One of my favorite places to go when I’m visiting Old Town Manassas is Shining Sol Candle Company. Their sign lets you know that “sniffs” are always free. And there is definitely plenty to sniff in this quaint store.
Shining Sol was founded in 2012 as an online candle company by Pete Evick, who is best known for his work with Bret Michaels of the band Poison. Candle making, which started as a hobby for Pete, ended up becoming a successful business with shops in Old Town Manassas (opened in 2016) and a shop at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (opened Summer 2020). They recently announced plans to open another retail shop in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (opening in March of 2021) – one of my favorite places to visit. If you are not near any of their retail shops though, you can always order from their website and have your candles shipped.
What makes Shining Sol candles so special? These candles are made from soy wax instead of the traditional paraffin because soy wax is both clean burning and non-toxic. Another special thing about these candles is that they have a wood wick instead of the traditional cotton. The wood wick allows the candle to burn with the crackle that you would hear from wood burning in a fireplace. While it isn’t always easy to get a wood wick in a soy candle to burn properly, the Shining Sol team worked and developed the right balance to create a perfect candle.
Visiting Shining Sol’s shop in Old Town Manassas is an experience in itself. The store clerks are always so friendly and helpful and quick to point out any new scents. In addition to their core collection , there are always seasonal scents available as well as their Coastal Collection with scents based off of beaches that Pete has visited. They also have a floral collection, earthy collection, legacy collection, and classic scents. Some of my favorites are from the local collection – Shenandoah and Battlefield Meadows. Recently I just purchased some of their wax melts (which can be used in their wax warmers – another of my favorite products from Shining Sol) in the spring floral scents of lilac, honeysuckle jasmine, and magnolia along with citrus and sage. The great thing about their candles is that most come in three different sizes (large jar, medium jar, or large tin) and in the wax melts. Their wax warmers come in a large variety of styles and to use you simply put a wax melt into the glass bowl on the top, plug in the wax warmer, and then touch it to set its brightness to one of three levels – low, medium, and high.
And last, but certainly not least, if you want to do more than head to the store for the free sniffs, you can actually make your own candles at their store in Old Town Manassas or purchase a make at home kit and give it a try in the comfort of your own home. Shining Sol Candle Company is located at 9109 Centre Street, Manassas, VA 20110 and is open Monday through Saturday from 10am until 8pm and Sunday from 11am until 6pm.
