Elume Candles – Australia’s most loved, trusted and experienced candle company.
The original and present owners of elume, Mark and Joelle Lavender, first dreamed up the idea in Vancouver, Canada in 1998 over a cup of coffee in a bookstore on a chilly winter’s day.
Before that, Mark had been working as an environmental scientist in Sydney when he decided to take a break to visit family in Vancouver. During this visit, Mark met Joelle, and the break eventually turned into permanent residency for two years.
Before leaving Australia, Mark had been dreaming of owning his own business and decided to utilise his time in Vancouver to research ideas that might be unique in Australia.
He lucked into a job at a local candle company, and he gained some valuable expertise on the job about candle making.
He was quite fascinated by the processes involved and it even had a scientific side to it that interested him. They made a trip back to Australia for a wedding and decided to research if this idea would be unique in Australia.
It was, so upon returning to Canada, they began to make plans to move to Australia and start-up elume.
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Joelle was working very long hours in the film industry and looking for a change, so it seemed like a great idea.
It would be hard to leave behind friends and family, but both were very determined to make this new beginning work. Since the idea was so ground breaking, it was very difficult to source the materials needed.
Mark’s science background came in very handy in formulating colours, and he can be credited with inventing our original signature pillar candles.
There was a lot of scientific experimentation in the early days trying to create our own formulas and find appropriate moulds to get the look we wanted.
It was a very tricky process to create the beautiful snowflake effect that elume is known for, we soon found out variables such as the seasons would even be a factor.
Through sheer hard work and determination and overcoming many roadblocks along the way, Joelle and Mark succeeded in bringing elume candles to life.
Elume Now
Elume was born in 1999 with a vision to create the most unique, colourful, beautifully fragranced, premium quality candles in the Australian market. We started small and grew slowly, but our products have stood the test of time as we still have a loyal following.
We have now grown into the space of two factories side by side and could still use more room! Since our beginnings, elume has been setting trends in fragrant candles with our signature pillar candles, and constantly evolving into new and unique products, all hand-poured in our Sydney factory.
The Most Trusted Candle Company in Australia
Only at elume can you find a huge selection of pillar candles in a variety of colours and sizes, speciality ranges including Outdoors, Rustic and Christmas, luxury soy container candles and reed diffusers, soy wax melts, soy tealights, and our mini luxury soy candles.
With so much to offer, elume grew into one of Australia’s most inspiring and trusted brands. Over twenty years later we still offer the best variety of candles in stunning colours and fragrances, there is something for everyone.
With the help of a team of Australian fragrance experts and our expertise in candle making processes, we can bring our creations to life.
Having complete creative control is a great advantage because we can source the best quality ingredients and choose the best waxes and wicks for every purpose to enhance the fragrant experience of every elume candle. "We even make our own wicks!"
Our Interview Joelle Lavender
What gets you out of bed in the morning Joelle?
My son's 5:30 am squad swimming, my need to exercise and two hungry cats
Tell us something about yourself many people may not know about you?
My home town is Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Who is someone you find inspirational? And why?
My graphic designer Pauline Gleeson, not just for her amazing creativity but also for her strength as a person.
Use one word to describe yourself.
Conscientious
What do you love about The Shire?
The Shire is a great place to raise a family, with amazing people, recreation and beaches. My favorite place is the Royal National Park.
When you were a child what did you want to grow up to be?
I had no idea
Share one of your greatest personal achievements.
I have run a couple of ultra marathons in the Blue Mountains. I had no idea I was capable of training so hard but I was determined not to fail!
What brings you great happiness?
It brings me great happiness to watch my two sons playing sports that they love and having fun. And for myself I love being active outdoors.
What is a personal challenge or fear you have successfully overcome?
The fear of failing when I made the decision to entirely commit to starting up elume and having nothing to fall back on.
What is one of the most interesting things about you?
I have tried some interesting career paths before starting up elume. In Vancouver, I worked at a an Eco friendly adventure travel company that specialized in sea kayaking tours in amazing places. I also scouted locations for feature films such as Double Jeopardy.
What would you tell your younger self?
Don't be afraid to try new things and take yourself out of your comfort zone.
Tell us about your business in one sentence.
One of Australia's most loved, trusted and experienced candle companies creating a unique range of colorful and beautifully fragranced candles.
What was the inspiration to start your business?
In 1999 we discovered a niche in the market for Australian made, fragrant pillar candles. We had experience making candles, so we decided to start up elume and see how it would go.
Share the mission of your business.
To create a wide range of premium quality, unique, hand poured, fragrant candles with an emphasis on being Australian made.
What is a business obstacle or challenge you have overcome?
We started elume from scratch 23 years ago when it was nearly impossible to find the ingredients we needed. We had to invent most of our own candle making methods and it took a lot of perseverance.
Any exciting developments on the horizon for your business?
Gift Box sets in time for Mother's Day and plenty more for Christmas
How do you define business success?
Creating products that make people happy, whilst doing something that inspires your creativity.
What do you consider to be one of your business super skills?
Determination
If you could open another business what would that be?
I would love a candle and homewares shop where I could display my entire range. It would be amazing to also sell delicious coffee and my mother in law's baked treats in the same shop. And maybe it transforms into a wine bar at night!
Is there someone in your business you'd love to give a big "thank you" to; and why?
My husband and business partner Mark for always being positive, never giving up, and for always knowing how to fix everything around the factory.
What makes your business unique?
We have the most varied ranges of candles, the whole package. Soy jar candles inundate the market, and whilst we do offer our gorgeous Luxury range, we have so much more to offer.
Tell us about the positive impact your business makes for the Shire community and beyond.
I have donated to charities and fundraisers like Bay Babes, Julie's Big Pink Breakfast, the Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea, and also the Mother's Day Stall at my son's primary school.
Do you have a special offer or event you'd like to share?
For any first retail order use the code ELUME15 for a 15% discount