If you need to carve out some calming ‘me-time’ while making your home smell lovely into the bargain, Carly Parkins is your lady. Her eponymous Milton Keynes candle business, Carly’s Candle Company, has mastered the art of creating heavenly fragrances that are kind to the planet and evoke her travels around the world. (Sniff the lime and mango candle and you’ll be transported to the tropical beaches of Vietnam).

Taking on the role of creator, designer, manufacturer and every other small businesswoman hat in between, Carly only uses 100% sustainably sourced British-made soya wax and natural oils free from the usual harmful additives you’d find in regular candles. This makes the candles child- and pet-friendly, plus safe to sniff while pregnant.

Sticking to her eco-conscious mission, each candle also has an FSC-certified wood wick that makes a crackling sound when burning, for added hygge vibes.

You can even opt for a zero-waste refill option and reuse the same glass jar. In another twist, she’s introduced plantable labels. Yes, you read that right. Each of her candles’ paper labels are embedded with seeds. Soak the label in water, plant it in a few feet of soil and – voila! – you and your kids can watch the wildflowers grow. They’re a real honeypot for bees, too.

Now, we’re all very particular about our candles, and Carly creates with different needs in mind. Whether you’re looking for something calming, energising, confidence-boosting or for winding down before sleep, she has a fragrance to get you in the zone. As you can imagine, they sell like hot cakes.

It’s hard to believe Carly only started pouring candles in her kitchen in late 2019/2020, using maternity pay after the birth of her eldest child as start-up funds. But as a seasoned traveller, she’s not sitting still. Carly has plans to get her candles stocked in more local boutiques, she’s branched out into making wedding candles to light up clients’ big days, and even runs workshops if you’re keen to make your own.

Not a big fan of candles? No problem: Carly’s online shop also offers wax melts, room sprays and reed diffusers, which are alcohol- and toxin-free. Now for picking the perfect fragrance. Decisions, decisions…