Mother of All Growth Candle

Description

We’ve commissioned a handmade, limited-run candle by Caos Motē, the studio of Brooklyn-based designer Sam Malloy. Made from upcycled concrete that turns into a planter when it’s burned through (lavender seeds and moss pellets included), the candle is perfumed by a custom Nautilus-inspired fragrance created by Saskia Wilson-Brown, founder of the Institute of Art & Olfaction in Los Angeles. 10% of proceeds will go to this non-profit, devoted to access, education and experimentation with scent.

With the concept of regeneration as its muse, the vessel is made from upcycled cement, and perfumed by a fragrance of rich, loamy earth, which is rounded by notes of Iranian galbanum, French lavender maillette and two cedars. The result is a simple, earthy smell—a welcoming, deeply familiar aromatic that reminds of walking in a wet forest, fog rising from the earth, dappled in sunlight. 

The candle is hand-poured in small batches in the shape of a milk crate, its form inspired by Caos Motē’s mission to reimagine and repurpose materials used in civic infrastructure and engineering. It takes its name from a conversation with the perfume creator Wilson-Brown, in which she described the aromatic component of the candle as “devoted to the mother of all growth: rich, loamy earth.” This top note is the compound geosmin, a naturally occurring bicyclic terpene that’s responsible for the smell of sod (dirt) and is also one of the major aromatic components of beet). Its name derives from the Ancient Greek words geõ, meaning “earth”, and osmē, meaning smell. 

Underneath the earthy geosmin top note is French lavender maillette—a soothing smell that proffers a magnanimous and “herbaceous floralcy.” These notes are rounded by Iranium galbanum, imparting a dried green grass element, and two cedars (Virginia and Texas) for wooded warmth.

Burn through, plant seeds, regrow, rejoice. Happy Earth Day.

Specifications

• Wax: 100% Organic Soy Wax
• Wick: Cotton 
• Burn time: 60 hours
• Includes pack of lavender seeds + peat moss
• Packed with biodegradable packing peanuts
• Weight: 12 ounces
• Dimensions: 4”x4”x4”