Meet Charlie Langford | Chandler, Fragrance Enthusiast, Novelist, Dad

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlie Langford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Now that is a big question for a guy like me. I’m a Navy brat and disabled Navy veteran, so I feel as though I’m from a little of everywhere. Originally, though, I’m from Honolulu, Hawai’i, but New Orleans, LA is home now. It’s the only place I’ve been with a similar inviting vibe to it.

As for that upbringing you mentioned, it was pretty strict and regimented, I think. My parents are still together, and I see them as both contributing greatly to who I am. My dad carved the rough form, keeping me strong and decisive, while mom polished me to a fine luster, making me compassionate and considerate.

All of that has since been put into my fragrances, which are all symbolic of the experiences I’ve had in my life. I especially focus on the experiences I had in the Navy, both as a kid to Sailor parents and as a Sailor myself. That military drive to complete the mission and succeed moves me forward. I have never seemed to drop it. Through scents like Mom’s Outstanding! to The Chief for my dad, all my experiences are made real in my fragrances and in who I am in general.

What should our readers know about your business?
With Charlie’s Waxworks, it’s about variety. Many candlemakers buy fragrance, add it to a candle, and sell the candle with a cool name, but what I wanted to do was a little different. I buy the most basic fragrances I can find and blend them myself into the different scents we offer. Nothing we make is available anywhere else.

Making candles was easy, but coming up with the other ways to translate my fragrances into other products was not. We make incense, wax melts, car air fresheners, linen and room sprays, and body fragrances, and learning what goes into each of those to make a safe and quality product was a bit daunting. With patience and dedication, though, we figured out exactly what we needed and have since expanded what we offer in each of our fragrances. We even picked up the know-how to make custom fragrances and blend them on-site, right there for the customer to watch!

It was also challenging to isolate memories and represent them each with a scent. All our scents are built around a concept that comes from my memories and experiences in the Navy and growing up as a Navy brat. There’s a good deal of influence from the military in our fragrances with a whole series of scents for each branch of service. Then there were the things like “Snowboarding in Tahoe” and “Flambeaux”, the latter of which brings New Orleans Mardi Gras into the picture with a King Cake scent. Those were particularly challenging, but with enough tinkering, they’ve become hugely popular.

What I want the world to know about Charlie’s Waxworks is that no matter who you are, there’s something here for you. Even if we don’t make it yet, there’s still something here you’ll love. Comfort and calm are big deals to us, and we want to share those things with everyone through our fragrances.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, I live and work in New Orleans, Louisiana, so there’s no shortage of amazing things to see and do.

I’m a dad, so it’s important that I don’t stay out too much. In light of that, I’d absolutely make sure that we hit Bobby Hebert’s for food. It’s the best New Orleans food I’ve had. For drinks, we’d head over to the more popular areas. If they’ve never been here, we quick;y check Bourbon Street off the list. It’s crowded and really expensive. Afterward, I’d take them to a more down-tempo spot: Frenchmen Street. Here, we’d hang out in places like d.b.a. and Checkpoint Charlie, stopping for some grub at Dat Dog right down the street.

I’d be sure to introduce them to my other friends, with whom I like to spend time doing things like going to City Park and walking the trails, flying my drone, and seeing what photos we can capture. And then of course there are the vendor markets. We could get a bunch of shopping done and support other small businesses! It’s certainly a highlight for me these days.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Absolutely! There are actually a few people I want to shout out for their support. Firstly, mom, dad, and my brother, Marc. Shoutout to you guys for building me into me. After that, Jessica, my fiancée, for nurturing these dreams and helping realize them. Lastly, but not least, Allison and Josh, for coming over to sniff things that aren’t great to find the stuff that is.

Thanks, and I love you all!

Website: www.charlieswaxworks.com

Instagram: instagram.com/charlieswaxworks

Facebook: facebook.com/charlieswaxworks