Journal Inside Maison Blanche

New Fragrance: Lemon Verbena & Sage

New Fragrance: Lemon Verbena & Sage We’re proud to introduce our newest fragrance: Lemon Verbena & Sage . 011 Lemon Verbena & Sage is an uplifting fragrance featuring the herbaceous yet lemony scent of crushed verbena leaves combined with notes of petitgrain and sage, balanced with the floral aroma of geranium. Top Notes: Crushed Verbena, Petitgrain Middle Notes: Sage, Lemon Peel Base Notes: Geranium, White Musk This zesty, herbaceous fragrance is a fresh take on our bestselling 007 Sea Salt & Thyme - created for those who love a scent that’s clean yet herbaceous. Inspired by the sun-drenched produce markets of Provence, where bunches of lemon verbena leaves spill from wicker baskets and crush under hand, scenting the warm spring air already rich with freshly cut herbs and flowers. “Lemon Verbena & Sage is a bright, uplifting fragrance that blends the familiar freshness of lemon with aromatic green notes and soft herbs. It awakes your senses with zesty verbena, leaves your space feeling revitalised and your mood naturally lifted.” – Kristy, Founder of Maison Blanche Scent Your Entire Home Kitchen: Add brightness with the Hand Wash by the sink - clean, herbal, and zesty. Living Room: Create a clean atmosphere with the Large Candle , ideal for open-plan spaces. Bathroom: Use the Diffuser to subtly infuse the room with long-lasting freshness. Bedroom: Light a Medium Candle during quiet evenings for a peaceful, aromatic calm. Linen: A spritz of Room & Linen Spray on your sheets or towels brings a crisp, revitalised feel. Sharp, clean, and comforting — Lemon Verbena & Sage brings garden-fresh clarity into every corner of your home. Shop the Full Lemon Verbena & Sage Collection

Mar 14

We are ten: Sit down with our Founder & CEO Kristy Payne as she reflects & shares what’s next.

We Are 10 As Maison Blanche turns ten, I’m filled with pride for what this business has become. I’ve grown up alongside it. When I started Maison Blanche at 22, I could never have imagined the journey it would take me on. Running a business is hard. It’s isolating, exhausting, and sometimes heartbreaking. But as I reflect on the past decade, I’m deeply grateful for the highs and for the lows. Each difficult moment taught me resilience and shaped me not just as a business owner, but as a person. From travelling the world to source materials and attend trade shows, to seeing my candles stocked in dream stores and working alongside some of my closest friends, Maison Blanche has given me more than I could have hoped for. To our customers: thank you. It has been an honour to fill your homes with fragrance over the last ten years. I hope we continue to scent your favourite spaces for many more to come. How It All Started Maison Blanche began in November 2012. At the time, I was working a job that gave me terrible anxiety. Lighting a candle each evening became a way to signal it was time to slow down and reset. One night, I left a cheap vanilla candle from IKEA burning in my bedroom while I was in the shower. When I came back, the flame had flared so high it had scorched the wall and burned through the shelf above it. After cleaning up (and throwing away the candle), I started researching candle materials and discovered soy wax. Back then, soy candles were rare. I found a candle supply website, spent $40, and followed a step-by-step blog tutorial to make my first soy candle - vanilla, for my mum and myself. That first batch led to more. Mum asked for extras to give as Christmas gifts. On Christmas Day, my aunt asked me to make more for her friends. That’s when I knew I wanted to start a soy candle business. The Growth From that very first candle, things moved quickly. I reinvested every dollar from those early sales (along with a little help from my mum) into supplies and started making candles every night in my kitchen. They weren’t perfect, and it kept me up at night. But I kept going. I learned a lot in those first few weeks. Much of what I discovered then still shapes how I make candles today. By February, I had picked a name, created a logo, and opened an Etsy store. I made my first sale three days later. For a while, I worked full time by day and poured candles by night, with my mum and a few friends helping to keep up with orders. Nine months in, I left my job to give Maison Blanche everything I had. It grew fast. Within 18 months we were stocked in Sephora, featured in Vogue Living , and preparing to move into our first warehouse. I hired my first employee. It was more than I had imagined, and it just kept going. Meeting my now husband James in 2016 was a huge turning point. He reminded me to celebrate the wins, even the small ones, and stood by me through every low. His belief in me and in this business is a big reason Maison Blanche has reached this milestone. Over the years, Maison Blanche grew in ways I never expected. We moved into larger spaces, welcomed a full team, found customers overseas, refined our branding and eventually launched into Myer nationally. Then COVID hit. For a while, I thought it might be the end. But somehow, candles became one of the few little luxuries people were craving while stuck at home. For months, it was just James, my dad and me in the warehouse, packing orders and figuring out how to make scented hand sanitiser, which turned out to be a hit. When things reopened, we rebuilt. We brought the team back, welcomed old stockists and partnered with new ones, including department stores in Asia and The Iconic here at home. Looking Forward Maison Blanche has no plans of slowing down as we move into our next chapter. This year will bring new fragrances, new products, a new website, in-person events and sales, as well as refreshed branding. We’re also excited to be more transparent, sharing more behind the scenes and showing how each and every product is made by hand by a small team who truly care. Speaking of our team, this year we’re acknowledging that they are our greatest asset. We’re shifting to a four-day work week, with all staff compensated at full pay. Maison Blanche has always been about slowing down and making space for joy, ritual, rest (and fragrance!) and now we’re embedding that into our workplace too. We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, rested and fulfilled. This is our way of making sure our values aren’t just part of our products, but also part of our culture. If the past ten years have taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. So as I look toward the future of Maison Blanche, I’m intentionally leaving space for the brand to evolve naturally with the market and with my own life. I hope to revisit this message ten years from now with new stories and a brand that has continued to grow with purpose. Thank you for all your support. Kristy Payne March 2023

