Different scents can often transport us back to specific emotions and memories – or places. That’s the goal when you light a candle from Hale Plume – for kamaaina to be reminded of their island home, no matter where they are.
Family-run candle business Hale Plume, which means “to fill your home,” essentially draws inspiration from Hawaii’s outdoor smells and brings them inside, featuring familiar local fragrances such as lei, aloe, passion orange guava and ling hing mui.
“When I smell our POG candle, it takes me back to when we first started,” Hale Plume Owner Shandra Hastings told Aloha State Daily about the first custom blend she created.
For Hastings, a self-taught candlemaker based in Honolulu, what started out as a Covid hobby in 2021 has scaled into an online store with about 80 wholesale accounts nationwide and beyond. Boutiques like Tasty Kona, Na Mea Hawaii and Kainani Swimwear were among the brand’s first vendors, she said, adding that growth came from word-of-mouth and Instagram.
Hastings, who has called Hawaii home for more than two decades, said launching the business took “a lot of trial and error and constant Googling.” She had help from her husband Christian and their three kids, as well as mentors in candle making.
“It was a refresh of my senses,” she said about settling back into life on Oahu after a brief stint in California. “We missed this place, the culture and local things like POG and mochi, we couldn’t get on the Mainland.
“I was making no more than seven candles at a time in my kitchen with the help of my young teenagers when I got my first wholesale order – and that was before we were even open,” she said. “We’ve come a long way and have increased production, so now I can make up to 80 candles in a three-hour period.”
When asked to describe her candle making process, Hastings said she gets fragrance samples sent to her home to test via blind sampling and “that can take a good month of trying out,” she said. “Our ingredients are clean and chemical free, essential-oil infused.”
All candles “are vegan, cruelty-free, phthalate-free and petroleum-free,” made with soy wax and a cotton wick that help give a clean burn, per Hale Plume’s website. Candles cost $26 each, plus tax and shipping. Seasonal scents are currently on sale for $19.
Ingredients are sourced from the Mainland, she noted. “I’m trying to keep my product affordable, even though everything around me is going up.”
The business has also donated some of its proceeds back to the local community.
In the new year, Hastings aims to keep things simple, maintain organic growth and expand production. Customers can expect a couple of new “fruity, floral, or refreshing” scents, along with candle accessories like matchboxes to become available.
“I also can’t stand waste and aim to be as eco-friendly as possible,” she said. The company is now plastic-free with custom packaging designed by illustrator Mandy Quitog of Mandini Made.
“My favorite part has been connecting to the community in ways I never would have. We can support and help each other be successful,” Hastings added. “I love hearing from my customers, especially kamaaina living on the Mainland who miss home."
CONTACT
Hale Plume
Shandra Hastings, owner
Instagram: @HalePlume
Website: haleplume.com
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
