Make Your Wishes Come True With These Candles
With the crisp winter air lurking around outside, all I’ve been begging to do is stay inside with a captivating book, mug of steaming tea, and a soothing candle, while bundled up in a fuzzy blanket. Having that hour or so to be warm and just relax is something I look forward to when I get home from work.
Within the past year, I have been absurdly obsessed with candles. When I was younger, I used to laugh and wonder why adults always gave wine or candles for gifts—now I understand. Candles give your space a new ambiance and can change the entire mood of a room, just by lighting a single wick.
I’ve taken it upon myself to share with you all my favorite candle brands—and even some scents—from over the past year. Keep reading this post to find out my top picks!
Voluspa
Back in the day, I used to work at a boutique called Francesca’s Collections. During my time at Francesca’s I would be in pure awe at how many of these Voluspa candles we would sell. Women would come in and usually buy four at a time. They would gift them to all sorts of recipients; bridesmaids, teachers, bosses, in-laws—you name it. I didn’t understand what the hype was all about until I was prepping for inventory one day and decided to smell a few just to see. As soon as I lifted the lid off of the first tin container, I understood. They were wonderful!
I am now one of those women that will go into the boutique and buy nearly four at a time. They have incredible burn time and actually smell like it does in the container. The scents are strong enough, but not overwhelmingly so.
Favorite Scent: Suede Blanc. This literally smells exactly like men’s cologne. It always flew off the shelf in the boutique and as soon as you smell it, you’ll understand why. This scent also comes in a white and gold container which just happens to match my room decor perfectly.
Ms. Betty’s Original
These are my absolute favorite candles ever to gift people. They’re so chic and sassy that you’re almost guaranteed to get an “Oh my god! I love it!” reaction from the person you gift it to. They come in different scents (duh) and have hilarious options for their sayings.
Some of the labels are:
Don’t Be So Humble, You’re Really Not That Great
Bad-Ass Bitch, Any Scent I F’N Want
You’re So Amazing, Don’t Let It Go To Your Head
Bad-Ass Bridesmaid, I Still Need My Bitches
Busy Bitches, Get Shit Done
Super funny, right? I’m obsessed.
Anyway, you’ll probably end up picking which candle you get based on the label, but that’s okay because they all smell incredible. With combinations such as Citrus/Chili Pepper or Mimosa/Mandarin, you can’t go wrong with any of them. You can get them in some boutiques I’m sure, but you can also get them right off of Etsy and then you’ll be able to pick the exact scent and label you want.
Favorite Scent: Brown Sugar & Fig. This candle is so sweet—despite the sassy label—that you’ll want to hug it. Just don’t do that when it’s lit, okay?
Illume
There’s an Anthropologie in Block 37 (a shopping center in downtown Chicago) that I used to literally just walk around in while I had breaks in between classes in college. I would look at all the amazing books, journals, cooking accessories, and candles. I’m pretty sure the first time I ever smelt an Illume candle was in Antropologie. I don’t remember the exact moment, but I’m sure it was magical.
The moral of the story is that I bought an Illume candle once, and then about ten more times. They come in the most adorable jars and tumblrs ever and smell even more magical than they look.
Favorite Scent: Coconut Milk Mango. If you’re ever looking for the most bomb AF candle for the summertime this is it. This candle smells like paradise and I constantly need to have it in my life. It also comes in those weird diffuser sticks and I highly recommend buying those too. This is exactly what you’re going to want your life to smell like in the summer. I promise.
Makers of Wax Goods
There are three things I go to Marshall’s for: decorative trays, paper goods (wrapping paper, cards, etc.), and candles. Marshall’s has the most decked out candle selection for super cheap. During the fall I was looking for a very woodsy, earthy scent to give my space that autumn vibe and I found the best candle there. Even though I burned it nearly everyday, it lasted almost the whole season.
Makers of Wax Goods is a really good brand to not only get earthy scents from, but manly scents as well. They have all sorts of scents like Whiskey, Bourbon, Suede, and Cobalt and Sandalwood, which are nice enough to create a calm aroma, but still rustic enough to not smell too feminine.
Favorite Scent: White Patchouli. I’m 90% sure this candle isn’t being produced anymore and it breaks my heart. It was the best candle ever for fall. However, Sandalwood Musk is a very close second. It’s not as amazing—nothing compares to White Patchouli—but it’s pretty close!
Bath & Body Works
Of course Bath & Body Works or White Barn are going to be on my list. Every time I go into either one of the stores, I end up smelling nearly every scent until I get so overwhelmed that I want to cry…in a good way. Luckily, if you know you like a smell from Bath & Body Works, there’s a really good chance that it comes in candle form too. Lately, I’ve been loving their candles more and more.
P.S. If you haven’t tried them yet, the Henri Bendel candles at White Barn are to die for. I’m pretty sure that they almost always have them seeing as though they’re all under the same company (L Brands).
Favorite Scent: Magic in the Air. Just go buy this. Now. My mom got me this candle for Christmas and it’s three days into January and I’m already halfway done with it. And it’s not a small candle by any means. I want everyday of my life to smell like this…and it can because it comes in lotion, shower gel, and body mist. All they need to do is create a perfume and shampoo/conditioner and I’ll be the happiest girl.
I hope this post helped burn (yes, that’s an intentional candle pun) some encouragement to get some new scents for your home or work. I really do think that you all will love some, if not all, of these candle brands and scents. You guys know me, if I didn’t really love these, I wouldn’t write about them. So get out there, smell these scents, and fall in love with them just like I did!
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