OUR STORY ☻
It all began with our mutual love for food. Coming from families who could not even afford “happy meals,” we treasured each occasional treat we could have. We understood the sacrifices our parents made to come to America and wanted to make them proud; so we decided to put our heads down and pursue nursing—which is seen as respectable, stable, and safe. However, having entrepreneurial spirits, we also wanted to pursue our passions and interests.
As we started nursing school, we simultaneously dipped our feet into the food industry. We knew this would be difficult but necessary to build a life of no regrets. We were eventually promoted as managers for four popular food concepts: Shrimp Daddy (Hawaiian-style garlic butter shrimp), Junbi (ceremonial-grade matcha), Chi Chi Dango (fluffy shaved ice paired with homemade mochi), and Wingchix (Japanese Tebasaki wings). We devoted every weekend to managing these concepts at Smorgasburg LA, in addition to events such as Coachella, 626 and OC Night Market. As we look back, all the time and effort invested was worth it, as we were able to: build lifetime friendships, pursue our passions, and learn the ropes of running a business under the guidance of our wonderful mentors.
We said our goodbyes to the food industry as we graduated college, but began to feel nostalgic about the vast amount of flavors and aromas that used to surround us. Many of our best memories were made over good food so we decided to encapsulate them into fragrances for all to enjoy—this is how KYDO was born.
KYDO has been a rollercoaster from the start. From our candle-making research and previous business experience, we believed we could have this business up and running within one month. Little did we know that it would take us seven months to find the right suppliers, wait for delayed shipments, and experiment with a multitude of different fragrance combinations to create accurate gourmand (food-like) scents. Each one of our scent recipes has been tested multiple times to ensure accuracy and balance—the same way we would test recipes in a kitchen. We’ve invested all of our savings into this business because we believe in providing the best possible product and experience for our customers. As a two-person team, we’ve had to learn every aspect of building this business from product design, research and development, website building, product photography, operations, sales and marketing, and so on. We have been officially open for three months now and have plenty more planned for KYDO.
At KYDO, we want you to “Indulge Your Senses” with our gourmand-scented products, appealing to all your senses. We founded KYDO to create fragrance mediums inspired by some of our favorite foods, drinks, desserts, and cultures.
Sight: From the wistful appearance of our label designs to the matching color of the wax made with natural dye, we wanted a colorful aesthetic. We individually hand-pour our candles in micro batches with paraffin-free, pure soy wax. We heat gun each candle to have a smooth surface for the first burns. Due to the natural properties of soy wax, its appearance may crystallize and change over time, but performance is not compromised (this actually means your wax is fully natural soy and not a soy blend).
Touch: The silver tins we’ve chosen to use are not as heavy or fragile as other vessels. They are also TSA-friendly for traveling. We wrap each candle in eco-friendly packaging with water-soluble packing peanuts and biodegradable boxes and papers. Each tin is repurposable and can be used as a writing utensil holder, small items container, planter, and more!
Sound: The sound of our crackling wooden wick and size of the flame will give you the cozy vibes of a mini fireplace. The wicks are FSC-certified, meaning the timber used was responsibly sourced while preserving biological diversity and benefiting locals and workers.
Taste + Smell: The smell of our fragrance products will be almost too good to not eat. We are heading towards the unpaved gourmand route, which we know is unfamiliar to many. We want our fragrances to be familiar to all, especially to those who are new to candles and may not know what certain scents and terms are. Each candle is curated with phthalate-free fragrances and is non-toxic compared to common candles that you would find in department stores, which don’t show an ingredient list and can be harmful to your health.
By popular request, more ways to enjoy our fragrances are in the works, so keep an eye out!
- Kevin + Nicole ☻
