This New Candle Collection Sums Up Your 2022 Mood Perfectly

You can always count on Anecdote Candles to capture a mood perfectly — this is, after all, the brand behind recent candles of the year that summed up 2020 and 2021 flawlessly, dubbing the scents “like WFH and WTF,” and “like not soon enough,” respectively.

Of course, 2021 didn’t exactly go as planned and so far, 2022 is following closely behind on the WTF scale thanks to an ongoing pandemic that’s showing no signs of disappearing anytime soon, so the pros behind Anecdote Candles have released a new collection inspired by the burnout, exhaustion, and general malaise you’re probably feeling by this point in the year.

The “New Season, Old You” collection includes four fragrant candles with themes so on point, you’ll have no choice but to chuckle every time you light one in search of a little much-deserved relaxation. Available in 7.8 ounce glass jars with a retail price of $26 each or $90 for the full set, each candle boasts a burn time of 40 to 50 hours thanks to the brand’s hand-poured coconut-soy wax blend that burns cleanly thanks to zero additives, dyes, or preservatives, as well as cotton core wicks and phthalate-free fragrance oils.

Each unique scent includes a theme that is sure to sum up your vibes at this point in the year, and the toughest part will likely be choosing just one. There’s Hot Mess, which smells like “sorry, just saw this..” thanks to a spicy and tart blend of cardamom, peppercorn, and pinkberry seeds, which the brand says “capture the scent of fire and fury,” while bergamot, heliotrope, and ripened rhubarb add freshness for when you simply cannot handle another Slack message, Zoom happy hour, or late afternoon email chain.

Next up is Two Weeks Notice, which the Brooklyn-based brand notes smells like “burn out and peace out.” This sweet and smoky blend includes notes of Palo Santo, black cedar, and musk for that signature “burnout” smell, while citron, vanilla orchid, and amber mist “remind you that calmer days are headed your way,” per the description.

If you’re still all about social distancing, you’ll love Homebody, which smells like “invited and not going.” This candle is all about staying calm and staying home, thanks to notes of citron, bergamot, lemon, green tea, jasmine petals, and warming black tea, which makes it the perfect candle to light during your cozy couch sessions.

However, if you’re more than two years into a pandemic and have caught the travel bug big time, Wanderlust is for you. With a scent inspired by “hopeful escapes and aimless destinations,” this candle should be lit “whenever you have a burning desire to escape from it all” — an eternally relatable mood but especially these days. With refreshing notes of blood orange, lemon flower, and mandarin, along with the sweet, earthy scents of raspberry, cassis, cedarwood, and balsamic fir, this one will inspire your upcoming travel adventures, whenever and wherever they may take you.