Henrico Small Business Spotlight: Noted Xpressions

Solely owned and operated, an online candle business based in Henrico is making waves through the community.

Anne Peterson is a Georgia native, but has spent most of her life in Virginia and considers it home. She also attended Averett University.

At the start of the pandemic, Peterson was hospitalized with COVID.

“I almost died from it. I was in the hospital for a month. I had to have oxygen and nurses visit me three times a week at home,” Peterson said.

Before her hospitalization, Peterson would burn candles to help relax, but after leaving the hospital she experienced financial strain and couldn’t splurge on candles like she used to. That’s what kickstarted her candle-making.

While talking about other candles she said, “A lot of them are made with components that I obviously don't want to inhale, especially now that I have lung issues.” Now more health-conscious, Peterson researched how to make natural candles.

With the encouragement from friends and family, Peterson began Noted Xpressions.

“It started out with being just for me and I turned it into a business,” Peterson said.

However, it was not easy starting a business during the thick of the pandemic. With inflation and medical bills, it was difficult for Peterson, who also works a full-time job as a data analyst at VCU, to pay for everything. But she used some of the money from her full time job to save and invest in Noted Xpressions.

“When you’re making an all natural candle, it’s quite a bit more expensive than using some of the other materials to make a regular candle. So I wanted it to be a premium product and I wanted it to be safe and healthy for anyone,” she said.

The term “clean-burning” is used to describe her candles on her website. Peterson explained that clean-burning candles don’t produce the dark soot that is often left behind in other candles. She uses vegetable based wax and toxic free fragrance that won’t emit toxic chemicals or fumes.

Their candle-making process is done by hand in Glen Allen. Peterson purchases wax in bulk and makes sure her ingredients are non-toxic and cruelty free. She likes to let the candles set for two weeks before selling to make sure they’re fully cured.

“So that the person is getting the best experience from the burn, meaning the best throw and a nice even burn,” said Peterson.

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It took a lot of testing and a lot of research to get the process down, Peterson said. Fragrances, jars, and even the wax can impact the way a candle will burn. She researched for about six months before she sold her first candle, to ensure a safe and effective product.

Although her candles are more expensive ($28) than some major brands, Peterson reiterated the difference in materials and noted that her candles have the same burn time despite being smaller in size.

“The people who have bought my candles, they come back and buy more.”

Influenced by peaceful settings, Peterson began developing the scent profiles of the candles. Once the candles became more popular, she explored other combinations with the 800 to 900 fragrances she owns to sell based upon customer demand.

Peterson sells 13 candles on her website, but customers also can order a candle with a custom scent – a feature that other candle businesses don’t commonly offer.

Noted Xpressions does a majority of its business online, occasionally holding pop-up events at different markets. But Peterson also has an extensive network of connections and she uses that to help spread the word and sell her candles, too. From gyms she attends to friends of friends, information about her candles spreads through word of mouth.

“People who have received gifts from friends of mine they'll call and they'll go online and place orders,” said Peterson.

A long time candle-user, Serina Gaines, is one of Peterson’s main supporters. The best friends have known each other since college and met up again while Peterson was in the testing phase of her business.

During the beginning phases of Noted Xpressions, Gaines tested Peterson’s creations.

“Not only is she my best friend, she has an awesome candle brand,” Gaines said.

Before Noted Xpressions, Gaines frequently burned different candle brands, often burning candles before she went to sleep but waking up with headaches.

“I noticed when I switched over to Noted Xpressions I did not wake up with headaches," she said. "Even to this day I don’t wake up with headaches anymore, so that was a cure to my morning headaches. And so I’ve stuck with her brand. I believe in her brand."

Fragrance-lover Esther Colley was introduced to the brand by a friend who gifted her a candle. As a doctoral student, burning candles was how she kept her “sanity.” After trying Noted Xpressions, she was immediately hooked.

“The candle was so delicious! I was like ‘Oh my goodness! I don’t want to burn this,” Colley said.

A former educator, Colley developed a chronic health issue and had to make a career change. She’s now a small business owner and is a non-attorney special education advocate.

“Braiding those things together has caused me to appreciate Anne and her product even more,” Colley said. “There is a human element to it that allows people who have health issues, such as myself…we’re able to engage with her candle.

“If I was a millionaire/billionaire, I would [put] my money in it."