Local Spotlight - Waxman Candles

Waxman Candles, which is located on bustling Massachussetts Street, is a Lawrence original that's been around since the 1970s. Waxman founder, Bob Werts, came from New York City to attend school in Dodge City, and while in college, one of his favorite hobbies was experimenting with candlemaking. After graduating  with a business degree, Bob decided that candlemaking would be his calling. Bob's dad was skeptical upon hearing about his son's idea for making a living, and let him know as much. Bob pressed on, though, and  armed with a tiny candlemaking starter kit, he got to work creating as many types of candles as he could, learning along the way.

I acquired these background tidbits about the store from Jill, an employee at Waxman who was incredibly helpful and willing to answer every question I asked. Jill, who has been at Waxman for 10 years, said that she loves the company and the people she works with. She gave me the rundown on how the store has continually expanded its product offerings over the years, incorporating more scents and types of candles based on customer preferences, while maintaining the same staples that made Waxman a success from its inception.

Waxman is a candle store unlike any others that are currently on the market. For starters, the names and scents of the candles for sale at Waxman immediately distinguishes the company from the boring, tried-and-true fragrances that you'll find almost everywhere else. Honestly, how many more vanilla-, fresh-, berry-, rose-, cookie-something scents does anyone in America need? Answer: None. So it was refreshing to see tins emblazoned with titles such as, 'Love Potion No. 9', 'Nirvana', 'Aphrodisiac', 'Asia', 'Tea Party' and 'Sexy'. Infinitely appealing these names are because they pique onlookers' curiosity; what exactly does sexy smell like? Then you unable to resist picking up the candle and taking a whiff. For the record, I would describe the smell of the Sexy candle akin to what a freshly showered man wearing a well-tailored suit would smell like. This description is at least somewhat legit, as three other people sniffed it and this is the image we agreed that it matched. But you should go and smell Sexy just to see what image pops up in your mind.

Near the front door to Waxman is a tall shelf that holds can candles, which Jill said were incredibly concentrated. When you burn the can candle scent, you'll smell it immediately, and it will last. When I asked her what the secret was to making these candles more potent than any other on the market, she said that Waxman infuses the wax with the scent while it is still a liquid, whereas many other candle companies - including large, well-known ones - actually don't infuse the wax with a scent at all, and instead spray their scents onto odorless candles, which is why the fragrances in those candles can't be detected if you walk just a few feet from where they are burning. That little tidbit of information blew my mind.

My favorite can candles

In the middle of the room are dozens of individual, small votives stacked in bins at the center of the room that contain the most popular Waxman scents. Each votive retails for $1.75, or can be purchased as a set of 12 for $16.

Burning wood aka Bonfire is one of my favorite scents

And, being that that Waxman is located in Lawrence, there is a lot of pride for the city, as can be seen in the Lawrence-scented can candle and the faux cobblestone bricks that mime those still found on downtown and neighborhood streets. There are also plenty of candles that pay homage to The University of Kansas, from the tiny Jayhawk molds to the Campanile.

Then there are layer columns, in which two-to-five scents are stacked upon each other, with all of the scents mingling together once the candle is lit. The columns offered are: Kitchen, Wet, 5th Avenue, Deep Forest, Feng Shui, Summer Sunshine and Kansas.

Should your want a little bit of entertainment to go along with your richly scented candle, perhaps you should buy one of the candle molds that Waxman offers. From Hershey's Kisses to olives to treasure pyramids to cupcakes, there was a serious variety of everyday objects that one could pick from. Jill said that ideas for molded candles are thought up by the staff, and that all molds are created at Waxman. I can't be completely certain, but I'm pretty sure that she said that customers can commission custom molds. I think I might commission a macaron-shaped candle on my next visit.

The scented oils had perhaps the largest selection of scents to pick from, with my favorites being Hazelnut, which smelled like a freshly brewed cup of robust coffee, Nillaberry, which smelled like a mixture of vanilla, gummy worms and jelly beans, Roasted Chestnut, which smelled like coffee and chestnuts, Cinnamon, which smelled like Red Hots candy, Bayberry, which smelled like I was standing on the edge of a lake with a breeze of holly berries and Buff, which smelled like the air after a spring rain.

Jade, another Waxman employee, let me check out the back of the store where the candles are actually made. He said that since the candles are made on a smaller scale than other candle companies, Waxman makes their own equipment. He walked me through the process of creating candles from start to finish, and showed the latest batch that had just been formed.

If you want authentic, ethically made candles with scents that you literally will never be able to find anywhere else, stop by Waxman. A candle is the perfect gift for any occasion, and is a perfect buy just to treat yourself, and with the variety of options offered at Waxman, there isn't a reason not to stop by. And with the staff that is as friendly and willing to answer questions as Jill and Jade, it's no wonder the shop has been thriving for so many years.

Local Spotlight - Bloom Bath and Body

Bloom Bath and Body is a small women's boutique in Lawrence that carries product designed to pamper. From the uber-soft pajamas that line the upstairs loft to the candles, body lotions and lip balms that dot every table and shelf, the store is a smorgasbord of items dedicated to the sole purpose of providing a sense of decadent luxury to whomever should own them. Even Bloom's location - situated above an in-ground pizza parlor - adds to its inviting appeal.

Upon entering the store, there is a tiny staircase to the right that leads up into a loft area that hosts an array of pajamas, books, coin purses, stationery, scarves and other enticing odds and ends.

Straight ahead are several tables and shelves that are stocked full of heavenly aroma-ed items. Literally, if there is something that can contain a scent, it can probably be found dwelling in this area. And since men usually come in looking to buy something for their lady loves, Bloom has created small gift boxes wherein are pre-selected goodies. These remind me of Easter baskets for adults.

