I am a huge fan of scented candles. I have been collecting them for many years now but even though I burn them constantly my collection just seems to keep growing. As much as I tell myself I really should use what I already have before buying anymore it never seems to happen!
There's something about a gorgeous smelling candle that I just can't resist. I love the way the scent of a good quality candle will linger through the house for hours even after you have stopped burning it.
People often as me what my favourite brand of scented candles are but to be honest I don't really have one particular brand that I favour. I favour lots of different brands. As long as the candle is good quality and gives a good scent throw is all that really matters to me.
I think when it comes to buying candles you really do get what you pay for. I remember buying scented candles from discount stores that smelled great at the time but when I burned them there was no scent throw at all. I learned rather quickly that it is better to invest a bit more money on a quality scented candle if you really want to indulge your senses.
Some of the candles I really enjoy include:
Glasshouse Candles - These candles are made right here in Australia and really are one of the best value candles I have ever encountered. Each candle comes in a gorgeous glass jar and is triple scented with a burning time of between 80 and 100 hours. The scent throw from Glasshouse candles is amazing. Here in Australia they cost $35 each and I seriously doubt anyone could find better value for money than these beautiful candles.
Lily-Flame Candles - I first discovered these in a small boutique that I like to shop at. What really got my attention was the gorgeous tins the candles came in. I mean seriously guys how cute are those tins? Initially I only purchased one candle because I wanted to try it out and see how good it was before I invested in more. The very first Lily-Flame Candle I tried was Powder Puff. I got it because it was pink and just smelled like candy.
I must admit my expectations were not high for these candles. They seemed quite small and whilst ridiculously cute I thought they were more a novelty type candle as opposed to a seriously good scented candle. Much to my surprise the throw from Powder Puff was excellent and the scent just divine. Naturally I had to go and buy more. I now have around 20 Lily-Flame candles in my collection and I love each and every one of them. These candles are made in England, cost around $34 here in Australia and have a burning time of around 30 hours.
Jo Malone Candles - If you ever want to be transported to a place of pure luxury and self indulgence invest in a Jo Malone scented candle. These candles are absolutely gorgeous. Be warned though that once you try one you will be instantaneously addicted. I love to take a bubble bath and add one of my Jo Malone Bath Oils to it and then also have the matching candle burning in the bathroom at the same time...........HEAVEN!!
Jo Malone Candles are $100 each and burn for around 80-100 hours. My three favourite scents from the range are Blue Agava and Cacao, Waterlily and Lotus Blossom and French Lime Blossom.
Voluspa Candles - These candles are superb. Elegantly but simply housed in a glass jar with a black lid these candles let their scent do the talking. Each 8oz candle burns for around 85 hours. Voluspa make their candles in a variety of shapes and sizes. They have quite a few different collections also. My favourite Voluspa scent is Crisp Champagne from The Basic Black Collection. Voluspa candles cost around $55 Australian for the 8oz size.
Diptyque Candles - These candles are arguably the most famous scented candles in the world. Loved by celebrities and people everywhere these candles are the ultimate indulgence. Each candle burns for approximately 90-100 hours and costs around $100 here in Australia. They give a strong scent throw and come in many different scents. My personal favourite is Jasmine.
Archipelago Candles - These candles are amongst my very favourites! Now I don't like to play favourites but these candles are amazing. I would say without a doubt these particular candles give the strongest scent throw of any candle I have ever tried. They are very large soy candles that burn for around 80-100 hours. When I light these my entire house becomes enveloped in the most amazing sensory experience. My favourite Archipelago scents are Caramel, Sweet Pea, Vanilla, Jasmine, Razberry and Espresso. These cost $55 each here in Australia and in my opinion are excellent value for money.
Dusk Candles - Dusk is an Australian company. I always like to support local companies where I can. Dusk candles to me are different in that they produce scents that you just aren't going to find a dupe for anywhere else. They aren't as strongly scented as some of my other candles but they are great quality and you can definitely scent an entire house with one of these burning. I prefer to buy the larger jar candles from dusk because they provide the biggest scent throw. I find the smaller candles don't quite throw enough scent for my liking. However these beautiful frosted glass jars with lids are just divine. At just $20 Australian each they burn for around 50 hours. My favourite scents include Vanilla Bean, Strawberry Shake and Cosmopolitan. Dusk are always inventing new lines and scents so there's always something new and exciting to try.
Salt City Candles - I only discovered this brand towards the end of last year. I read a few rave reviews on their candles and decided I had to try them for myself. Salt City candles come in three different sizes at $25 for the smaller 10oz Jar, $35 for the medium 16oz Jar and $45 for the large 26oz Jar here in Australia. These are triple scented candles that give a fantastic scent throw. My favourite scents from Salt City include Cinnamon Vanilla, Caribbean, French Vanilla and Apple Cinnamon.
L'Occitane Scented Candles - I have loved L'Occitane candles for the longest time. I may be biased because I love L'Occitane as a brand and have been using it for years, but their scented candles are so lovely. They throw a good scent but not at all in an overpowering way. I call them my softly scented candles. That probably sounds so strange considering I just said they throw a good scent but they just seem to subtly scent a room without taking over the room if you know what I mean. Most L'occitane candles are priced between $30-$40 here in Australia. I am really enjoying my Sweet Cherry L'Occitane candle at the moment.
So there's just a small snippet of some of my favourite scented candles. I seriously could blog on forever about candles! If anyone knows of any other great candle companies please let me know. My philosophy is you can never have too many scented candles!!
