honey, bergamot and lavender. Why? It’s both soothing and fresh but also magical and deep in how it talks about the power of fragrance to illuminate your life.
RUKSKE: If you had the power to create a scent that could influence people’s emotions positively, what would it be called, and what would it smell like?
KUDZI: Oooh, I’m keeping that one for myself 👀
RUKSKE: Some people have “scent journeys” where their preference evolves over time. How has your taste in scents changed from your early days as a creator to now?
KUDZI: Absolutely. I am very comfortable learning in public and sharing my evolution. When I started, just like most men, I liked tobacco, smoky, leather etc. Those are amazing accords but as I’ve gotten deeper into fragrance I love the delicateness of iris, the dizzying amounts of white amber ingredients, the elegance of white flowers and the freshness of citrus green notes like petitgrain.
RUKSKE: What’s your guilty scent pleasure? (an unconventional scent that you secretly adore; i.e. gasoline, sharpie marker )?
KUDZI: There is “blue ink” scent I love. I also love anything really earthy and fungus-y.
KUDZI: If the book was a candle it would be a magical combination of golden amber, honey, bergamot and lavender. Why? It’s both soothing and fresh but also magical and deep in how it talks about the power of fragrance to illuminate your life.
RUKSKE: If you had the power to create a scent that could influence people’s emotions positively, what would it be called, and what would it smell like?
KUDZI: Oooh, I’m keeping that one for myself 👀
RUKSKE: Some people have “scent journeys” where their preference evolves over time. How has your taste in scents changed from your early days as a creator to now?
KUDZI: Absolutely. I am very comfortable learning in public and sharing my evolution. When I started, just like most men, I liked tobacco, smoky, leather etc. Those are amazing accords but as I’ve gotten deeper into fragrance I love the delicateness of iris, the dizzying amounts of white amber ingredients, the elegance of white flowers and the freshness of citrus green notes like petitgrain.
RUKSKE: What’s your guilty scent pleasure? (an unconventional scent that you secretly adore; i.e. gasoline, sharpie marker )?
KUDZI: There is “blue ink” scent I love. I also love anything really earthy and fungus-y.
RUKSKE: As a candle collector, do you light up or do you save for a special occasion?
KUDZI: I light up. Candles are to be enjoyed. Just like the book says, “let it burn”. I find fragrances help me be present and anchored so I would rather light them than think about light them.
RUKSKE: Name a favorite musician or actor? What do you think they smell like?
KUDZI: Obviously Beyoncé! She has a fragrance coming out that I can’t wait to smell but when I think of her, I think majestic, so deep amber, oud, ambroxan and a sweet note from rose or a spicy incense.
RUKSKE: If we did a RUKSKE collaboration scent - what would that smell like and what would you name it?
KUDZI: Ooooh, my favorite RUKSKE scent is HIROKO so we need to start there. We’ll take the Cedarwood from HIROKO for the clean woodsy smell and then layer on a personal story about Los Angeles since I know that RUKSKE is from California and that is the state that made my dreams come true. Let’s call it “WILDEST DREAMS”? So bright, focused and determined fragrance while leaving room for hope and wonder. Notes would be cedarwood, vanilla, aldehydes (don’t know if you can do that in candles), Ambroxan and a crisp citrus note. Basically, a dreamy scent that feels like a hazy dream with figures of palm trees in the background where you can still see the path forward. I need to make this into a moodboard.
It was such an honor to share SPILL THE WAX with @sircandleman - stay tuned for our next installment. Is there anyone else you want to see in this space? DM us on instagram and let’s discuss.
Photo: @themagdalenaexperience
KUDZI: I light up. Candles are to be enjoyed. Just like the book says, “let it burn”. I find fragrances help me be present and anchored so I would rather light them than think about light them.
RUKSKE: Name a favorite musician or actor? What do you think they smell like?
KUDZI: Obviously Beyoncé! She has a fragrance coming out that I can’t wait to smell but when I think of her, I think majestic, so deep amber, oud, ambroxan and a sweet note from rose or a spicy incense.
RUKSKE: If we did a RUKSKE collaboration scent - what would that smell like and what would you name it?
KUDZI: Ooooh, my favorite RUKSKE scent is HIROKO so we need to start there. We’ll take the Cedarwood from HIROKO for the clean woodsy smell and then layer on a personal story about Los Angeles since I know that RUKSKE is from California and that is the state that made my dreams come true. Let’s call it “WILDEST DREAMS”? So bright, focused and determined fragrance while leaving room for hope and wonder. Notes would be cedarwood, vanilla, aldehydes (don’t know if you can do that in candles), Ambroxan and a crisp citrus note. Basically, a dreamy scent that feels like a hazy dream with figures of palm trees in the background where you can still see the path forward. I need to make this into a moodboard.
It was such an honor to share SPILL THE WAX with @sircandleman - stay tuned for our next installment. Is there anyone else you want to see in this space? DM us on instagram and let’s discuss.
Photo: @themagdalenaexperience
