Scented candles that last?

January 15, 2006 11:01 AM

What are the best scented candles?

I love scented candles, especially in the winter; they add a lot of warmth to these long nights. But many of the scented candles I buy, while they smell great on the outside, don't seem to retain (and disperse) their scent when burned. Where can I get candles with nice odors that really last? I prefer natural scents; herbs, spices, fruits, that sort of thing.

posted by TochterAusElysium to Home & Garden (26 answers total)

Yankee Candle.
posted by speranza at 11:06 AM on January 15, 2006

They are a little perfumey at times, but the White Barn Candle Company candles are nice. They are a sister store to Bath and Body Works, where I am part time, so some of the Real Essence ones (in the rounder jars) can be a bit much. And the come in some goofy scents.
But White Barn has another line with silver caps which are nice. The Pink Currant one is a a knock off of a muchmore pricey candle, and it is really very good. I like the Apple Mint one as well.
Also, the Aromatherapphy ones are good- lavender vailla, eucalyptus spearming, etc.
Some people think BBW/WBCC is a bit low-rent and cheesy, and a lot of it is, but there are some nice things in there, and it can be more convenient.
Plus, if you hate them, they have a 100% return guarantee.
posted by oflinkey at 11:10 AM on January 15, 2006

Candle-lite candles are inexpensive and very effective in terms of their scent diffusion. I wish they hadn't discontinued their Gardenia candle; it was one of my favorite things.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:11 AM on January 15, 2006

Aromatherapy. Lavender Vanilla. eucalyptus Spearmint. Sorry. I was eating soup.
posted by oflinkey at 11:14 AM on January 15, 2006

Colonial at Home makes one of my favorites, Sun-Drenched Herbs. I got it at a party store but you can buy online as well. The company's Cranberry Apple Tea is also good.

Archipelago candles, sold at Nordstrom, a variety of other places and online, have some awesome scents, including Mojito, Pink Grapefruit, Tobacco Bergamot and Pomegranate Citrus. I gave these to coworkers as gifts and they were a huge hit.

White Barn Candle Company (part of Bath & Body Works) has some nice sents, including Coconut Lime Verbena. If you can get into one of their stores, they usually have a nice seasonal variety too. I got some to-die-for maple candles last autumn that I love very much.

Finally, while people seem to either love Yankee Candles or hate them, I've found a few of their scents decent even though many others are loathsome. I enjoy their Mandarin Cranberry and Granny Smith the best.
posted by justonegirl at 11:18 AM on January 15, 2006

For me, much better and stronger scents come from an oil burner or candle lamp;

Light an unscented tea light or votive candle in the bottom half. In the top part, melt a little bit of candle wax (from a craft store, or chip a bit off another unscented candle) and add a few drops of essential oils or Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume. Mmm, zombie.
posted by Jeanne at 11:31 AM on January 15, 2006

Another vote for Yankee Candles. I have a Lemon Zest HouseWarmer burning in my living room right now...

Best lemon scented candle I have ever owned.
posted by keep it tight at 11:35 AM on January 15, 2006

Make that a third vote for Yankee Candles, and a second vote for Lemon Zest in particular. It smells to me like freshly baked lemon bars.
posted by lilybeane at 11:51 AM on January 15, 2006

I tend to find that whatever brand of candle I'm burning (cheap ones, generally, since I won't burn the more expensive ones) smell better when I use a candle warmer than if I'm just burning them. They last longer, too.
posted by undertone at 11:53 AM on January 15, 2006

I can't speak for the longevity of any of these products but I bookmarked a bunch of stuff from this thread.
posted by birdie birdington at 11:56 AM on January 15, 2006

Pacifica Candles are teh bomb. They scent a room even when they're not burning. All their fragrances are great, but my favorites are Mexican Cocoa and Mediterranean Fig.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:55 PM on January 15, 2006

Scented candles are basically petroleum products with some esters in them to mask the smell of burning mineral oil.

Pure cappings beeswax candles (candles sold as beeswax can be mostly paraffin wax, so look for 100% cappings), like Pheylonian, have a beautiful scent. Even unlit, they'll make a room smell sweet.
posted by scruss at 1:22 PM on January 15, 2006

I used to work for a scented candle distribution company. We stocked Yankee, along with several other brands. Yankee Candles are the best known, but are assuredly not the best. They're just your basic paraffin candles with off-the-shelf fragrance and slick-looking labels.

In my book the very best widely-available scented candles are from Root Candle. They're artisanal soy candles made in the USA by a 100+ year old, family-owned company.
posted by killdevil at 1:34 PM on January 15, 2006

Pacifica aren't bad, either.
posted by killdevil at 1:35 PM on January 15, 2006

Err, here's the correct link for Root Candle
posted by killdevil at 1:37 PM on January 15, 2006

I've had good luck with the store brand and the slightly better than store brand-brand at Target. Sorry that I don't know the name of the brand of the top of my head.
posted by mmascolino at 2:45 PM on January 15, 2006

Votivo makes terriffic candles.
posted by Heminator at 3:04 PM on January 15, 2006

Look for candles fragranced with essential oils. I like Ergo.
posted by padraigin at 4:55 PM on January 15, 2006

Oddly enough, I find the scented candles from the Gap/Banana Republic pretty good in terms of dispersing scent. My favourite scent from the Gap is "Day" which is very citrus-y, and "Winter" from BR, which is amazing this time of year. I bought a stockpile on sale a few years ago and a small votive can scent a large space quite nicely.
posted by phoenixc at 5:30 PM on January 15, 2006

I second Diptyque, though they're prohibitively expensive for most people. Yankee has an enormous selection, so you're likely to find something that you like there. The large housewarmer size candles are relatively inexpensive. I also enjoy the White Barn Candle Co. fragrances. I also love another brand that Bath and Bodyworks carries, Henri Bendel, which, while a little spendy are worth it, as the fragrances are gorgeous.
posted by mewithoutyou at 6:13 PM on January 15, 2006

Aromatique! </a
posted by kgn2507 at 6:51 PM on January 15, 2006

www.lather.com

great candles, and their scent is from essential oils.
posted by 6:1 at 7:39 PM on January 15, 2006

Gold Canyon Candles. They are sold through a "party-plan" type thing. You can buy them online by googling for "Gold Canyon Candles", there will be sponsored ads. Don't go to the first (unsponsored) result, that is the corporate web site that does NOT sell them. I sell them casually, so I am not unbiased, but of course I will not post my web site here. They are popular in Arizona and California, but are spreading quick in other states.

I have never had a scented candle lover not drop their Yankees, Votivos, and Candle-lites like hot potatos after trying one. I suspect they last longer and can fill up your whole house with scent, with only one candle burning, for a couple of reasons: 2 wicks in each candle (except for the tiniest size), and some top-secret formulation.

I only sell them (I don't need the money anymore) because my friends and family won't use any other candles, and their distributor moved to another state. I needed some extra cash at the time, when I was a stay-at-home mom. I don't do parties, those things are stupid. I just let people know I sell them and orders come in. People are RELIGIOUS about these candles. It's almost scary.
posted by Sorcia at 8:49 PM on January 15, 2006

I would have to second kg2507 with Aromatique closely followed by killdevil with Root Candle Company. And I worked at a candle retail store for six lonnggg years.
posted by UnclePlayground at 9:24 PM on January 15, 2006

I have a friend who sells Bittersweet Candles. They are pretty good. So are Partylite.
posted by cass at 12:11 PM on January 16, 2006

L'occitane
makes wonderful candles that are long-lasting. Lavender is one of my favorites.
posted by clon7 at 1:56 PM on January 16, 2006