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Photo provided by Sam Ferguson
In 2018, Erica Collins decided to take the chance to leave her life in the big city of Washington, DC and move to Aspen to be closer to her two brothers. She didn’t know it at the time, but the COVID-19 pandemic and her love for candles would change the course of her professional life.
“I was tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and wanted to be closer to my family,” she said. “Then COVID-19 hit and I was holed up in my studio apartment in downtown Aspen with my dog Nakoa, lighting tons of candles, and realizing it was going to be very expensive. So I ordered a candle-making starter kit from Amazon and started experimenting.”
She loves luxury candles and has too much free time, which led her to research candles and scent creation, which led her to discover that many commercially available candles contain toxic ingredients that are not good for humans or animals. He said he found out. So she set out to create a cleaner alternative.
“Many candles on the market contain phthalates and carcinogens such as acetone, benzene, and toluene,” she says. “They also use paraffin wax (petroleum-based) to give the candles a smooth look, but I didn’t want to support the oil industry. I used soy wax, which is a hard wax that is easy to use.
Initially, Collins made candles as a hobby, but an old sibling rivalry and a bet led him to consider it as a serious business.
“When I was having dinner with my brothers, they banded together against me and said, ‘You shouldn’t sell candles for money.’ ‘I’m sure you can.’ she said.
Within days, she created a company name, website, and online store called LUME. Within 48 hours, she sold her 40 candles and essentially won the bet.
She said she chose the name LUME because she likes the word “illuminate” and felt she wanted her brand to represent and imitate light during a very dark time with the COVID-19 pandemic. .
The Roaring Fork Valley community has supported her efforts, and she now has retail partnerships with Craft Coffee, Radio Boardshop, and Mountain Flowers. In the summer of 2023, she decided to work full time on building the company.
“Our two most popular candles are ‘Bud and Boujee,’ which has a birch and pine scent, and ‘Après All Day,’ which has a grapefruit and pine scent. You can choose one depending on your Aspen mood.” she said.
Collins has also embarked on collaborations with local businesses such as Michelin-starred restaurant Bosq and Hooch and Gravity Haus, creating custom candles, scents and labels for their establishments.
“This is a service that no one else does in Aspen,” she said. “We go through the whole process of creating a fragrance with their team and do a lot of research and development with them that is specific to their business and brand. When we are finished, we are proud of what we have created together. It will be completed.”
Six years after moving to the Valley, it seems her leap of faith is starting to pay off. Ultimately, her goal is to take the brand nationwide.
“I’m grateful for the Aspen community,” she said. “It’s all about their support in inviting me to their events as a vendor, posting on social media, and companies accepting me and trusting me. Also, Aspen is a very touristy resort area, so , it’s great to be able to walk into a store and buy a LUME candle and take it home, no matter where you live. I’ve seen my candles in people’s homes all over the country and Aspen Lights in other people’s homes. I would like to share it.”
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