Some of Northern Ireland’s most iconic landmarks have been turned into handmade sculptural wax melts and candles, so you can bring a little bit of local history into your home.
Mussenden Temple on the North Coast, Belfast’s Harland and Wolff cranes and the basalt columns of the famous Giant’s Causeway have all been meticulously made from beeswax by Lisburn woman Aisling Kearney who said she aims to evoke a “sense of place” when burning her products.
The 32-year-old is completely self-taught and creates all the moulds for all her products from scratch in her home studio, with each fragrance reflecting each place individually.
“Our fragrances aim to evoke a sense of place like the smell of distressed leather from the old summer library for the Earl Bishop within Mussenden Temple for example,” she said.
“The scents are carefully crafted to evoke the stories and landscapes of these landmarks.
“The Giant’s Causeway candle, on the other hand, has a sea mist and basalt fragrance, reflecting its rugged coastal environment.”
Aisling Kearney
Aisling said that the business is currently a “side hustle” for her as she also works full-time as a data scientist.
“When I come home from work, I take care of my daughter Aoife and then my evenings and weekends are dedicated to growing this business, often working late into the night after Aoife goes to sleep!” she told Belfast Telegraph.
“Balancing this with a full-time job is definitely a challenge, but my passion for our products keeps me motivated.
“I genuinely believe in the quality and uniqueness of what we offer, and I love every moment spent working on the business,” she added.
“Seeing the positive reactions from our customers and knowing we are creating something special makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
She said that the idea behind the business first came from a family trip to Mussenden Temple at Castlerock.
“I’ve always dreamed of running my own business, and when I saw the temple’s architectural beauty perched on the cliff-top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, I knew I had to create something to remind people of their visit,” she said.
“It’s now so heart-warming to hear from customers who say that their candle reminds them of the day they got engaged or married at Mussenden Temple, which was originally built in 1783.”
Her Mussenden Temple and Giant’s Causeway candles
This is Aisling’s first collection, as she now hopes to expand into other countries and cities across the world in the future.
“I think it is important to highlight landmarks from this beautiful region because it’s my home and there are so many fabulous places here,” she said.
“However, I do plan to introduce a collection featuring global landmarks very soon.”
The businesswoman has collaborated with a local artist to create the packaging for her unique wax melts and candles.
“The artist designed exclusive watercolour art for the packaging, which really makes the products stand out both on the shelf and online,” she said.
“When you purchase from City Sights Candles, you’re essentially buying art from the handmade product itself to its beautifully designed packaging.
“It’s so important to me to support local wherever I can,” she added.
“Also available are beautiful handmade ceramic candle plates inspired by Downhill Beach, with its golden sands and crashing waves, overlooked by Mussenden Temple.”
In addition to the scented candles, wax melts and accompanying plates, Aisling has also recently branched out into soaps inspired by the Wild Atlantic Way.
Her H&W wax melt
“We have Wild Atlantic Way soaps and also candles which are made using uniquely made ceramic containers made in collaboration with a local pottery company,” she explained.
“I genuinely love partnering with other Northern Ireland makers to create and launch exciting, high-quality products, it’s great to support one another.”
Aisling told Belfast Telegraph that she is completely self-taught and creates the moulds, candles and wax melts all from scratch.
“I hand make the candles and wax melts from start to finish, including making the moulds, pouring the beeswax, and adding the wicks,” she said.
“It’s been a steep learning curve, but a truly enjoyable one.
“The high-quality beeswax I use for our sculptural candles and wax melts is perfect for intricate designs because it holds details well and has a natural, beautiful finish,” she added.
“Getting the perfect pour involves a lot of trial and error with different wicks and fragrance oils.
“I am entirely self-taught, and there were moments when things didn’t go as planned,” she added.
“I had to go back, figure out what went wrong, and try again. Once I knew it was possible, I was determined to make it work. My partner Shane was a great help in solving some of the issues along the way.”
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She added that the design process of the moulds is crucial to the product’s end result.
“Some designs are definitely more challenging than others, especially those with intricate details,” she said.
“But as a perfectionist, I’m committed to capturing every possible detail.
“Although it’s a challenging task, the end result makes it all worthwhile,” she added.
“Each blend has to be just right to ensure the candle burns well and the scent fills the room; I spend a lot of time testing these combinations because I want every candle to offer a premium experience.
“It’s a true labour of love, and I enjoy every step of perfecting it.”
Aisling is now hoping to launch a wax melt and candle of Co Down’s Scrabo Tower located just outside Newtownards.
She explained how each landmark presents its own set of challenges so problem-solving is a big part of the process.
“It takes a lot of patience and determination to keep going and try again when it doesn’t work,” she said.
“For example, we realised we needed to modify the design of the Harland and Wolff crane legs slightly to ensure they wouldn’t break during demoulding, but it’s important that even when we have to make tweaks, the design remains a very good representation of the landmark.”
You can currently find City Sights Candles products at The Designerie in Bushmills, Doodle and Bloom in Bangor, The Rock Craft & Coffee in Castlerock, and The Craft Room in Newtownards.
You can also purchase from the website, www.citysightscandles.com.