I love scented candles, in fact I just love all candles and I feel nothing makes a room look more inviting that the warm glow of a votive.
Ever since my first drugstore candle (Vanilla!), I have experimented with all sorts. I feel as with personal fragrances, the way you would like your home or living room to smell is entirely up to personal taste.Personally, I like to stay away from foodie smells, not sure of a room smelling of crème brulée. But as I said, that is personal taste.
I have also concluded that the expensive options in scented candles do deliver on the money and a little goes a long way. Some of you may think this is utter frivolous but if like me, these candles help you calm down after a hectic day then it is worth going that extra bit.
Here are some that I am using at the moment and a few other favourites…
I wont state the obvious, but Diptyque really do make great candles. However they are rather expensive for everyday use. I bought this set of 3 minis from Space NK on sale for half price at £30. I think that was great value. I think they are still in stock here. I love the fresh Mediterranean fragrances.
These are a new find, they are from melt. They are handmade on a farm in Lancashire and I ordered them online from the website as they don’t have many shops around. They come in a handy tin which you can put away when not in use without gathering dust. I ordered two online – Neroli Rose Geranium and Noir, a combination of BERGAMOT, ROSE, SPICY CLOVE, PATCHOULI, SANDALWOOD AND SWEET VANILLA (sounds so warming!). The silver tins cost £7.50 each and they are intense so I don’t need to have them burning for a long time. They smell lovely and are great value for money!
And finally a few of my favourites…
- Santal 26 from Le Labo £47 – I found this accidentally when I ordered a few samples of their fragrances (more on that later) and I fell in love! They are such good quality and so unique that I can almost justify the steep price tag (maybe not!). Santal 26 is a sensual smoky fragrance, perfect if you want that certain je ne sais quoi!
- Lavande tin candle from L’occitane £19 – I love L’occitane, their stores are like a mini Provencal oasis ! My favourite fragrance is the Ruban d’Orange range which is no longer available, hope it is back in summer. But Lavande is just as good. A simple lavender fragrance that isn’t synthetic.
- Feu de Bois from Diptyque £38 – My favourite winter fragrance, the room smells like a cosy log cabin and oh so warm!
- Rituals Hammam Candle £9.73 (on sale) – Rituals is a Dutch brand with some great bath products and the Hammam range smells like the spa’s in Morocco. It is my favourite bath time candle and great value.
- Archipelago Botanicals Kashmir Candle £15 – These are available at Selfridges and John Lewis stores in UK. This particular candle is part of the excursion range and has Sandalwood, Orange Blossom and Kashmir Vanilla. I love it on summer evenings.
I think bulk buying in sales with the deals makes them affordable. So, do you love scented candles? Which are your favourites?