Hidden Gems: Meet Alexxis Hamilton of Lexxurious Aromas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexxis Hamilton

Hi Alexxis, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my entrepreneurial journey as a child, inspired by my mother, who was always thinking outside the box and creating businesses. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a business owner; I even wore a business suit as my last Halloween costume while trick-or-treating.

As a first-generation homeowner and college graduate, my mother encouraged my siblings and me to excel in all areas of life. She believed that by running a business, I could learn about entrepreneurship—something she had always aspired to for herself and her children. Living in poverty motivated her to push us to achieve more and to never stop improving. She often had us studying during summer breaks with workbooks and writing book reports.

With her support, I took the time to analyze my passions, which included arts and crafts, self-care, mental health, and aromatherapy. It became clear that starting a candle business was the best path, as I had always enjoyed candles for their ambiance.

When I launched my business in 2020, the journey felt like a rollercoaster. There have been—and continue to be—many learning curves, but I embrace the challenges because I am a student at heart and eager to learn.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been LOTS of ups and downs. I started my business for Prestige Scents in 2019, before the pandemic. Months of planning and testing to make sure it was a quality product. I was then furloughed in March and decided to officially launch! I couldn’t predict how bad COVID-19 would be. It disrupted the supply chain which made production of my supplies minimal, but there was a huge increase of others starting candle businesses as well which made supplies sparse. That was when I had to pivot with changing a few vessels but kept the amazing product going. It is still struggle with inflation of supplies and goods. Since then, other challenges have included time management with all business tasks, marketing learning curves in trying to learn what works and what doesn’t, and the last that comes to mind is marketing in the Detroit area. Some pop-up shops I participate in can be a hit or miss. But I will learn how to navigate that as well. Getting my trademark for Lexxurious Aromas was also a challenge due to the lengthy process. In that required a lot of rebranding on products.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lexxurious Aromas?
Lexxurious Aromas is a black woman-owned handmade fragrance boutique. We specialize in elegant scents that tap into the emotion on moments. Each scent is carefully selected and named based off of the feeling it creates aromatically. True aromatherapy that will not give you a headache and will last at a great price. Each purchase helps the business grow little by little since I invest the funds right back into the products. Having fun with different limited-edition scents based off of customers’ wants and curiosities helps them become exposed to different scents which makes the journey that much greater. There are about 9 signature scents and rotating limited edition seasonal scents.

We promote protecting your peace which ties into better mental health through self-care practices like exercise, meditation, or even something as simple as turning your phone off and watching Netflix. We have recently collaborated with another small black business, Dear Self Care. We brought our summer scent, Balance to promote balance in your life. With the proceeds, a percentage was donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Michigan.

This business was made for the people that strive for a better self-inside and out. Those people that enjoy those alone times in stillness for a moment with self-reflection. It is for those that love to curl up in a clean home in their peace. But the cherry on top to set the mood is a candle. Something about that lovely smell in the air creates a comfort nothing can replicate. That is what we are proud to do. I try to take advantage of local markets to get the scents in front of the customer to try in person as well as offering candle classes and placing my scents into local shops. We also include room & toilet sprays as well as wax melts. So, nothing makes my day more than to see someone’s face light up at a scent they are tied to. So, keep checking our website for upcoming markets and events! This Mother’s Day, I will be hosting a candle and cupcake decorating class!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Yes, I would suggest starting with a google & social media search for events in your area. It is definitely important to stay in the loop with what going on in the community and getting your presence out there. Through attending those events, you will get to know others that you can lean on for advice. You always want to be in rooms with people that know more than you! I would also check out score.org. They offer free mentor services and many other resources.

Pricing:

• $20 – 10oz. candles
• $25 – 16oz. Candles
• $35 – Candle Warmer Lamps
• $15 – linen sprays
• starting $55 per person for candle classes

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lexxuriousaromas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexxuriousaromas/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prestigecandlemoods
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lexxuriousaromas