Brooklyn Candle Studio Brings Escapist Collection Home with a Scent Inspired by the Borough

Any Anthropologie or Urban Outfitters customer knows Brooklyn Candle Studio, the company behind the minimalist jars that house natural fragrances simultaneously comfortingly familiar while reminiscent of somewhere new. And now, Brooklyn Candle Studio offers a candle that embodies their own memories of the borough they call home.

The Industry City-based company, helmed by founder Tamara Mayne, has expanded their destination-inspired Escapist collection to include Brooklyn itself. The Brooklyn candle is an ode to late night adventures in cozy bars, particularly influenced by the leather booths and live jazz of the Clover Club in Cobble Hill. The musky scent brings patchouli and wild sage to the forefront, with layers of orange blossom, neroli, leather, and cassis to create a full-bodied experience. “I knew the scent could be anything, because everyone’s interpretation of the scents of Brooklyn are varied based on their own experiences,” Mayne explained. “For me, one of the things I will forever remember about this place will be spending time with my husband and friends at restaurants and bars, because Brooklyn has such amazing and creative food and cocktails. This particular candle is inspired by a night out at a cocktail bar with friends. It was October, so fall was in full swing. The cocktails we had spicy and citrus notes, and we were all nestled in this leather booth. The fragrance was inspired by these notes, and the final product is a spicy, leathery, earthy fragrance with citrusy top notes.”

The Brooklyn candle, the newest addition to the Escapist collection by Brooklyn Candle Studio.

Mayne’s vision for the Escapist collection stems from her experiences traveling throughout the world, embracing the array of different smells and flora of each destination. “A scent can represent anything, from the plants and flowers that grow there to the main spices used in the foods, to the natural wonders,” Mayne mused.

Mayne creates a combination of notes that embody her trip, and then proposes the type of fragrance–floral, woody, spicy, gourmand, or marine–to the Brooklyn Candle Studio perfumers to derive a fragrance based on the concept. The process of perfecting the scent can last for months. The Escapist collection includes Italia, Santorini, Ojai, Tuileries, Kyoto, and Maui, among others. Brooklyn is the latest addition to the collection, with Santa Fe debuting later this month. Mayne also teased a candle based on Antigua, Guatemala where she recently traveled for a friend’s wedding.

Brooklyn Candle Studio founder Tamara Mayne.

Mayne’s venture into scents began when she discovered a candlemaking kit from a local craft store. An e-commerce graphic designer and art director for Nine West through the Jones Group, Mayne merged her talents with an interest in aromatherapy and essential oils to create Brooklyn Candle Studio in 2013. The company was featured in an Etsy makers spotlight newsletter shortly after going online, and gained traction during the summer of 2014 with a partnership with One King’s Lane Brooklyn creators. Mayne also facilitated placement on Gilt and a feature on Blake Lively’s former e-commerce shop, Preserve, adding buzz to the brand. By 2017, Brooklyn Candle Studio started participating in trade shows and acquiring larger wholesale accounts, such as Urban Outfitters, Lou & Grey, and candle mecca Anthropologie.

The handcrafted soy candles use essential oils and phthalate-free perfume oils to create natural fragrances. Materials are sourced from American-grown soy beans, and utilize lead-free cotton wicks primed with organic vegetable based wax for a healthy burn. “I did a lot of research on the benefits of soy wax versus paraffin, and have read about other types like coconut, palm, and apricot wax,” Mayne said. “Soy is at the intersection of affordability and eco-friendliness, and that’s why I chose it as a vehicle for our fragrances.”

Brooklyn Candle Studio artisans hand pour the soy candles.

The preservative-free candles are packaged using recycled materials, and shipped with as little of plastic as possible. Brooklyn Candle Studio proudly is an eco-conscious brand, and admires companies such as Everlane that are striving to remove plastic entirely from packaging. “With economic growth comes consequences, but as business owners and leaders, we can consciously reduce those consequences with little changes like enforcing recycling, or opting not to use plastic,” Mayne stated. “Corporations can afford to lose a little bit of profit to make this planet a better place. I feel very strongly about that.”

Mayne’s approach to sustainability no doubt also is linked to the preservation of the natural fragrances and places she adores most. Aside from her travels, Mayne lists lavender, palo santo, cookies baking, bonfires, and making soup with onion and garlic among her favorite real-world scents– all elements of what she considers home.

Like the latest Brooklyn candle in its wandering medley of aromas, Mayne too brings a sentimentality to her work. “I felt like creating a Brooklyn candle as an homage to this place I love so much, where I have spent so many years, where I fell in love with my husband, where the company started and where our entire team lives made a lot of sense,” Mayne said. “I think it will be a hit, especially in this borough!”

For an insider’s guide to Brooklyn (and to explore some more locations that inspired the Brooklyn candle), check out Mayne’s official recommendations for a night out:

Nitehawk Theater, where you can order food and drinks while watching a movie. There’s one in Williamsburg and a new one in my neighborhood in Park Slope. It’s great for parents like my husband and I who only have so much time for a date night so we can combine dinner and a movie!
Prospect Park is a wonderful park– I run around the park in warmer months, and love the playgrounds for my son, picnics in the field, and attending concerts in the summer.
Bars–
1. Clover Club, which inspired our Brooklyn candle
2. Sunny’s in Red Hook for live music and good beers
3. Lavender Lake in Gowns for outdoor seating
4. Union Hall in Park Slope for bocce and some interesting events (there’s this event called
Restaurants–
1. Pizza: Love Paulie Gee’s for unique pizza, Lucali for classic pizza
2. Brunch: Colette in Williamsburg or Fort Defiance in Red Hook
3. Sushi: Hibino in Cobble Hill
4. Ramen: Chuko
5. Pricey: Blanca, for the most incredible and creative tasting menu ever if you’re down to spend a lot of dough!

Check out the Brooklyn candle in the Escapist Collection, and visit Brooklyn Candle Studio for more information: https://brooklyncandlestudio.com/collections/escapist/products/brooklyn-escapist-candle.

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