Nov 13

New Fragrance: Fig & Olive Leaf

New Fragrance: Fig & Olive Leaf We are excited to share with you our latest fragrance: Fig & Olive Leaf . 014 Fig & Olive Leaf features a green and earthy scent, combining juicy sun-ripened figs with notes of olive leaf and bergamot, balanced by the warm and woody fragrance of sandalwood. Top Notes: Bergamot and Olive Leaf Middle Notes: Cassis and Green Fig Base Notes: Fir and Sandalwood We have been developing Fig & Olive Leaf for over a year, and we believe it's one of our best fragrances yet. Inspired by long Mediterranean afternoons spent shaded by ancient olive trees, with the aroma of sun-ripened figs carried on the warm breeze, this scent evokes memories of bygone summer holidays. "Fig & Olive Leaf is an elegant, yet playful summer fragrance. It's not your usual sweet fruity fragrance; it has real depth to its profile. It's a delightful scent for my home, and sometimes I even wear it as a perfume... I can't get enough." – Kristy, Founder of Maison Blanche Scent Your Entire Home Bathroom: Fig & Olive Leaf Diffuser for a no-maintenance fragrance lasting up to 4 months. Bedroom: Light a Medium Fig & Olive Leaf Candle on your bedside table to elevate your mood during morning coffee in bed. Kitchen: Fig & Olive Leaf Hand Wash is perfect by the sink to encourage hand washing throughout the day. Living Room: Entertain or relax on the couch with a Large Fig & Olive Leaf Candle . Outdoor: Light a triple-wicked Deluxe Fig & Olive Leaf Candle to set the atmosphere for an alfresco evening outside. Body: Use the Fig & Olive Leaf Body Bar in the shower to wake up in the mornings. Linen: A few spritzes of Fig & Olive Leaf Room Spray on towels, soft furnishings, and linens will keep them smelling fresh for longer. Dreaming of a summer holiday? Let our newly launched signature fragrance take you on a trip to the Mediterranean. Shop the Full Fig & Olive Leaf Collection

