Shmood: The Candle Making Business Championing Sustainably

"Shmood - used to describe a relatable mood”

As part of our independent Christmas Catalogue we caught up with Sophie, owner and founder behind ‘Shmood’. Sophie is a recent graduate from the University of Leeds and has developed her handmade, sustainable candle business at an amazing rate with six unique products and more in the pipeline. Here’s what Sophie had to say about her journey so far.

When and why did you start ‘Shmood’

Shmood began when my final year of university came to an abrupt end due to lockdown 1.0. I had candles lit in my room to help me feel more settled. I began to notice that harmful chemicals were used to make many shop-bought candles. As a student I couldn’t afford the natural, handmade alternatives, so in July, I decided to try candle making myself and well, here we are.

What’s the ethos behind your brand?

Every Shmood product is handmade by myself in the Lake District using only sustainably sourced soy wax, pure essential oils and non-bleached cotton wicks, all sourced from UK suppliers. No crappy chemicals in sight!

Minimising waste, supporting UK suppliers and being plastic-free is something that I value so highly and I try to reflect it within every element that makes up Shmood. Our candles and packing are zero-waste as every element can either be recycled or will naturally biodegrade! This leaves me feeling pretty good knowing that Shmood isn’t damaging or harming the earth, just making it smell that little bit nicer.

Tell us more about your products so far…

Our candle scents are specifically designed to help naturally boost your well-being through the power of aromatherapy. Each scent comes with its own Spotify playlist which you can scan from the label. Who doesn’t love burning their candle with a bit of soul funk? every candle you purchase, we donate 50p to Mind which helps ensure no one faces mental health issues alone. This has always been important, but now with so many people feeling uncertain and anxious, I am so pleased that my business can help people in wider society.

Since July, we have donated £220 to Mind. For Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, we donated £124 to CoppaFeel from our limited-edition Boob Check candle which flew out!

Our Core Collection is the OG consisting of 3 unisex scents – Chill Pill, Energise and Focus Aid. I still remember creating these scents with my Mum until the early hours just to make sure they were perfect, so these are pretty special to me. These all come as 30cl candles with a 30 hour burn time or you can experience all three scents in our Gift Set Trio, each with a 10 hour burn time.

Next came our Home Collection – Spiced Chai and most recently our limited-edition Golden Hour 3 wick candle which sold out in just 4 days. These scents are designed to add warmth and feelings of nostalgia to your home.

We have lots of exciting launches coming up and to kick start 2021, we will be releasing 6 new products, all of which are designed to help you feel more present and encourage habits for better well-being.

You can find Shmood’s candles at www.shmood.co.uk or drop them a follow on Instagram.