“Let’s face it – a candle really shouldn’t cost the earth,” says Alyson Sturley of TANDA, when I ask her what her candle brand is all about. “I tried to make a candle that was truly transcendent of style, age, and gender norms, whilst still maintaining affordability”.
I knew I liked this brand for a reason!
I first discovered TANDA when Alyson sent me one of her candles last year and the love affair grew from there. When I met the lovely lady at this year’s Life Instyle, my focus was on securing her divine candles for the TLC Interiors online store. And thankfully, Alyson came to the party!
A secondary school teacher who put her masters on hold to start working on TANDA, Alyson started her small business journey in May last year – getting help from her dad and husband when things got a little demanding.
Now, we all know that concrete is trending hard right now, but I’ve honestly never experienced anything like TANDA’s candle vessels before. Thick and heavy, there’s a real depth to the designs. And the best part is that you can use the vessel for multiple purposes after the candle wax has melted away.
“It took months and months of constant thought and fine tuning to get it to the product you see today,” Alyson tells me of the candle creation process. “And I honestly don’t think I could be happier with it! I love that every single item is entirely handmade and hand finished; each vessel has a myriad of imperfections, which I think make them perfect”.
Alyson explains the brand’s vibe as modern, minimalistic, sophisticated and affordable – and I couldn’t agree more. The scents are also sublime. As I type this post, I have the French Vanilla Bourbon burning away beside me; my fave from the collection.
With a new range landing in the coming weeks and plans to move into a much bigger workspace to cater to her businesses growing needs, Alyson tells me she has learnt a lot on her short, but jam-packed, creative journey so far.
“Running TANDA has also introduced me to so many different, wonderful people in a community I wouldn’t have otherwise come across. I now get to call a lot of really fantastic, supportive people my friends”.
One of the things Alyson tells me about her journey resonates with me deeply.
“Business has taught me not to believe in good luck – I’m all about turning every possible opportunity into something wonderful!”.
I love, love, love this approach to life!
I’m so excited to be stocking TANDA candles in TLC Interiors Shop. With 10 amazing fragrances to choose from, you’re going to be experiencing true nostril nirvana.
Click here to see more and shop.
All images in this post come courtesy of TANDA’s Instagram.
