Vienna-Based Kid Entrepreneur Is Opening Space In Mall

TYSONS, VA — During the COVID-19 pandemic, kid entrepreneur Alejandro Buxton and his family grew Smell of Love Candles as an online shop. Now the Vienna-based company is getting a brick-and-mortar space at Tysons Corner Center.

Smell of Love Candles, which sells non-GMO soy and coconut wax candles featuring hand-picked scents, will open Thursday, Sept. 1 at a kiosk between Victoria’s Secret and Banana Republic on the second floor. Grand opening activities will be held through Sept. 5.

"To be able to showcase our candles inside Tysons Corner is amazing," said Buxton, the 12-year-old CEO of Smell of Love Candles. "My mom grew up in this mall, this is where our family still shops today, and to be able to bring our candles here feels surreal."

Smell of Love Candles was launched in September 2020 and has rapidly grown through online sales. Buxton started the shop with a goal of buying more books, saving money for college to fulfill a dream of attending Duke University and donating a portion of profits to people in need.

The business started with Buxton and his family making candles on the kitchen stove and ultimately transitioned to their home's basement to a studio space. Smell of Love Candles uses phthalate-free fragrances from suppliers with ethical sourcing. Candles are hand poured into reusable jars or pins. A few examples of the signature candles are the Beach Bonfire, Blueberry Waffles, Cherry Blossom, and Cinnamon Buns.

Buxton's business has also appeared at artisan markets and special events, most notably the DC Downtown Holiday Market where Vice President Kamala Harris and First Gentlemen Douglas Emhoff visited. Smell of Love Candles now offers a Madam Vice President & The Second Gentleman Bundle featuring the products Harris and Emhoff purchased.

The latest success for the business was being chosen for a kiosk at Tysons Corner Center. The mall kiosk will feature the Smell of Love Candles signature collection, seasonal candles and exclusive scents. It will also have soaps and sugar scrubs made by Buxton's little sister, who is following in her brother's footsteps on creating handmade products.

"Tysons Corner Center is thrilled to support entrepreneurs like Alejandro and his Smell of Love Candles business with this special opportunity to showcase their brand in one of the nation’s most popular shopping destinations," said Jesse Benites, general manager of Tysons Corner Center. "This is especially exciting for us since it is the first time the center has a kid entrepreneur brand lease space at our property. He will certainly inspire many budding kid entrepreneurs to follow their passion and believe where it might take them."

The opening weekend for Smell of Love Candles will be held from Sept. 1 to 5 with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on Sept. 1. In-person customers who shop the Smell of Love Candle’s kiosk will be entered into a giveaway to win free candles for a year (provided once per month). Buxton will also be present at the kiosk to greet customers on Sept. 2 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 5 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about Smell of Love Candles, visit smelloflovecandles.com. Buxton also shares his entrepreneurial journey, business lessons and candle making tips on his YouTube channel, Lessons from a Kidpreneur.