Candles are great for any occasion, and come in a variety of options – soy candles, scented candles, gel candles – the list goes on! But the candle offerings are usually packaged in jars or tins that, while reusable and reliable, are not varied in design. If you’re wondering where to buy more unique candles in Singapore, this article is for you.
Introducing Korean-Style Candles by Miyo Candle
Enter the world of Korean candles – this style is best described as too cute to be true. An array of visually stunning designs are stylized after items like teddy bears, ornaments, and even foods like desserts and cheeses. The most intricate candles look ultra-realistic, and can include other decorations like glitter, hand-piped edges, and hand-moulded toppings like fruit. Designed to be used as interior decor while also being functional, these meticulously crafted works of art are popular in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Seeing the lack of such candles in the market, Miyo Candle was founded to meet this gap and provide pieces that could add flair to any space.
Miyo Candle is a Singaporean small business that offers a lineup of Korean-style candles. Founded by Miyo, a former SIA airline stewardess, her store offers designs modelled after items like macaroons, teddy bears and even custom realistic cakes! She offers 12 scents for her candles ranging from English Pear & Freesia to Lavender, or you can opt for unscented candles instead. On top of her deep interest and practice in the arts, Miyo is also a certified Korean candle maker, having taken master courses with the Korea Candle Craft Association (KCCA), Daily Candle School (DCS) and Bouquet Design Research Association (BDRA).
What Does It Mean To Be A Certified Korean Candle Maker?
It sounds unusual to have to get official certifications for candles, but this is actually a norm in South Korea. These candles are a genre of their own and require specific methods to achieve such realism – including knowing the types of wax, the correct ways to manipulate the wax to attain the desired textures and even how to make custom silicone moulds for designs. South Korea has fine tuned these skills and designated a way to formalise their art in the form of these master courses. The most common is the KCCA master course, which covers the basics for 28 types of candles like soy wax candles, gel candles and diffusers, and there are only a few studios in Singapore that are licensed to offer the course. Other candle making schools also offer their own classes, like Daily Candle School.
Miyo took an unconventional route to secure her certifications. Instead of going through a school, she reached out directly to a candle maker based in Korea, who taught her over Zoom and sent the materials over to Singapore directly Thanks to her efforts, Miyo is now certified not just to create Korean candles, but also host classes to teach others to create their own Korean candles.
What’s The Big Deal About These Candles?
As we mentioned earlier, this style of pillar candle (candles not in jars) is not as popular here as their counterparts, and may warrant the question: what makes them so different? The epitome of the Korean aesthetic, these candles have grown in popularity particularly in South Korea due to the country’s love for interior design. It’s part of something called props culture, the practice of using different trinkets to decorate one’s living space.
A majority of working adults in Korea live alone, and props culture arose as these individuals try to make their space more unique, an extension of themselves. Ranging from minimal to vibrant, there is a world of props arrangement styles that can be used to decorate any part of a home. There are also many Korean cafes and businesses that employ props as a way of branding, drawing patrons with their stylistic choices to enjoy a more immersive experience. You can find a lot of shops in Korea that specialize in selling props aptly called props stores, offering things ranging from candles to items like vintage cutlery, postcards, and more. Despite our nation’s love for all things that are Instagram worthy, props culture is not present at all in Singapore. It’s hard to explain why, but it might be due to the fact that aesthetics are not as prioritized here as it is in Korea.
In fact, this was the problem Miyo sought to resolve with her brand. She found it difficult to find suitable items to decorate her space until she found Korean candles, which spurred her to start selling her own candles in the hopes of helping others decorate their own space uniquely. The varied styles and colours make it easy to find something to fit your style. Even if it’s not something you enjoy, these candles make for great gifts as they can be easily customised.
Get your own Korean candle from Miyo Candle online and visit her Instagram page to admire more of her works!
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