Meet the Creative Powerhouse Behind Parkdale’s Apothegeri
Geri Coria advocates for candlelit dinners as a form of self-care.
By: Cherileigh Co
The Apothegeri favourites are plant-based soy candles hand poured and made with locally sourced ingredients. (Courtesy of Apothegeri)
Gerasil Coria, better known as Geri, is a Toronto small business owner who crafts ethereal candles from her Parkdale apartment. She started selling her hand poured candles in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and is the candle artisan behind Apothegeri.
Geri’s passion for candles began with her dad, who’s also named Geri. He would work midnight shifts growing up and had the ritual of lighting a candle while eating leftovers for dinner and watching TV. “It was a comforting factor for him,” says Geri over the phone.
Apothegeri is all about carving out an inclusive scope for candle lovers that don’t match the typical candle “buyer.”
“I want to take up space for candle lovers like my dad,” says Geri.
Geri and her dad also named Geri, who helped inspire her passion for candles and namesake brand. (Courtesy of Apothegeri)
Geri felt the urge to help out with the Black Lives Matter movement. As a call to action, in June, she donated half of her candle sales to BLM non-profits such as Black Women in Motion.
“Even if I could sell as many as 10 candles, I just couldn’t sit by,” says Geri.
A candlelit dinner not only oozes romance, but it’s a moment of self-care. Lighting candles can amplify a brighter mood to any room.
“Food looks so much better,” says Geri. “My candles enhance the space, not overpower it with super strong scents. Instead, they help give ambiance with a warm glow.”
Especially in the midst of winter, candles evoke happiness through coziness as based on the Danish concept of hygge.
“Candles can help you with your daily rituals and take the time for you,” says Geri.
Apothegeri candles are inspired by nostalgia, love and food. From the honeydew Melona bars that her mom, Ramesil would buy Geri as a child to her birthday month of December, Apothegeri offer scents of warmth, safety and familiarity.
“Every year for my birthday, I ask my mom to make Palabok with spaghetti,” says Geri. “It’s my favourite food because there’s different layers and textures to it.”
Geri celebrated her birthday on Dec. 11 and as per request, her mom made her favourite Filipino recipe, pancit palabok--a surf and turf noodle dish topped with egg, chicharron and green onions. We asked Geri, “Which Apothegeri candle would she pair this meal with?” Her response: the Vitamin C* candle, “because palabok tastes amazing with a squeeze of calamansi.”
Geri’s birthday palabok made with spaghetti paired with Apothegeri Vitamin C* candle.
Apothegeri candles are soy-based, made with ethically and locally sourced ingredients, and they’re 100 percent vegan. She also has a recycling program with her clients where if they bring back empties, they will get 10 percent off their next order.
In 2018, Apothegeri was mainly focused on making perfume oils -- but something about this didn’t feel right with Geri. So, in 2019 she shifted her business into candles with her first starter kit from Gold Apothecary. “When I first started making candles, it just came natural to me,” says Geri.
She honed her craft by giving away the handmade candles to family as gifts. “My dad always wanted candles, not the typical Yankee candles but the special, expensive ones,” says Geri.
The Winter Solstice collection is full of cozy and celebratory fragrances, from champagne to ginger to evergreen trees. One of Apothegeri’s muses for creating new scents derive from her Filipino heritage and love for its cuisine. For example, Ginger Snap is inspired from salabat (ginger tea).
“Winter is a time to gather, reflect and celebrate,” says Geri. “2020 is a weird time, we have to connect virtually but it’s teaching us to appreciate what you have.”
The abundance of candle orders is quickly filling up Geri’s small Parkdale apartment as she recruits her younger brother, Jeremy, to help her out during the holidays.
“It’s to the point where it’s getting to be a lot of work,” says Geri.
Her love for Toronto is truly exhibited by the Apothegeri brand values and morals. The Elm Grove candle is a tribute to Parkdale, the neighbourhood that her family immigrated to in the ‘70s from the Philippines. It’s a full circle moment because her first apartment is on Elm Grove. Thirty percent of the proceeds of this candle go directly to Parkdale Community Food Bank, an organization that helps support community members experiencing food insecurity.
For 2021, Geri is shifting gears into an overdrive of ambition. She has already achieved one of her goals: get a Toronto store to stock Apothegeri candles. Coffee and Clothing now carries the Apothegeri faves.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to have a studio space. I already have a moodboard on Pinterest of how I imagine it to be,” says Geri.
In the future, Geri sees Apothegeri having its own studio and wants to give opportunities to the BI-POC community in Toronto. She strives to one day host candle workshops and learn how to perfect taper candles for a later drop.
Whether you’re masking the smell of cooking ulam (Tagalog word for dish) like Geri’s mom or creating an intimate moment with you and your partner, a lit Apothegeri candle is the light beam to keep you out of the dark and step into a radiant vibe.