Jul 27

New Fragrance: Espresso & Almond

New Fragrance: Espresso & Almond We are excited to share with you our latest fragrance: Espresso & Almond . 013 Espresso & Almond features the unmistakable aroma of dark roasted coffee beans infused with decadent notes of sweet almond, buttercream and cacao. A familiar, comforting fragrance that is both invigorating and warm. Top Notes: Buttercream & Almond Middle Notes: Coffee Bean & Malt Base Notes: Vanilla Bean & Cacao Espresso & Almond has a long history with Maison Blanche. Originally launched as Fresh Coffee in our very first collection back in 2013, and discontinued in 2018, the same beloved fragrance is now back with a new look and name. Evolution of Espresso & Almond Scent Your Entire Home Bathroom: Espresso & Almond Diffuser offers four months of maintenance-free fragrance. Bedroom: Light a Medium Espresso & Almond Candle to enhance slow mornings in bed. Kitchen: Place the Espresso & Almond Hand Duo by the sink to encourage mindful moments throughout the day. Living Room: Relax or entertain around a Large Candle that fills the space with familiar warmth. Outdoor: Set the mood for alfresco evenings with a triple-wicked Deluxe Candle . Body: Use the Body Bar in your morning shower for an energising start. Linen: A few spritzes of Room & Linen Spray will keep soft furnishings fresh and inviting. Missing your Baristia? Bring café comfort into your home with our newly relaunched signature scent. Shop the Full Espresso & Almond Collection

Mar 18

New Fragrance: Peach & Elderflower

New Fragrance: Peach & Elderflower We are excited to share with you our latest fragrance: Peach & Elderflower. 012 Peach & Elderflower is a bright summer fragrance combining the mouth-watering scent of peaches with soft floral notes of elderflower and violet, finished with the comforting aroma of tonka bean. Top Notes: Elderflower & Violet Middle Notes: Peach & Strawberry Base Notes: Tonka Bean & Musk It’s been over 3 years since we have introduced a new fragrance to our signature collection, so you know this one must be special. We have been working hard to develop this fragrance since April 2019, and our founder, Kristy has been burning this final blend in her home for 6 months, and has fallen completely in love with it. "Peach & Elderflower has become my homes signature sent. It has the perfect blend of fruit & vanilla to create a happy & cozy feeling in my home - without being overpoweringly sweet or having a fake vanilla scent; It’s really a sophisticated take on the well-known scent of peach." – Kristy, Founder of Maison Blanche Inspired by the start of Swedish summer spent lakeside surrounded by nature with the sweet smell of wild elderflower wafting by in the afternoon breeze. The unmistakable aroma of ripe and mouth-watering peaches are the real hero of this fragrance, and is an instant mood elevator. Scent Your Entire Home Bathroom: Peach & Elderflower Diffuser for no maintenance fragrance for 4 month. Bedroom: Light a Medium Peach & Elderflower Candle on your bedside table to elevate your mood before bed. Kitchen: Peach & Elderflower Hand Duo is perfect for by the sink to encourage hand washing throughout the day Living Room: Entertain around a Peach & Elderflower Large Candle Outdoor: Light a triple wicked Peach & Elderflower Deluxe Candle to set the atmosphere for an alfresco evening outside Body: Using the Peach & Elderflower Body Bar gives you a subtle yet lasting scent to your skin Linen: A few sprits of Peach & Elderflower Room Spray on towels, soft furnishings & linens will keep them smelling fresh for longer Shop the Full Peach & Elderflower Collection

