College summer in US led to iconic Irish home scent brand 

Owned run by three siblings, founder Orla Van den Bergh and her brothers, Mark and David Van den Bergh, Max Benjamin developed because of Orla’s love of candle making — which she believes she may not have discovered had she not spent that fateful summer in the US during her college years.

Orla duly packed this new passion with her T-shirts and other belongings when she winged her way home to Enniskerry — and there, in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, it blended with her love of nature, eventually growing into a family business, which Orla would name after her twin sons, Max and Ben.

That was two decades ago, and many of us will be familiar with one or more of the signature fragrances that remind us of a particular room or living space, a person or a time in our lives.

The Max Benjamin products themselves are handcrafted in a studio nestled amongst Orla, Mark and David’s own family homes.

The trio say their philosophy is to uplift everyday lives through the power of evocative scent.

“The candles use blends of natural waxes with lead-free cotton wicks,” adds Orla.

“The essential oils are selected by hand from artisan fragrance houses and use the purest of time-honoured ingredients to help you relax and unwind.”

While the Max Benjamin brand has recently evolved with a refreshed identity and aesthetic, the brand ethos and commitment to creating the best possible fragrance products along with the commitment to the environment and sustainability remains the same and is central to the Max Benjamin core business and beliefs.

The company has a loyal customer base, and rebranded recently “to reflect changes in the market, to continue meeting their customer needs and to bring their unique brand story into the product range.

MAKING SCENTS

Many of the signature scents are inspired by Mark, the creative director, who particularly enjoys to travel, while David, the managing director, has grown the brand into overseas markets.

“The brand has organically developed its own nomadic spirit, and that is the true inspiration for the new Max Benjamin direction,” he says.

“During the pandemic, we tried to fulfil many needs for our customers, and while this was successful, and we received a lot of gratitude from customers, now is the time for us to go back to the roots of the brand and showcase why Max Benjamin is so beloved and has stood the test of time.”

Mark says the new approach “leans into the heritage of our brand, our family and the natural surrounds” as well as to their “travels, our love of exploration and our natural nomadic spirits, something that resonates with our customers”.

OLD FAVOURITES

Customers can expect to see many of their favourite scents such as Dodici, French Linen Water and True Lavender alongside some new fragrances such as the heady Irish Leather & Oud.

Sustainability is another touchstone, Orla adds: “The products will continue to be packaged in sustainable materials. Customers will see products such as candles and diffusers presented in luxurious matt boxes in a palette of soft colours, each one specific to a particular scent, with the refreshed Max Benjamin type in black, and the newly introduced motif.

“The motif was designed with a combination of two elements in mind, tiles found within the famous Florentine apothecary which gives the signature Italian Apothecary scent its name, and the gorse flower, synonymous with the surrounding Enniskerry location, making a unique geometric shape, soon to be identifiable with the Max Benjamin brand.

NEW IDEAS

“The products themselves will be presented in a smoky glass, grey in colour to represent the granite-filled valley that Max Benjamin candles are created in.”

The range is now a solid 10 scents, with the team at Max Benjamin wanting to refine the offering to bring customers items that are truly beloved, as well as something new. Candles are now larger, at 210g with a 50-hour burn time and will retail at €28.

Those who have become accustomed to staple items need not worry, as part of the rebrand, car fragrances (€10), scented cards (€5) and diffuser refills (€20) are all still available and now in all 10 scents.

Excitingly, Max Benjamin is also soon to launch a new entry product range for those who are new to the brand or living in smaller spaces but still want to add signature Max Benjamin scents. Aptly named the Discovery range, the collection will feature five new scents in smaller vessels.

• The Max Benjamin brand is available at select retailers nationwide and online at www.maxbenjamin.com
• Instagram @maxbenjaminofficial  
• Facebook @maxbenjamin.ie