Brands such as Tokyo Milk, Lollia and Love & Toast are prominently displayed, with little nooks in the store designed to house each line. On a side note, these brands have the most amazing packaging and design. And since I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging, the mix of pastel colors, gilt font and box borders,  and medieval/Victorian illustrations roped me in before I even got close enough to determine if I liked the actual fragrances. Ah, such are the first world pains that I go through on the regular.

 Pastels + roses = Chelsea is a goner.

And behold...the wall of soap, courtesy of Pre de Provence. If you read my earlier post on local shop Au Marche, I've given two thumbs up to this brand before. As for the wall, if you're looking for a specific scent,  it's there. Or, would you rather choose your bar based on your favorite color? Be my guest.

If you're looking for a girly wonderland that will delight the senses, do stop by Bloom Bath and Body. Your nose will thank you.

Local spotlight - Au Marche

On the list of my top five favorite shops is Au Marche, a small store that is modeled after a European marketplace (hence the name).

 (My bag of October goodies, including: a coffee sampler, fruit gummies, cola Mentos and a pistachio truffle.)

Au Marche brings goods to Lawrence, Kan. that usually can only be found across the pond. Owner Lora Wiley was inspired to open Au Marche after studying abroad in France and traveling throughout Europe where she not only fell in love with the culture, but happened upon a small store that sold hard-to-come-by American products such as Oreos and Snapple. She thought that opening such a shop in the United States - selling European wares, of course - would be a great idea. And thus, Au Marche was born.

The store, though not massive, is packed with treasures in the forms of paper goods, small eatables and body care products. Upon walking into Au Marche, directly to the left is an assortment of body lotions, soaps and lip balms that will keep your nose entranced for hours. Though I don't use bar soap, the brand Pre de Provence makes the most tantalizing scents, like Pineapple and Vanilla Woods, for instance, that have me willing to switch from using my tried-and-true body washes. Anothe bar soap brand, Nesti, has the most interesting - yet still delightful - soap scents, such as Red Grape and Blueberry, Fig and Almond Milk, Artichoke, and Olive and Tangerine.

The store even carries the cult product that many cosmetic mavens rave about - the hard-to-find Nivea face cream that's manufactured in Germany, as opposed to the more prevalently found, less hydrating formula that's made in Mexico.

The center of the store is host to meats, cheeses, chilled drinks, spreads, spices and even handmade ice cream and truffles by local celebrity chef Christopher Elbow. The piece de resistance? An expansive middle table devoted exclusively to an assortment of tiny candies, all of which are individually wrapped and ripe for the plucking. And pluck I do.
This candy buffet, such as it were, makes me a glutton. How can you resist grabbing one of everything when it's packaged so enticingly?

It is through my forays into the candy brands presented on this table that I found a product that marries my two great loves, coffee and chocolate. The product in question, Pocket Coffee, is a candy that consists of a thin, crunchy square chocolate wafer that houses a half shot of liquid espresso in its center. When you take a bite and the decadent mix of chocolate and espresso hits your lips, you'll be so overwhelmed that you'll forget your name.
Yes, it's that good, and I've turned half of my friends on to it. The candy is hard to come by and is usually on backorder from abroad. Once it arrives in store, it is snatched up almost immediately by customers. There were crates full of Pocket Coffee boxes that were delivered to Au Marche, and within three days, the store only had four small boxes left to sell.

Some other middle table goodies that I'm a fan of include: Zots sour candies, Kinder chocolate-coated, hazelnut-infused vanilla wafer Happy Hippos, cola-flavored Mentos and Hopjes coffee-flavored hard candies.

Found situated against the wall and housed on gondolas are Euro-centric stationary, postcards and gift tags, most of which are pastel-colored, some of which contain glitter and all of which are adorable.

I've fallen prey to their spell many a time, as you can see from my tiny gift tag stash.

Along the walls, packaged goods such as jams, teas, coffee, seasonings and sweets can be found. In a corner I've unofficially dubbed "chocolate paradise", there are rows upon rows of pastries, cookies and full-size candy and chocolate bars.

 

 

And these foreign candy bars, by the way, have the most delectable combination of ingredients that seem to be missing in their American counterparts. For instance, there are banana-hazelnut combos, cappucino-filled milk chocolate, pear-infused dark chocolate, bacon and chocolate combos, plus many more. *Side note: I've tried the Vosges Mo's Milk Chocolate Bacon Bar, and despite the eyebrow-raising ingredient combination, the taste is anticlimatic. I honestly couldn't taste any bacon. This isn't to say that I was expecting a ham-cocoa-fest to happen in my mouth, but I was expecting something more than a slightly salty chocolate bar. Meh.

 

A dark chocolate spread by a company called Nusco is a divine creation I'm glad I bought on a whim. If I thought that I was blown away by the taste bud oasis that is Nutella, then I wasn't prepared for Nusco. This dark chocolate topping is the bee's knees, though the brand also offers a sweet spread that is a swirled hazelnut and milk chocolate combo. I haven't tried that one yet, but I'm sure it's worth a taste.

Should coffee be your thing, Au Marche also offers sample-size packages of several of its flavors so that you can try a coffee flavor before committing to a full bag of grounds. My favorite time to peruse the coffee selection is right around fall and winter when the seasonal selections come out. Pumpkin flavors during September and October and vanilla-run combos in November and December are delicious (and great stocking stuffers). 

Obviously I'm an Au Marche fan. Exemplary customer service from the staff combined with a stellar selection of amazing products not only keeps me coming back for more, but also encourages me to tell everyone about the store.