Sep 1

The Daily Mail: Turning a hobby into a thriving business

Turning a Hobby into a Thriving Business Originally featured in the Daily Mail, February 2018 First there were the 'mumpreneurs', now there are the 'moonpreneurs'. But this doesn't have anything to do with space. Moonlighting is the act of launching a business on the side, hoping to pursue a different passion (and some extra cash). Now more than 80 per cent of Australians have a side hustle, and many revealed to the NBN that it was because they feel unfulfilled with what they're doing full-time. For some, including Kristy Payne, her side business has become so successful that she was able to leave her full-time job. Kristy, 27, turned a passion for making candles for family and friends into a million-dollar business that sold over 20,000 products this year. The Sydney entrepreneur was working at Lush Cosmetics when she decided to create a natural and soy candle that would stop leaving soot on her walls. It was her mum who pushed Kristy to put the candles online and see how they would fare with people who weren't among her relatives or friends. 'That push got me to opening an Etsy store, and Maison Blanche grew from there,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Kristy had no formal training in business, and thus had to teach herself everything from marketing to accounting with the help of Google. There were plenty of obstacles, including when shelving collapsed the day before Christmas sales and lost the brand $1,000 worth of stock. 'When you're a small-scale business, any loss is a massive setback,' Kristy said. 'But I just decided it was the cost of doing business.' Any money that was made from the Etsy store went right back into the product, as Kristy continuously worked to keep improving her candles. But even as she juggled the business with her full-time customer service job at Lush, Kristy's side hustle never truly felt like work. 'I would rush home to work on the website or the images or the candles,' she said. 'It never felt like a chore because I absolutely loved what I was doing.' Kristy left her job at Lush when she realised she was neglecting certain aspects of Maison Blanche to focus on her full-time job. 'I felt dissatisfied with what I was doing full-time and I really enjoyed what I was doing with Maison Blanche,' she said. 'I decided I was willing to struggle financially with the hopes that in a year or two I'd be able to get some money out of it.' That decision has paid off as Maison recently launched diffusers, hand creams, and soaps and plans to expand internationally in 2019. For aspiring moonpreneurs, Kristy advice to start slow with your idea. 'You can start small and test the market to see if your idea is going to be something that's going to grow organically enough to be a viable product,' Kristy said. ’And if you have a good support system and people who are honest with you, they'll tell you if it's something achievable.' Kristy feels there will also come a time in all businesses when it's best to outsource some of the responsibilities. 'Outsourcing is the best thing I've learned,' Kristy said. 'Hire people who are better than you at their jobs.' 'All my staff, I believe, are better than I could be. Otherwise, I should be doing it.' Read the full story at The Daily Mail

Apr 20

SBS Small Business Stories: Turning empty pockets into a booming business

SBS Small Business Secrets, 20th April 2018 A small loan from her mother in 2011 and a fascination with vanilla bean candles was all Kristy Payne needed to start Maison Blanche — a candle and home fragrance business which now sells products in over 150 stores nationally. A unique sense of smell and empty pockets before Christmas was what drove Kristy to come up with the idea of hand-making candles to give to her family as gifts. "Christmas was coming up and I didn’t have any money, so I decided to actually make some for my family," Kristy says. "My mum was able to give me around $400 to buy some supplies." Clients spread the word about Kristy’s unique craft and before she knew it, she was making candles in her kitchen and selling them to family and friends for $20 each. "From making candles at home in my kitchen to a launch date on Etsy about two, two and a half months later, I was able to get it out into the market as soon as possible," she said. "Last year we sold over 20,000 candles." "We hand make everything in Sydney and we try to keep everything as natural as we can," she said. In her first three years of business, she didn’t pay herself a wage and put all of her profits back into growing the brand. Now, with the success of Maison Blanche so far, Kristy plans to expand internationally in 2019 but says she had to go through quite a few hurdles to get where she is today. "Being a young person in business, I feel that occasionally I’m not taken seriously and I get taken advantage of by suppliers. Being a woman ties into that as well because a lot of the time, you’re dealing with men in business when you’re buying large supplies of anything — even in a female dominated industry like candles," she said. "When you feel that you’re not taken seriously or discriminated against, it makes me feel horrible, but from that horribleness arises a sort of spite to do better." It's this drive that's helped her get her candles into 150 boutique stores across Australia, with no plans on slowing down soon. "Candles are quite a fantastic product to be manufacturing and selling because there is a huge demand for candles and home fragrance," she says. "It’s an affordable luxury. It’s a sensory delight." Read this article in full on SBS.com.au , or watch the episode on SBS On Demand .

