“Sincerely Lumière is not just about scent but it’s about intentional living,” says founder Adelaide Awuku. For her, lighting a candle – whether it’s during working hours, or at the end of a challenging day – has significance and benefits that are much more than a nice smell or a pleasing light.
Her business came about during a difficult time in her life: “I was recovering from several surgeries and during that time I struggled with anxiety and sleeplessness,” she recalls, “my mum gave me a candle infused with natural essential oils to help me relax and it became a small but powerful source of comfort that helped me greatly in my healing stage and thereafter.”
“I realised that creating fragrance could be a way to bring light, both literally and figuratively, into people’s lives.”
A NEW PASSION
It was this that sparked her curiosity, specifically about how scent can have such a meaningful impact on our emotional well-being. During her period of healing, she began researching and learning about aromatherapy and experimented with a candle-making kit, which, in itself, offered her a form of therapy while she got better. She instantly fell in love with the process and the value behind it, “I realised that creating fragrance could be a way to bring light, both literally and figuratively, into people’s lives.”
After returning to her job as an assistant head teacher at an inner London primary school, Adelaide continued her quest to develop her brand. Her role in education is highly fulfilling, but she had always been very in touch with her creative side, and the pull towards her newfound passion for candles and scent was incredibly strong.
She worked hard, spending her evenings after a long day at school at her kitchen table surrounded by fragrance oils, wax, and endless notes filled with ideas. “I spent months testing different blends, experimenting with burn times and perfecting the balance between aesthetic minimalism and sensory depth.”
FINDING BALANCE
In 2023 she officially launched Sincerely Lumière, and she remembers being overwhelmed by the response. “People were not just buying candles; they were connecting with the stories behind each scent,” Adelaide says proudly. She had succeeded in her goal of not just making candles, but through them encouraging intentional rituals and providing a sense of calm, reflection and connection.
Over three years into her small business journey, and Adelaide has moved operations from her kitchen table to a home studio. Unsurprisingly, it is a calming, scent-filled space, one that she describes as her sanctuary, allowing easy transition from a busy day at school to a place of creativity and inspiration. As well as the day-to-day running of a small business, she is always working on new ideas: “My worktable is filled with fragrance samples, notes and jars in various stages of testing,” she smiles.
Balancing the business alongside her teaching career has been one of the more challenging aspects, but she is gradually learning to trust in organic growth. “I constantly remind myself that Sincerely Lumière was never meant to be rushed; it was always meant to grow with grace and purpose,” says Adelaide, and this approach aligns with her intentional living ethos, where rest and boundaries are as important as growth.
Even so, since starting out with her candle collection she has added a range of wax melts, and more recently her first reed diffuser collection. This is no mean feat considering every fragrance goes through rigorous testing which ensures clean burning, consistent scent throw and an overall luxurious experience. She reiterates how she wanted to create more than just an object: “I want it to become part of someone’s self-care ritual and a moment of intentional stillness in their day.”
“I want my customers to feel good about what they are bringing into their homes, knowing that it is made with sincerity and responsibility”
A DEFINING MOMENT
Alongside her extensive testing, sustainability is an important part of the brand’s ethos. Adelaide only uses CocoSoy wax and natural essential oils and avoids toxins that are often found in cheap candles such as paraffin and palm oil. “I want my customers to feel good about what they are bringing into their homes, knowing that it is made with sincerity and responsibility,” she states, and it’s this level of care and consideration that sets a small business apart – everything is chosen with people and planet in mind.
It was this commitment that played a part in one of Adelaide’s most exciting moments to date. In 2025 she was awarded Emerging Sustainable Wellness Brand of the Year 2025 from the Greater London Enterprise Awards. This kind of recognition for a small brand is proof that believing in a better way to create and do business is worth the effort.
Awards aside though, Adelaide points out that it is the quieter moments that provide her with the most pride. It’s the words from her customers that truly light her up. Receiving confirmation that what she has created is delivering what she intended; helping someone through a tough time, or her products becoming part of a daily ritual of rest. “It reminds me that Sincerely Lumière is truly touching lives in the way I hoped it would when I first had the vision for the brand.”
As her range of products grows, Adelaide plans to expand into wholesale. She dreams of seeing Sincerely Lumiére in independent shops and wellness spaces across the country. One day she hopes to host retreats where attendees can explore wellness through scent, mindfulness and creativity. For now, she will continue to bring moment of calm, inspiring peace and intention. “My hope is that every product I create continues to remind people that beauty and stillness can coexist, even in the busiest of lives.”
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