You won't find any pumpkin pie spice here, these scents are complex and layered with different notes, much like expensive perfume. And they're not just for the ladies, there are plenty of scents that men can appreciate too. Dark rum, anyone? Notes of leather and black pepper?
Unlike cheaper varieties, candles made of vegetable waxes (rather than petroleum) burn cleaner and let you smell scent, not smoke. Sure, they're pricy, but with their many hours of burning time, your enjoyment will also last and last (and leave you with a pretty container to repurpose).
Top Row
• Molton Brown Black Pepper from Neiman Marcus $49
• D.L.&Co Angels Trumpet Candle $80
• Le Labo Figue 15 from Lucky Scent $70
• Malin+Goetz Dark Rum candle $52
• Jo Malone Grapefruit from Neiman Marcus $65
Bottom Row
• Diptyque Baies $60
• Cire Trudon Manon from Avenue 32 $95
• Voluspa Gogi Tarocco Orange $26
Find out more: What Can a Scented Candle Do for You?
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I profess that I am a candle fiend. Nothing is better for transforming a bad day into a calming evening. I do have to balk at spending close to a C note on a candle however, but if you can afford it, go for it.
I've had so many candles in my garden and dwelling that my friends would say that if I had a fire, it would take days to put out, but the neighborhood would smell great!
There's candle AT missed that is spectacular. Great scents, clean and long burning: Sydney Hale candles. Make my whole home smell wonderful.... www.sydneyhaleco.com
I like Jonathan Adler's Big Sur candle; reminds me of home.
Circle E's "Bird of Paradise"..oh my heck. Candlegasm.
I love Archipelago candles, but be careful if you or a dear one is allergic to soy!
(They're soy candles...) They smell exotic and nice and last a heck of a long time. A shop near my apartment sells them for $27 which is more than I would normally spend on a candle but I received the one I'm currently burning (Dubai) for my burthday.
The Cire Trudon candles are ridic amazing (to match the ridic pricetag). My former flatmate and I split the cost of the Moroccan mint tea one a while back, and it smells SO good. Plus the glass jar is really pretty, I've kept it to use as a beautiful vase.
Agreed! We LOVE the Cire Trudon Candles, they burn really well and it's a splurge for us, but a necessary extravagance. We love the "mossy wall" scent in the fall.
I have Voluspa's Champagne Rose. The BF and I are both very sensitive to sweet scents, and he has to be especially careful because they could trigger a migraine. Luckily, this candle doesn't bother him at all. Sure, it's expensive, but there's no point in going cheap.
I love Byredo "Ambre Japonais". It is a soft, very comfy amber scent everyone raves about when entering our living room. Byredo is a Swedish company, they are pricey, too, but sooo worth the splurge.
I got a caramel scented candle from bath & body works years ago. It was super expensive but smelled amazing. I still wish they made just the plain caramel scent without the crazy stuff (salted apple, whatever).
Ashley Erin Mayer
Seriously check out Chicago's own Nicolet Candle Company. I discovered these at a design fest after years of being disappointed with mediocre candles that didn't have a scent when lit. These soy candles are fragrant and fabulous!
http://nicoletcandlecompany.com/nicolet/