Words by Jumana

How do you bottle a feeling? Not just an ephemeral scent in passing, but a feeling? Amoriere has us wandering Summer Fields, traipsing through Sweet Blooms in the most Serene and Cozy of ways. Aptly named with the lovechild of “amore” (love in italian) and “lumiere” (light in french), these candles are entirely magical. You are more aware of your breath in the presence of Amoriere – all you want to do is keep inhaling. Take our word for it, this candle business is the kind where the only wish you have is that you knew of it sooner.

We at Kaleo were fortunate enough to visit the passions behind these scintillating scents, Aishath Nazaha Rasheed (Naza) with some special guest stars, in her studio. Even upon arrival, we were treated to a melody of fragrances that hung promisingly in the air. The notes of vanilla, sandalwood and jasmine, lingers as a part of you for as long as possible. This is the story of how passion and curiosity can create beautiful things when surrounded by the chrysalis of true support and unwavering faith of loved ones.

It was during the days of Covid-19 when time seemed to stand still, that Naza wanted to find a hobby as a distraction. She recalled, “At first I dabbled in painting. but it wasn’t therapeutic enough for me. That’s when I glanced at some of the candles around me and thought that this might be an interesting thing to try”. It was the aromatherapy candles she had collected for her own home that became the spark, so to speak. She had attempted her first, with a pillar candle from the corner store and some handy essential oils.

The innocence of pure curiosity formed the beginning of Naza’s candle making. “First, I made one and there was absolutely no smell even, that’s when I got curious, “Why might that be?”. I looked it up and found that there is a ratio to this”. This information rabbit hole and streaming curiosities about the art of candle-making finally allowed her to achieve her objective. This was a perfect distraction!

“The process was such a major trial and error. There were so many stupid mistakes early on, for me and for the people around me”, Naza said with a laugh. “But I suppose that is how you learn. So I am glad for every single one”.

One factor that was initially jarring to Naza was realizing exactly how much research needed to be done just to satiate the business aspect. “I hadn’t fully grasped how incredibly vital market research was, when I began placing my raw material orders with vendors”.

“There was one wax order early-on that was the biggest mistake (or blessing I guess) of my life” said Naza with a laugh tinged with experience. She had placed a major bulk order that didn’t turn out to be the best. “I didn’t know how to negotiate with suppliers early on. I thought that whatever they said goes, and didn’t even think bargaining was an option. It was a massive palette of wax for an MoQ (minimum order quantity)”. Our inspirational business woman didn’t give up, and it was through uncountable trial and error that she was able to make the wax work. In the end, she succeeded in putting out some of these unforgettable works of art we have come to know and love.

As fate would have it, the shipment actually couldn’t have come at a worst time, as this was also during the shipping delays of 2021 due to Covid-19. “It took me about 4 to 5 months just to receive the initial shipment, with an added 6 months that went into just testing and the launch as well.

“It went on to the point where someone gave me a reality check and said, “Naza, it won’t ever be as perfect as you think. Just put it out on the market”. I really needed to hear this. I had spent about three months just waiting to launch the product. This call to action was exactly what I needed. That person reminded me that I can only reach a limited number of people during this testing phase and that I will be able to acquire direct input from the market after launching.”

While Naza may be the spitfire that lit this candle business ablaze, it is those that surround her that supplement this passion. Best friends Muzeyna Hassan Mujah (Muzey) and Aminath Yusra (Yus) in addition to family and friends are the wind beneath her wings in a unique way. In fact, it was the candle-making itself that brought Muzey into her life.

“I used to carry samples with me everywhere and give it to people for their input”. Naza recalled. Muzey was the newbie in the office, when her curiosity got the better of her and she asked a quite unapproachable Naza about her samples. “She wasn’t used to initiating conversation with any new employees” Muzey said with a laugh, “I would see her going around, with this pouch of samples”. Naza also broke her no-fraternizing-with-the-newer-employees rule for Muzey, for this was just the sort of wonderful person she is. “I had been working there for eight years, and no one broke the barrier like Muzey”, Naza said with a laugh. Yus is another constant in her life. “Whenever I would go down a research rabbit hole and spend hours and hours there, Yus was my human diary, sort of. I would text her at 2 or 3 a.m in the morning and she would still be there for me. She didn’t have to understand my ramblings fully, to be able to support me. I can always count on her”.

Nazaha also lovingly recalls how it is her husband,

Ahmed Iyaz’s companionship and strength helps with her candlemaking on a day-to-day basis. “I will always, always find him there when I need him, no matter how big or small the task. This whole endeavor would not be possible without so many people. All of them contribute with the business aspect as well as creativity”.

Naza also involves the people around her in the research aspect of this business. For instance, she would give a candle to someone and ask that they report back how long it takes for the scent to reach from one corner of the room to another, or note when exactly the scent wears off. “…and then I would ask them to ask someone else in their life, for example I asked Yus to experiment and then asked if her mother could also try the candle and let me know,”.

How do you bottle a feeling? One of the most stunning scents that captured our attention was “Bibliosmia”. Naza was sitting, framed by a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf lined with the best of literature during our interview as she explained, “I love to read. It is my route of escape. It has such an emotional pull for me, to hold the book and to read. Scents are able to evoke such emotion, truly. For me it was a beautiful feeling and we have so many bibliophiles around us that love the smell of books, So I got to work on bottling it”. Take our words for it. This scrumptious candle is one for history. Lighting “Bibliosmia” surpasses the tangible and the person is transported into a cozy reading corner on a rainy day with the comforting warmth of a book-in-hand.

“Someone might look at this and say that it’s so simple, she has just poured it. But it is so much more than that. There is so much time, energy, focus and love that goes into every single hand-poured candle where you can definitely tell the difference between the mass produced ones”

Speaking of the demands of working life, Naza’s actual working day extends beyond typical hours as she is also still a full time employee at a financial institution. “Some days I have no choice but to stick to a bare minimum of four hours of sleep to be able to do all of it. Never does a day go by where I can say that I don’t have something that needs to get done”.

She believes that the biggest driving force for Amoriere is also the goal of financial independence and not having to depend on any one place. “There is a part of me that is hidden and limited by only working at 9 to 5. The other, more creative side also needs to be nurtured and expressed”.

“One thing that really hit me was that there is a certain satisfaction from creating something like this. It was about seven months after the launch when one day I called Muzey and I said, “Muzey! I made this!” and I was so happy”.

“Everyday I learn something new. I like to think I will always be learning”, she said. The sky’s the limit for Naza and Amoriere as there is a whole new world of possibilities for this business, lit with passion and love.