Jonathan Marin

Founder, The Wanderlust Candle

Born and raised in Miami and still lives here, Jonathan Marin has always had a passion for exploring new places. Thirteen years ago, he started his travel agency, Marin Luxury Travel, helping book luxury vacations for the ultra- wealthy. But Marin is also a creative, and he wanted to make something special for his clients. Enter The Wanderlust Candle, his luxury candle brand. With scents inspired by vacation destinations like Bora Bora, St. Bart’s, Paris, and Capri, The Wanderlust Candle has grown to become its own brand – though Marin still gives them out to his travel agency clients as well. Every candle is clean-burning, non-toxic, and vegan – made without paraffin (a byproduct of petroleum refining) or carcinogens, and hand-poured by Marin in small batches.

Accomplishments

The young entrepreneur recently launched a new “Miami” candle featuring scents of orange, amber, palm, and sea salt. It comes in a size small for $20 or large for $42. “It’s something our clients have been asking for for quite some time,” Marin says. “We can’t keep it on our shelves.” He also plans to release three new scents over the summer to coincide with the summer travel season. All are available on his website, at farmer’s markets around Coral Gables, and on the Little Local retail app.

What He Says

“We wanted to stay away from toxins, paraffin, anything that was not natural,” says Marin, “so our candles are priced at a higher price point because we’re using all-natural ingredients. We design each one with coconut apricot wax, for example, and without phthalates” – chemicals used often in fragrances that are linked to health issues. “I just wanted to create a brand that was going to help people avoid bringing toxins into their homes, which was the whole concept behind The Wanderlust Candle.”

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