As candlemaker Nicole Paul likes to say, scents bring back “elements of the past.”

In a studio in Old Town, Maine, Nicole is hard at work, melting wax, mixing oils, picking scents, and adorning her candles with hand-picked pressed botanicals. A candlemaker since childhood, she is very careful about every part of the process, knowing that if things are not done at the right temperature and time, it can easily go wrong.

“It is definitely a learning process, but it is amazing what people can create from wax,” Nicole says. A candlemaker since childhood, Nicole has always been fascinated by candles. Growing up in Pleasant Point, family and the outdoors were two very important elements of Nicole’s childhood, and are still very significant to her today. One of her family’s favorite activities was candle making.

After a childhood filled with family and art, Nicole attended the University of Maine, where she studied psychology. Nicole loves combining art and healing into one practice. She plans to go back to school to get a degree in clinical counseling and art therapy.

“Art really helps me a lot and I think it can help a lot of people,” Nicole says. It is these feelings of art and healing that fuel Nicole’s passion for creating candles. Every candle she creates is designed to spark memories that appeal to others and provide a sense of comfort and calm.

Nicole rekindled her love for candle making when she was a stay at home mom. Looking for a way to destress, she returned to the activity she had loved most as a child. After experimenting with various designs and scents, she established her business, Wiphulakson, in 2025.

Nicole’s favorite part about creating candles is finding ways for people to find a sense of connection in each candle she creates. One of her most popular candles is called Ukhomi’s (Grandma’s) Laundry, a tribute to her grandmother. Inspired by childhood memories of her grandmother hanging fresh laundry on the clothesline outside, Nicole created a blend of scents that reminded her of it.

In an attempt to appeal to younger audiences, Nicole created a candle called “Grape Kool-Aid” that blends grape, pineapple, and orange flower, hoping to bring back memories of hot summer days sipping Kool-Aid outside.

Nicole uses a lot of scents, some traditional like flowers and fruits (her favorite being pear) and some non-traditional like “coffee shop” and “buttered croissant.” Along with carefully selecting the scents, Nicole loves antiquing for new vessels.

For Nicole, candles are a way of connecting with memories of the past and channeling her inner creativity. Nicole hopes to spread art as a powerful healing force. She enjoys making connections between scent and memory. For Nicole, candles are not just a piece of décor, but they are a powerful force that can rekindle feelings from the past.