2022 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDES

The Start:

So, about 9 months ago, 3 months into starting Four Sisters, I had a goal of bringing out our first own branded product by our 1^st Birthday which would be October 2022. My initial idea was pyjamas, I even had designs drawn up and samples made but they just didn’t feel right. I suppose I felt they were an isolated product that would only be suitable for certain customers, and I wanted to bring out something that was more generic and easier for you, the customer to purchase.

I’ve always used Pinterest and have umpteen boards of ideas for both my business and home, so in true Barbara style, I started “pinning” ideas of what our candles would look like, scents, labels, packaging etc.

The thought did cross my mind about learning how to make these candles, but to honest, I couldn’t find the time, what with 4 kids, a part-time job, running Four Sisters, a million of after- school activities and general day to day madness of life, that I know everyone is experiencing since we’ve returned to non-Covid times. So, I reached out to the professionals, candle manufacturers, lots of them, all based in these wee Island of ours. I had good responses from the vast majority, but I never found the “right fit” I had almost all but given up on the idea, when one random Monday, at 1:51pm, an email landed into my Four Sister’s inbox from a candle manufacturer all the way down in West Cork, and the rest is history.

The Middle:

Next, was the hardest part?? What scents would I go for? I had some very interesting scents in mind at the beginning that the candle manufacturer was good enough to make into samples for me, but to be honest, they just weren’t right, and it was back to the drawing board. I decided to just keep it simple. Fireside was one that I had already tested, and I knew that it was so lovely and unique, that it was worth taking the risk on. Fireside is an intensely rich and full aroma candle leading with crisp top notes of bergamot, lemon leaf and warming spices, enhanced by fresh eucalyptus and lavender. The perfect candle to enjoy of crisp evenings when the fire is lit and the wind is howling. Lemongrass and Ginger is one of my all-time favourite scents, it has top notes of tangy lemongrass, Sicilian lemons and leads into spicy ginger root and grated nutmeg. Lime, Basil & Mandarin was chosen after my favourite perfume and it is our take on this famous scent. It has a refreshing citrus scent, uplifted by basil and thyme with a hint of lemongrass and spearmint. And, lastly our final scent chosen was Cotton, a lovely light and fresh scent with a hint of melon and background of white flowers. It just reminds me of those Saturday’s spent attempting to get the house in order and having a lovely fresh scent burning in the background.

The End:

Finally, the scents were developed and tested, and good to go.

Next, came the box and labels, and much more pinning on Pinterest. Again, I went a bit mad with the designs and making it “stand out” but to be honest, I kept coming back to the colours in my brand, again and again and settled on something elegant and not too harsh on the eye.

And finally, before I knew it, it was photo-shoot day. Massive thanks to Neil McLaughlin Photography, who is based locally, and who also took my very first pictures for Four Sisters. I didn’t want to overthink it or use a “staged” location, so all candles were photographed in my home, in the only tidy places available, in places where I personally like to light candles.

So that’s just a little bit of background to how our candles came about. The support to date has been phenomenon and I hope you love them as much as we do.

The Aftercare:

I also thought I would mention a few things that you can do to maximise the burn time you get from your candle-

1. On the first burn, allow the wax to melt the full way out to the jar. If you don’t allow it to melt the full way, this can cause tunnelling, which means most of your candle will end up getting wasted.
2. Only burn the candle for the time suggested, I recommend 2-4 hours as burning for longer has no additional benefit.
3. Trim your wick to 4mm before lighting, wicks which are too long create a bigger flame which in turn will melt through the wax faster.
4. Keep your candle on a flat fire-resistant surface, once lit it is best not to move your candle as you could create a spillage of fire hazard. Don’t leave your candle on top of stoves or other hot surfaces and don’t burn your candle in drafty areas. Keep out of direct sunlight also as they can be sensitive to heat and light.
5. Remember to keep your candles out of reach of children and pets.
6. Once finished, you can wash out the candle jar with warm soapy water, and ta da, you have a lovely container for make-up brushes, pens, markers etc.

I hope you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned for my ultimate Christmas Gift Guide which will be posted in the coming weeks.

Much love, Barbara xx

It’s time for my first gift guide and I wanted to start by sharing my ultimate gift guide for her. This could be for any of the women in your life, mother, daughter, sister, friend, wife, or even yourself!

So I’ve put together a few suggestions from the Four Sister’s range I love and think any women would love as well.

I’ve also broken it down into three price categories, €20 and under, €40 and under & €60+.

€20 and Under:

1. My number 1 recommendation is any of the Lisa Angel mini jewellery travel cases. These handy little jewellery cases will carry her essential jewellery items for a night or two away and something that can be used over and over again. Each case opens via a zip to reveal a lined inner with ring rolls, two small sections and one hidden section inside the lid for her rings, stud earrings, and other dainty jewellery bits. Available in square or round shape in a variety of colours, you simply can’t go wrong with this unique gift!
2. The importance of self-care is huge at the moment. Give her the gift of pampering with either a 6 pack of individual sheet masks or 5 pack of individual spacemasks  The sheet mask gift set will help restore hydration and help treat specific skin concerns for a glowy, dewy completion, whilst the spacemasks will will promote relaxation as well as providing instant relief from headaches, eye strain and tiredness. She will most definitely thank you for her glowing skin or full night’s sleep!

