Anyone whose goth phase never really ended knows how this goes. At some point, someone tells you to lighten up and maybe put the tarot deck away before company comes over. Black Flame Coven, which handcrafts gothic candles and body care in Massachusetts, is built around the idea that you don’t have to.
The brand started the way plenty of small businesses do, with a hobby. Three sisters who share a deep love for everything dark and witchy began making candles, and the hobby quickly grew into something bigger. They decided they wanted to create a space and a product line for the gothic and esoteric community. The company is owned by Sharlamar Hardin, Christopher Galarza, Giana Hardin and Christin Fernandez, who collaborate on every concept and describe bringing their ideas to life together “as a coven.” Everything is made in small batches with what the owners call “sacred intention.”
The candle collection is big, with names like ‘Mothman’, ‘Banshee’, ‘Belladonna’ and ‘Nevermore’, and the names do a lot of the work. ‘Prince of Wallachia’ goes for dark nobility, opening on cognac before settling into praline, vanilla and sandalwood. ‘Be Lilith’ pairs spiced Macintosh apple and redcurrant wine with burnt sugar and charred oak. ‘Sleepy Hollow’ is aimed at people who like their pumpkin with smoke and spice, so its roasted pumpkin and whipped honey get pulled toward clove and smoked amber. ‘Pumpkin Brew’ sticks closer to a coffeehouse order, with espresso, pumpkin purée and maple sugar, and the brand pitches it as the ultimate autumn comfort. Each of these lists a burn time of more than 50 hours.
The body care side goes well beyond creams. There’s a lineup of whipped body creams like ‘Nevermore’, ‘Gothic Gold’ and ‘Sirens Call’, along with room and body sprays. There are also perfume roll-ons in scents like ‘Light as a Feather’ and ‘Nocturnal’, so customers can wear a favorite fragrance instead of just burning it. The ‘Vixen’ Body Cream is made with shea and mango butters and designed to absorb without a greasy finish. Its scent leans toward dessert, with dark coffee, cacao and tonka bean softened by jasmine and orange blossom.
The company says its products are made for modern witches and anyone else who finds beauty in the dark. It also calls itself a sanctuary for free spirits who “dare to wear their magic with pride,” and the owners are clear that the message matters to them as much as the products do.
“Society loves to tell us who to be, but true freedom comes when you stop apologizing for who you are,” the team said. They say Black Flame Coven grew out of a shared love for the dark and the strange, the kinds of things the world often tells people to hide, and they want readers to know there’s no shame in standing out or being “the weird one” in the room. “Embrace your dark aesthetic, honor your weirdness, and own every part of your story without asking for permission,” they added.
There’s no rule that says the tarot deck has to go back in the drawer before guests arrive. Black Flame Coven would rather you leave it out and light a candle next to it.
You can shop the collection at blackflamecoven.com and follow along on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