Feb 19

A New Chapter for Maison Blanche

A New Chapter for Maison Blanche The day is here! After over a year in the making, we're proud to launch our new collection — showcasing 10 new fragrances and an expanded product line including Hand Wash & Lotion, Diffusers, and our luxurious Deluxe Candle. The new range came from a desire to refine and mature the brand — to become more sophisticated, more luxurious. Its minimal, monochrome aesthetic is timeless and versatile, designed to make each Maison Blanche product a centrepiece in your space. Every fragrance in the collection was carefully considered with different rooms of the home in mind. The expanded range now offers a signature scent for everyone — and every space. Timeline All good things take time. The new look Maison Blanche took over a year to perfect, with many thoughtful steps along the way. See the full timeline below — from initial concept to final packaging. Interview with the Founder What made you decide to create a new collection? The CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne) reached out regarding our use of "Champagne" in 009 Strawberries & Champagne. That, along with noticing gaps in our offering, inspired a full redesign — a fresh collection with new products and a whole-home fragrance philosophy. How did you decide on the new style of the brand? It reflects my personal taste — simple, timeless, minimal, and monochrome. I wanted our products to look at home in anyone's space, and on any store shelf. Did you have any inspiration for the new look? Instagram was hugely helpful. I love seeing how people use minimal styling in real homes. A favourite account of mine is @designwash — her style helped inspire this collection’s tone. What is your favourite new scent? I pushed hard for 002 Paperwhite & Clementine to be included — but right now I’m especially loving 001 Cotton & Chamomile for its unique, calming profile. Is there an old scent you'll miss? 007 Fresh Coffee. I used to burn it in my living room all the time — I’ll definitely miss that one. Were you worried about customers losing their old favourites? At first, yes. Our customers are incredibly loyal. But the more we developed the new fragrances — each carefully layered and thoughtfully chosen — the more confident we became. There’s something for everyone in this new lineup. Is there a product you're most excited for customers to use? The new pen lighter. As a candle user, it was something I really wanted to improve. Ours is stylish, reusable, and refillable — with minimal plastic. I think our customers will love it. Do you have any concerns about the new collection? Just the nostalgia some may feel for discontinued fragrances. But overall, I truly believe we’ve nailed both the aesthetic and the functionality of this new era. Check out the full range of new fragrances and products — now live. Shop now

Feb 1

Marie Claire Magazine: Turning A Love Of Candles Into A Business

Marie Claire Magazine, January 2018 "I always thought business was about common sense, but it’s not. It’s about Googling,” says Kristy Payne, who Googled how to make a candle in 2011 before launching Maison Blanche while working full time in the mail order department at Lush. Payne, who has a background in theatre, borrowed $300 from her mum for supplies and sold her first batch to family and friends. She invested those profits into getting professional photos taken for an Etsy store. After seven months of juggling her nine-to-five job and Maison Blanche, she decided she needed to invest all of her time in her own business. “I couldn’t support myself right away so I had to dig into my savings, but it was an investment that paid off,” says Payne. Maison Blanche is now a million-dollar enterprise that sold more than 20,000 candles in Australia last year and has plans for an international expansion in 2019. Payne has swapped her kitchen table for a warehouse with four full-time employees, who are working on a diffuser, room spray and soap collection. She credits her success to self-belief. “I have a really false sense of confidence,” she jokes. Time was also on her side. “When I launched six years ago, the market wasn’t saturated. Now every person and brand sells candles, but getting in early put my brand slightly above everyone else.” Payne’s best advice for other wannabe entrepreneurs is to start slow. “That way, your mistakes will be smaller,” she says. Read more about Kristy and other entrepreneurs at Marie Claire , or pick up the latest copy to read the full story.

Inside Maison Blanche

Go Beyond The Label

New Fragrance: Lemon Verbena & Sage

We are ten: Sit down with our Founder & CEO Kristy Payne as she reflects & shares what’s next.

New Fragrance: Fig & Olive Leaf

New Fragrance: Espresso & Almond

New Fragrance: Peach & Elderflower

The Daily Mail: Turning a hobby into a thriving business

SBS Small Business Stories: Turning empty pockets into a booming business

A New Chapter for Maison Blanche

Marie Claire Magazine: Turning A Love Of Candles Into A Business

Leave a Comment?

Inside Maison Blanche

Go Beyond The Label

New Fragrance: Lemon Verbena & Sage

We are ten: Sit down with our Founder & CEO Kristy Payne as she reflects & shares what’s next.

New Fragrance: Fig & Olive Leaf

New Fragrance: Espresso & Almond

New Fragrance: Peach & Elderflower

The Daily Mail: Turning a hobby into a thriving business

SBS Small Business Stories: Turning empty pockets into a booming business

A New Chapter for Maison Blanche

Marie Claire Magazine: Turning A Love Of Candles Into A Business

Leave a Comment?

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