The Wicked Scents Journal

Most people who walk into Wicked Scents and pick up a Cereria Molla candle ask the same question: why have I never heard of this brand? The answer is simple — Cereria Molla has been making candles in Barcelona since 1899, and they have spent most of that time quietly perfecting their craft rather than chasing global marketing budgets. They are Spain's best-kept fragrance secret, and we think they deserve a proper introduction.

Over 125 Years of Candle Making

Cereria Molla was founded in Barcelona in 1899. That makes them one of the oldest continuously operating candle houses in the world. While many heritage fragrance brands have been acquired by conglomerates and moved production overseas, Cereria Molla remains family-owned and still manufactures in Spain. Every candle in their collection is handmade using traditional techniques passed down through generations.

When you burn a Cereria Molla candle, you are burning something that has more institutional knowledge behind it than virtually any other brand on the market.

What Makes Their Candles Different

Three things set Cereria Molla apart from most luxury candle brands.

The wax. Cereria Molla uses a vegetable wax blend that burns exceptionally cleanly and evenly. Their melt pools are wide and consistent, and tunneling is rare — a sign of well-formulated wax and quality wicks.

The fragrance concentration. Their candles are highly fragranced — more so than many brands at a similar price point. The scent throw is noticeable from the moment you light the wick, not after thirty minutes of burning.

The vessels. Cereria Molla packaging is quietly beautiful — cylindrical glass jars with clean labels and a distinctly European sensibility. They look considered without trying to be conspicuous. Their room spray bottles in particular are some of the most elegant we carry.

The Scents to Start With

Velvet Wood

This is their signature. Spicy lavender, tobacco, and creamy vanilla — a fragrance that manages to be both warm and refined at the same time. It is the Cereria Molla scent that converts the most first-time buyers into repeat customers. Available in 2.6oz votive, 8oz candle, 3-Wick XL, reed diffuser, room spray, and diffuser refill.

Bulgarian Rose and Oud

Dark Damascus rose wrapped in smoky oud wood and warm amber. This is for the customer who finds typical rose candles too sweet or too feminine. Oud pulls the rose into something darker and more sophisticated. One of our most-gifted Cereria Molla scents.

Moroccan Cedar

Spiced cedarwood, oriental amber, and sweet vanilla. If you love Velvet Wood but want something slightly lighter and more woody, Moroccan Cedar is the natural next step. It works beautifully as a year-round living room candle.

Verbena di Sicilia

Sicilian lemon, lemongrass, and fresh verbena. The bright counterpoint to Velvet Wood — this is the candle for spring and summer, or for anyone who wants their home to feel like the Amalfi Coast. The room spray version is one of our best sellers for instant home refreshing.

Basil and Mandarin

Bright mandarin citrus and fresh herbal basil. Unexpected, clean, and genuinely distinctive. This one surprises people — it smells nothing like what you expect from the name, and it is better for it. A great choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

The Full Format Range

One of the things we love most about Cereria Molla is how thoroughly they build out each scent. Most of their fragrances are available in multiple formats: small votive (2.47oz or 2.6oz), 8oz candle, 3-Wick XL candle, 3.4oz reed diffuser, 8.4oz large reed diffuser, 6.7oz diffuser refill, 3.4oz room spray, bar soap, and incense sticks. If you fall in love with a scent, you can live with it in every room of your home.

Shop Cereria Molla at Wicked Scents

We carry one of the largest Cereria Molla selections in the New York and New Jersey area, with the full range of candles, reed diffusers, room sprays, diffuser refills, incense sticks and soap available at our Hoboken, NJ shop and online with free shipping on orders over $100. If you have never tried Cereria Molla, start with Velvet Wood — we have never had a customer regret it.

Two of our best-selling brands. Both exceptional. Completely different in personality. If you have been staring at both on our shelves trying to decide, here is the breakdown that will help you choose.

Apotheke: Brooklyn Cool

Apotheke was founded in Brooklyn and it shows. The brand has an industrial elegance — white-translucent glass, matte finishes, understated labels. Their fragrances are complex and unexpected: White Vetiver (the official scent of 1Hotels worldwide) layers eucalyptus, cashmere, and earthy vetiver. Charcoal smells like a low-lit bar — burnt maple, smoky cedar, raspberry. Canvas is crisp linen and lily of the valley. These are not simple single-note candles.

Apotheke uses a premium soy wax blend, hand-poured in Brooklyn. Burn times on the 10.5oz Classic run 60–70 hours. The 3-Wick burns 120–140 hours. Every product in the line is vegan, phthalate-free, and paraben-free.

Who Apotheke is for: People who want a candle that smells like something they have never smelled before. The person who buys coffee-table design books. Anyone who appreciates a scent with real depth and complexity.

Voluspa: California Refined

Voluspa is based in Southern California and their aesthetic reads exactly that way — warmer, more feminine, a little more maximalist. Their iconic embossed glass vessels are immediately recognizable. Where Apotheke leans urban and minimal, Voluspa leans lush and romantic.

Their fragrance library is vast. French Cade Lavender is one of the most universally loved candle scents on the market — wild cade wood and fresh lavender, somehow both herbal and elegant. Eucalyptus and White Sage is our single best-selling Voluspa — crisp, herbal, and instantly clearing. Baltic Amber is warm and sensual. Mokara is a white orchid scent that works in any room.

Voluspa uses a proprietary coconut wax blend, which gives their candles a particularly clean, creamy burn. Their 9.5oz Classic burns 60 hours. Their 18oz Large Jar burns 100 or more hours.

Who Voluspa is for: People who want beautiful home fragrance that smells universally lovely. A great gift when you want to be safe but not boring. Anyone who gravitates toward lighter, more floral or fresh scent profiles.

The Bottom Line

If you want a candle that starts a conversation, buy Apotheke. If you want a candle that makes everyone in the room happy, buy Voluspa. Both brands reward repeat customers — Apotheke fans tend to cycle through their whole catalog; Voluspa fans tend to find one or two scents and reorder forever.

We carry the full lines of both at Wicked Scents in Hoboken, NJ. Come in and smell them side by side — our staff knows both collections inside and out. Or order online with free shipping on orders over $100.