Mission Statement
Candlefind is dedicated to the highest quality of home fragrance reviews delivered with originality, sincerity and honesty
Our Story
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer." ~ Harriet Tubman
Candlefind started with a dream.
In 2003, Carolyn O’Conner wanted to create a space where candle lovers could come together and share their experiences with scented candles. Candlefind soon became a safe haven to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly...all with style and grace. Carolyn wanted to make sure that consumers were able to make informed decisions when making scented purchases - based on real information from real customers. She also wanted to hold candle companies accountable – for their products, practices, and customer service. Along her journey, she amassed a small team of "scent experts," who helped sniff out products and give in-depth, honest reviews. Little did she know how much this information was needed, and Candlefind grew faster than she ever imagined!
From 2007 to 2019, Christina Rylan took over the reigns and popularized the single reviews. During this time, there was an increasing focus on retail brand candles.
In late 2019, Andrea Haskins took ownership of the site and came armed with a number of ideas to expand the reach of Candlefind and grow the brand. We stand today poised to recognize the increasing number of high quality, indie wax companies, as well as tried and true retail brands that continue to improve their products. Our single reviews remain our bread-and-butter, but we have also begun to focus on feature and comparison articles and to expand our social media reach.
We continue with our dream as Candlefind grows in ways we never thought possible. We've found a true dual purpose over the years. We still inform, educate, and protect the consumer, holding all companies accountable and reporting it 'like it is.' We also have found our passion for helping promote small businesses as they pour their hearts and souls out into their products. We love to help them reach a niche audience as they watch their dreams grow.
Because it all starts with a dream.
Andrea Haskins, Owner
Hi, I’m Andrea, the current owner and Candle Lover in Chief here at Candlefind. I have a sincere passion for candles, being mesmerized from the moment I saw my first flickering flame. I love luxury candles (who wouldn’t?) and unique scent combinations. My love for scent has now spilled over to wax melts and scented bath/body products. When I’m not scenting, I love reading and playing with my wild & crazy pup, Holly Berry.
Aha Moment
Several years ago, I was gifted a candle from a friend, from a brand that was new to me. When I lit the candle, I was in awe...it burned flawlessly and lasted FOREVER! The scent was complex, beautiful, and very relaxing. The candle scent did not blow the doors off the room, but it was one of the best candles I had ever tried. That's when it dawned on me...the strength of a scented candle is just one part of the journey. Not all candles have to be "super strong" to be high quality, worthwhile candles. There are a number of different aspects that make a great candle. That's now become our goal, to seek out those candles and present them to consumers.
Behind The Scenes Team
We are all about teamwork here at Candlefind. It takes a lot of different hands (and noses) on deck to bring you as many reviews as possible.
Chris McCutcheon
Director of Sales & Marketing
Mac is our token male around the Candlefind office. He establishes and manages our sales goals, and evaluates opportunities for growth. He's our go-to for our marketing goals and advertisement plans.
He is also wild about fresh, clean scents, such as Clean Cotton from Candle Escape.
Susan Tucker
Chief Operating Officer
Susan is responsible for overseeing all our operations, including implementation of our numerous policies and procedures. She makes sure Candlefind remains financially viable for years to come!
Aside from that, she enjoys fragrance layering and bakery scents.
Christine Lucido
Website Design
Christine has an eye for design and immense knowledge about website functionality. Her guidance has been invaluable in our growth.
Christine enjoys burning energizing citrus scents to keep her going during the workday. Also, she is wild about beautiful candles.
Brands We’ve Worked With
Meet Our Reviewers
Meet our current team of reviewers and what makes them so special here at Candlefind!
Andrea
Resident Guru For:
Luxury Candles
Andrea's love for candles goes back many, many years (yikes!). She is the go-to person for scented luxury candles but also has a keen nose for all types of complex scents.
Julia
Resident Guru For:
Indie Shops
Julia is our go-to person for indie wax, from candles to wax melts and more. She particularly loves bakery and fresh/clean scents. Her staging photos make us swoon!
Avery
Resident Guru For:
Wax Melts
Avery's nose knows about wax melts... those little bundles of scented joy. She enjoys trying a variety of candle companies and her favorite types of scents are
spicy and woodsy.
