NZ Candlesest. 2026

Sydenham · Christchurch

South Light Candles

Sydenham studio doing experimental wax-blend work — the maker's-maker on the directory.

  • Published working notes
  • Soy-coconut blend
  • NZ-made stoneware

Wax base

Soy-coconut blend

From

$56 NZD

Typical burn

54 hours

Trading

6 years

Team

Two founders, in-house only

The studio.

South Light is the candle that other candle makers buy. Founders Em and Davy spent two years doing nothing but blending tests before they released anything for sale, and the technical curiosity hasn't dimmed — every quarter they publish a working note on a wax property, hot-throw vs. cold-throw, fragrance retention, the maths of pour temperature.

Signature.

Wax-blend experimentation, kawakawa-eucalyptus, cold-climate florals

Vessel.

Custom-glazed stoneware, batch-numbered

Scent families they work in.

Cross-reference each family for makers working similar territory.

Where to find South Light Candles.

3 stockists carry this maker — physical and online.

More from Christchurch

Other studios in the region

Ōtautahi rebuilt itself around small studios in Sydenham and the Tannery — the candle community here skews quietly experimental, with more wax-blending and beeswax than the North Island.

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