Bec and Carlie (Bec-ca) are two mums from Auckland’s North Shore with a passion for wellbeing, style and amazing scents. Eighteen months ago, they founded Becca Project, a range of all-natural, essential oil candles, solid fragrance balms and diffusers, using sustainable packaging and handcrafted in their own studio.
What’s the story behind Becca Project and how did you meet?
Carlie: We met outside the classroom when our kids first started school. Bec’s lovely son took my worried little girl under his wing and they’ve been firm friends ever since — and so have we. We bonded over a shared love for fashion and creativity and more than a few shared glasses of wine.
Bec: We were initially sceptical about the benefits of essential oils but we both had health issues that improved with their use. But honestly, most of them stank! We wanted to bring people the wellbeing benefits along with enticing scents and that was how Becca Project was born.
How have you incorporated essential oils without them being overpowering?
Bec: We’ve found that the magic is in the blending and that’s why we’re so proud of the scents we have created. They smell amazing, but they are also carefully combined to initiate a mood or feeling – an experience if you like. So ‘how do we want this to make someone feel – uplifted, relaxed, sleepy’? Then we research the oils and their effects and start to blend.
What is remarkable about essential oils and why do you use them in your products?
Carlie: They have been used for their health benefits for centuries and relied upon for healing a multitude of conditions before modern medicine. Becca Project’s range is infused with real essential oils, not just fragrance. This means that when you burn our candles, for example, you are inhaling all of the wellbeing benefits as well as filling your space with gorgeous aromas.
What’s your favourite essential oil and does it appear in the Becca Project range?
Bec: I have a soft spot for frankincense as it was the oil that made me a fan. It really helped me with my joint-related autoimmune disease and has amazing anti-inflammatory properties. It features in our Giggle range.
Carlie: Sandalwood is my go-to. I love the woodsy scent and it helps me to relax and reduces stress and anxiety. It features in our Dreamer range, which is all about drifting away…
What’s next for Becca Project?
Carlie: We’ve just released a body oil called ‘Wildflower’ and it’s packed full of skin-loving oils like macadamia, coconut and hazelnut seed — and an essential oil combo that smells divine. We are also finalising an outdoor beeswax pillar candle ‘Wilderness’ which banishes bugs with a gorgeous-scented blend of oils rather than the standard horrible smell.
Bec: Longer term we’d like to grow into a local manufacturing facility to produce the range on a larger scale. At the moment our space is limited so we’d love to expand. We are proud of being a local company producing quality New Zealand-made products.
Find out more at beccaproject.com
