Aura Blossom - Artisan hand-crafted candles made with only one ingredient

Eco-friendly - hypoallergenic, high-grade BEESWAX. They say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. That having been said, all can agree that Aura Blossom's amazing candles, hand-made with love and passion by Brooklyn-based artist GELLA  DON, are the most beautiful candles you will ever bring into your home. They will, quite literally, elevate the ambiance of any room in your apartment. Each candle is a work of art, meticulously shaped to look like a flower. Every candle is unique in its scent and visual appeal. It takes candlemaker Gella Don at least two hours to craft her candles. A true labor of love, Aura Blossom is a family affair, consisting of the aforementioned brand founder, Gella Don and her two daughters, Aiza and Aya.  The family's incredible journey to launching their brand is as enthralling as their candles.

The family originally hails from Kyrgyzstan, a proud nation located in Central Asia that was once part of the Soviet Union. Kyrgyzstan represents an interesting blend of  Turkish and Russian culture. Always interested in arts and crafts, as a young mother, Gella would design and knit socks, sweaters, hats and gloves for Aiza and her older sister Aya. Times were tough under communism and there was always a scarcity of goods, so people had to be resourceful. Soon, Gella's passion for art led her to get involved with creating traditional.

Kyrgyzstan paintings called Alakiiz, which are made out of wood and wool. One of the most unique art techniques that you will ever come across, Alakiiz has been passed down through generations of Kyrgyz artisans. The art form involves wrapping wool around thin wooden sticks to create colorful forms of embroidery, some with national cultural motifs.

Once the sisters had grown up, the family became separated, while their lives took different paths.  Aiza ended up in Brooklyn, Aya resided in Moscow and Gella ended up in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2016, where she met her second husband, Oleksandr. It was while living in Ukraine's capital city that Gella first began to learn the craft of making candles with one hundred percent beeswax. But, more on that later!  An extremely resilient and resourceful woman, Gella Don is now working on her third, or is it her fourth, act in life. The family was finally reunited in 2023 when Gella and daughter Aya made the move to the USA and settled in at  Aiza's apartment. Unfortunately, Gella's husband couldn't make the move with her as he was called up for military duty in Ukraine. Gella has become a real true-to-life Brooklynite, enjoying picnics at Prospect Park with her friends and family as well as the hipster's signature beverage, Matcha Latte.

Despite having to deal with such mundane things as finding a job and learning the language, Gella hadn't given up on her artistic and entrepreneurial ambitions.

Not by a long shot! Gella's the BEST at multitasking! Aiza found this out one day when a package arrived in the mail addressed to her mother. But we'll let Aiza take it from here. " It turns out she had ordered some beeswax and wanted to perfect a craft that she had learned back in Ukraine. When I came home from work that day, it was evening and my mom said that she had a surprise for me.  When Mom revealed what she had been working on the entire day, I was astonished by what I saw. It was a gorgeous, super-realistic peony flower candle. And it was made ONLY from the beeswax that came in the package. I was blown away by how realistic the candle looked. The petals were exact down to every detail. " 

Over time, Gella continued to perfect her craft, making flower candles for friends and neighbors. The feedback was very positive and Gella began to think, " What if I could make this my full-time job and create a brand? After all, when you do something that you love, you won't have to' work' a day in your life. Mom shared her thoughts with her daughters and, as you would expect, they were all in. Aya helped provide some initial funding while Aiza got to work on every aspect of launching a brand. " Luckily, I have a background in graphic design and have always been interested in marketing," explained Aiza. " So, I knew how to create distinct packaging for the candles as well as a few marketing strategies. "  

A few months after that initial conversation, the family came up with  Aura Blossom, a name that perfectly captures the visual pop and gentle essence of the brand. When one is building a brand on a VERY tight budget, it is incumbent upon oneself to learn a myriad of skills on the run. And that is exactly what Aiza did, getting involved with building the website, registering as an LLC, doing product photography and so much more. Aiza even came up with the brand's mission statement: " Aura Blossom exists to craft luminous blooms that kindle warmth, beauty and spirit. It is a place where every candle and flame whispers a story of love, nature and grace."

The secret sauce, so to speak, is beeswax. This ingredient is not commonly used when crafting candles and it's a shame because beeswax has a ton of good things going for it. But that's why, when you're in the mood to purchase a candle, Aura Blossom should be your first and only stop.  Beeswax, for starters, is quite malleable and very easy to work with.

It has a denser structure than paraffin or soy wax and can be shaped into thin sheets if done properly. However, what should be of the utmost importance to YOU, the consumer, is the fact that beeswax has certain semi- medicinal properties that can help purify the air by releasing negative ions that neutralize pollutants, dust and allergens, leading to cleaner air in whatever room you choose to light one of Gella's candles in.

 Now, we all know that the look of a candle is vital; it sets the tone. But the candle's scent has to be appealing. If it isn't, you won't be using the candle again. That won't be a concern with a flower candle from Aura Blossom. The natural, subtle aroma of honey will create a calming and oh so pleasant atmosphere wherever you light the candle. As we told you earlier in this article, the actual crafting of these magnificent candles takes, on average, around two hours. Gella starts the process by melting the beeswax and then pouring it into a thin layer. Then, we get to the crafty part: carving out each petal in a painstakingly careful fashion. Finally, it's time to assemble the flower candle petal by petal.  Gella adores all of her " offspring," but her favorite candle is the pink peony. That's the one that started it all.

The team behind Aura Blossom cares deeply about our environment.  They want to do their part to reduce the environmental footprint of single-use plastic. Therefore, Aura Blossom uses a minimal amount of ingredients in their entire brand: beeswax, a cotton wick, paper packaging and a metal candle holder. No plastic anywhere! So very simple and as environmentally friendly as possible.

You don't need a special occasion to purchase a candle from Aura Blossom, although they do make for excellent birthday, anniversary, or Valentine's Day gifts. When it comes to self-care, what could be better than treating yourself to something that will lift your spirits and enhance your senses?  Come on, you know that you deserve it!  During the course of our interview with Aiza, we wanted to know what the team's goals were for the brand over the next couple of years. Aiza was quick to answer. " Our dream is to reach wedding events. My mom loves the idea of Aura Blossom being a part of someone's special day. And, really, what could be more romantic as a thank-you gift to wedding guests or to enhance the ambiance of the reception venue than a honey-scented flower candle?"

Gella, Aiza, and Aya are three empowered women who are living the American Dream. 

After years of traveling the world and being separated by thousands of miles, the family

 is once again enjoying Sunday brunch together, celebrating birthdays as one and toasting New Year's Eve under the same roof. As entrepreneurs and creatives, Gella and her two beautiful daughters are never content to rest on their laurels. They are constantly experimenting and looking for new ways to improve Aura Blossom's product and reach new customers. For the amazing team at Aura Blossom, the journey has just begun.

Contact Information:
Website: aurablossomnyc.com
Instagram: @aurablossom.nyc