Burn Baby Burn!
November 2, 2015 3:24 PM Subscribe
Can you recommend some great candles to treat myself at various price points?
I never thought this day would come but it looks like I'm really obsessed with candles now.
Can you recommend candle brands I should be watching out for and signing up for their email lists? So far I've only been buying soy candles from Target since they're cheap but I want to expand my horizons and treat myself in the coming months.
I want soy candles.
I want the price to be cheap all the way up to the ~$50 range.
I want the candles to throw the scent/fragrance well and it has to burn evenly.
Brands I'm aware of: Diptyque, Voluspa, Nest
So, all you candle aficionados, what are your favorite brands that I should look into and watch out for?
I never thought this day would come but it looks like I'm really obsessed with candles now.
Can you recommend candle brands I should be watching out for and signing up for their email lists? So far I've only been buying soy candles from Target since they're cheap but I want to expand my horizons and treat myself in the coming months.
I want soy candles.
I want the price to be cheap all the way up to the ~$50 range.
I want the candles to throw the scent/fragrance well and it has to burn evenly.
Brands I'm aware of: Diptyque, Voluspa, Nest
So, all you candle aficionados, what are your favorite brands that I should look into and watch out for?
my girlfriend bought me this teakwood & tobacco candle and I'm obsessed. forget the tobacco part, it's just lovely.
posted by changeling at 4:03 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by changeling at 4:03 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
When you say soy, do you mean 100% soy? Or are you okay with some paraffin? A lot of candles labeled "soy" are actually 40% or more paraffin due to the problems that soy candles tend to have effectively throwing certain scents/scent throwing generally.
If you're okay with some paraffin, I really like Land by Land. They're a little wanky, what with not putting the actual damn name of the scent on their candles, but the throw is top notch, and the burn is excellent and even. I appreciate that many of the scents are more perfumey and essential oil-y, and not so much Super Sugar Frosting Bomb Can You Get Cavities In Your Sinuses I Don't Know Let's Find Out!!!!
More gourmandy, but still pretty nice: Brooklyn Candles. I don't know whether they're 100% soy, but suspect they're not based on the lack of advertising about how they're totally soy.
posted by joyceanmachine at 4:03 PM on November 2, 2015
If you're okay with some paraffin, I really like Land by Land. They're a little wanky, what with not putting the actual damn name of the scent on their candles, but the throw is top notch, and the burn is excellent and even. I appreciate that many of the scents are more perfumey and essential oil-y, and not so much Super Sugar Frosting Bomb Can You Get Cavities In Your Sinuses I Don't Know Let's Find Out!!!!
More gourmandy, but still pretty nice: Brooklyn Candles. I don't know whether they're 100% soy, but suspect they're not based on the lack of advertising about how they're totally soy.
posted by joyceanmachine at 4:03 PM on November 2, 2015
My friend has a business making very nice soy wax candles. I like her leather scent; my wife is particularly fond of the cut grass one.
posted by jordemort at 4:05 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by jordemort at 4:05 PM on November 2, 2015
I don't have a specific recommendation, but Etsy sounds like a good place to look and shops often have lots of reviews.
posted by Crystalinne at 4:45 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by Crystalinne at 4:45 PM on November 2, 2015
You might like Frostbeard Studio. They have lots of interesting scents, many book themed, including one I want called Old Books.
posted by littlewater at 4:56 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by littlewater at 4:56 PM on November 2, 2015
MAME and Big White Yeti are my favorites -- long-lasting and really wonderfully aromatic; the scent from just one of their small candles fills my entire living room. I especially love the Dark Roast candle from MAME and the Black Coffee candle from BWY.
posted by divined by radio at 5:22 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by divined by radio at 5:22 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
My dude calls me "candle slut" on occasion. So those are my credentials.
You mention being aware of Diptyque, and I don't think they're generally soy based, but, man, you're going to be hard pressed to find superior candles around if you're looking for wonderful fragrances, potent fragrance capacity, evenness of burn, and general bang for buck.
I was an exchange student in the late 90s and went to Diptyque in Paris for the first time. The almost 20 years since have been a story of looking longingly at their stuff from afar, then slowly making enough $ to feel like I could indulge in a cologne or candle every few years, to now having a husband who will pretty routinely surprise or congratulate me with a Diptyque candle. Many, many other brands have come and gone over those years--some good, a few great, many terrible. The maquis, though, is always around my place. Maquis is so strong I only have to have it lit for 20 minutes or so to fill our entire place for a few hours, and if you follow their instructions (keep the wick cut to a small 1/4" or so) a candle like that will last you half a year, maybe longer.
Otherwise, I'd point you to Hidden Folk's soy candles, but it seems they're all sold out at the moment. Maybe drop them an email and find out if they'll be making more, because they had some seriously classy fragrances.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 5:27 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
You mention being aware of Diptyque, and I don't think they're generally soy based, but, man, you're going to be hard pressed to find superior candles around if you're looking for wonderful fragrances, potent fragrance capacity, evenness of burn, and general bang for buck.
