Scented Stories with Stefi from Celia Loves

First of all, I have always been scent obsessed (the family members I forced to attend my candlelight dinners when I was 10 years old can attest to this)! When I had my first baby I needed a creative outlet and knew I wanted to create something that I could gift to family and friends. I started making candles in my kitchen, then my garage, then before I knew it - my first warehouse. Along the way I realised that there was this beautiful market of people who are budget conscious but also value a high-end product experience. Now, we create luxurious, affordable products that are made to *actually* burn every day (not sit on your mantelpiece and collect dust) for these very people.

Fragrance is the love of my life, but fashion is a very close second. It’s also one of my biggest sources of inspiration when it comes to packaging design - you’ll often find me awake at 2am watching Gucci runways on repeat. When we experiment and play with clothes to find our own individual take on fashion, the perfect way to leave a lasting impression is to finish the outfit off with fragrance. In my opinion, an outfit isn’t complete without a signature scent.



Q3. As a woman leading a successful business, what challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them? What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own ventures?

When faced with external pressures and beliefs (as women in business so often are), it’s vital to lean into and champion your own core values. Trailblazing our own path is at the very core of Celia Loves, and every decision we make comes back to the brand’s set of core values and beliefs. 

Q4. How do you balance the creative aspects of your business with the day-to-day operations? Do you have a favourite part of the process?

I won’t lie - I wish I could work on the creative side of the brand every day! I really have to exercise self-control when it comes to creative, because once I start I literally can’t stop. However, Mondays are never a creative day - they’re reserved for planning, admin and setting objectives for the rest of the week. Does anyone else try to fit in a whole week’s worth of work into their Monday, or is that just me? AMs are for heavy thinking and strategy sessions, and PMs are for approvals and any ad hoc work. Friday and Sunday are my main creative days as I’m usually in my own space and surrounded by all the things that make me feel the most inspired.

Q5. With the upcoming launch of your new perfume, can you give us a sneak peek into the inspiration behind these fragrances? What makes them unique, and how did you go about perfecting the scents?

Heirloom Fragrances are over a year in the making, and the result of our viral room sprays being used as perfumes! One thing we were hearing on repeat - “I need a new signature scent”. We started paying attention to our top-sellers and what was interesting about those particular scents to our customers. From there we set up fragrance briefs with our nose (AKA, formulator) and explored the impact we could have in the perfume space. Similarly with scented candles and room sprays, our customers ultimately felt that there was a gap in the perfume market for luxurious, design-focused products that tell a story and evoke a sense of individuality - without the high-end price tag. Cue: Heirloom Fragrances.

Q6. What advice would you give someone trying to find their perfect scent? Are there any tips or tricks you’ve learned that can help people discover what works best for them?

Discovery sets will be your best friend! Rotate through the different scents - even (and especially) the ones you initially don’t think you’ll like - and explore the different scent families. If you find a scent you love, switch it up every couple of months so your olfactory system doesn’t get too ‘used to’ that particular scent.

Q7. How does sustainability play a role in your business practises? Are there any specific initiatives or goals you’re passionate about implementing in the future?

The brand leans heavily into the ‘quality over quantity’ mindset. All our products are lovingly handcrafted (mass production is not our vibe) and released in smaller, more considered collections. Our brand ethos is ‘Candles Made To Burn, Not Collect Dust’ because we don’t encourage mindless purchasing of products you’ll never *actually* use. In addition to this mindset, the team works hard to incorporate sustainable practices into every process and procedure from design and production to dispatch and every day operations. 

Q8. As a successful entrepreneur and a mother, how do you manage the demands of family life alongside your career? What strategies do you use to maintain a healthy work-life balance?

One of my non-negotiables is school drop-off and pick-up, as well as taking the girls to all their activities. This means you’ll often find me rushing out of the warehouse at exactly 3pm, working in car parks, working late and working on weekends. There’s no real balance in our house (I think they call it controlled chaos?), it’s week-to-week and we share the load. The brand has a family-first approach and we all live by this.

Q9. As a gemologist in training, how do you see this new skill set influencing your work with Celia Loves? Do you plan to incorporate your gemological knowledge into future product lines?

Perhaps an entirely new brand to come…

Q10. What’s next on the horizon for Celia Loves? Are there any exciting projects or new product lines we can look forward to?

Always! Our wish list is endless. We create products based on our customer’s feedback - which is always evolving - so that means that the brand is always evolving along with them. We currently have some iconic collaborations in the pipeline though… Watch this space, besties!