APOLENA [sea salt + sage] CANDLE
Clean. Coastal. Effortlessly giftable.
APOLENA is a refined sea salt + sage hurricane candle designed for those who prefer calm, understated fragrances. Fresh yet grounded, it brings a sense of lightness to a space without ever feeling overpowering.
Notes of sea salt, sage, and ambrette seed create a softly layered scent that feels clean, polished, and easy to live with. It’s a fragrance that works beautifully for housewarmings, host gifts, and everyday elevated living.
Poured into backhouse’s signature hurricane glass, APOLENA complements modern interiors with quiet confidence — a luxury coastal candle that feels thoughtful, balanced, and timeless.
Gift-ready and thoughtfully finished, it’s an effortless choice when you want something fresh, refined, and universally appealing.
Why it makes a great gift
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A clean, coastal fragrance with broad appeal
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Subtle and easy to enjoy
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Elevated, gift-ready presentation
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A thoughtful choice for modern spaces
Ideal for
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Elevated gifting
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Housewarmings and host gifts
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Everyday living spaces
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Anyone who prefers calm, understated scents
Details
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12.5 oz
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Approximately 70+ hour burn time
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Proprietary coconut/vegetable wax blend
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Notes of sea salt, sage, and ambrette seed
Few places capture a sense of ease quite like Balboa Island.
Quiet walks along the bay. Mornings watching boats drift by. Evenings cooled by a gentle breeze off the water, conversations lingering long after sunset.
It’s a place defined by simplicity, light, and an unhurried pace — where nothing feels forced and everything feels considered.
That calm, coastal rhythm is what inspired APOLENA. Clean. Balanced. Effortlessly at ease.
Scent Glossary
APOLENA [sea salt]
key notes: sea salt, sage, ambrette seed
Our favorite mild fragrance showcases the beautiful complexities of sea notes. Composed of sea salt, sage, and ambrette seed, it evokes feelings of freedom and pleasure, like an enjoyable walk along Balboa Island on a beautiful summer morning.
COLONY [cassis]
key notes: cassis, bergamot, musk
Create a welcoming mood with this warm and sophisticated scent that begins with bergamot and cassis, developed over a white rose and musk. Perfect for a cocktail hour with friends or while relaxing with your favorite book (or social media site:)
GROVE [orange blossom]
key notes: orange blossom, jasmine, bergamot
Transport yourself to a grove of orange trees, with their tiny white flowers in bloom. This light but strong scent will take you there.
HARRIETS TREE [grapefruit]
key notes: grapefruit, peach, berries
A vibrant citrus fragrance that illustrates invigorating notes of tropical fruits, crisp citrus, and exotic greens. It is light and sweet, while still noticeable in your surrounding space.
JACK [pumpkin]
key notes: pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla
A sophisticated fall fragrance with top notes of cinnamon and vanilla which intermingle with baked pumpkin, while graham cracker base notes add a creamy, toasty character. An ode to special times together as we begin the holiday season carving pumpkins into Jack-o'-lanterns.
LIDO [sandalwood]
key notes: sandalwood, musk, violet
This bestselling scent is warm and comforting, highlighting its creamy facets while balancing the sharpness of sandalwood paired with sweet violet and woodsy musk. Perfect for any occasion and any time of year.
LITTLE BRANCH [amber]
key notes: amber, sage, oakmoss
This captivating fragrance begins with hints of citrus and an infusion of sage that enhance the natural, earthy quality. Lavender adds a soft floral and herbal touch to the heart of this scent, while amber and oakmoss round out the base for a beautiful, deep character.
MARGARET [currant]
key notes: currant, musk, rhubarb
A sophisticated and playfully sweet scent with aspects of pink currant and rhubarb over a heart of white jasmine petals and musky base. A wonderful balance of notes will light up the room for any occasion.
