Darling Magazine sits down with Reverie founder Ashley Gwati to explore scent, self-care and the rise of experiential wellness
BY FRANCESCA RAPISARDA
Luxury is no longer defined solely by price or exclusivity, but it is also measured by something less tangible: the ability to slow down. In that shift, a new wave of brands is emerging, ones that prioritise experience, intention, and emotional connection over traditional markers of status. Reverie Candle is one of them.
“As a student, I loved luxury candles but couldn’t justify the price point, so I taught myself how to make them,” said founder Ashley Gwati. What started as a practical solution soon evolved into something broader: “a way to introduce accessible luxury to others who wanted that same elevated experience without the barrier.”
That idea of accessibility without compromise continues to shape Reverie today. The name itself reflects its ethos. “I’ve always been a dreamer, so the name felt natural,” she said. “Reverie is the feeling of being gently lost in a daydream.” It’s a concept rooted in the emotional power of scent, its ability to evoke memory, mood, and atmosphere almost instantly.
“Scent and memory are deeply connected,” she added. “When you light a Reverie candle, it’s designed to evoke a feeling or a moment, to transport you into your own personal daydream.”
This emphasis on emotional connection places Reverie firmly within a broader shift in the wellness space. As modern life becomes increasingly fast-paced and digitally saturated, there is a growing appetite for experiences that encourage presence and stillness. For Reverie, this translates into something more immersive than a product alone.
Central to this evolution are the brand’s candle-making workshops, which move beyond traditional retail into a participatory experience. “There is no Reverie without our Dreamers,” she said, referring to the brand’s community. “The workshops were a natural extension of that, inviting people into what was originally my own moment of therapeutic calm.”
Rather than positioning these sessions as instructional, the experience is carefully curated. “I approach it less like a craft session and more like a hosted experience,” she explained. “The atmosphere is inspired by a dinner party, from the tablescape to the ambient playlist.”
Guests are guided through scent exploration and candle pouring in a format designed to engage the senses fully. “Every detail is intentional,” she says, “so when they light their candle at home, they’re transported back to that exact moment.”
This approach reflects a wider trend within the experience economy, where consumers are increasingly drawn to moments they can actively participate in rather than simply observe. It also reframes the product itself: the candle becomes not just an object, but a continuation of an experience.
The connection between scent and wellbeing underpins much of this appeal. “Scent has a unique ability to bring you into the present moment,” she explained. “Through the olfactory system, it bypasses our usual mental filters and directly evokes emotion and memory.” The effect is not just psychological but physiological: “That emotional response can stimulate the release of hormones like dopamine and oxytocin, which are essential to our sense of wellbeing.”
Within this context, Reverie’s concept of self-care is deliberately intentional. “To me, intentional self-care is about making a conscious decision to prioritise yourself in a world that constantly demands your attention,” she said. “It’s allowing yourself to slow down, to pause, and to recognise that your needs matter.”
That idea resonates particularly strongly with a generation seeking alternatives to constant productivity and digital overstimulation. “Life has become incredibly fast-paced,” she noted. “People are actively seeking ways to disconnect and ground themselves,” she added.
Part of what distinguishes Reverie, however, is the role its community plays in shaping the brand. As an independent label, it operates with a level of flexibility that allows for quick, intuitive evolution. In some cases, that evolution is directly influenced by workshop participants themselves.
“One of the most unexpected moments came from something so simple: coffee beans,” she said. Originally used to reset the senses during scent exploration, participants began incorporating them into their candle designs. “That sparked the creation of our iced coffee candle, which became incredibly popular.”
Moments like this highlight a shift away from traditional top-down brand building towards a more collaborative model. “Reverie goes beyond the product,” she explained. “We invite our Dreamers to step into the creative process itself… It’s a collaborative, ever-evolving experience.”
Looking ahead, the brand is set to expand further into scent-based experiences, with plans to introduce perfume-making workshops. “In 2026, Reverie will expand beyond candles and into perfume-making workshops,” she said, continuing its focus on immersive, creative exploration.
For now, success is defined less by scale and more by process. “Success, for me, is falling in love with the process,” she reflected. “Reverie is a labour of love… I try to create the same sense of calm and ambience in my day-to-day that our Dreamers experience in workshops.”
As definitions of luxury continue to evolve, brands like Reverie point to a quieter shift, one that values presence over excess, and experience over ownership. In a culture that rarely pauses, the simple act of lighting a candle and fully inhabiting the moment it creates begins to feel like a form of luxury in itself.
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