Luxury skincare: How this founder is building a premium gifting brand selling body serum candles
Founded in 2022, Bengaluru-based Mevyl Luxury operates in both D2C and B2B models and sells self-care products.
For Priyanshi Jogani, the hunt for a perfect birthday gift for her friend led to something unexpected—an idea for a luxury startup.
It all started when while browsing Instagram for ideas, she came across an ad for a body serum candle from an international brand. However, she found that the product wasn’t available in India.
This sparked her curiosity, leading her to delve deeper into the art of slow care. This was the beginning of Bengaluru-based Mevyl Luxury.
Born in a traditional business family, Jogani always wanted to become an entrepreneur and found her calling in luxury body care.
She launched Mevyl Luxury in 2022. Operating on D2C and B2B models with corporate gifting, the company primarily targets women between the ages of 18 and 65. The products are, however, gender neutral, the founder adds.
While the company initially expected more traction from Tier-I cities, it sees users from the smaller regions of Maharashtra and Assam.
How the body serum candle works
The serum candles are made based on the concept of traditional warm oil treatments, explains Jogani, Founder and CEO, Mevyl Luxury.
“Whenever you use oils, they're supposed to be warm. But you can't keep heating them every time. I put it in the form of a candle,” she tells YourStory.
The idea, according to the founder, is for users to have an indulgent shower experience. Users can light the candle, and by the time they shower, the candle will have melted and is ready to be used.
“And as you take time to really sit and massage it in, it has benefits more than just soft skin,” she adds.
According to her, these candles help with muscle relaxation, calming the mind and improving blood circulation.
Oil massages are part of not only Ayurveda but are also an integral part of Indian culture, according to the founder.
“When a baby is born, we have this culture of massaging them with hot oil. Why do we do that? Because it's beneficial for not just the skin, but the layers below it. Also warm oil penetrates way deeper into your skin than regular moisturiser,” she says.
The company uses seven different oils, along with shea butter, and honey wax or soy wax to create the optimal blend for the body serum candles.
Developing the product
Before launching her company, Jogani worked in the corporate field. She has experience in brand management and as a business development manager (at Elite Ventures) and was a placement manager at Aevy TV, a YouTube channel.
The founder says it took six months to develop Mevyl Luxury candles: from deciding how many and which oils to combine in the first month to the composition and right blending of the ingredients.
The candles’ melting point was a key concern—they had to be hard enough to stay intact in the packaging but had to have a low enough melting point to turn into serum when lit.
“If it takes too long to melt, the oil becomes too hot,” she explains.
Then came the decision to add butter and wax. “The oils go and penetrate the skin and the wax is like a sealant on top, which locks the oils inside,” Jogani says.
Operating with a three-member team, Mevyl makes the serums in small batches. It currently has two SKUs—Ruby and Morganit that are available for Rs 1,249 and Rs 1,299.
While India doesn’t have many players in the body serum candle space, one company, luxury intimate wellness brand My Muse sells sensual massage candles merging aromatherapy and relaxation for couples.
While declining to share revenue figures as Mevyl is in the early stages of operation, the founder says, “We've been sold out on Amazon every alternate month. And during seasons like great gifting seasons, basically like Diwali and Christmas, that's when we get a surge.”
Jogani joined the Indian School of Business and is part of its I-Venture Immersive (ivi) programme. She believes that the programme with its alumni connections has helped her gain exposure, connections, and community support.
Challenges and future plans
Speaking about challenges, the founder says, “I had to figure everything out myself and since it is a new product, there was no blueprint or direct inspiration.”
She lists product development without existing references, finding manufacturers and vendors, and website design and tech implementation as the main hurdles in running the business. Additionally bringing in the first few sales and developing go-to-market (GTM) strategy took time, the founder adds.
The bootstrapped company plans to raise funds once it finds the right investors, for marketing and inventory expansion.
In the next five years, the company looks to scale its D2C operations and become a big player in the self-care domain building trust along the way.
Jogani sees an expansion in its retail presence across the country, and eyes international export due to its “cheaper prices” as compared to other international brands.
According to global management consulting firm Kearney, India’s billion-dollar luxury beauty market (in 2024) is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2028 and $4.0 billion by 2035, growing at an expected CAGR of 14%.
(The copy was updated to correct a spelling error.)
Edited by Affirunisa Kankudti