Baby It's Cold Outside: Annual Winter Candle Favourites
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Now in it’s third year, which I think technically makes it a tradition…my annual candle round up is here. I adore candles at this time of year, and I am lucky enough to get to try a wide variety all in the name of research. If I’m not leaving my house until at least March, I want to buckle on down and make my front room a candle lit dream. I used to fight winter so much, but since I live in the UK, there’s honestly no point. As a side note, if you’re not a winter person I highly recommend this blog post from my friend Hannah Bullivant on how to embrace the seasons. My previous year’s round ups can be found here and here, most of the candles I shared previously can still be found, now without further ado onto this years…
McQueens x Miller Harris
Miller Harris have collaborated with famous London florists McQueens on a candle collection, and when my florists friends came one night (lit in their honour) even they commented on how damn wonderful the smell was - and they smell flowers all day long. This was sent to me as a press gift, I normally like to use it and then see the price, but I saw it before I used it and was like no candle can be sixty five pound good. However after lighting it a few times I knew I’d happily spend that on this candle again, it definitely lives up to its ’Petal Storm’ name in a subtle but beautiful scent. A very decadent treat for you or a loved one this winter.
Price: £65
Burn Time: 40 Hours
Haekels
If you are not familiar with Margate based skincare and fragrance brand Haekels, than I lovingly encourage you to take five minutes out of your day to immerse yourselves in the world of Dom Bridges and his team. The blue sky thinking and transparency of this brand is ever inspirational, as are the products which are all made in my favourite seaside town on the Kent coast - which is the inspiration behind their candle collection. Each location is somewhere you can pinpoint on a local map and holds a connection with Haekels. I selected the Botany Bay candle as I loved the smell, and because it’s one of my happy places that if I could click my fingers and have the ability to be walking on those sands whenever I wanted, I’d choose there. Each candle comes encased in seed paper, and sits inside a double walled glass which can repurposed as mug afterwards. Next up on my wish list is the Pluviophile scent, pouring rain fans unite.
Price: £55
Burn Time: 40 Hours Estimated
Bella Freud
Now before I start, let me tell you that I don’t think all Bella Freud candles were made equal, I learned that the hard way when I sniffed my way round The Conran Shops candle selection one Christmas. Actually that’s not fair, because not all of us like the same scents, and where would be the fun in life if we did?! This is my favourite BF scent and luckily my favourite jar, but do go and smell them in person before you buy if you can. This contains some of my favourite scents, the top note contain orange, the heart has some mimosa and in the base is Oud and Amber…I think every single one of my perfumes contains these ingredients in various combinations, in short I think this smell is absolute perfection. Also any excuse to wander around the house singing terribly to The Pogues.
Price: £45.00
Burn Time: 40 Hours
Hobo & Co
Took me travelling all the way to Glasgow and going to Aume to discover a candle brand that’s made half an hour up the road from me. Wood, trees and all that! Anyway, so glad I did as Hobo & Co candles are a lovely brand. I switched up my usual go to scents after Emily said she’d sniffed this one and loved it, the Oakwood and Tobacco is less floral than I’d usually go for but makes for a wonderful wintery fragrance. They also produce diffusers and travel candles too.
Price: £20
Burn Time: 35 Hours
Overose
Not going to lie, on the hunt for some new to me candles, I saw this pink beauty and added it straight to my basket. I had seen them on Instagram a few times and whilst it’s pink perfection, it also packs a gentle but atmospheric punch when lit. I’ll admit when it first arrived I thought I’d made a mistake with the Anamorphine scent, it’s notes of Vanilla Bean Paste Raspberries and Peonies makes for quite a sweet scent, but when lit all my doubts were set alight….geddit?! When lit, the Tobacco note comes through and it’s one of my favourite smells now, it’s also available in the uber cool Holo version, which is what I am coveting next. Also the burn time for a candle of this price range seems a little bit longer for the price.
Price: £46
Burn Time: 60 Hours
Jo Malone
It’s no secret I am a fan of Jo Malone candles, but I’ll be honest I didn’t really know when I’d cross over into the Cologne Intense collection. However after my wedding scenting appointment (find out how to book a scenting appointment here, would 100% recommend!) the wonderful ladies in the Nottingham store explained how these more sensual scents of more precious ingredients should be explored. I love the Amber and Ginger and Lily fragrance and my new favourite is Oud and Bergamot, which is a subtler smell than what you might expect. It combines with so many of their classic scents, and I love it paired with the Honeysuckle and Davana candle - which now takes me straight back to our wedding day.
Price: £58
Burn Time: 40 Hours
Oliver Bonas
If my train is ever delayed at King’s Cross, after Hotel Chocolat (free samples ftw) I can be found in Oliver Bonas. That’s where I was last week, and next thing I know I’ve left with this delightful looking and smelling candle. Cassis isn’t just something my mum has diluted with water in the summer, long story but if that woman can put Cassis in it she will. I am not one to rush through burning a candle but I can’t wait to use this Lovebirds candle to hold trinkets in after it’s finished. When I went to double check the scent notes online, surprise surprise there was top notes of bergamot and mandarin and base notes of Amber. I AM SO PREDICTABLE, anyway, if you like all the candle scents above you’re going to love this one.
Price: £22
Burn Time: 30 Hours estimated
