Shining Sol Candle Co. was, oddly enough, founded by award winning producer/musician/author Pete Evick. As a veteran touring musician of over 25 years, Pete has seen and traveled the world. During those travels, Pete has found that “scents” are one of those things that makes all of the various places he has ventured to uniquely unique.
As the years went by, he often found himself using “scents” as a way of describing (and reminiscing about) his favorite places and travels. While Pete hails from the Washington, D.C. area, it has never been a secret that his heart’s home is by the ocean. While this isn’t a unique concept (coastal inspired candles), what sets Shining Sol’s Coastal Collection apart from everyone else, is that theirs are inspired by the real personal journeys of Shining Sol’s founder, the wicked cool, Pete Evick.
Thomas Drive – A sweet coconut scent. Think of that familiar aroma of suntan lotion and beach town cocktails.
In his younger years, Pete could have called the Gulf Coast of Florida his second home. In particular, Panama City, Florida (the famous Spring break capital of the United States) was Pete’s “home base”. It is also home to Thomas Drive, a popular stretch of road near Panama City Beach. Pete spent a lot of time performing in this area with his band. Memories of that time are laced with wild nights of living the Rock and Roll lifestyle and long days of laying out on the relaxing white sand beaches, soaking up the sun. Thomas Drive is inspired by those times.
Hampton Beach – The familiar scent of boardwalk food such as funnel cakes, warm pretzels, cotton candy and so much more.
Upon finalizing scents for the Coastal Collection, Pete realized he had almost left out a scent that evokes memories of famous boardwalks along the Mid/North Atlantic beach towns. You have the Ocean City (Maryland) boardwalk that he grew up on, the legendary Atlantic City (New Jersey) boardwalk, the historic Hampton Beach (New Hampshire) boardwalk… all of these places share the familiar scent of boardwalk food such as funnel cakes, warm pretzels, cotton candy and so much more. No Coastal Collection would be complete without this part of American culture and history. Shining Sol have balanced all these scents into one hoping to take you back to that childhood family vacation the moment the scent hits you. Pete personally decided to capture this memorable aroma using the scent name Hampton Beach, of which holds a special place in his heart.
Chesapeake – The fresh crisp scent of the salty sea with the lush aroma of local Chesapeake Bay plant life.
Hailing from the Washington, D.C. area, Pete’s first introduction to the coastal life were iconic destination spots like Virginia Beach, Ocean City, Maryland and the famous Chesapeake Bay. A lifetime of memories were put into the thought and creation of the Chesapeake scent.
Whether relaxing on the shore, or taking a boat ride out to the Atlantic ocean, there’s nothing as peaceful as life on the Chesapeake Bay.
Carolina Dunes – A combination of oceanic scents and local Carolina plant life. In addition, Carolina Dunes adds a touch more floral rather than botanical scent making it reminiscent of the untouched dunes found throughout the Outer Banks.
Over the years, Pete has found the Outer Banks in Coastal North Carolina to be his favorite family escape destination. A big reason for this is due to the fact that it is still largely unommercialized, despite being one of the most iconic coastal areas in the United States.
Caribbean Oasis – A fine blend of oceanic and plant notes matched with a touch of Caribbean teak wood which instantly transports you to your own Mexican paradise.
In recent years, Pete has traveled many times to the beautiful Riviera Maya region of Mexico. In this amazing part of the world, the jungle meets the ocean which creates a unique and incredible array of natural oceanic and jungle scents.
Bonfire On The Beach – This truly unique scent is a combination of Shining Sol’s campfire fragrance blended perfectly with oceanic scents, creating the sensation of an evening with friends and family under the stars of the California coast.
It’s a rare occasion that Pete gets to hang out on the Pacific coast. When he does, he has always loved Huntington Beach as his “go to” spot. The one thing that always intrigued Pete the most about Huntington Beach was that, it is not only legal, but it is encouraged to have a beach bonfire, that inspired this fragrance.
Biloxi Rain – A crisp, clean and subtle spring-like scent that combines a touch of oceanic notes balanced with white tea leaves, recreating a morning walk along the fishing pier in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Biloxi, Mississippi became one of Pete’s favorite annual stops during his touring schedule. Biloxi has a unique mix of living spaces. You have the Big City, whose skyline is filled with Vegas sized casinos, but beneath that skyline is still a very traditional fishing/shrimping town reminiscent of the Outer Banks (OBX), a place that Pete is very fond of. Biloxi Rain took a long time to get right. One early morning Pete was walking along the fishing piers as it began to rain. Suddenly, the entire place took on a new life, with a crisp, clean and subtle spring-like scent wafting through the air.
Don’t they all just sound incredible?! They make me wanna jump on a plane and go explore all the wonderful places that inspired this fabulous collection. I think Hampton Beach would be my first stop, it had me at Funnel Cakes! 😛
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