Meet Millie Goubert and Becky Gallienne, the dynamic duo behind Gallienne & Goubert, a creative partnership based in Guernsey. Juggling their passion for crafting with full-time jobs, Millie and Becky specialize in the art of creating and selling exquisite candles and wax melts.

During our conversation, we learned why Millie and Becky decided to make their own natural candles, where they source their candle-making materials and what their favourite scents are. 

Can you give us some insight into your background; how did you first become interested in candle making?

Gallienne & Goubert first began as Tinscents by Emilia in 2020. Millie began making candles in lockdown and while researching realised how many nasty ingredients can be hidden in candles that people burn in their homes unknowingly. From then on the basis of Tinscents was to create local candles and wax melts which are all natural and burn cleanly in your home. Tinscents was rebranded to Gallienne & Goubert in 2024 when Becky joined the business. We rebranded everything to give a cleaner look and extended the range offered while still using the popular scents and wax as 2020. We’ve had great feedback since!

Do you have a particular style or theme that inspires your candle creations?

We like to keep everything natural and source carefully selected ingredients. Our branding is simple to not take away from the most important part, the candle itself. It also means they fit into everyone’s home decor nicely!

What are there specific scents or dyes you prefer to work with and where do you source your candle-making materials?

We use all natural ingredients. Our wax is coconut & rapeseed which is blended in Europe and completely free from paraffin, palm, and any synthetic additives.

The wax burns cleanly and holds fragrance really well. We use essential oils for fragrance which all have beautiful unique scents, but also can provide aromatherapy benefits. We also use wooden wicks in our candles, they create a soothing atmosphere as they crackle and tend to burn slower and more evenly.

The wooden wicks are all sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified mills and manufactured in the USA. FSC-certified forests are held to strict environmental, social and economic standards. All of our ingredients have been very carefully selected!

We are curious to know how long it takes to create a candle, from the initial idea to the final product?

The time between an initial idea for a candle and the final product can include weeks of product testing. We experiment with using more or less fragrance (sometimes less fragrance oil can actually provide a better scent throw!), different wick sizes and pouring at different temperatures.

We then test burn the candles to see how many hours it burns for and to check it burns evenly the whole way down. Once tested we choose whichever combination performed the best in terms of scent throw (hot and cold), burn time and how evenly it burned. We also design and print all of our labels ourselves, so that takes some time formatting the top, heart and base notes on the label and choosing a name for the fragrance which is fitting with the essential oils being used, for example Relax or Blossom.

What is your favourite fragrance / scent and why?

We both love ‘Relax’. This fragrance includes top notes of Orange and Bergamot, a heart of Ylang Ylang and a woody base of Cedarwood. It’s quite a sweet and citrusy fragrance but the woody base balances it in a lovely way. It can really fill a room and is one of our bestsellers.

What are the challenges one may face when running a candle-making business?

It can be difficult sourcing materials, particularly in Guernsey the shipping costs tend to be high and it can take up to a week for some products to arrive once ordered. There are lots of different ingredients and stock that is used in just one candle, so we have to ensure we have stock of everything we need and keep track of what is being used.

Sometimes the wax or oils we use are out of stock and can take a while to be restocked so it’s a careful balance of ordering in when needed but also when what we use is available. It takes a lot of planning!

What do you appreciate the most about your own business?

It’s fun being able to create new products and experiment with ideas. When customers let us know how much they loved a product it makes it all worthwhile.

When you need to relax and recharge in Guernsey, where do you like to go?

We both have dogs and often meet up to enjoy long beach walks with them. Becky has a nine month old Visla called Flynn and Millie has a one year old corgi named Crumpet, so between them there is a lot of energy to be used up running around Ladies Bay or Pembroke. It also gives us a chance to catch up and discuss new products or ideas.

What are your favourite places for lunch and coffee in Guernsey?

We both love Woodies coffee and lunch at Cocos is always delicious.

Do you have any exciting plans for your business in 2024? Additionally, could you please provide information on where people can purchase your candles in Guernsey?

We have just recently launched our wedding range where we can personalise wedding favours, centrepieces, bridal party proposals etc. We attended the Guernsey Wedding Show at Beau Sejour recently and are excited for this part of the business to grow as we start to receive orders. We have also recently launched wax melt bouquets which we are looking forward to creating more of. You can buy our candles online at gallienneandgoubert.com but we also will be attending lots of markets throughout the year which we will confirm across our socials.

Indulge yourself and elevate your home ambiance with exquisite all-natural candles. Be sure to explore Millie and Becky’s Instagram account @gallienneandgoubert and visit their website gallienneandgoubert.com for a delightful selection.