Homesick

Hand-poured candles with that sweet, sweet scent of home.

About Homesick

If the phrase, Home is where the heart is, seems a bit on the nose, this brand is serving up that same variety of warm nostalgia, but a with fresh, modern twist. For this brand, what transports you back to the places you love most isn't what you see, it's what you smell.
Homesick Candles offers a thoughtfully-crafted selection of immersive, scented candles (as well as a variety of reed diffusers, car fresheners, and wick trimmers), each one lovingly developed with the contributions of up to 100 different people.
One idea connects all the candles in the range: Homesick Candles has created scent combinations that evoke personal memories – of places (Brazil Candle, Miami Candle, Georgia Candle – in fact they’ve got all 50 states covered), of activities (Book Club Candle, Ski Trip Candle, Pumpkin Picking Candle), and of celebratory events (Birthday Party Candle).

Why We Love Them

We love this new take on the idea of sensory-driven nostalgia – although there are a few memories we’re hoping the team at Homesick Candles will avoid. For example, the “Blind Date” candle or “No, Really — Guess How Old I Am” reed diffuser would not merit a place on the mantlepiece — but we’ll leave it to the experts.

Origin Story

Homesick Candles founder Nate Schmiedehaus had always enjoyed reminiscing about the places where he’d lived as a child, and delighted when familiar aromas bought back fond memories – for example the sage and cotton smell of Texas. With a group of friends, they reached out to people they knew across America, sifting through dozens of recommendations for the scents of plants, foods, environments and clothing that were associated with different states. The result was such glorious combinations as honeysuckle, country jasmine, and sweet potato (the Louisiana candle), or salt water and Old Bay seasoning (the Maryland Candle). On occasion, Schmiedehaus faced the unenviable task of mixing the smell of fried dough with magnolia, but the popularity of his candles suggests he hit the mark. As Vogue magazine commented, “Who would ever have thought that a simple candle could cure a heavy bout of homesickness?”

The Science & The Soul

The Science

Homesick Candles are made from a natural soy wax blend with premium cotton wicks and custom fragrance oils. They are non-toxic and contain no lead, plastics, parabens, synthetic dyes or phthalates. Typically weighing nearly 14 ounces, they burn for around 60 to 80 hours. And they are never tested on animals. That means enlightened business practices to enlighten our homes!

The Soul

Throughout the day, our senses are overwhelmed by sights, sounds, tastes – so much so, that we often neglect our sense of smell. And yet it’s those recognizable scents of meaningful places and times which are often the most powerful reminders of days gone by.

Homesick Candles’ insight has been to bolster the strength of the community. It uses communities to identify authentic fragrances that smell wonderful in the home, and which keep alive the memories of earlier years for decades into the future. It’s the scented equivalent of a personalized road trip.