MR. DOUGLAS [pine]
key notes: pine, cedarwood, fir
Our popular pine scented candle that makes you think “Christmas time”, with mild citrus top notes, earthy undercurrents of cedar and evergreen, and a woody, fir base. But for some, the scent of pine is a year-round fav, like taking a hike on your favorite pine tree lined trail.
PETALUMA [berry]
key notes: berry, pink peppercorn, rose petals
The tangy richness of freshly picked blackcurrant berries and lively accents of flowery rose petals create this light, floral, and feminine scent.
Candle Care
➕ On your first use, burn your candle for 2 hours to allow the wax to melt evenly to the edge of the jar.
➕ after your candle cools, wipe any black residue off of the top with a paper towel to keep it looking good as new!
➕ Always trim the wick to 1/4 inch before relighting to avoid a large flame, smoking and wax discoloration.
➕ Fluctuations in temperature can cause the wax to contract and pull away from the sides of the glass. This is common when candles are shipped or stored in environments with varying temperature. Once the candle is lit, you will see the contraction of the wax correct itself.
Product Details
We use a proprietary blended soy/vegetable wax, phthalate-free premium fragrance oil, and lead-free wick.
Shipping + Exchanges
Shipping:
We only ship within the United States.All orders are processed and shipped from our backhouse in Newport Beach within 2–4 business days. Once shipped, continental domestic orders may take 2–4 days to arrive, dependent on location. Alaska and Hawaii may take a bit longer.Backhouse prefers UPS ground shipping (estimated 1–4 days) but might use Fedex Ground/2-day or USPS in some instances.
Returns:
We will gladly accept returns/exchanges on any items that are in their original condition along with all packaging. Please email us at hello@backhousefragrances.com with your request for return and we’ll issue a Return Authorization Form with a Return Authorization Number (RA#), along with instructions for returning your candle.
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What They're Saying
Reviews
I've been searching for a candle that actually smells like the ocean — not a heavy, synthetic "sea breeze" fragrance, but something truly delicate and real. Apolena is exactly that. The moment you light it, the whole room fills with this soft, clean scent that genuinely transports you to the water.
What I love most is that it permeates the entire room without being overpowering. It's not one of those candles you have to hover over to smell — but it also never crosses into that territory where a fragrance becomes too much. It hits a perfect balance. And unlike so many candles, it doesn't smell phony or chemical. This is a genuinely clean scent.
Backhouse has a new devoted customer. Apolena is the one.
Apolena is my absolute favorite scent! I would LOVE this in the 4-wick! As well as soap, lotion, perfume, anything you may eventually offer it in! It’s just that good!! Please, please come out with more Apolena options!!
These candles are pure class! The scents are pure and joyful. The packaging makes them perfect for gift giving too. They burn slow and even! They are now my go to candles for my house and for giving ! Love love love.
Love the annual sale, best time to buy.
Great gift!
Love the candles.
These are my favorite candles- i order on repeat. Scents are so lovely. This is a new one for me- subtle and fresh- love it!
I have ordered this candle numerous times. For some reason the past year or so, it doesn’t seem as strong. It was never overpowering, but, I barely smell it when I walk in the house.
I have purchased the candles as gifts everyone seems to love the candles. I have never purchased one for my self, one day I will!
I love Apolena fragrance. My gift to a friend who moved away from the sea was thrilled to receive this fresh sea salt fragrance as a reminder of home.
Leaves any room feeling fresh and clean! Have it lit constantly!
This candle is such a great scent and looks beautiful if you love luxury candles from department stores but burn through them too quickly to justify the $$$ this is the best alternative!
Love these candles - such a fresh scent and not overpowering. They ship out quickly too!
I do love any candle with sea salt and this candle is no exception. It’s clean and fresh smelling and a great transition candle in-between seasons. It does have minimal throw so I do burn it in my bedroom vs a larger area.
This candle, scent as well as the packaging are special! Great mood vibe anywhere in the house or at your desk!
Those are my most favorite candles! Excellent quality and design into one product. A BIG fan!
