The journal
Coming soon. The long view on candles.
The journal is the editorial half of the directory — wax chemistry, wick math, what a NZ-native scent note really smells like, and why we don’t list paraffin. The first issue lands soon. Below, the planned table of contents.
- 01
Issue 01
What kawakawa actually smells like.
Pulling apart the marketing copy on a dozen NZ kawakawa candles. The leaf, the camphor edge, and what to look for when a maker says they use it.
- 02
Issue 02
Soy vs coconut vs beeswax — the wax-base primer.
Burn time, fragrance throw, vessel temperature, price-per-hour. A working comparison for the four wax bases on the directory.
- 03
Issue 03
Why we don't list paraffin candles.
The petroleum question, the soot question, and the difference between a maker who can answer them and a re-labeller who can't.
- 04
Issue 04
Wick math, in plain English.
Wick width, wax pool, mushrooming, drowning. The technical reasons a $48 candle from a small studio outperforms a $24 supermarket one.
- 05
Issue 05
On using indigenous notes carefully.
Mānuka, kawakawa, kānuka, pōhutukawa — the makers sourcing them with the right cultural footing, and how to spot the ones who aren't.
- 06
Issue 06
Re-labellers — how to spot one.
Bulk-imported candles dressed up in NZ-named jars. The tells, and the questions to ask before you buy.
In the meantime
The makers are already on the directory.
Twelve studios across Aotearoa. 5 scent families anchored in NZ-native notes. Browse the makers, or pick a scent family to start.