Hi, I’m Jason Gatsby, and welcome to Makuzo. Makuzo represents life--with all of its compassion, creativity, reliability, generosity, loyalty, and love for home. That one word means all these things. Everything is a process, each woodwick candle is hand-poured in small batches and infused with the fragrance of the best quality essential oils. All our candles are made by me here in New Braunfels, Texas.

I got into candle-making in an attempt to reclaim happiness. I was working a really boring 9 to 5 job and asked myself, is this it? I knew there had to be more to life than the daily grind. So, like many others did during the pandemic, I used that time to reflect on what I really wanted to do and joined the mass exodus of men and women who left their desk jobs to pursue their passion—and just like that Makuzo was born and launched on Etsy.

Thousands of sales and hundreds of 5 star reviews later, Makuzo continues to grow as a lifestyle brand focused on scented, woodwick, soy blend candles that are handmade + hand poured in small batches in my workshop in New Braunfels, Texas. My hope is that Makuzo candles make you feel special, and give you that feeling of comfort and zen each time you light it up. Our woodwick candles have a reputation for being the best candles with hot and cold throw—in simple speak this just means the candles smell as good unlit and even better when lit.

I’ve never made anything in my life—so when I made my first 50 candles and failed…I kept going and like that, I made my very first Makuzo candle. What keeps me going are my customers and the feedback they send on how much they love our candles, I can’t even begin to tell you how good it makes me feel when I get those comments. Your encouragement, encourages me.

As Makuzo grows, I hope to branch into more product lines, such as linen sprays, reed diffusers and artisanal hand soaps and balms, but for now I’m focused on making you the best candle for your buck. I’m currently at the very beginning of this journey, and I am humbled by all of my loyal customers who have made Makuzo what it is today.

Welcome to Makuzo Home—take your time and have a look around, and please, light us up.

—JG