If you know what the heck that title refers to, you get extra marshmallows on your hot chocolate. If not, move along please… nothing to see here!
Candles are something that often get ‘lumped in’ with the beauty category… is it because they’re considered a bit of a pampering indulgence? Buying an expensive candle is a bit like striking a match and setting fire to a couple of £20 notes after all… no?
With the rampaging toddler, I don’t get the opportunity to burn as many candles as I’d like. I have my Annick Goutal treasure that I stroke lovingly and sniff wistfully, but if anyone were to put flame to wick, I’d do them some serious damage.
Here’s four candles that are on my radar at the moment:
Elemis, Daisy-Spa Candle (£25) – Daisy, Banana and Freesia. Good grief, I actually can’t think of a more enticing combination right now. Fresh and energising but with that fruity, tropical hit from the banana. Yum! Available to buy online from TimeToSpa here.
Malin + Goetz, Neroli Scented Candle (£29) – I adore the spicy, bitter notes of Neroli… it’s far more complex than just plain citrus. Neroli is one of the greatest scents for relaxation, this looks like a prime candidate for the bathroom!
Malin + Goetz candles can be purchased online at Liberty.
The Body Shop, Sandalwood & Ginger Scented Candle (£10) – Mmmmm Ginger… Are you noticing a recurring theme here? I have a bit of a thing for foodie smells! Bananas, Oranges… Ginger. Sandalwood seems to smell different to me depending on the product, it’s quite variable… but the warm smell of ginger is an eternal favourite of mine.
Competitively priced at only £10, The Body Shop have a new selection of boxed candles to tempt you. The Green Tea & Lemon one also sounds like a winner!
The Make Up Store, Your Valentine Scented Candle (£35) – Having had a good old sniff of the candles on display at The Make Up Store’s Carnaby Street shopfront, I can confirm that most of the scents are indeed, delicious! A little pricey though at £35 each.
Your Valentine offers intoxicating notes such as Bergamot, Cyclamen, Vanilla and Praline… I’ve got the munchies again! Available instore only.
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What do you think of such frivolities? Do you have any favourite candles that you return to time and time again?
Ah, the memories. It reminds me of saturday evenings in my childhood.
I’m totally addicted to the Rituals Spring Garden candle, which has green veitiver and clary sage scents in it. I’m not the biggest fan of spending on candles, but these are about £14 and last for ages.
I also really love anything in the Yankee Candles Buttercream scent, but its harder to get because they foolishly discontinued it.
I haven’t burned candles over the summer because I just find it too hot, but I’m thinking that now the weather has turned crap I might light a few this evening.
Bx
I love candles but likewise cannot justify the prices at times. Lilyflame candles are an all time favourite however, Sweetpea, Parma Violet, Winter Garland (but the cinammon Christmas ones are very good) and Bathing Beauty are my return to candles.
They are only £8 so I can warrant the price a bit more easily! Worth adding to a Christmas list if nothing else!
I love candles. sadly i have a bad history of setting my living room on fire and doing hundreds of pounds worth of damage..
On the upside, I get the reference, where are my marshmallows?
You’re right, lighting candles is like setting fire to money, but I can’t help it. As I type there is a Penhaligons Ritual Tea burning on my desk….candles are a frivolity, but one I can’t live without.
Some of my favourite are the Ikea Berry ones and Jo Malone’s Pomengranate Noir (which I too stroke lovingly).
I love space NK candles, the smell is really strong so you have to keep them in the box! I have the relaxing one.
I’ve had Malin + Goetz Mojito candles on and off for years – it’s fresh and zingy, but not overly boozy smelling. There’s enough of a rum note in there to keep the scent warm, but it doesn’t smell like the local or anything!
The worst candle I’ve ever purchased was a Burn candle – nearly AU$80 and it genuinely doesn’t smell like anything!
Also I totally got the title reference – one of my favourite comedy skits!
I know what the title is in reference to! Mainly because my brother cruelly called me Ronnie Corbett when I got my first ever pair of NHS glasses.
If only I was getting those NOW, I’d be the most stylish mofo in the house but no, it wasn’t to be.
I was given a GORGEOUS vanilaa chocolate candle once, I used it once, left it in the window sill and it hardened. A few weeks later I left the window open and this big gust of wind blew in and the candle fell into the Thames. The thing that hurts me the most is that I still see it bobbing about in the water 🙁
Candles do nothing for me at all, complete waste of money – can’t plaster myself in it/squint at my reflection to see if it has removed blackheads/wrinkles/sunspots. Good job we are all different.
I love candles, especially Yankee Candles. I’m the same with food scents and spicy christmassy ones too. I’m terrified to go near the Jo Malone ones in case that becomes a new and very expensive addiction!!!
@Beth – not sure if you are in the UK or not, but YankeeDoodle have buttercream candles on their site, I just checked. Its where I buy my Yankee candles from. Just thought I’d mention it ;o)
Thanks for the tip, I’ll check it out and stock up! 🙂
No problem, good to know I’m useful for something! lol I like those buttercream candles too. Just burning Shortbread Cookie, that’s pretty nice too.
I don’t really understand the connection between candles and beauty either, unless it’s the scent thing – they are in some sense a perfume item?
I like them very much though. I have a couple of expensive ones but I dislike paying over the odds. TK Maxx is a good place to look for cheap nice scented candles, and the Sanctuary ones from Boots are good and cost less than £10.
I love candles and beauty. I think its the sense of luxury and decadence
My all time favourite comedy sketch!!! It perfectly encapsulates my silly sense of humour 🙂
My friends bought me the Diptique Tuberose candle, I love it. On a budget, M&S candles are lovely (the Fig is delicious).
I know what the title refers to…may I please request extra cream for my hot choc 😉 I am pregnant after all…surely you can’t refuse me that?! 😉
I adore candles, my OH can’t really abide them, but I love them, anywhere and everywhere! I reviewed some on my blog once…can’t remember the name offhand now, but they do delicious scents.
I do think sometimes candles seem overpriced, and somewhat of a decadent/indulgent spend, but then…if they really do last a long time, perhaps it’s not so much money?!
xxx
If you like neroli you will adore the “Orangerie” candle from British brand True Grace. It retails for around £20 but has such concentrated fragrance that you can smell it even when it’s not burning. I haven’t had a holiday this summer so every night I burn my candle and feel as though I’m in a gorgeous Agroturismo in rural Ibiza (the copious amounts of Spanish Rose wine might be helping too!) I bought the amazing True Grace ‘Library’ last winter which smelt like a smokey fire with hints of incense, I’ll be going back there come November I can tell you. These are the best value candles I have found, about half the price of Dyptique with all the intesity. (no connection, just a fan!) Sue