€40 and under

1. What woman doesn’t love a new piece of jewellery? Especially something that can be worn by day or night. My recommendation here is one of the Lisa Angel necklaces. Obviously I am biased as I hand-pick all of the products for Four Sisters, but the Lisa Angel range is excellent. I’ve been wearing the Interlocking hoop necklace a lot recently as it is so versatile and goes with everything. I would accompany one of the necklaces with one of the previously mentioned mini jewellery travel cases. Total cost = €39.95 which is excellent value for money.
2. Keeping with the importance of self-care- gift her a home spa experience, with a luxury hand made candle , award winning lip scrub and either an individual sheet mask or spacemask.A little box of pamper goodies. My personal favourite beauty item is the Aliso lip scrub. The luxurious lip scrub features finely ground sugar crystals that will help her pout looking fresh no matter what the Irish weather throws at her. I can see the difference it has made to my own pout and I’m obsessed!

€60 and above

1. Okay, you want to spend that little bit extra and are looking for something unique and beautiful. It’s a no-brainer, the Powder Pyjamas are what you are looking for! Made from 100% modal fabric which is a more luxurious, expensive fabric, proven to keep you cool and incredibly soft to touch. Nice, feel good pyjamas are a lovely gift to receive and something that will last for years to come. Available in three different prints and accompanied by the iconic powder gift bag, these make the perfect gift.
2. My second recommendation would be a cashmere and merino wool luxury throw This is a gift that will keep on giving. I gifted the grey throw to my own Mother at Christmas and she is thrilled with it. It’s used almost daily either at the end of her bed, on the sofa or quite recently, outside with the garden furniture. It’s a luxury item that will last for years and years and who doesn’t love curling up in a nice blanket with a cuppa or in my case, a large glass of red!

A snippet of what is available for gifting at Four Sisters. I personally recommend any of the above items if you are a bit stuck on what to buy, because lets face it, buying gifts is not always easy!

I’ve also put together a couple of tips when trying to think of the perfect gift:

1. Make a list of all the things that they like. It’s simple but effective.
2. Don’t make work for them. Don’t give a present that requires them to organise a meal out, night away or surf lesson! Only buy a voucher for an online retailer so it’s easy for them to use it and doesn’t require them to take half a day to go somewhere to use it.
3. Solve a problem they might have- Think back over conversations or something they said. Have they mentioned a favourite perfume, Author or skin product. Are they always complaining that they need to write things down, buy them a notebook, you get the gist, it shows that you listen to them.
4. Stalk them (a little) check out their social media pages, who do they follow? what brands do they like? Tie this in with tip number 1 and you should be able to pull together a few ideas.

It goes without saying that we give gifts to show we care. People like to feel special and appreciated and a thoughtful gift can have the same effect of a thousand beautifully written words. It doesn’t have to be expensive but the basic principle is that it shows the person that you care and they are important to you. There seems to be 101 occasions for buying gifts these day, birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, new home, new baby, new job, leaving your job, leaving the country, leaving school.. the list goes on and on. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of gifts that I need to buy but I try and keep it simple, think of the 4 tips I’ve listed above and do your best, that’s all you can do!

I hope you have found my first gift guide helpful. Buying gifts can be daunting, time consuming and challenging, especially when you have are buying for that woman that quite simply has everything! My advice in that scenario is a candle, she will never have enough candles!

Until next time, much love, Barbara.

Spring is here, although as I write this today, you would think it is still winter. Nevertheless, the signs are there, the daffodils are out, and the leaves are reappearing on the trees. Although Autumn is my absolute favourite season, I get so excited for spring, it is a chance to start a fresh and embrace every opportunity to get outside.

I got a bit ahead of myself a few weeks ago with the lovely few days of weather and got the garden furniture out! Although ever the optimist, and in the words of Dermot Kennedy, “Better days are coming” Hopefully in the form of better weather, but also literally. I don’t know about you, but I have really felt this the past month with the removal of nearly all Covid restrictions, and our lives becoming busier with the return of all the after-school activities, birthday parties and the odd night out! When we think back to this time last year, it’s exciting to see what this Spring will bring.

Here’s what I am looking forward to.

1. Spring break, unfortunately not in Florida, but I am looking forward to heading away for a few days.
2. Spring cleaning- I always get an urge to do a deep clean of the house in springtime and this goes hand in hand with changing my cushions/throws etc. I’m changing my John Hanley throw in grey to the mustard mix and adding some Feline Navy Cushions and Distressed Cushions to compliment it. I also find this Spring-Cleaning guide really useful if you are like me and it takes a month to get the job done
3. New scents, I love amber/musk perfumes/candles in the colder months but like to change to more fresh and floral scents for the Spring/Summer months… my favourite summery perfume is Clinique Happy and for the home, the Eau Verbana candle or Strand candle are my top picks.
4. Colour, colour, everywhere… I will be adding more colour to my outfits, I live in jeans, t-shirts, and trainers but once I get out of the raincoat, I look forward to trying out the new Powder products that were recently added, the Tulip Headband is my favourite and I also look forward to using the Floral Pouch on our few days away.
5. Get togethers- I think we have about 4/5 coming up over the next few months, with some people we haven’t seen in over 2 years. I think one of the most important things the pandemic has taught us is how special time is with our family/friends, and on that note, I’ll finish with some inspiring words from Steve Jobs- “The most precious resource we have is time”

Much love, Barbara