An Interview with Victoria of Harpers Candles

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An Interview with Victoria of Harpers Candles

I first met Victoria and became aware of Harpers Candles when we were both at the Great Northern Vegan Festival a few years ago. They were a couple of stands away and all day I could smell these amazing candles and I just had to purchase a few for myself. It was shortly after that I started selling the range on Greener Beauty. This week we have one of the funniest and honest interviews we have ever had, so it gives me great pleasure and giggles this week to introduce Victoria who is the founder of Harpers Candles.

Enjoy!

Vic x

TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU STARTED HARPERS CANDLES

I lost my job at the start of austerity in 2011 with a son, a mortgage and various rescue animals to support on my own. My friends told me I should sell my candles so I launched it as a small business as a bit of a laugh on April Fool’s Day 2012. I started at craft fairs and made myself a small website and just thought it would keep me busy while I went bankrupt – but it took off and almost ten years later it’s still all I do! Never saw it coming.

WHAT MAKES HARPERS CANDLES SO UNIQUE?

I think I bring my own artwork and quirky views on life to my business. I don’t know anyone else who would draw a crow on a candle and think it was a good idea or have their rescue dog as their home fragrance logo. I have never compromised on ethics and even at the start when we lived on beans on toast I’ve never sold products to a business whose ethics and stance on animal welfare didn’t match my own, although it made me wince to do say no. I may be ethical but I’m only human.

WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE DAY RUNNING HARPERS CANDLES LOOK LIKE?

This is a proper handmade business where I do everything from the artwork to making the candles to doing the accounts and emptying the bins. That means that no two days are the same. One day I might be drawing a badger doing a Snoopy-dance whilst holding a pint of bitter, the next I’m making candles and singing along to 70s funk and the next day I could be coding new products onto the website or putting labels on tins. The only things that are consistent are boxing up orders or trying to find time to check my email and there is the ever present issue of my large hound, Bandit, sleeping under my desk so I can never reach my keyboard or graphics tablet properly. It wouldn’t occur to me to move him.

WHAT HARPERS CANDLES PRODUCT MAKES YOU MOST PROUD?

All of them make me proud. I remember each and every time the fragrances first came out, why I chose the little saying that each one has or its name and I tend to remember what made me choose that particular fragrance. Some of my candle fragrances mean so much to some of my customers because they bring to mind important parts of their lives or people who have been in them. How could I not feel pride to make something that can do that? Also, surviving coronavirus and keeping it afloat. That’s been hard.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAILY BEAUTY ROUTINE

I have fully intended to have a regular beauty routine for about twenty years now. It’s like some distant utopia I’m just not organised enough to achieve yet and every now and then I buy a lorry load of moisturisers and serums and lotions and potions with the real and good intention of starting properly and then three weeks later it kinda drifts… I do try to remember to use a Vitamin C serum each morning and in the evenings I use retinol. Well, mostly anyway. I never, ever forget to put lip balm on before I go to sleep. I cannot bear having dry lips! I also swear by sugar scrub bars.

ITEM OF SKINCARE YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT?

Lip balm. I have a pot in every room and one in my car. In an apocalypse it would be in my bug-out bag.

FAVOURITE FOOD?

Is beer a food? I’m doing this whole detox healthy eating thing at the moment so I’m trying to like fruit and pretend I don’t drink a gallon of coffee a day and live on carbs. Right now I have a love of Budda Bowls, particularly ones with sesame dressings and crispy fried tofu with lots and lots of different fresh salads and veggies. Griddled asparagus with lemon and garlic or with broccoli spears griddled with sesame seeds and soy sauce. You should try that last one. The soy sauce goes impossibly sticky. It’s awesome. I’d dearly love a doughnut. A sugary one with jam in the middle. I’m not allowed one 🙁 so I just had a pear for the first time since I was about twelve. It was ok. I’m also coming to terms with green tea.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

I walk my dog! I adopted a working gun dog as a puppy in 2018/19 and didn’t know that’s what he was at the time. It was just like his eyes met mine and it was meant to be – and then he grew like a weed. Recently I moved to The Lakes because I wanted to be somewhere quieter and where I thought he would like to be. Most weekends we explore a new lake or tarn, or go back to one we’ve been to before and loved, with a sandwich and coffee in my rucksack. He loves to swim and mostly I just adore watching him live his best life splashing after a tennis ball. Flora, my Jack Russell from the candles, came with us of course and that meant she saw some beautiful places too before she sadly died of old age in May.

WHAT SONG DO YOU LISTEN TO THAT ALWAYS CHEERS YOU UP?

I say “Alexa, play 70s disco” and you just can’t be in a bad mood after that!

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE THREE DINNER DATES WHO WOULD THEY BE?

Easy. Carrie Fisher, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. Carrie Fisher is my hero for all of her struggles, her grace and her humour. An amazing woman.

WHAT ALWAYS BRINGS A SMILE TO YOUR FACE

Any of my animals. Other people’s animals…. Animals really! Bandit when he snuggles his big nose onto my knee on the sofa. I seriously love my dog. Definitely kittens! I would literally fill my house with kittens and never be unhappy again. I don’t think my cats would be very impressed if I did. Also Ikea. Ikea makes me smile. I feel like I’m about to start a decathlon with every chance of a gold when I get to the revolving doors.

IF YOU WERE A SUPERHERO WHAT POWERS WOULD YOU HAVE?

I’d like to be able to fly and then I could go wherever I wanted. I know that if I asked for invisibility I’d rob a bank or something so I’ll say flying because then I sound like a nicer person.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT?

Raising my son. He’s just the person I am most proud to have had any part of who he is today and very few people can make me laugh like he does.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR HARPERS CANDLES?

I just want to make beautiful candles, stay true to my ethics and be happy. Nothing more than that really? I sometimes think we can strive to achieve too much when simply having a good work/life balance will give us more than we ever knew was possible. I’d rather be happy than rich. You often can’t put a price on the things that really matter and constantly expanding a business isn’t on my radar any longer. I love what I do, I love my business and that is enough. It doesn’t cost much to put coffee in a flask and sit on a hill.

You can find our full range of Harpers Candles by clicking here.