UK-based entrepreneur selling Seychelles-branded goods through online company

Coco de mer diffusers one of the Mahe’s products also available online. (www.mahecandles.com)

(Seychelles News Agency) - An entrepreneur based in the United Kingdom is selling Seychelles-branded goods through her online company. Anabelle Giselle said that her company – Mahé – is a luxury home brand.

“All my candles, diffusers and wax melts are handmade by myself. Each candle is inspired by Seychelles and named after my favourite places. We also have limited edition scents, too, which are named relatable to the season such as our Christmas scents or our new lavender dreams. I use 100 percent soy wax because it is a natural wax and better for you instead of other types of wax which contain harmful toxins,” explained Giselle.

The 25-year-old entrepreneur said Mahé was launched in October last year with the production of candles. “We now have expanded into diffusers, wax melts and just launched Mahé home which is inspired by Seychelles,” said Giselle. 

The new lavender dreams candles from the Mahé luxury brand. (www.mahecandles.com) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Giselle told SNA that her connection to the islands is deeply rooted. “My father was born in Seychelles on the island of Mahe, and we still have a large amount of family still living in Mahé.” 

According to Giselle, her father and the island nation is the main source of inspiration for her products. “My father’s love and passion for Seychelles has always inspired me, my own personal love for my trips there always helps me decide, from the fresh fruits I ate to the beautiful beaches I saw, to the friendly faces I met,” said Giselle.

Currently, all materials for the company are bought in the United Kingdom but the entrepreneur hopes to source materials from the Seychelles – 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean.

For now, Mahé has limited products and Giselle said that each has a name of the islands. “I always think about the scents I have added to a product and then think about what it reminds me of in Seychelles.’ 

All of Mahe’s products are available online, and Giselle said that the sale of the products are doing extremely well, something she has attributed to COVID-19, which has led to an increase in online transactions. 

“Our future plans are to continue to grow and expand globally. I hope one day to have a shop in Seychelles because I believe that scent is the strongest tie to memory and it would be really nice for everyone to be able to take a piece of Seychelles home with them,” the entrepreneur said.

According to Giselle, she hopes to “also work closely with shops and hotels in Seychelles. In the UK I am looking to continue spreading knowledge of Seychelles and working with stores here too.”

Products are on sale at www.mahecandles.com include wax melts, candles, diffusers and tropical breeze cushions. Prices range from $5 to $23.