Why Isle of Essence?

July 28, 2025

From Glitter to Grounded — A Journey of Growth, Nature, and Meaning

When I started in 2021, my brand was called Sam Made — it was bright, bold, loud, and unapologetically glittery. I poured love into every pot of wax, and the scents? They were like flashbacks in a jar; your nan’s washing powder, your ex’s perfume, that one holiday you never quite got over. It was playful, chaotic, colourful… a bit like me at the time!

But I was still finding my feet. Back then, I needed something to hold onto. I needed a purpose, a focus, a way to create calm in the middle of the noise. Making wax melts became more than a hobby. It became a lifeline. A space where I could quiet my mind, create something from scratch, and feel like I’d done something real. Something that mattered.

As time moved on, so did I. I began craving something more grounded, something more in line with the life I was building with my partner, Liam. He’s been the one cheering me on from the start, encouraging me to live naturally, be intentional, and trust my instincts. Together, we began making more conscious choices — for our home, our bodies, our planet. And out of that shift, Isle of Essence was born.

Rooted in the Island, Made With Meaning

The island has always been my calm place. There’s something about the sea air, the silence between waves, the way nature just is. No pretence, no perfection. Just honesty. I wanted Isle of Essence to feel like that, like taking a deep breath on a clifftop or walking barefoot through the woods. Grounding. Real. Healing.

So I swapped out the synthetic scents for essential oils — ones that tell a story and serve a purpose. Oils that soothe, lift, ground, or inspire. Every blend I make is created with intention — not just to make a room smell nice, but to feel something. To give people a moment of peace, clarity, or comfort.

The Creative Process

My creative process starts with a feeling. A memory. A need. Sometimes it’s inspired by the weather on the island, crisp sea air, warm sun on damp ground, blooming gorse in spring. Other times, it’s emotional, a scent for anxiety, a scent for joy, for sleep, for connection.

It’s slow, soulful work. But it grounds me. It gives me a sense of achievement that I often struggle to find elsewhere. And when someone tells me a scent helped them sleep better, or made them feel calm after a hard day, that’s everything. That’s why I do this!

Growing With Intention

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Packaging that’s both beautiful and sustainable? A minefield. Pricing fairly while still building something that can grow? A constant juggle. But every challenge has been met with the same intention: to create something honest, something kind to the earth, and something I’m proud to put my name on.

This brand, this work - it supports my mental health in ways nothing else ever has. It’s given me a reason to get up, to keep going, to believe in something. It reminds me that even slow growth is growth. That even tiny steps still move you forward.