“I founded Festina Lente in New York, in 2017. I've always had a great passion for the sense of smell, and I had decided I wanted to create something concrete, to make something with my own hands. So I started making candles, and when people asked me where I bought them, I knew I was going in the right direction. I then came to Italy in 2019 and started researching and experimenting in my workshop here in Milan.”

“The perfume industry is complicated, with extensive use of carcinogens or toxic substances such as phthalates, which Festina Lente's creations do not contain to any extent.
Everything in our creations- even the packaging- is entirely plastic-free: instead of plastic, we use cork, glass, and corn bioplastic. In addition, production in small quantities reduces waste, and Made in Italy ensures social sustainability by employing partners of our country and environmental sustainability by reducing transportation distances.”

“The candle is an age-old object, but the basic process is simple and has stayed the same over time. Initially, beeswax was melted; this one in our candles is pure soy wax instead. It must be heated in a water bath, mixed with the essences and aromas in a liquid state, and poured into glass molds with wicks. The containers must be kept at a temperature so that there is no excessive temperature change between the wax and the container, and finally, they must be allowed to rest to obtain the candle in its final form.”

“Most candles on the market are not made by hand but rather by industrial production, while ours are hand-made, one by one, here in the laboratory in Milan. Also, our diffuser scents do not contain alcohol like most but have a glycerin base, so they last longer and are not flammable.”

“I want to make closet fresheners, an alternative to naphthalene, and solid personal scents using soy wax, which is completely natural and emollient. Continuous experimentation in the lab allows me to come up with new and unexpected solutions, always with an eye toward greater sustainability and reducing toxic substances in perfumes.”