By Persis Abraham
Ali and Sarah Johnson are two sisters diving into the world of business by launching their very own candle company.
Point Blank Candle Co. consists of five, 100 per cent soy vegan candles all hand-poured and hand-drawn.
What makes this company different than other candle companies?
The ingredients used in the candles are not only animal-friendly and good for the environment, but safe for humans as well.
“Our candles are made from 100 per cent soy wax. It’s organic, vegan, and contains absolutely no harmful toxins or chemicals,” Sarah Johnson said.
Many big brand scented candles contain paraffin wax which may emit numerous types of potentially hazardous chemicals with research included from The United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The Johnsons have always had an eye for business and wanted to create something special for their family and friends, just in time for holiday festivities.
Sarah Johnson, 22 is in her third year at Ryerson University for Creative Industries and always knew from the get-go, that she wanted to create her own business but was unsure of her direction.
“I knew I wanted to do some sort of handmade, artisan product but I couldn’t decide which kind. I remember sending a message to Ali while I was on a boring Greyhound ride this summer. I said ‘I want to start a business, what should I do?’ And she jumped all over it. I think it was the perfect time for both of us to be starting a new venture,” Sarah Johnson said.
The creative minds behind Point Blank Candle Co. Sisters, Ali (left) and Sarah Johnson.
Ali Johnson, 24 is an actor in Toronto and the artist behind the unique hand-drawn labels of these candles.
Each candle is inspired by an important and beautiful person in their lives.
“A lot of the names and artwork came very easily after I had assigned a candle to a specific friend but others took some digging,” Ali Johnson said.
“We came up with these distinct personalities for each candle. Everything encompasses the personality, from Ali’s original artwork on the labels to the scents. The candle collection became a group of friends, just like ours,” Sarah Johnson said.
The Wishing Hour; the dreamer of dreams, smells like a moonlit garden. (Courtesy// Sarah Johnson).
Moon Child; a cosmic renegade with hints of pumpkin and pecan. Little Monster; the little rebel smells of citrus and sage. (Courtesy// Ali Johnson).
The sisters agree that the process of creating the candles and launching the website was time consuming.
“The process took quite a long time. Trying to get the recipe and temperatures exactly right is a lot harder than you’d think. We had a lot of different ideas and I had done a lot of drafts of each one before finalizing,” Ali Johnson said.
“Overall, we were in development for about six months before the launch,” Sarah Johnson said.
The Torontonians are looking forward to doing more business together and most importantly, have really enjoyed working on this project as sisters.
“These candles wouldn’t be half of what they are now without her,” Sarah Johnson said.