Apolena is my favorite of all the great Backhouse candles. It’s my go-to at home and is like a my favorite throw in candle form—warm, cozy, welcoming and never too much. I like to keep extras for gifts for my friends, but I often burning them myself.
Sea salt was refreshing however, I was a little underwhelmed. The pumpkin is still my favorite as it is aromatic even when it's not lite. Have NO complaints about the few I've tried and look forward to trying more of my mini's.
I LOVE the scent of this candle; however, it is probably the least scented of all of the Backhouse candles I’ve had. It’s fine for a small room, but has very little throw beyond that. If the fragrance was stronger, it would be *perfect.*
This is Haley’s aunt from NJ. I received your candles for Xmas and loved them. Ordering for myself now
LOVE THIS CANDLE! I am a candle lover but a lot of scents honestly just make me feel sick or give me a headache. Apolena is definitely perfect for those of us that can’t take the stronger scents. I love the ambience of burning a candle and now I have not only found the perfect scent but I also love the pretty glass jar and black writing. It is just so classy! I mentioned in another review of “ jack” how wonderful the customer service is and how appreciated all the little extra goodies are that come with your order. Backhouse in my opinion is the ABSOLUTE BEST! 😊
This is my favorite scent in a candle, I love it so much! The thing I love about it is how subtle it is and it definitely isn't as strong as some of the others. But I don't like walking into someones home and having an overpowering candle scent! Please make this into a soap!
Love Apolena. Can we please have this in body care? Hand soap, lotion, body wash, body cream, room spray?!!! Adore this scent.
I’m slowing making my way through trying all of the Backhouse line. I love sea salt notes when I’m looking for a lighter scent, for somewhere smaller like a bathroom. Compared to Lido, this is definitely lighter, but the scent is there. I find it to be so relaxing, the perfect candle for a bath!
Backhouse Candles are not only the best smelling candles on the market, but their customer service is AMAZING. I have probably placed at least 10 orders now and have tried a few different scents. All fantastic, but my all time favorite is Apolena with Jack being a close second. The first thing I do when I get home from work is light my Backhouse Candle and miraculously the stresses from the day seem to float away.
I really dig the aesthetic of this brand; however, this scent didn't smell like anything when lit. I reached out and received a response from Danielle immediately who explained its one of their least strong scents on their line and offered to either refund or send another of my choice. I wanted to give it a go and replied that I would love to try Mr. Douglas since we're in the swing of the Holidays and I didn't hear back. I gave it about 5 or so days and reached out requesting a refund to which I received a response right away with my refund details. I'm disappointed, overall.
This company, and specifically this candle and Lido, will never not be my go-to for hostess gifts, birthday gifts, and whatever else I need a gift for. The presentation, fragrance, and throw are consistently beautiful. And I have NEVER experienced better customer service in my life. LOVE.
This candle is everything. I’m in L0VE 🫧 the scent of this candle is so amazing. As soon as I opened the box I knew I’d order another. My living room needs this. The customer service is outstanding. You can tell they take pride in everything they do. Down to the packaging & sweet personal notes. Got my candle quickly. So happy 💕 I purchased the Apolena candle. 100% happy. Thank you Backhouse. 🌊🕯🌊
Love my new Apolena candle that I received for Christmas. The scent transports me to a sunny day at the beach. The gift box and accompanying note were beautiful. Can’t wait to order more.
I was gifted this candle because our home is literally on Apolena. I am extremely particular when it comes to candles so was skeptical. But this candle is amazing. It captures that scent I can't get enough of. Home on Balboa Island! I really should try other scents-but I can't bring myself to. Because I'm obsessed with Apolena.
This candle is my absolute fave of the ones I have bought so far. I'm so in love with her and I honestly don't think I will buy another brand of candles again. Seriously I just want to burn the candle all day long especially during these crazy times. It is so fresh and calming. You definitely want to try this one.