Source: becauseimaddicted.net via Annabelle on Pinterest

We love supporting small Australian businesses, and It's always inspiring to hear the stories of women entrepreneurs who have moved on from the first stage of their careers to found their own business doing something they really love.  It's a pleasure to introduce blackMILKcandles, the baby of former beauty therapist and hairdresser Fiona O'Donnell. Our Marketing & Buying Co-ordinator Tessa contacted Fiona to learn more about her story, as well as all the details of the scents in today's blackMILKcandles feature.

As well as creating the gorgeous and evocative scents for blackMILKcandles, Fiona O'Donnell personally hand pours each one in her Melbourne home/studio and designs and creates the elegant black and white packaging. Fiona's passion for making the world a beautifully fragrant place is clearly evident from talking to her – did you know she can pick what fragrance someone is wearing if they simply just walk by her on the street!?

Read on to discover more about Fiona's quirky sense of smell and her eclectic mix of scents shown in today's feature…

Fiona, Can you tell us about the scents in our blackMILKcandles feature? Which is your favourite?
The fragrances in this collection are based on warm notes to balance our cold winter days and nights.

Orange Chai & Cinnamon - A warming winter blend of orange zest with spicy cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

Vanilla Coffee Cream - Where the cafe connoisseurs meet the chocolate lovers! I've combined a rich, creamy vanilla, with a drop of freshly brewed espresso to create the most tempting candle you have ever smelt.

Rose Violet - A classic, vintage floral of red rose petals with sweet violets - feminine and pretty!

Ginger Leaf - Sharp fresh ginger, rounded out with refreshing notes of green tea leaf. This results in a truly uplifting blend for the winter months.

Clementine – Oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit are the base of the sparkling Clementine fragrance. Popular all year round for a fresh burst of fragrance!

My absolute favourite from this collection is the Ginger Leaf and the Clementine would come a very close second!!

It is often interesting to burn more than one candle at a time and create a whole new fragrance for your room, just by blending the two scents. Try burning the Ginger Leaf with the Clementine for an uplifting scent, or the Vanilla Coffee Cream with the Orange Chai & Cinnamon for a sweet, spicy explosion. Rose Violet is a vintage, floral classic on it's own, but try something with it and discover a whole new fragrance.  The combinations for burning your candles are only limited by your imagination!

What is your background and what led you to establish blackMILKcandles?
I am a beauty therapist and hairdresser by trade, and have spent many years working with cosmetics. I absolutely love beautiful soaps, which led me into the world of soap making. From there, I quickly followed with candles, as they complement each other as a beautiful gift for someone special, or something just to spoil yourself.

I have a passion for fragrance. I used to pride myself on knowing what scent a woman was wearing when she'd walk past me. The freedom to blend and create fragrance for soaps and candles is the highlight of my day!  To be able to transform a beautiful scent into a candle and share it with the world is so rewarding.

I love a clean, simple and elegant look. I knew I wanted to keep my collection of products packaged in black and white – it matches every décor! Most of my products are left in their natural colour, being a creamy, opaque white, so hence, the name, blackMILK!

Can you tell us about the manufacturing process?
Without telling you my 11 secret herbs and spices (!!) - I hand make and pour all the products in the blackMILK collection myself. I work from my home in Melbourne – often referred to as the studio/warehouse, but it is still home.  It works for me, as there is no start and finish time when you work for yourself.

I am often pouring candles between 9pm and 2am. My mornings are spent addressing admin tasks, the afternoons, preparing to manufacture and then the evenings/nights, producing the product. I am a solo operator, but do obtain help from family and friends when I need it. I'd like to keep blackMILK a boutique brand, and maintain control over the whole process. I also like to interact with my customers personally – it makes a difference!

I use 100% pure soy wax in my candles and melts, and a cosmetic based carrier in my diffusers. My fragrances are created with blends of pure essential and fine fragrance oils. I print and label all the stock myself, as well as package and distribute.

What is your inspiration for the scents?
Inspiration for creating fragrances comes with experimentation and excitement - you never know what you will end up with! Fragrance is usually described in 3 notes, bottom, middle and top.  Once you create a fragrance, it is always interesting to layer it too – applying one over the other. The sense of smell is very reactive – you either love it or hate it. And if you love it – you have to have it!!

Do you believe in seasonal scents, eg Winter and Summer scents?
Absolutely! When it is hot in summer, it is lovely to burn cool and refreshing scents, like your citrus fruits or soft florals. During the cold winter months, warmer based notes of spices and rich liquor or essences create a cosy environment. We also have the Christmas season, which evokes scents of fir, spruce and pine or clove, plums, orange & cinnamon. I'm releasing the blackMILK Christmas Collection of fragrances in October.

Why do you think people love burning candles?
Candles create an atmosphere. Be it fun and festive, peaceful and relaxing or romantic and intimate, the fragrance, the flicker of a flame and the gentle glow of light all come together to create an environment that you have chosen.

- Tessa