Take a minute to read the ingredients of the scented candle emanating a woody essence through your home. It’s most probably paraffin wax and therefore emitting toxic fumes. It smells heavenly, but make no mistake, you might be inhaling garbage – harmful toluene and benzene. “For us, Amen is the affirmation of our purest intentions,” explains Rodrigo Garcia Alvarez, the Uruguayan founder of Amen eco-friendly candles. “We only say ‘amen’ when we want something with all our mind, body, and soul; when we set our positive intentions and they are aligned.” The Parisian maison offers handmade, luxury sustainable candles made from natural vegetable oil wax in world perfumery capital Grasse. The hilly Mediterranean village is home to jasmine and rose fields belonging to the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, and Guerlain. The candle is ensconced in white porcelain from ceramics capital Limoges, which will serve as a discreet coin holder after the wick has burned for 50 hours. An impassioned anti-plastic crusader, Garcia Alvarez has conceived a remarkable packaging made of biodegradable mycelium – mushrooms. The circular biodegradable packaging is being shared in a global series of art exhibitions recently featured at Dover Street Parfums Market Paris and has been admired by Vincent Cassel, Tina Kunakey, and Ellen von Unwerth at Paris fashion week. Garcia Alvarez explains that his mushrooming label aims to align peace and equilibrium; something the brand furthers via its limited edition of seven fragrances – vetiver, sandalwood, ginger, rose, eucalyptus, jasmine, and lavender. The scents have been selected with leading yoga gurus around the world, including Rasa Yoga Paris, the RA MA Institute in New York, and the Medicina da Consciência in Rio de Janeiro, to pair with the seven chakras with the aim to balance body, mind, and soul. Amen candles are available on Matchesfashion.com. Amencandles.fr