Suvechha Sarkar
Oversized luxury products are becoming quite popular, with brands offering bold visions on everyday items to stand out. Among them, candles have seen a dramatic glow-up, evolving from essentials into lifestyle statements. However, many of these flashy options often compromise sustainability. This is where Big Ass Luxuries shines as compared to the other brands since they are producing the largest luxury candles in the country with natural components. The brand received the chance to offer an aromatic pitch on season 16 episode 20 of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ in the hope of impressing any of the sharks and taking their business to the next level.
Big Ass Luxuries: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Before Big Ass Luxuries was formed, its founders, Chloe and Trent Mervine, were busy in their corporate life. The former began her journey with the appearance in a Borden milk products commercial in February 2004. Chloe then stepped into the role of Retail Sales Professional at Hollister Co. in June 2010 and worked there for one year. She was a Sales Associate at Under the Bow from October 2012 to March 2013. In September, Chloe enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in 2017. She served as a Freshman Recruitment Team lead at Tri Delta from May to August 2014.
Chloe then became a Guest and Event Coordinator at NAAVA Salon and Spa in March 2016, and three months later, she also became a Marketing Ambassador for Bumble. She moved on from these positions in February and May 2017, respectively. However, in February, she also joined as a Social Media Manager at Little Roseberry and held the role for five months. In September 2017, Chloe became an Events and Operations Professional at Skillz Inc. She was promoted to Event Marketing Specialist before leaving the organization in September 2019. One month later, she joined as an Event Marketing Specialist at Zuora. During the 2021 Texas snowpocalypse, Chloe and her husband, Trent, were trapped with unreliable heat and power. They turned to candles for comfort, only to realize they were spending a fortune on products that did not last long.
This sparked an idea to create their own bigger and better candles. So, Big Ass Luxuries was born right in their kitchen. Their experimental project grew into a full-blown venture. Chloe continued working in her job during the day and for the brand by night. By June 2021, the brand was officially formed with her as the co-founder and CEO, and Trent as the co-founder, CFO, and COO. She ultimately left her role at Zuora in January 2022. Trent is an Economics and Financial Applications graduate with an Entrepreneurship minor from Southern Methodist University. He worked as a Marketing intern at Ryan Fire Protection for four months until July 2010. From May to July 2011, he interned at Big D Creative. One month later, he launched his first start-up, Grab a Cab LLC, as the co-founder and CFO.
During this time, Trent joined as a Sales and Project Management intern at ATG in June 2012. He left both these roles in August before becoming a Server and Closing Manager at Olivellas in January 2013. However, side-by-side, Trent served as a Project Intern at Tech Wildcatters and also got accepted to the Accelerating Your Start-up Program. He moved on from his position at Olivellas in January 2015. In July, Trent landed the role of a Sales and BD professional at Tradecraft and worked there till October 2015. He then became an Account Manager at Scalus for six months before moving on to take up the role of Account Executive at HireAthena in March 2016. In August 2016, Trent stepped down from the role. The following month, he joined Iterable as a Growth Marketing Professional and served there till April 2018.
This paved the way for him to become an Account Executive at Truework, and he was promoted to the position of Enterprise Account Executive before being unexpectedly laid off in April 2021. Following this, Trent completely immersed himself in growing Big Ass Luxuries as a brand. Its candles are built without compromising on quality. They are prepared from a premium blend of natural coconut and soy wax. It is free from harmful parabens and phthalates, each featuring 100% organic cotton wick. Depending on the frequency of the burning, these candles can burn for a couple of hundred hours. Additionally, the candle’s vessel is created to provide the users with a mixture of comfort and elegance. Users have to light up the wick to enjoy a room-filling fragrance that lasts for a long time.
Big Ass Luxuries: Where Are They Now?
Since its launch in June 2021, Big Ass Luxuries has grown to be a recognizable name in the luxury candle market. The brand’s first sale came from the Swoozies store, where the founders hosted one of their earliest pop-up events. Despite the efforts, only one candle was sold that day. However, they never backed down and continued with their local pop-up events in the community. Their big break finally arrived when they were introduced to the influencer, Dani Austin’s Divi Fest. The founders saw it as a golden opportunity, and it truly paid off. When Dani featured the brand on the digital platform, it offered them significant exposure. This helped the business pick up momentum and reach a wider audience. Their success is quite impressive because the founders entirely self-funded the brand.
Currently, the Big Ass Luxury candles are available for purchase on their website and are shipped across the United States. They provide the customers with six products and six bundle options. The six products include Baby Big Ass Candle at $152.15, Big Ass Candle at $241.40, Candle holder at $67.15, Gift Card at $42.50, Long Ass Lighter at $23.80, and the Luxe collection: Amber Rouge Candle at $169.15. Besides this, the brand also provides three bundles of three-pack Sample Candles, available in different fragrances. Consumers can purchase each three-pack bundle at just $32.30. The nine-pack bundle is available for $102. Their Big Ass Bundle, which includes the candle, lighter, and candleholder, is priced at $352. The Big Ass Baby Bundle consists of the candle, lighter, and candle holder, at just $257. During purchase, customers can choose from a selection of ten fragrances.
If someone is scent sensitive, they can opt for Big Ass Candle’s unscented option. Some of their fragrances include Palo Santo, Sparkling Paloma, Jazz Lounge, and many more. The brand also provides customers with a subscribe and save option, which they can select for their subsequent budget-friendly purchases. Over the years, the brand has caught the attention of numerous media outlets. They were featured in CanvasRebel Magazine, Dallas Innovates, and CITY Boots. Most recently, they came into the spotlight with their feature on the Dallas Morning News in May 2025. In 2025, Big Ass Luxury crossed $5 million in annual revenue marking it as a major milestone for the them.
To celebrate their appearance on Shark Tank, they offered a 15% discount across all products, valid until May 23. In April 2024, Big Ass Luxury collaborated with the energy drink brand, GORGIE, for a giveaway. The winners received at 12 pack of the energy drinks and their custom Big Ass GORGIE candle. They introduced their candleholder in November 2024, which was followed by the launch of their new Valentine’s fragrance, Fleur Demure, in January 2025. Following this, they held a Valentine’s giveaway in February. The lucky winners received the Baby Big Ass Candle along with their lighter. For Mother’s Day 2025 giveaway, the company partnered with the home decor brand Tart by Taylor and Dallas Diamond Bar. This further exemplified the brand’s dedication to community engagement. As of writing, positive customer reviews have continued to pour in, indicating that the brand has been reaching new heights.
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