By The Beauty Book
The business of home fragrance and candles is a thriving industry. New Zealand brand Nevé delivers exquisitely fragranced quality products, but just as importantly, Nevé founder Tessa Lynes is rewriting the rules when it comes to luxury candles and home fragrance sustainability.
Nevé’s (pronounced nee-vei) stunning collection of New Zealand inspired scented candles and room sprays are designed, created and hand poured by Tessa and her candle-maker-in-chief mother Vicki, in the South Island.
What started as a part-time shared passion for the mother-daughter duo, has become a full-time business, and Tessa is on a mission to be New Zealand’s most sustainable home fragrance brand.
“What goes into our range is of the utmost importance, which is why our hand poured candles use FSC certified wood wicks, 100% natural soy wax and phthalate free fragrance oils, resulting in a cleaner and greener burn.”
Then there’s the clever candle refill option. In an effort to minimise waste and maximise sustainability, Nevé was one of the first in New Zealand to introduce its popular candle refill concept.
Candle lovers can now enjoy the candle jar beyond the original candle. Simply clean out the empty jar using warm tap water and pop in the Nevé refill (that way you can also experience fresh candle fragrances each time). Nevé also offers a candle subscription for a monthly seasonal fragrance delivery.
“I’ve been a huge candle user for years and one of the things that used to bother me was the jar waste once I’d finished enjoying a candle. It made no sense to me that there wasn’t a way we could send them back and refill them in a more circular way, and that’s when the idea came to me for a candle refill,” says Tessa.
“Once you’ve done it once and you realise how easy and simple it is to wash out the jar and replace it with a refill, it just becomes the new norm.”
As well as having created a truly luscious fragrance collection (Kōwhai Blossom + Lime; Pink Peony + Prosecco; Whiskey + Wood Smoke are just a few of the options), Tessa is driven to ensure the company operates in an environmentally friendly way.
Candle refills are just the beginning of the Nevé sustainable home fragrance journey, with big plans to introduce other innovative, refillable products to the collection, including the room sprays in early 2023.
Nevé has found its place as an affordable luxury brand with a story, purpose and integrity.
Giving back is also important to Tessa and from the beginning it was essential for Nevé to be a purpose-led business which is why a small portion of each sale is donated to a charity close to their hearts. $1 from every order currently supports ‘Trees that Count’; a charity that plants native trees throughout New Zealand.
Nevé is the word used to describe the partially compacted granular snow that forms the surface at the upper end of a glacier. And given that the brand was founded in the beautiful south, and inspired by Te Waipounamu’s striking Southern Alps, the name perfectly captures the brand’s unique outlook – adding instant style and ambience to any setting.
When it comes to the festive season, Nevé’s has truly captured the essence of Christmas with Wild Pine + Juniper Berry and two limited-edition fragrances – Passionfruit Pavlova, and Summer Pōhutukawa.Tessa curated the three fragrances from a desire to create seasonal Christmas scents not focused on typical northern hemisphere traditions and winter mood. She wanted to capture what a kiwi Christmas truly smells and feels like. Mission accomplished.
Limited edition Christmas fragrances and gift sets (priced from $28) are available online now and at selected stockists.
Photos by Sophie Louise Creative