I was an exchange student in the late 90s and went to Diptyque in Paris for the first time. The almost 20 years since have been a story of looking longingly at their stuff from afar, then slowly making enough $ to feel like I could indulge in a cologne or candle every few years, to now having a husband who will pretty routinely surprise or congratulate me with a Diptyque candle. Many, many other brands have come and gone over those years--some good, a few great, many terrible. The maquis, though, is always around my place. Maquis is so strong I only have to have it lit for 20 minutes or so to fill our entire place for a few hours, and if you follow their instructions (keep the wick cut to a small 1/4" or so) a candle like that will last you half a year, maybe longer.
Otherwise, I'd point you to Hidden Folk's soy candles, but it seems they're all sold out at the moment. Maybe drop them an email and find out if they'll be making more, because they had some seriously classy fragrances.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 5:27 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Archipelago Candles.
I have Black Forest. My room smells amazing and I only light it when I'm feeling fancy.
posted by Marinara at 5:40 PM on November 2, 2015
I have Black Forest. My room smells amazing and I only light it when I'm feeling fancy.
posted by Marinara at 5:40 PM on November 2, 2015
I love the DW Home candles. They are often at TJ Maxx and Marshalls at very affordable prices. They throw scent well and burn fairly evenly.
My personal favorite scents are wild honey nectar, peony petals, coconut lime verbena, and tobacco & goji. Oh, now I have to get myself to Marshalls to get some new candles.
posted by sockermom at 5:44 PM on November 2, 2015
My personal favorite scents are wild honey nectar, peony petals, coconut lime verbena, and tobacco & goji. Oh, now I have to get myself to Marshalls to get some new candles.
posted by sockermom at 5:44 PM on November 2, 2015
For mid price range, I'm quite fond of Paddywax, which are available all over the place, including Urban Outfitters. The downside is with around a million different smells, it can be overwhelming to pick something.
posted by themadthinker at 7:41 PM on November 2, 2015
posted by themadthinker at 7:41 PM on November 2, 2015
I love DW home's candles too (lavender chamomile and apple honey butter are both great), but they are not pure soy (site says "blends consist of palm, paraffin, vegetable and soy waxes). TJ Maxx is definitely a fun place to look for candles although I'm not sure how much of their stock is soy.
Penelope's candles are soy and burn beautifully. I like cashmere, put the lime in the coconut, and flannel shirt.
posted by gennessee at 11:22 PM on November 2, 2015
Penelope's candles are soy and burn beautifully. I like cashmere, put the lime in the coconut, and flannel shirt.
posted by gennessee at 11:22 PM on November 2, 2015
I'm lucky enough that I can find this small(ish) vendor at local(ish) craft fairs, but they've become my go-to for gift candles. Unique scents that burn cleanly and with a lovely scent. 1820 House Candles
posted by librarianamy at 4:26 AM on November 3, 2015
posted by librarianamy at 4:26 AM on November 3, 2015
redflower candles are amazing, my favourite is the blood orange. the thai honeysuckle was also super fantastic but it appears to be discontinued, sob.
posted by poffin boffin at 9:40 AM on November 3, 2015
posted by poffin boffin at 9:40 AM on November 3, 2015
I'm surprised no one has suggested Trapp Candles. They do a really good job of scenting a room, and the votives are inexpensive enough that you can sample a bunch of different ones. I love them all, and always have a hard time deciding, but Bob's Flower Shoppe and Mediterranean Fig are two of my favorites.
But my all time favorite candle is Forest Floor by tatine. I found it on clearance at Anthropologie years ago, and it's so wonderful that I can't bear the thought of using it up, so I just keep it in its box and periodically open the box and sniff it.
(I also love Nest candles, to give you an idea of where my taste lies.)
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:33 AM on November 4, 2015
But my all time favorite candle is Forest Floor by tatine. I found it on clearance at Anthropologie years ago, and it's so wonderful that I can't bear the thought of using it up, so I just keep it in its box and periodically open the box and sniff it.
(I also love Nest candles, to give you an idea of where my taste lies.)
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:33 AM on November 4, 2015
Oh, and the Capri Blue candles do a better job of filling a room with scent than anything else I've ever used. I personally like the Volcano scent, which I believe is the top seller. It's citrusy. The blue jar candle which costs $28 on the web site lasts forever, because you only have to burn it for a short time. If you have an Anthropologie store near you, they always have them in stock.
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:41 AM on November 4, 2015
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:41 AM on November 4, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone! I will be keeping my eye on these brands and going through them to see which I'll be treating myself to in the coming months :)
posted by driedmango at 9:28 AM on November 5, 2015
posted by driedmango at 9:28 AM on November 5, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by matildaben at 4:02 PM on November 2, 2015 [1 favorite]