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► Handmade, individual & with a personal touch

After a chance encounter with a candle maker on a Barbados beach in 1994, Rachel started working with them in their studio. She fell in love with the process at first pour, eventually buying the company. As she built the business up, Rachel’s new-found interest developed into a lifelong passion. In 2011 she opened her flagship store in Belgravia, selling beautifully scented candles to a mix of retail customers, corporate and private clients.

Now with over 20 years’ experience in the industry, Rachel Vosper is one of the leading British candle chandlers and home fragrance experts, specialising in hand-poured candles and signature home fragrances. Using only the finest European sourced ingredients, Rachel employs traditional methods in her Belgravia boutique to ensure the longevity of fragrances and an optimum burn. “I like to focus on balancing top, middle and base notes, approaching it in much the same way as a winemaker would,” says Rachel. “When choosing a fragrance, I look for simplicity and don’t like to overcook combinations. It’s also important for me to consider the occasion and season.” One of Rachel’s most unique features is her refill service, which allows customers to bring back used votives from the shop or provide their own vessels to be made into candles. “I like being given the chance to use something sentimental and old that has been brought in by a customer – perhaps it has been tucked away in a cupboard for years or inherited – and then give it a new lease of life.” As demand for bespoke scents increases, Rachel Vosper has been commissioned by a number of property developers to create bespoke scent packages for their latest projects. She also provides corporate clients with personalised gifts and fragrances for exclusive private and commercial properties. Her latest project is with Virgin Atlantic, developing a new signature scent that will be used throughout the customer’s journey - on the ground and in the air. An industry first! Rachel Vosper updates her fragrance library every season, including limited edition and new signatures, the latest of which is ‘Scent 69’, which combines elements of all her bestselling fragrances. Rather fittingly, Rachel Vosper was chosen as one of the four interactive areas at Decorex this year, as she works closely with a number of high-end interior design professionals, recently filling Baccarat and Lalique glass for a 16-bedroom house on Belgrave Square. If you have an idea for your very own fragranced candle, Rachel Vosper is the one that can make it for you. “My clients are a constant source of inspiration to me,” says Rachel, “and I love meeting the people who buy my candles, some of whom are now old friends.” This year, Rachel will launch a diffusion range with one of Britain’s leading home furnishing retailers, which includes candles, diffusers and spa-inspired toiletries.

Above ► The fragrance library and founder Rachel Vosper pictured at the flagship Belgravia store.

Below, left ► A trio of THG Bowls. Rachel Vosper