I’ve been meaning to share a post for a while spotlighting my favorite candles!
For everyday: Malin + Goetz Neroli
I discovered Malin + Goetz candles when my friend Will was burning the Cannabis candle at his beach house last summer, and I had to try one for myself. Incidentally Will also had a showerful of Malin + Goetz bath products and they’re equally as amazing! But back to the candles…I went for the Neroli scent and I’ve since burned through one and gone back for more. I LOVE this candle. It’s super subtle which is why I like it for a casual, everyday type of candle. Bearing in mind that it’s hard to describe a scent, it has this really fresh, kind of fruity vibe. The site describes it as citrus (my favorite scent), orange blossoms, freesia, hibiscus, jasmine, honeysuckle, and as capturing the feeling of summertime in the Mediterranean. Yes, please! It actually smells really familiar to me in this weird way, like it reminds me of a scent from my childhood or something (is that weird?) and I haven’t yet figured out what it reminds me of but I’m working on it! Malin + Goetz candles are handmade and poured in Brooklyn with vegetable wax. They also have votives if you want to try them out before committing to a full candle!
For a gift that is sure to impress: Cire Trudon
I love Diptyque and if you gave that as a gift surely no one is going to scoff at you, but if you want to take it to the next level and really impress (or just really treat yourself!), Cire Trudon is where it’s at. Cire Trudon is a French brand that’s been making candles since 1643, and I think they have a very high-quality and luxe vibe. The vessels are really beautiful. They recently released a smaller version of their candles called Petite Bougie and kindly sent one over for me – it’s a great option if the big one is too much of an investment or you want to try out a scent without making a big commitment. The scent I got is called Cyrnos and it’s really subtle – I love it.
Best Instagram find: Sensual Candle Co.
I recently found about Sensual Candle Co. on Instagram and ordered their Femme candle. It comes in a simple and chic matte black vessel (similar to Diptyque), and the scent is so nice – vanilla, orange, champagne, and white peaches. Literally couldn’t imagine a better list of scents! It’s also subtle and in case it isn’t clear, that’s what I like! I don’t like super strong scents that are too strong or heavy (I find Jo Malone overpowering), and this one is just delicate and lovely. It came beautifully packaged in a cotton velvet bag – I love that attention to detail and I think this would also make a lovely gift!
Loveliest Feminine Scent: Aerin
I got the Aerin orange blossom candle for Christmas and I love it! First of all the box is soooo pretty (sucker for pretty packaging over here), and the scent is so nice. It’s a little stronger than the Malin + Goetz or Sensual Candle Co. ones but not sweet or cloying.
Favorite Limited Editions: Diptyque
Mini candles are fun and Diptyque periodically comes out with special edition ones that are invariably gorgeous. I can’t help myself from collecting them! They’re like fun little Easter eggs or something.
Prettiest packaging: John Derian
I got this John Derian candle a while ago and I simply can’t take it out of the box. It’s SO PRETTY! To be honest can’t comment on the candle as I’ve never burned it, but truly can’t beat that packaging.
Prettiest vessel: Ladurée
Ya know how some candles, the vessel has a sticker on it (like Diptyque?). There’s nothing wrong with it necessarily but it feels a little more high-quality when the logo or decoration on the candle itself is made of something or is part of it, rather than stuck on it. Ladurée candles come in the prettiest pastel shades (reminiscent of their macarons, of course!) and they have a white cameo on the front that is very Versailles/Marie Antoinette. I think the whole thing is made of porcelain. Anyway I just love that these feel a little more special due to the cameo not being a sticker. The boxes they come in, similarly to their macaron gift boxes, are super charming with pretty colors, patterns, and illustrations – I haven’t been able to bring myself to throw them out!
Pretty Packaging AND Vessel: Tory Burch Westerly Candle
I love my Tory Burch Westerly candle! The scent notes are jasmine, gardenia and pink pepper, and the packaging is stunning – it’s actually embroidered?! Definitely never throwing that away. The candle itself comes in really pretty blue glass container that’s contained inside brass fretwork – very glam and different from any other candles I’ve seen.
The Classic: Diptyque Baies
It’s hard to describe this scent and I know everyone and their mom has it, but I will always love the classic Diptyque Baies candle. It’s subtle but not too subtle, it’s kind of earthy and not cloying, it’s totally gender-neutral…it’s really just a perfect candle in my opinion. I’ve also been wanting to get this candle holder to go with it, so pretty!
Botanical Palets: Carriére Fréres
Carriére Fréres is another line from Cire Trudon, and they make these really pretty botanical palets that they kindly sent me to review. These are cool – they’re wax accessories that you can use to scent small spaces like a closet or drawer. You can hang them on a door handle, set them on a bedside table, or hang them on a hanger in a closet. They’re completely handmade and come in five different scents – above from left to right is damask rose, siracusa lemon, and lavender. These scents are very vibrant and my mom said they help to repel bugs, which is great for NYC (or anywhere?). I think these would make a really lovely gift as well!
Favorite Holiday Candle: Sugar Paper
I love Sugar Paper’s Christmas candle. It smells like a pine tree and it comes in the most beautiful vibrant red box with gold trim (again with the packaging! I can’t stop!). They only have it around the holidays so keep an eye out! I also am a fan of their Pale Pink Petal candle and I’m dying to try their other scent, Crisp White Linen (sounds good for summer, so I should get on that!). I just saw on their site that they’ve also come out with smaller ceramic minis that look beautiful (similar vessel to Ladurée).
That’s a lot! As you can tell I’m a bit of a candle addict. Have I missed any good ones? Let me know your favs in the comments!
