Bringing Light and Fragrance to the Community
Lumenology Candle Co.
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
Kristina Mays grew up with the resilience and creativity of her grandparents and ancestors flowing through her veins. Inspired by her great-great-grandparents, Pearl Pruitt and Charlotte “Lottie” Pruitt, who used to make ointments and products for Staley’s Pharmacy, Mays was always a creative and innovative soul – seeking to create her own goods and continue the legacy of those who came before her.
Her grandparents also had their own orchard, growing fruits and flowers on the outskirts of Raceland in Boyd County. People would travel from all around to get a bucket of her grandparents’ blackberries or a bouquet of her grandmother’s rare irises. It was here that Mays’ interest in creating her own products, particularly fragrances, began to take root. “It's long rooted,” explained Mays. “It was always, do your own.”
In Mays’ words, nobody knows what you want better than yourself, and for her, she knew that her real passion lay in creating long-lasting and delightful fragrances, distilling the care and resilience she was taught growing up into each one.
Mays began experimenting and testing her fragrances in 2018, but it was during the pandemic that she fully immersed herself in her craft, searching for the perfect formula for her products. She experimented not only with fragrance load and wax, but also with wicks and containers, eventually combining these efforts with the idea of starting her own business. Her online store soon blossomed into a brick-and-mortar shop, now located at 2828 Holt Street, and became what she would call Lumenology.
“Lumenology,” referring to the study of light, is the name of Mays’ storefront and the legacy she is carrying into the present. Today, alongside her son, daughter, and other family members, Mays works to create scents, fragrances, perfumes, and more.
“I’m moving into other things too. We started off with candles, wax melts, and room sprays, and now we've ventured into body butters, body lotions, colognes, and perfumes. I’m hoping to go a little further with that as we progress,” Mays shared. “It’s hopefully the start of a family business that they [my children] can take on.”
Mays’ experience within the community has been incredibly rewarding. Not only is she carrying on her family legacy, but she is also passing down these skills to her children in the hopes that they, too, will continue making their own products and forging their own paths. Lumenology offers a variety of products that cater to different tastes and seasons, always working to bring the public the scents they desire, such as Vanilla Chai Latte, Apple Pumpkin Strudel, and Mahogany Coconut. As she works to expand her storefront and Lumenology’s offerings, Mays’ future is certainly “bright” as she brings not only light but also delightful fragrances to the community.
More information about Lumenology and Mays’ journey can be found on Facebook at Lumenology Candle Co., LLC or at their physical store at 2828 Holt Street, Ashland, KY.
Comentários