Founder of Southern Elegance Candle Company D’Shawn Russell is on a mission to create candles and bath products that remind us of our shared history and cultural experiences, while using scents to whisk us away to a place of pure joy. Each scent and city combination is lovingly crafted to also elicit fond memories.
These candles are all based off of Southern locations and Southern themes using fragrances that D’Shawn has experienced herself. All of their scents are inspired by plants that are grown in the south; so if you are from there, or have visited there, one of these candles will resonate with you.
Here is what D’Shawn has to say about the heart behind her company:
“Do you remember walking hand in hand with your grandma down a dirt road, or sipping sweet tea under the shade of a pecan tree? Did you spend your childhood summers playing barefoot outside all day and catching lightning bugs at night? These are memories we cherish, that sustain us, and Southern Elegance candles will help you remember those intimate, special moments.
One of our goals is to support other small southern businesses. With that in mind, we searched high & low for the best suppliers in the south. Our fragrances, so incredibly lush & luxurious, come from South Carolina and Georgia. Our wax, wicks, and containers come from (almost) right down the road here in North Carolina. We know that our customers appreciate our doing our best to help keep business local.
Southern Elegance strives to create candles and bath products that capture who we are as a couple, a family, and Southerners growing up in small towns. Spending summers with Grandma. Working in the fields during the week and fishing on the weekends.
Singing in church on Sundays. Catching lightning bugs at night and sipping sweet tea to cool off from the summer heat. Swimming in the ocean while hanging with friends. Canning jams and making cobblers from the fruit trees in the yard. Enjoying the simple life.”
D’Shawn started her company with one pot in her kitchen, and many moves later is now in a 4,000 sq foot production space! These beautiful candles are in over 100 stores right now up and down the East Coast, but the vast majority of those stores are also in the South. They really believe in keeping that dollar circulating in the community.
I asked D’Shawn how she hoped her products will benefit and affect the lives of her consumers, and here is what she had to say:
“At the core of what we do, it’s about building community. We are about creating a warm, welcoming environment. Creating community is not just lip service, it is how we believe everyone should live. When our customers use our products, they should feel empowered. Our products represent everything wonderful about southern living.”
This company is about family, community, and embracing the time when things were really simple. The candles that I received from this company are beautiful, elegant, and smell incredible. Learning more about this company and the story behind it makes me feel honored to have them in my home.
Please visit https://www.secandleco.com/ to purchase these gorgeous candles!
