When RAAD® customers began asking about candles, we knew we had to listen. Home-owners & restaurants love our diffusers for consistent ambient fragrance, but they craved the ritual, the warmth, the transformative power of a flame that turns ordinary moments into occasions.
Why Candles Mattered to Us
After moving house, we genuinely missed our wood fire. It wasn't just the heat – it was the mesmerising dance of light, the primal comfort of flame, the way it shifted the entire energy of a room. Our home & body care is designed to be a complete solution from cleaning, to skin & hair nourishment, all infused with the power of scent, but candles use scent beyond utility. They're mood makers. They transform small moments into something significant.
Crafting Our Solution
Our brand is passionate about creating addictively fragranced, empathetically crafted products that enhance human experience, so the candles had to meet the same exacting standards. We strive to transform both scent and space through multi-sensory design, so every element: aesthetic, tactile, olfactory and sustainability - had to align perfectly.
The vessel design is an extension of our award-nominated, stainless steel bottles - gloss black steel in a angled silhouette that connects with our diffuser vase – creating a family of products. The natural steel interior maximises light reflection, creating that coveted lantern effect. We investigated a refillable vessel where you could get a subscription, but we would not have been able to use soy was, so we have made adjustments to the wick adherence and proportions so it can be repurposed as a wine glass post flame.
The Meticulous Process
Working with our Grasse perfumers, we re-engineered our beloved fragrances specifically for natural soy wax candles. This wasn't a simple translation – it required completely rethinking scent ratios to ensure strong projection without overwhelming intensity.
Sampling took significantly more rounds than anticipated. We went back to scent ratios repeatedly, determined to stay true to what our customers loved while ensuring the fragrances held their own in larger spaces. Each iteration required careful evaluation: How did emerging, developing, and lasting impressions evolve? Did the scent evolve gradually or saturate with a dominant note?
Burn testing revealed complexities we hadn't expected. Working with one of New Zealand's finest candle makers, we tested wick performance, vessel heat management, burn patterns, and that crucial lantern effect. Every detail mattered.
The pouring process was beautiful to watch, such refined craftsmanship… Melting the wax slowly, measuring precise fragrance amounts, pouring from metal teapots with steady hands, no wastage, no drips.. Each wick is carefully positioned as they dried, the warm scent filling the workspace – it was genuinely heavenly.
The Beautiful Result
Hand-poured, 60-hour candles in sculptural stainless steel vessels that create stunning ambient light and transform into wine glasses post-burn. Three signature fragrances from our first batch deliver the sophisticated, mood-enhancing experience RAAD® is known for – perfect for gifting or treating yourself to something extraordinary.
