It Started With a Bad Candle
Not one we made. One we bought. It tunneled on the first burn, the scent faded within an hour, and the wick drowned in its own wax pool. That frustration — paying good money for something that didn't work — sent us down a long rabbit hole of wax science, fragrance chemistry, and wick mechanics.
That was the start. What followed was months of testing, measuring, and burning through a lot of failed pours before anything came out the way it should.
Why Soy Wax
We settled on soy wax for practical reasons. It burns cleaner than paraffin, holds fragrance well when handled correctly, and it's easier to work with at home — which matters when you're teaching people to make candles they'll actually continue making after the session ends.
The choice isn't ideological. It's functional. Soy wax behaves predictably when you understand its temperature windows, and that predictability is what makes it the right learning material.
The Decision to Teach
Friends kept asking how we made our candles. The first few times we explained it quickly. Then someone asked if we could show them. That first informal session with four people around a kitchen table turned into something we hadn't expected: everyone left with candles they were genuinely proud of.
The format we use now evolved from that session. Four hours turned out to be the right length. Short enough to stay focused, long enough to actually learn something and finish three candles that cure properly.
Makati as a Location
The workshop is based in the Makati area because that's where we are. It's also a practical location — accessible from most parts of Metro Manila, with good transport options and familiar to people coming from neighboring cities.
The space is set up specifically for this kind of hands-on work. Not a converted event venue or a borrowed café. A proper workspace with the equipment, ventilation, and layout that makes a four-hour candle session comfortable and productive.
What We Believe About Learning
- Doing beats watching every time
- Mistakes are part of the process
- Small groups mean better instruction
- You should leave with something real
- No prior experience is ever a barrier
