There are plenty of businesses that sell candles. But Massana Collection stands out with its dedication to ‘exciting spirits’, as its tag line reads. Made from scratch, using paraffin or soy wax with essential oils of various scents, the candles helped brighten the brand’s vision.
Creator Lesley Touzalin told Living, “I find that people are more in tune with what’s happening in their homes, not only because they are spending more time inside, [but] to make whoever steps into their personal space comfortable or just to make around them feel relaxing.”
Touzalin said her decision to make candles was mere happenstance.
“Anything crafty that I could teach myself to make was always interesting. I literally had bought one candle, lit it, and by the time it was burnt out, and I made a decision to start making candles of my own.”
She started making candles during the first lockdown, after the pandemic hit Jamaica, as a hobby that allowed her to cope. It transformed into a business which Touzalin named after her mother.
“Massana is my mother’s middle name,” she said, adding that it has a deep and significant meaning to the brand she has created.
‘Massana’ is a derivation of the name ‘Masana’ from the South African language of Xitsonga, meaning the warmth of the sun, rays of the sun and sunshine. Massana has also been said to be of Spanish origin, meaning ‘healthy hand’.
“All of what is created or sold under the brand, starting with the scented collection, that is the scented candles, diffusers and essentials oils, some of which I outsource, will be for spiritual healing,” the entrepreneur shared.
Touzalin, who is also an insurance broker, said she calculates every business decision she has made for her brand.
She said, “My number one aim is to create a brand with a meaningful name and to create a legacy for my children. I would say it is my baby – made by me, that I add my personal touch to and put a name on it. My youngest, who was born on September 25, was also given the name. Her name is Jayla Massana Thompson.”
The five main candle scents are: lemongrass, eucalyptus, cinnamon, apple and her personal favourite, bamboo rain, a mixture of two oils she outsources. “All of these scents enhance healing, they help soothe, help persons to breathe easier and are not overpowering, and that’s why I decided to focus on these first,” Touzalin shared.
The Massana Collection has expanded beyond scented products. It also has a jewellery collection, primarily of chakra bead bracelets and a personalised gift box business.
“Some of the most momentous occasions are birthdays, anniversaries, welcoming home a newborn and persons have been unable to celebrate, so, when the requests was made for me to turn some items into a package, I branched out into doing personalised gift boxes. Of course, the boxes are not made by me (as yet), but Massana Collection supports local. Some items we have to ship, but anything that I can purchase here and maintain a good profit margin, I do,” she said.
“Chakras are about balancing one’s energy; the beads are of tiger’s eye stone for protection, moon rocks which are used on diffuser bracelets, these can absorb essential oils, among other stones thought to bring healing. For me, if my brand can shine a light, in one way or another, I will continue to create new products,” Touzalin continued.