Santa Cruz is known for many things. Skateboarding, surfing, the iconic red dot clothing and everything under the umbrella of NHS Inc. Our banana slugs are internationally famous, and Santa Cruz has been at the forefront of the UC system when it comes to everything from marine studies and astronomy to the mapping of the human genome.
And that all goes without pointing out the centurion Giant Dipper, Boardwalk and all the movies filmed here, like The Lost Boys, Killer Klowns From Outer Space and Us.
However, one thing Santa Cruz isn’t known for is its pleasant smells.
But all that might soon change thanks to local start-up scented candle brand Hot Melty Wax.
Since November 2023, the company has created limited runs of scented candles inspired by local businesses, artists and influencers.
“Seeing how much has changed [over the years] and how much has stayed the same, I’ve been really motivated by a lot of the new businesses,” says Hot Melty Wax creator Kendall Denike.
“People are pouring their heart and soul into these businesses and it’s really inspired me to see what they’ve brought to the community and their dedication to Santa Cruz.”
Sold almost exclusively through Hot Melty Wax’s Instagram, candles like the Emerald Mallard (named after the award-winning Felton restaurant, it smells like freshly baked bread), Coffee Conspiracy (which smells like–what else?—a freshly brewed pot of goodness) and Blind the Sun (named after artist Allison “2024 Shrimp King” Garcia and smelling exactly like a fresh, bright green tomato vine) offer unique scents perfect for entertaining friends or just lounging about the house.
“Blind the Sun is my favorite artist so I’m starstruck that she would let me put her name on my candles,” Denike says.
Locals might recognize Denike as one half of an upstart branding and event company, Collective Santa Cruz, which he and business partner Jalen Horne started in 2022. Hot Melty Wax originally began as the Santa Cruz Flame Company for Collective’s Can Party event at the end of 2023. Held at Other Brother Brewery, it was a canned food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank with canned beer specials for patrons.
“So I made candles in a can to really bring the whole Can Party to life,” Denike laughs.
While the pop-up brand was a success–with scents like “Sugar,” “Woodsy” and “Beach”—Denike didn’t think to keep it going and focused on the exclusive marketing and branding Collective has become known for. However, all that changed this past January when he decided to relaunch the candles as Hot Melty Wax, opting to put them in glass jars with the crossover local marketing.
The first batch had Thank You Come Again Flower Shop (a floral scent), Coffee Conspiracy, The Grove (named for the Felton restaurant that smells exactly like chocolate chip cookies) and Emerald Mallard. Those were quickly followed up by a “chocolate covered strawberry” variant with Toasted Jewelry, Blind the Sun and a smoky incense with sandalwood in collaboration with Fog City Tattoo. Since then Hot Melty Wax has released a Redwood Records candle (with the smell of “funky fresh redwood and cedar”) and just dropped a bubble gum flavor, Sweet Home Santa Cruz, an exclusive for Collective’s food event of the same name last weekend at Humble Sea. That was quickly followed by the Busy Bees Cafe Catering–inspired cinnamon roll scent, a Ferrell’s Donuts “classic glazed” variant and a triple chocolate candle named after Denike’s favorite Pacific Cookie Company cookie, Dr. Midnight.
“To me this is just as much a branding and marketing project as it is a candle project,” he says. “I thought it would be a really fun, creative challenge to take one of the most generic products, then brand it and market it in such a unique, interesting way [so] that people recognize it and connect with it.”
For anyone looking to light up the smells of Santa Cruz, it’s best to get a jump on buying them sooner rather than later. They are all made in limited batches and sell out quickly, so the best way to see what’s up to date and in stock is through Hot Melty Wax’s and Collective Santa Cruz’s Instagram pages. But if a certain scent isn’t in stock, don’t worry. Denike says he plans on restocking past favorites in the near future.
However, for those who like to go shopping in person and aren’t willing to take the risk of buying an unknown scent, limited amounts can be found in-store at each candle’s respective collaboration business while supplies last. Limited batches will be available throughout the summer at one of the several mini-festivals Collective is hosting throughout the county between now and September.
“After all, it’s a multi-sensory experience from seeing the label to smelling the candle,” he admits. “I think we’re going to do really well at in-person events.”
