Sask. entrepreneur’s DIY candles to be featured in Oscar swag bags

At this time last year, Michelle Bieber was just starting to learn how to craft candles. Fast forward to today, and — less than six months into her new business — the Wolseley entrepreneur’s sending her homemade wax refills to A-list celebrities.

Bieber first launched Mood The Candle Revival Co., which sells all-natural soy wax refills for do-it-yourself candles, last October. A month later, she locked down an opportunity at the Oscars.

More than 70 Mood Candle Revival Kits made by Wolseley entrepreneur Michelle Bieber are being featured in the Everyone Wins swag bags at the 2020 Academy Awards. (Michelle Bieber/Submitted)

“As soon as I came up with this idea and launched the product, I literally reached out to them, contacted a few people, sent my product in and gave them all the information on it,” she said. “They usually carry a candle in the swag bags, and this year they thought the idea of do-it-yourself and reusing was crucial and on-trend, so they loved the idea and said I was in.”

In the weeks that followed, Bieber started putting together 72 Mood Candle Revival Kits in a special Los Angeles-inspired scent called “chill” for the Everyone Wins Oscar swag bags.

“It’s going to be for men and women, so I had to choose a candle scent that was going to be fitting for both,” she said, adding she settled on more woody, citrusy notes. “It’s kind of a cleaner, crisper smell.”

Every nominee, along with a few members of the media, is set to receive a candle kit in the lead up to Sunday’s Academy Awards.

Looking back at the rollercoaster of the last year, Bieber said it goes to show that no dream is ever too big.

“You’ve just got to go for it. You’ve got to dream big and you’ve got to set goals,” she said. “I had to just do it; knock down those doors and send emails and just keep pushing because nothing else will happen if you don’t try — you have to at least try.”