The history of candles dates back to ancient civilizations when candles were the primary light source. They also played a quintessential role in spiritual worship. 

The art of candle-making has changed dramatically over the centuries, but the simple candle’s purpose has remained the same: from improving one's mood to bringing light into darkness. With the addition of fragrance and creative design, today’s candles have the power to lift the spirit as well as the home or any place setting that wants to evoke a mood or feeling, and now with a special collection I created even celebrate our zodiac signs. 

Here is some history:

• The creation of the candles was by the ancient Romans. The first candles were created by repeatedly dipping rolled papyrus in tallow or beeswax. Then just before the invention of the light bulb, the process of candle-making became more complex. 

• 1820s - A French chemist extracted stearic acid from animal fatty acids which led to the development of a hard, clean wax called stearin, which is still used in Europe today.
• 1834 - The birth of industrialized candles. A molded candle production machine was invented and candles could be mass-produced. This also made them cheaper.
• In the 1850s - chemists separated paraffin from petroleum and refined it into paraffin wax, odorless, clean-burning, and economical.
• The oil and meatpacking industries in the U.S. grew during the first half of the 20th century, creating paraffin and stearic acid as byproducts. The ready availability of these materials saw a candle-making increase. In the 80's it became popular to gift candles and use them for decoration suddenly everyone began making their candle collections. 

PhyllisK candles started as a passion to create a luxury line of scented candles and it was my intention to use fragrances to transform any space into an immersive sensory experience.  My candles and diffusers are handmade 100% domestically grown soy and cotton braided wicks. Fragrance oils are sourced from all over the world, including rose and lavender from Provence. I also ensure that my production in the U.S. of candles are phthalates-free and of course, never tested on animals. I can create a private collection for corporate gifts as well as for any brand, designer, hotelier, or restaurant. They also make the perfect accent for wedding gift bags with the bride and groom's initials to match their invitations with a unique scent. 

I created with my production team, The Affirmation Collection which is perfect for yogis and anyone who wants to attract positivity in their lives.   These candles were designed specifically to help build your confidence and outlook in life. Keeping these candles around your home will remind you to state these affirmations on a daily basis. My Zodiac Circus collection, a personal favorite,  is a collaboration with mixed media artist Suzi K. Edwards.  These candles reimagine the 12 Zodiacs through whimsical circus performers. Each Zodiac Circus performer contains subtle imagery pertaining to the nature of each Zodiac Sign. The scents were personally crafted to go with each sign, from a Marrakech-evoking scent for Scorpio to the very popular pumpkin, apple, and pear scent for Sagittarius.  Candles are truly a passion of mine, they radiate messages of romance, celebration, meditation, passion, security, and hope.