Mia Bella Candles "Scent-Sations"

Mia Bella's Candles is made by Scent-Sations, Inc., a network marketing company based at 1 George Avenue in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It was formed in September 2002 by two experienced network marketers, Bob Scocozzo and Charles Umphred, together with local candle makers Carmen and Lynn Milazzo. Scocozzo and Umphred had been in direct sales since 1988. The idea grew out of a fundraiser: Scocozzo ordered the Milazzos' candles for his son's sports team, and the sale went so well that the four of them started a company. They named the candle after Scocozzo's daughter, whom he calls "my good luck charm."

The business started in a small warehouse in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, and now runs from a 27,000-square-foot manufacturing and fulfillment center in Wilkes-Barre. Scocozzo is still the owner and CEO. The company describes itself as family-owned and says it was one of the original US companies to bring candles into the fundraising industry. It also runs a yearly cause candle. Each October its pink "Hope" candle raises money for breast cancer charities; in 2024 the profits went to Olivia's House and The Cancer Wellness Center of NEPA, according to the Times Leader.

If there is one thing you can count on, it is Scent-Sations, Inc., doing its part to help a worthy cause, one candle at a time.

Bob Scocozzo, CEO, Scent-Sations, Inc. — Times Leader, October 2024

The products

The first Mia Bella's candles were 100% soy wax. The company says it moved away from pure soy because it did not hold enough fragrance, and today it describes its wax as 100% all-natural palm wax, poured with lead-free, zinc-free cotton wicks. Like most candle makers, it pitches this as a cleaner-burning alternative to paraffin. It is also upfront that most of its scents are synthetic fragrance oils, chosen because they smell stronger and last longer than essential oils.

The line today includes:

• Jar candles: 16 oz double-wick jars ($21.95 on the company site) and 8 oz jars ($15.95), sorted into collections such as Sweet & Spicy, Fresh, Floral, Fruity, Masculine, a wine collection and monthly and seasonal scents.
• Mia Melts: wickless palm wax melts for warmers and simmer pots.
• ScentSways: hanging car fragrance diffusers.
• Home fragrance oils, Bella Blasts fresheners and a flameless collection.
• Bath and body: hand soap.
• Custom-label and personalized jars for gifts, events and promotional orders.

Shoppers can also join the Scent $aver subscription, which ships two 16 oz candles on a schedule of up to every 13 weeks at 20% off, with flat-rate $9.95 shipping in the continental US.

New Distributors in the US, and in Ontario and Alberta in Canada, pick one of three enrollment options on the company's join page (prices before shipping and tax):

• Kick Start Enrollment Bundle, $99.95: six of the most popular 16 oz candles, a ScentSway car freshener, a pack of 100 mini melts, a new Signature home fragrance oil, a set of 15 fundraising samples, and brochures for custom labels, the opportunity and fundraising.
• 150 Bella Bucks, $119.95: $150 in product credit to build your own order. The company puts the retail value at over $260.
• 65 Bella Bucks, $59.95: $65 in product credit, retail value over $115 by the company's figures.

There is also an Associate Program for people who do not want to commit to monthly autoship. It costs a $9.95 registration fee, waived if you buy one of the product packages. Associates pay wholesale prices that the company says run about 15% to 30% higher than what autoship members pay. They can still earn on the basic rewards plan. To count as active they need at least $44.95 in personal volume in a month, and a personal website costs $14.95 a month.

Stores and boutiques can sign up separately as a Qualified Vendor, with a $125 opening order and no autoship.

Scent-Sations uses the classic model of the direct selling industry: independent Distributors buy at wholesale and sell to their own customers. The company describes three ways to earn: retail sales, fundraising and team building. The company says Distributors typically keep 40% to 50% profit on in-person sales and 25% on orders placed through their personal retail website.

Fundraising

Fundraising is where Mia Bella's is strongest. A Distributor presents the program to a school, team, church, day care or club. The group runs the sale with order forms from the Distributor's back office, and the candles ship to the group or the Distributor. Seasonal fundraising guides come out for spring and fall.

Team commissions (Rewards Plan)

Team commissions are paid on commissionable volume (CV) from up to seven levels of your team. You need at least $44.95 in personal volume each month to qualify. The current Rewards Plan, updated September 11, 2023, has two tiers:

• Basic Plan: Bronze (1 active personally sponsored Distributor, $200 team CV) earns 5% on level 1. Silver (3 sponsored, $500 CV) adds 2% on level 2. Gold (5 sponsored, $1,000 CV) pays 7.5% and 2.5%.
• Advanced Plan: Director ($100 personal volume, $2,500 team CV) earns 10% on level 1 and 2.5% on level 2. The ranks then climb through Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond and Double Diamond Director to Ambassador. Each rank needs more personal volume, more sponsored Distributors and Directors, and more team volume, and pays on deeper levels at 2.5% to 5%.
• Incentive bonuses: $300 a month at Diamond Director, $400 at Double Diamond Director and $500 at Ambassador ($120,000 team CV).

Top achievers also earn incentive trips, and the company holds an annual national convention. Pay is not guaranteed. Most income comes from your own retail and fundraising sales, so check the company's current compensation plan and ask your sponsor about real numbers before you join.

Our company was founded on helping schools and organizations raise money through successful fundraisers.

Bob Scocozzo, owner, Scent-Sations, Inc. — Mia Bella's company tour page (miabellacandles.com), 2026

PROS

• Made in the USA: every candle is hand-poured at the company's own Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania plant.
• A built-in fundraising program gives you a steady market of schools, teams and churches.
• Fairly low entry: $59.95 for a product-credit package, or a $9.95 Associate registration.
• Strong retail margins on in-person sales (40% to 50%, by the company's figures).
• Twenty-plus years in business under the same founder and CEO.
• A big scent library, with new seasonal and monthly fragrances to keep repeat buyers coming back.

CONS

• A narrow catalog: almost everything is candles and home fragrance.
• The best wholesale prices are tied to a monthly autoship; Associates pay about 15% to 30% more.
• Team commissions are modest on the lower ranks (5% to 7.5% on level 1 until Director).
• Only open to US residents and two Canadian provinces.
• A small company with limited brand recognition compared with bigger candle and fragrance companies.
• Fundraising is seasonal, so income can bunch up in fall and spring.