Everything is bigger in Texas, and candles are no exception. That was the mindset behind Big Ass Luxuries, says co-founder Chloe Mervine. Better known to the public as Big Ass Candles, Chloe and her husband Trent teamed up with the dream to make all Big Ass Luxuries an excellent product and cement themselves as a global household name. We’re not sure what’s better, their unforgettable brand name and marketing approach or the amazing candles themselves.
Here at CITY Boots, we are always striving to bring luxury into your home in new and innovative ways, and collaboration with Big Ass Luxuries seemed like the perfect partnership for the Holidays. We are excited to announce that the candle you guys sold out in just ONE weekend is officially restocked! Amongst the restocking and holiday craziness, we were able to sit down with Chloe to learn a bit more about how Big Ass Luxuries came to be.
Chloe and her twin sister Kelsey.
"We thought of naming the brand a fancy french name to make it sound luxurious but realized that everyone would call it how it was, which was a Big Ass Candle! To this day, that’s exactly what people still call it even if they’ve never heard of us. "
Chloe and her twin sister Kelsey.
We understand you left a corporate job to start Big Ass Luxuries, similar to Lizzy leaving the oil industry to start CITY Boots. What advice would you give a twenty-something female considering making the jump from corporate comfort to a passion project?
I would say be patient. It’s not always the most exciting answer but it’s so important. No business gets its success overnight. I didn’t wake up one day and leave my corporate job but rather slowly made the transition. I would work my normal 9-5 corporate job from home and then for the rest of the night, I would work on BAL. I did this for months and it was two full-time jobs. Journaling was a big thing for me and I weighed the pros and cons. I saved money so I had something to fall back on if it didn’t work out, but I truly went all in. I think if you can do that, find a good support system, and not give up on yourself you can make great things happen.
What does your creative process look like from the initial idea to the finished product?
I get aligned with what the customer wants. Getting any type of feedback from the consumer is crucial. We like to look at trends and ask our audience for suggestions whether that be upcoming scent launches or designs of our next label/wax seal combo. We do a lot of testing before a product comes to market because making a massive, eco-friendly candle has a lot more quirks than most candles. We also want to make sure we’re capturing the best product shots and videos before a new candle gets released. I think our audience resonates with the personal aspect of it too. That's why we love to shoot a bunch of ‘Behind the Scenes’ content. I also credit a lot to my husband and co-founder Trent, he’s an extremely creative person.
"We use fragrance oils mixed with all natural eco-friendly coconut, soy wax."
Making a candle with natural ingredients at the size that we're making them is much more difficult to do at scale than a traditional-sized candle. It is a science for sure and a big reason why we manufacture and ship all of our candles in-house. Each fragrance has its own formula and temperature that they need to be poured at and the temperature in the factory has to stay constant for them to look and smell the way that they do.
The CITY Boots Big Ass Candle.
We understand the familial spirit in business here at CITY Boots, after all Lizzy's first co-worker was her mom! What has been the most challenging and rewarding thing about being in business with your family?
Challenging - Learning to have boundaries between work and personal conversations. We do our best to keep them separate, but it’s also our baby so it’s a lot of what we think and talk about.
Rewarding - Has been hiring my twin sister. The whole twin telepathy thing is real. I felt her lack of happiness in her previous career. Being able to create a position for her on our team has been a very fulfilling experience. She’s a great addition and I’m blessed to be able to work with my best friend every day.
What is an accomplishment you are most proud of?
I have to say starting a business with my husband. It truly is the proudest thing I think we’ve both accomplished at this stage in our life because I don’t think either of us saw this on our Bingo cards when we started it at age 27 and 30. There are always peaks and valleys but I’m extremely grateful for what comes with owning a business.
Who's home would you LOVE to have a candle burning in?
Taylor Swift. I know it’s cliché but I also know for a fact that she’s a candle lover.
Big Ass Candles would be the quintessential addition to her home or to get her through a long recording session in the studio.
Chloe and her twin sister Kelsey, pictured wearing The Inwood.
