HOW HARD IS IT TO LEARN CANDLE MAKING?
Sarah: Essentially, making a candle in itself is not easy but it’s not hard either. What’s difficult is understanding fragrances; learning how to blend and balance scent notes to get a great throw. Developing scents with a partner is interesting too because the same ingredient can have different profiles for us and it’s hard to articulate that to someone else. Sometimes reaching a consensus means shoving scented paper strips under all our friends’ noses and passive-aggressively demanding honesty. Candle-making regularly makes a fool of us – there’s so much that could go wrong at any turn.
Cheyenne: We used the wrong type of wax for the first two months and wasted so much time and money, but the stupid stories don’t end in the learning stage. I think the dumbest thing we did was shatter our glass beaker full of hot melted wax right above the sink. We spent six hours taking the piping apart to clean out the hardened wax and glass. I was pretty handy as a kid when it came to fixing up the house, be it appliances or plumbing. My dad shares the same interest, so cleaning up this mess was secretly exciting for me. We even ironed the kitchen cabinet (don’t try this at home) to remove the wax residue from the wood grain.
Sarah: We still superglue our fingers together every other weekend, and each time, we instinctively reach for tissue and make a bigger mess of things.
Cheyenne: Every other weekend. (Laughs)
BETWEEN YOU BOTH, WHO DOES WHAT?
Cheyenne: I think this is a hard question because we honestly do most of the work together, from socials to production and branding, etc. Sarah handles the finances though, and I handle the shipping and delivery.
Sarah: Yeah, we instinctively take the lead on different things at different times. We do have different work schedules so we know to pick up where the other left off.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Sarah: I think it’s just hanging out with Chey. Behind the scenes, Nitwick is really just us solving puzzles and cracking up. We were already close but this has added a new dimension to our relationship. Even though we can be such different people, we hold the same values and that has been our strongest and most comforting anchor. It’s actually quite nice working with family because it allows for full transparency, at least for us. I feel comfortable with every decision we make because I know exactly where she stands.
Cheyenne: I agree about Nitwick adding a different dimension to our relationship. It has deepened a lot, since we spend a significant amount of time together. I’ve learnt a lot more about Sarah outside of what I already knew. Observing our different working styles brings about growth in areas I didn’t even know I could grow in. Much like what Sarah said, we just have fun, really. Some weekends, after work, we binge-watch movies or pick up from our Resident Evil game chapters. We always make sure to find a balance in our relationship.