One of the most exciting things about running our own business is the opportunity to meet brilliant people who are working on their own beautiful companies.

We're kicking off our inspiring women series after a hiatus with someone we've admired from afar for a while - Sarah Bell, Founder of Evermore.

What's not to love about Evermore, with their insanely desirable candles and envy enducing designs. Trust us, this level of sophistication is hard to accomplish and something we covet!

We spoke to Sarah who has just had her first son, Casey, to hear all about how she got started and how she's finding motherhood! We loved hearing her growth journey!

 

What sparked the idea to start making candles?

I’ve always loved candles and fragrances, and even from a young age I was always crafting and creating. I decided to revisit making something with my own hands and bought myself a candle-making kit online. That’s when I realised just how many candles were made with paraffin wax and synthetic fragrances. I thought there must be a more natural, authentic way to create them, and I soon became obsessed with researching essential oils and natural waxes.

We love that, find a problem and solve for it. And now you've built a brilliant business. 

What are you proudest of so far? And have there been any big challenges on the way?

It has to be being stocked on Net-a-Porter as part of their Net Sustain platform. A lot of hard work from the whole team went into getting it over the line, so huge achievement all round. We’ve made a few mistakes when it comes to working with the right suppliers, but we’re always learning!

Sustainability is hugely important to you at Evermore. How do you bring this passion into everything you do? 

The brand has always had a real affinity with the natural world, and that’s down to my own love of nature and the environment. Our re-brand was over a year in the making, and during that time I became highly sensitive to my own choices and the impact they have on the planet. I wanted to make sure that sustainability was at the heart of my business. We don’t claim to be perfect, but we try our best to tread lightly on the planet and give back to charities that support the environment ⁠— especially now we’re facing a climate crisis.

We put so much consideration into what goes into our products, and that means that not all the ingredients we choose can be found in the UK. If we could do this, we would, but we do take other steps to soften our impact. 

We try to make sure that each element is a locally sourced as possible, choose to sea-freight rather than air-freight, and we pour our candles into jars that are designed to be reused long after the wax has melted. We want people to give them a second life ⁠— maybe as toothbrush holders or pen pots.

 

Of course, we can't talk about Evermore without talking about your products - the candles and your packaging is beautiful, how did you go about building the brand creatively?

 As we’ve grown, it’s been amazing to really up our packaging game. I love the original Evermore, the aesthetic and everything the business achieved, but now the brand finally feels like where it needs to be. The re-brand was sparked simply because I’d reached my limit of how much product I could produce in the studio, so being faced with expanding my business gave me the chance to rethink our identity as well as our production process. We have an exciting collaboration with GF Smith coming up soon, meaning our packaging is going to get even better; we can ’t wait to share more!

And you've just recently had your first child

It wasn’t the smoothest journey to get here. It took us three years to fall pregnant, there were moments during that time when I thought it would never happen for us.

We did several rounds of IVF and finally it all paid off for us.

We are very happy to hear it!

Has becoming a mother has changed you at all?

It’s very hard to explain; I do feel different. My priorities have completely changed and I’m not the same person I was before. I used to hear and read of mothers describing this transition and think it wouldn’t be the case for me. Becoming a mother feels like a rebirth on some level.

 

How have you found the first months?

The first smiles and giggles are the best - my heart explodes every time he flashes me a happy little smile. The worst has been contracting covid and being so paranoid about him catching it from me. I’m exclusively breastfeeding, so we are joined at the hip (or boob shall I say!), so it’s been impossible for me not to breath on him. I’ve been told this ‘mum worry’ never goes away.

Has becoming a new parent impacted running your business?

I’m still working when I can and it’s important to me to not completely zone out of my business. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard. I’m tired a lot of the time and it’s like I can only fit so much into my brain now. I’ve let go a little so that I can enjoy being Casey’s mum. Before I know it, he’ll be in nursery and I’ll be back to work full time, so I’m lapping it all up whilst I can.

Is there anything that's surprised you on your motherhood journey?

I had to have a planned c-section due to Casey being breech. The recovery surprised me a lot. I’m finally feeling myself now, 13 weeks later, but it was a slow healing process.

Finally, can you tell us which women inspire you?

Beata Heuman is an inspiration, her eye for colour and detail is second-to-none. Also, Laura Jackson - everyone can learn a lesson from Laura on the value of hard work, everything she’s done so far with Glassette is inspiring.

Evermore are offering 15% off their candles exclusively for NINA.

Use the code 'NINA15'  at checkout

This offers 15% off until midnight of Monday 28th March. Available on all products, limited to one use per customer.