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Earth Day 2022 – How Can We help?
It’s Earth Day 2022 this Friday, the day celebrates our planet Earth and is a platform to raise awareness about environmental and humanitarian issues. The global theme for 2022 is to Invest In Our Planet by acting now on climate change and other issues for a sustainable future. To mark the day, there will be group events like worldwide rallies, conferences, and clean-up schemes. We know these organised activities aren’t for everyone but as individuals we can still make a difference. What each of us does and how we do it has a ripple effect on our ecosystems - our power is simple yet effective. Like so many others, as a company we’re not perfect but we are always working hard to do better. With integrity, honesty and diversity being at the core of what we do, we constantly strive to treat others as we would like to be treated. We are CARBON NEUTRAL and produce our collections as responsibly as we can: Use only the finest blend of botanical soy wax combined with food grade wax Lead-free 100% cotton wicks Vegan friendly A no animal testing policy is applied to all our products We provide diffuser refills and candle refills to encourage you to reuse the vessels The candle glass and packaging can be recycled, reused or repurposed We encourage you to help in our mission to #investinourplanet and reduce waste by reusing our vessels. Each piece is designed to be adored beyond the life of the candle burn or oil diffusion. Meticulously hand-crafted by artisan masters they are simply too beautiful to throw away. The Housekeeping Bit For candles, the first step to reusing the decorative jars is removing that pesky last chunk of wax from inside. This does involve a little bit of housekeeping but it’s definitely worth it to get the most out of your beautiful vessel. We can do this in a few different ways depending on how persistent that wax is! The Big Freeze Method This method is particularly good for Paraffin wax or Beeswax. Candle wax becomes brittle when frozen making it easier to remove. Place the old candle into the freezer for a couple of hours. Once frozen use a flat edged knife (nothing sharp!) to pry out the wax. We like to use a butter or pallet knife. To remove the leftover debris put some warm water on a paper towel and wipe the inside of the vessel. Apsley Hint - Keep checking in on the candle when it’s in the freezer, if it gets too cold there is a risk the vessel can crack. Perhaps set a timer to remind you to bring it out. The Bain Marie Method This method is good for the more stubborn waxes, but make sure your container can handle the heat. Simply fill a heat-proof bowl with boiling water and place the candle holder in it for a few minutes. The water will heat the container and melt the wax attached to the inside. Once the wax is soft carefully remove the jar and pour out the melted wax. Give the jar a wash using warm water and soap. Apsley Hint – don’t pour the wax down the drain, it’s not good for the water ecosystem and may clog up your pipes when it cools. Instead, put it on a plate or baking sheet, let it solidify to be used another time (we’ve given you a few ideas later in the blog). You can also reuse the boiled water to wash your jar rather than simply pouring it away – “waste not, want not” and all that! The Teaspoon Method This method is good for waxes with a low melting point, such as Soy. It’s also the safest method if you have any concerns about the jar’s fragility. The first thing to do is get rid of as much of the leftover wax as possible with a teaspoon. To remove the wick, use the spoon as leverage by placing it under the metal tab that holds the candle wick in place and pulling the wick, it should just come away from the base of the vessel. Then simply fill the jar with soap and hot water, leave it to sit for a couple of minutes then give it a good scrub Apsley Hint – This hot water method is ideal for cleaning diffuser bottles too! Just be sure to wipe the inside so it’s totally dry and all oil droplets have been removed before repurposing Additional Hints & Tips Remember - a candle’s life ends once you are down to the last ¼ inch of wax, after this point they are not safe to burn as you risk the jar shattering from the heat Don’t waste those chunks of unused wax – they’re great for a wax burner, drawer fragrance pouch or if you’re feeling particularly creative you could make your own candle by combining all the leftover wax you have collected, melting it down and pouring it into an empty jar, insert a wick and you have a signature candle. Just make sure the scents don’t clash too much! Jump online to find complete instructions Before reusing the vessel, always remove the wick and its holder. You should be able to lightly tug it or lift it with a spoon as explained in the ‘Teaspoon Method’ If the vessel has an annoying sticky label (which I’m pleased to say ours don’t!) you can try to remove it by leaving an equal mix of baking soda and cooking oil on the label for about 30mins then scrubbing it off with a steel wool pad The Creative Bit Okay, the vessel is clean and looking as good as new so the big question is “what can you actually reuse a candle jar or diffuser bottle for?” The first option is of course to refill the vessel with a candle or diffuser oil, you can see all our refill options on the website www.apsleyaustralia.com But there are so many alternative uses, and to be honest we are only limited by our own imagination. Here are just a few but we’re sure you’ll have other ideas too! Planters and Vases We love to use our beautiful Luxury Candle glassware for planting, it is the perfect vessel for showcasing your favourite plants