HELENA — Have you ever smelled something and it took you back to your childhood or a special moment in time? Kelsi Furlong, the owner of Copper Mountain Candle Company is evoking memories through her wicks.
“You think about when you smell something it evokes an emotion right away and you can say, 'oh my gosh this reminds me of Christmas at my mom’s house,' or, 'holy cow this smells like my cabin,'” said Furlong.
Copper Mountain Candles is doing just that.
Furlong was a nurse for ten years and always has been a candle fanatic until some wax in college stripped her furniture.
She then realized candles and fragrances were filled with chemicals.
“The first thought I had was someone can do better and then I thought well maybe I can do better and so I started from scratch and just started making them as a hobby," Furlong says.
All of Copper Mountain’s candles are made with 100 percent natural wax and non-toxic fragrances.
In 2021 candles became more than a hobby as the community of Helena helped her company grow.
During the holidays, Furlong goes through 200 pounds of wax and makes over a hundred candles a day.
For Furlong, a Helena native, community is everything.
“I think small businesses make or break a community," Furlong says.
While the scents are made to remind people of the past they also connect the nose to the nature of the Treasure State.
The most popular scents are Montana birch, flannel, and Big Sky fir, but Furlong's favorite is fireside. It takes her back to camping when she was younger, and the added sound of a wooden wick makes her feel she is there.
Furlong says, “Every Montanan is proud to be a Montanan and so anytime we have Montana on anything we are all like we need that because we love our home so much."
If you want a chance to smell these candles for yourself you can visit the Copper Mountain Candle Company website and find them all across the the Big Sky.
