Aura & Ember
Aura & Ember is a Charlotte, NC-based, woman-owned luxury fragrance and candle brand selling handcrafted candles, perfumes, colognes, and custom fragrance experiences direct-to-consumer and through pop-ups, with a flagship boutique opening in Pineville in August 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2025
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Aura & Ember does
Aura & Ember is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based luxury fragrance and candle company that sells handcrafted, small-batch candles, perfumes, colognes, accessories, and gift cards direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce site (auraember.com), partner retail (Primp Salon in South End), and rotating pop-up markets across the Charlotte metro (Pineville, Ballantyne, Matthews, South End). Products are formulated with phthalate-, paraben-, sulfate-, and paraffin-free fragrance oils under the company's Made Better Certification, and include signature collections such as Explicit Desires and Queen City-inspired scents. The company is privately held, woman-owned, and operates with 1–10 employees out of a Charlotte studio, with a flagship boutique scheduled to open in Historic Downtown Pineville in August 2026.
The business spans four revenue mechanics: (1) one-time product sales via e-commerce and pop-ups; (2) paid fragrance experiences including Fragrance Flights ($59/person, weekly Tuesdays), the in-store Perfume & Cologne Making Workshop, Guided Candle Pouring (from $45), and the founder-led Full Custom Fragrance Luxury Design Experience (from $350/person, 2–2.5 hours) where each custom formula is archived for future reorder; (3) the Aura Society monthly subscription ($59/month, capped at 20 founding members) bundling $50 in rewards, priority booking, and exclusive events; and (4) corporate gifting (minimum $200) providing custom labels, scents, and packaging for SMB clients in real estate, marketing, and home services. A Vessel Refill Program offers $5 off plus free shipping for returned candle containers.
Customer acquisition combines experiential GTM (workshops, pop-up markets, corporate gifting) with paid digital channels (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn) and organic Instagram and email (Mailchimp VIP list). The company has no disclosed institutional funding, no parent company, and no patent portfolio; competitive advantages are anchored in the founder's personal brand, custom-blending methodology, formula archival, and clean-ingredient certification rather than proprietary technology.
Aura & Ember firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aura & Ember
- Legal name
- Aura & Ember
- Website
- https://auraember.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2025
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Aura & Ember is a Charlotte, NC-based, woman-owned luxury fragrance and candle brand selling handcrafted candles, perfumes, colognes, and custom fragrance experiences direct-to-consumer and through pop-ups, with a flagship boutique opening in Pineville in August 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aura & Ember industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Fragrances & Candles
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Niche & Artisan Fragrance (CRABADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fine Fragrance (Women’s/Men’s/Unisex) (CRABADAA), Home Fragrance (Candles, Diffusers, Room Sprays) (CRABADAE)
Keywords
Where Aura & Ember is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Aura & Ember business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Handcrafted luxury candles, perfumes, colognes, room sprays, car diffusers, and accessories sold direct-to-consumer through e-commerce and retail locations. Products are made in small batches.
- Fragrance Experiences: Paid experiences including Fragrance Flights ($59), Guided Candle Pouring (starting at $45), Perfume & Cologne Workshop, and Full Custom Fragrance Design ($350/person). These immersive workshops drive both immediate revenue and product add-on sales.
- Aura Society Membership: Monthly subscription at $59/month offering $50 in monthly Aura Rewards, priority booking, formula archive, birthday gift, exclusive member events, and early access. Limited to 20 founding members.
- Corporate Gifting: Custom branded candles and fragrances for businesses, starting at $200 minimum order. Includes custom labels, scents, and packaging for client gifts, employee appreciation, and event swag.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Aura Society Monthly Membership - $59/month |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Fragrance Flights Experience - $59 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guided Candle Pouring - Starting at $45 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Full Custom Fragrance Experience - Starting at $350/person |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Corporate Gifting - Starting at $200 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Vessel Refill Program - $5 discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Aura & Ember product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aura & Ember is a woman-owned luxury fragrance brand and candle maker based in Charlotte, NC that handcrafts in small batches luxury candles, perfumes, colognes, room sprays, car diffusers, and accessories using phthalate-free, clean ingredients. The company also operates an immersive fragrance experience business including guided candle pouring, group perfume-making workshops, and private founder-led custom fragrance design sessions. A corporate gifting program and a monthly Aura Society membership round out the offering.
