Winter Candle Favourites
For some reason when the calendar flips to January the 1st, I’m always thinking ‘YEY, SPRNG!’ Then I pull myself together and remember we are in for 3 more months of winter, not to depress anyone! I do actually love this time of year, ever since I reframed the thoughts I had about the darker days, colder weather and looked at it as a chance to nest and enjoy time at home being all cosy, which in turn means CANDLES. I shared my favourite candles last year on the blog, however I thought I’d share my latest additions to the house to help the Christmas glow last a little bit longer.
Jo Malone
I’ve tried others, and this one ALWAYS gets the most compliments when guests come round, it works hard! Pomegranate Noir is my favourite scent, it feels fresh, and warm all in one sniff. In burns really well too, which might sound like an obvious thing for a candle but so many cheaper ones do not burn evenly and half way through have buried the wick, not Jo Malone. Makes the perfect gift too, as they all come in a gift box (which I reuse for all my receipts!) and a box of matches. You’re welcome round my house with one in arms, anytime.
Burn time: 45 hours
Price: £45
MOSS
This is one of three signature scents that MOSS produce, each one tells a part of the incredible journey the products have been on from concept to realisation. This scent is No.3 Doddington on an Autumn morning, and is a very specific (and beautiful) place in Lincolnshire. I am drawn to Fig as an ingredient, and it was no surprise that this was the base of this candle. It envelopes you in it’s sweet smell. And to find out more about the maker, listen to me interview Syreeta on the podcast I co-host: The Fringe Of it. P.S. Don’t forget to pick up some of the matches that say ‘Choose Light’ once you know Syreeta and Rob’s story it really holds a beautiful meaning every time you light a candle.
Burn time: 40 hours
Price: £30
Hattie Maud
When I saw Hattie was producing candles, I was super excited. Her illustrations and graphics are awesome, you can check them out on Instagram here. Not that I should judge every candle by its cover, but I can’t deny that the sketches on the outside were a big draw. Luckily these hand poured in Yorkshire candles are beautiful when lit too, I have the Peachy Dreams and it’s a perfect antidote to some of the heavier candles I have, filling the air with a light scent. There are 3 other candles available and I have my eye on Daisy Daze next.
Burn time: 55 hours
Price: £32
Diptyque
Oh let me count the ways I love thee, this is my 3rd one in this lifetime and I just adore them. The fanciest / most expensive candle I’ve owned (once I had a Cire Trudon candle and I felt like the queen), but worth every penny. Firstly just looking at it unlit makes me happy, and the smells are just so beautiful. They burn like a dream, and really last a long time if you care for them well, and trim the wick after each burn. Also the glasses afterwards make for the best storage, I have mine in the bathroom. A real classic, the perfect present for a friend, or yourself!
Burn time: 60 hours
Price: £47
Maison Balzac
Another top tip from my trip to Wick in Hove, and my second most complimented candle scent. It’s so funny how people pick up on these things when they come to my house, sometimes it’s smells like microwaved salmon (the main reason I am self employed is so that I can microwave fish based leftovers in private without the whole office complaining), and other times it smells like heaven, which is this candle in a nutshell. You don’t even have to light it to get a subtle hint of the scent, but when it is lit, it fills the room with notes of green leaf, rose, musk.
Burn time: 65 hours
Price: £39.50
Lola James Harper
When I visited Wick Candle Boutique last summer, I knew to trust their suggestions on what candles were going to ‘light my fire’. The Music Studio by Lola James Harper is a real find of 2018, the inspiration for this candle is The Trufo Studio, a recording studio in Paris ‘the studio is on the fifth floor of an old Parisian building built in 1870’ and it really transports me there if I’m fancying a daydream with my morning tea. I love the old school brown glass too, can’t wait to use this for trinkets (collective word for ‘any old shite’) afterwards.
Burn time: 50 hours
Price: £35
La Montaña
Just what you need this time of year, all the candles that La Montana produce are inspired by a Spainish Mountain Village and they have the most wonderful names! This one is named First Light, but I can be swept away in an instant by any of their gorgeous graphics, complimented by names such as Fig Grove’ and ‘Winter Oranges’.
Burn time: 40 hours
Price: £29.00
Beauty Pie
I posted this candle on Instagram and I don’t think I’ve had quite so many messages asking my thoughts on anything else! Well, like everything I recommend I needed to give it a proper evaluation. I’ve now done a full burn on it, and I’m pleased to say I’ve finished this one and moved onto their Clean House one as recommended by Anna Hart. For the price, even on their cheapest membership (£5 per month) would work out at just under £20 on average for one of their candles. I highly recommend!
Burn time: 50 hours
Price: Between £13-£14 as a member
Milkwood
Small but oh so perfectly formed! Milkwood moved into Margate after I left, but lucky I have been back to visit their lovely store since. The Milkwood girls really know what they are doing when it comes to creating beautifully smelling candles, this one is No.5 Aurantium, which is ‘citrus peel, smoky cedarwood and herbaceous lavender’. Currently sold out, but fear not I sniffed them all when I was in store and there was not a bad one amongst them! The paper their candles is wrapped in is made from recycled coffee cups and features the white cliffs of Botany Bay, located just up the road.
Burn time: 25+ Hours
Price: £22
When these are all finished I am going to refill them with a DIY kit, after seeing DesignLoveFest doing it, I’m inspired! Do you have any candle favourites? Let me know in the comments below!