and cuttings. Clear glass vessels are great for succulents, proudly showing off the different layers of stone, soil and moss. Votive candle holders are super cute as herb pots and can make a lovely window garden in the kitchen. Your diffuser bottles are perfect for holding flower posies and garden blooms. We use our Scented Space perfume bottle for this and they look fab: Tea Light Holders and Hurricane Lanterns To up the ambience of your home, both inside and out, simply drop a tea light or small candle votive into the jar – the flickering effect will be mesmerising. Placed in the window or as a table centrepiece, larger jars will look great with a few coiled rolls of fairy lights inside - mood lighting in an instant! Dresser & Bathroom Organiser Hands up, who feels overwhelmed by the clutter on their dresser or in the bathroom? Jars of all shapes and sizes are perfect for getting your beauty and toiletry essentials sorted! They can hold makeup brushes, hair accessories, lipsticks, eyeliners, cotton swabs & pads, manicure essentials, jewellery, toothbrushes & paste….. Okay, I’ll stop, but you get the idea!! Desk Storage Just like a vanity area, desks are prone to getting messy so use your jars to organise your stationery essentials – pens, scissors, rulers, sticky notes, staplers, highlighters. In your drawers place small votives in a row to separate paperclips, drawing pins, glue sticks, staples, USB sticks. It will be great for your working zen! Match Jar Matches can just be seen as a means to the end, but they can become part of your home décor, looking so elegant placed on the fireplace in our exquisite Abode Aroma Crystal Diffuser Bottles. The Crystal Candle Glassware can display your essential Candle Accessory Set. I could carry on with ideas such as money banks, snack jars, drinkware, pinch pots. We would absolutely love to see what you do with your vessels so please share your styling ideas with us @apsleyandcompany @abodearoma @scentedspace If you have any thoughts, suggestions or questions regarding our product development, designs and production processes please feel free to email us https://www.apsleyaustralia.com/pages/contact or direct mail sales@apsleyaustralia.com As we say we’re not perfect, but we are constantly inspired by Thomas Edison’s quote “There’s a way to do it better – find it!” Happy Earth Day – here’s to investing in our planet together! Team Apsley xxx
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Fragrance Day 21st March 2022 - The Importance of Home Fragrance
Fragrance Day 2022 The 21 st of March is one of our most favourite days of the year. Why? It’s International Fragrance Day – a day to acknowledge the importance of scent, how it can improve our lives and celebrate all things wonderful smelling, including of course everything home fragrance! Here’s a few little fragrance ‘Did you knows?’: Fragrance has been enjoyed for thousands of years. The first recorded perfume maker was called Tapputi, he was mentioned on a stone tablet from the 2 nd millennium BCE The oldest perfumery was discovered in Cyprus, dating back to the Bronze Age and was over 4,000m² - we’re talking industrial scale manufacturing! The bible describes a sacred perfume of liquid myrrh, cinnamon, cane & cassia Today France is considered the world centre of perfume manufacture The power of smell has inspired hit films like ‘Scent of a Woman’ or ‘Perfume: The Story of a Murderer’. Even the sitcom Friends got in on the act with the Friends episode ‘Joey Sells Perfume’ Here at Apsley and Company, we actually celebrate fragrance every day of the year because scent and smell are such a key part of our daily lives and many of us don’t even realise it. Candles have been around since about 3000 BC. For many years, their main function was to provide light. Nowadays, they are used as a home accessory bringing a decorative and personal touch to your home. Overt time creators have thought up many new ways to bring fragrance into your home from wax melts and room mists through to Bluetooth speaker and USB fragrance diffusers. Why Is Home Fragrance Important? Feeling good at home is essential for our mental wellbeing, relationship health and overall happiness. When designing a home we endeavour to create a space that fits our lifestyle, functional needs, personal style and aspirations. During this design process fragrance is often overlooked but it truly is an integral part of creating your home. It’s easy to purely focus on the aesthetics of a room but you need to think about how you want it to make you feel, and scent plays a big role in this. Room fragrance can be infused all over your home using a number of aromatic products such as Reed Diffusers , Candles and Room Mists Home fragrance affects your mood Sensory experiences affect your mood, and this is particularly true with scent. Think about your reactions to certain smells when you are outside - an unpleasant smell like petrol fumes can cause nausea or a headache whereas a floral burst of Lemon Myrtle might make you smile and get you thinking about your plans for an evening meal. Sadly we can’t influence outdoor smells but when it comes to home fragrance, we are in full control of the scents our noses experience. You can decide if you want a scent that triggers feelings of joy, relaxation, comfort, vitality or simply to disguise the household smells you don’t enjoy! For example, if you have a stressful job and need to unwind when you walk through your front door make sure you are greeted with calming fragrances such as lavender, chamomile, rose. As an alternative to floral fragrances look to citrusy bergamot, soft woody notes of sandalwood or the herbaceous notes of sweet marjoram. Apsley Suggestion - Our Apsley and Company Halfeti 400g Luxury Candle would be ideal with its sumptuous notes of black rose, laced with violet and a musk base – the perfect fragrance to relax to Home fragrance transports you Fragrance is an important part of how we remember people, places and events. One study showed that people can remember a scent with 65% accuracy after 1 year whereas visual memory only carries 50% accuracy after a few months. For me, the smell of baked bread takes me back to a time of ‘helping’ grandma in the kitchen and definitely raises a smile (perhaps not for the right reasons – I am no culinary wizard!!). Fresh and citrusy scents can take you outdoors to treasured nature walks or remind you of coastal holidays. Apsley Suggestion - In current times many of us have a need to escape. If that’s you, try our Apsley and Company Santorini Room Diffuser – available in 230ml and an impressive 500ml . Created with muddled spices, peppercorn and patchouli, the fragrance takes you to one of the world’s most exotic locations Home fragrance personalises your home The scent of a home should be unique to you and reflect your personality and style. Creating a signature scent throughout the house will give you and your home a sense of well-being, and your visitors a true sense of you. Just like your favourite cologne, your friends will go away remembering the scent and always associate it with the time they have spent with you. Apsley Hint - It’s not just the room that will carry your scent. If your home fragrance products are strategically placed, the fragrance will permeate into soft furnishings like pillows, curtains, sofas and rugs Home fragrance is versatile Your mood or fragrance needs may not always be the same. The beauty of Reed Diffusers , Candles and Room Mists is that they are so versatile, affordable and easy to change, unlike the restyling of furniture or wall colours. If you are having a party you may want to lift the spirit of a room. Swap out your calming candles, for a few candles with a more uplifting and invigorating fragrance. Lighting these will give a huge fragrant boost to the room’s atmosphere and the candlelight creates a welcoming and warm ambience. It’s also a great idea to use a Room Mist for a few quick spritzes of instant and intoxicating fragrance as the guests arrive. Apsley Suggestion - If you’re celebrating sun-drenched days in the garden with friends, our Apsley and Company Eclipse Luxury Candle would be ideal and it’s available in 400g (up to 60hr burn time) and 1.7kg (up to 180hr burn time). You can move the party indoors once the sun sinks on the horizon, but still keep those warming sunny vibes going with notes of Sicilian orange, blackcurrant and patchouli For a more intimate gathering, opt for soft and sensuous florals. For example our Abode Aroma Gardenia Pearl Bevelled Crystal Candle will definitely create the perfect romantic mood with its intoxicatingly beautiful hyacinth, combined with a heady symphony of lilac, star jasmine and muguet - a heart achingly bouquet of dreamy white flowers Home fragrance helps to create spacial zones Zoning a home has become particularly important in the last couple of years as a home has become a place to live, work, exercise, socialise and relax. Home fragrance will help take the pressure off you and your home to perform all these roles. Zoning deserves its very own blog so watch this space, but for now here are a couple of examples to help you define your functional boundaries. Apsley Suggestion - For Work – go for soft herbal or citrus scents to help boost concentration and alertness. They are less dominant but enduring so will carry you through your hours of work Our Scented Space 200ml Lemongrass Ginger Room Diffuser will invigorate you and your work space with the zesty vigour of lemongrass, bursting with ginger, pine & thyme. This energising fragrance will gently awaken your mind For Rest – Our Apsley and Company Luxury Halfeti Fragrance Collection would definitely calm your mind and senses with its sumptuous notes of black rose laced with crushed violet and a base of musk. The range includes a choice of candles and reed diffusers , plus a room mist for that instant spritz of tranquillity Home fragrance offers both function and form The fragrance of a candle, diffuser or room mist is of course essential when choosing what to buy but consider their design too. The beauty of our skilfully curated range of cruelty-free home fragrance products is not only do they provide sumptuous complex scents, they have also been designed to become a central part of your interior styling. Apsley Suggestion - Each of our collections offers something different. The Apsley and Company Luxury Collection offers striking centrepieces with their one-of-a-kind mouth blown glass vessel designs and impressive size options. Abode Aroma’s Crystal Collection brings an elegant touch of luxury with its Art Deco inspired crystal vessels. The perfume bottles of Scented Space Reed Diffusers are timeless in their design and can be placed in any room or space. It is also worth noting our vessels are designed to be reused as vases, planters, storage jars and so much more! Become the scent architect of your home This may sound a bit daunting, but it really doesn’t need to be. Choosing home fragrance is not a science it’s more of a gut reaction. Don’t think about it too much, just go with your initial response to a smell, you will instantly know if it’s a love or hate. Like taste, scent preference is very much unique to you and your home fragrancing needs. We would suggest you explore our ranges to discover the perfect fragrant pieces for you and your home.
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