Product overview
Aura & Ember is a luxury fragrance brand and candle company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, offering a vertically integrated portfolio of hand-crafted products and experiential services. The core retail offering spans Luxury Candles, Perfume (For Her), and Cologne (For Him), all formulated with clean, phthalate-free fragrance oils and made in small batches in Charlotte. Adjacent to the physical product line, the company operates a signature fragrance experience business centered on three tiers: the Fragrance Flight and Perfume & Cologne Making Workshop (guided group sessions for creating 10–15ml custom blends); the Full Custom Fragrance Luxury Design Experience (a private, founder-led 2–2.5-hour session yielding a 50ml archived formula); and the Guided Candle Pouring Experience (Candle Bar) for in-store custom candle creation. The Corporate Gifting program extends custom-label and custom-scent candles, branded fragrance collections, and bulk orders to business clients. A Vessel Refill Program enables recycling of candle vessels with a $5 discount incentive. The Aura Society is a monthly membership ($59/month) bundling $50 in rewards, priority booking, formula archive access, and exclusive member events. The company also operates pop-up markets across the Charlotte metro area and maintains an August 2026 flagship boutique opening in Historic Downtown Pineville, NC.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Luxury Candles
Quantifiable outcome
- $5 discount for recycling candle vessels
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Aura & Ember
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Aura & Ember technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Aura & Ember partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Primp Salon (South End, Charlotte)minorRetail partner location where Aura & Ember products are available for in-person browsing and purchase. Located in South End, Charlotte.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aura & Ember competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Otherland: Luxury DTC candle brand with curated collections, gift-ready packaging, and e-commerce-led model. Comparable to Aura & Ember on small-batch luxury positioning, candle as hero product, and gifting use case.
- Boy Smells: Modern, gender-inclusive luxury candle and fragrance house known for design-forward packaging and a DTC plus select retail model. Comparable to Aura & Ember in the small-batch luxury candle and clean-ingredient positioning.
- Homesick: DTC candle brand built on narrative-driven scent collections (place-based and themed). Comparable to Aura & Ember on curated storytelling scents, e-commerce-led DTC, and giftable positioning.
- Skylar: Founder-led clean fragrance brand with DTC focus and hypoallergenic, cruelty-free formulations. Comparable to Aura & Ember on founder-led positioning, clean ingredient standards, and small-batch personal fragrance.
- Phlur: Clean, ingredient-conscious fragrance house built DTC with a focus on transparent formulation. Comparable to Aura & Ember on the clean-beauty positioning, fragrance-led assortment, and DTC go-to-market.
- Commodity: Niche fragrance brand offering customizable scent layering and discovery sets. Comparable to Aura & Ember on the custom-blending ethos, fragrance education/flight experience, and curated discovery sets.
- D.S. & Durga: Independent niche fragrance house with artistic positioning and small-batch, founder-driven identity. Comparable to Aura & Ember on artisan, story-led fragrances and luxury boutique distribution.
- Scentbird: Fragrance subscription service delivering curated perfume samples monthly. Comparable to Aura & Ember on the recurring-revenue, membership-driven fragrance model and discovery/experimentation positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Le Labo: Established niche fragrance brand with city retail stores, custom-engraved labels, and city-exclusives. Comparable to Aura & Ember on experiential retail, in-store fragrance customization, and luxury pricing tier.
- Diptyque: Iconic luxury candle and home fragrance house with global retail presence and elevated gift collections. Comparable to Aura & Ember on luxury candles, home fragrance, and gift-set positioning, but at much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aura & Ember social profiles
Digital presenceAura & Ember financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aura & Ember leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Aura & Ember funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aura & Ember M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aura & Ember
What does Aura & Ember do?
Aura & Ember is a woman-owned luxury fragrance brand and candle maker based in Charlotte, NC that handcrafts in small batches luxury candles, perfumes, colognes, room sprays, car diffusers, and accessories using phthalate-free, clean ingredients. The company also operates an immersive fragrance experience business including guided candle pouring, group perfume-making workshops, and private founder-led custom fragrance design sessions. A corporate gifting program and a monthly Aura Society membership round out the offering.
Is Aura & Ember a public or private company?
Aura & Ember is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Aura & Ember founded?
Aura & Ember was founded in 2025. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Aura & Ember based?
Aura & Ember is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aura & Ember make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are fragrance Experiences, aura Society Membership and corporate Gifting.
Who are Aura & Ember's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Otherland, Boy Smells, Homesick, Skylar, Phlur, Commodity, D.S. & Durga and Scentbird. Broad incumbents are Le Labo and Diptyque.
Does Aura & Ember have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aura & Ember.
What industry is Aura & Ember in?
Aura & Ember's product category is Artisan Fragrances & Candles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABADAH, Niche & Artisan Fragrance, with a secondary code of CRABADAA, Fine Fragrance (Women’s/Men’s/Unisex). Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 2844.