Elevated Candles salvages wine bottles from local restaurants and transforms them into beautiful, hand-poured candles and other goods. We can't get enough of their incredible scents, and sat down with owner, Kevin Hall, to chat a bit about this Tulsa sensation!

Jujuu: Kevin, we just love how Elevated embodies the "do good" philosophy so important to Jujuu. Can you share some of the ways you have created a mission-focused company?

Kevin: Elevated has been such a labor of love. It was important to use to repurpose local wine bottles, because so many are tossed after restaurant use. We now have a partnership with nearly 20 (and growing!) businesses to save bottles from entering landfills. I often feel like I'm running a recycling company more than a candle company, because we spend so much time with that side of things.  It can be a lot of extra work, but we are saving energy and reducing waste for our community, and that part is very rewarding. 

Our candles are each hand-cut and poured with natural soy wax. For Jujuu, each candle is also enhanced with organic essential oils to provide unique healing and therapeutic benefits, such as anxiety- and pain- relief. Jujuu is a great partner for us, because our goals are very similar.  It's great to work with another local brand that wants to create change!

Jujuu: What inspired you to start Elevated, and what keeps you passionate?

Kevin: I wasn't happy with the candle options in the stores, so I grabbed some empty wine bottles from our pantry and started cutting.  It was a mess and I broke a lot of bottles, but I was enjoying the process so much! The candles I brought to the farmers market sold right away. Then, businesses started asking to carry them, and I thought, "we're going to have to drink a lot of wine!" Seriously though, I started calling restaurants, and none of them recycled. I saw this as a chance to feed my passion for creativity; test new fragrances, wicks, and techniques; and make a difference in the process.

Jujuu: How do you choose your scents?

Kevin: I get inspired by everything- flowers, food, beer, herbs, lumber, paper mills, dirt, shoe stores, freshly machined sheet metal screws...I'm obsessed (chuckles)! I like to make scents that create a strong emotion or take you back to a cherished moment in time.  Maybe it's Christmases with grandparents - the crisp smell of trees, pumpkin pie right out of the oven, or the sweet smell of Grandpa's pipe. Maybe it's a breath of morning sun, fresh-cut flowers, or a freshly roasted cup of coffee. It's the everyday moments that I find most happy, and my hope is to bottle those up for easy enjoyment.

Jujuu: What can we expect from Elevated in the future?

Kevin: I had a lot of ideas in the beginning, which can get out of control if you're running a small business.  I've learned to let our customers lead the way, and our small-batch scents allow us to navigate that well! One thing I'm excited to introduce are new product lines, such as our glassware, that still stay true to our mission and upcycling work. We hope you join us on our journey!