Before it became a brand, Maison Arcane was a personal ritual. For years, its founder Pauline worked in perfume, surrounded by launches and formulas, yet every trip ended the same way: she came home with a candle. Not as a souvenir, but as something that could recreate warmth, mood, and a sense of calm.
“I realised I was always coming back with a candle. Not because I needed one — but because I loved what it created.”
Over time, that attachment became curiosity. Then practice. After an initial project that never fully took shape and two years of trial and error, Pauline chose to start again, on her own. This time, things moved differently. In six months, Maison Arcane was born.
Tarot soon imposed itself as the brand’s natural language. Not as a tool for prediction, but as a system of images and symbols. Each candle is linked to a tarot card — The Fool, The Empress, The Magician, The Chariot, The Lovers — five figures translated into scent, glass, and flame. The idea, eventually, is to complete the full deck of 78 cards.
The object itself is central to the brand. Each candle is poured into a crystal glass inspired by a whisky tumbler, chosen for the way it catches and scatters light. The wax is visible, sometimes uneven — a sign of hand-pouring, not something to hide.
“The transparency of the glass matters to me. You can see that the candle is alive. And the light doesn’t fall flat — it moves.”
When the candle is finished, the glass remains, meant to be reused. Made with soy wax, cotton wicks, and fragrances developed in Grasse, Maison Arcane focuses on balance rather than perfection. Burn time, rhythm, and atmosphere are as important as the scent itself.
Even the packaging plays a role. The box opens like a book, revealing a small 3D tarot scene, built-in matches, and a moment of pause before the flame is lit. More than an object, Maison Arcane creates a ritual — where light, image, and fragrance quietly come together.
