Claire is...

PERSONAL POST: CANDLES

I think candles are very important. Scents are very important, I believe that a great scent can lift your mood and relax someone more than any other sense. Just the thought of the smell of baking bread can put a smile on your face. And my favourite smell in the whole world is seasonal here in England – it’s petrichor – the smell of rain on warm ground. In my eyes there’s nothing better. And every now and then I get a feeling I can smell the aroma of my Nan’s house – it’s a hard fragrance to describe but it’s a mix of powder, dried flowers and furniture polish, smells can take you back to a memory in an instant. I wish you could have candles made with these specific scents but also they’re so hard to pin down. If there’s a petrichor candle I’d love to find it!

Here are my favourite candles at the moment:

True Grace: Library Candle – I bought this candle a long time ago – unfortunately I don’t think they make it anymore. I treated myself to this expensive candle while I was saving up for my house and it went into a box of things to use in my new house. It was like a present to myself so when I finally saved up enough to have my own space, this is what I wanted my new space to smell like. I love books so a candle that smelt like a library seemed perfect. Every time I’d put something new in the box I’d smell this candle, even when not burning it had an amazing scent and soon everything in the box had this smell. The day I moved in I gave the candle a home and burnt it for the first time to relax after the move. I believe a candle with a great scent is one of the best presents you can buy for yourself. It’s almost finished now so I use it sparingly.

Tom Dixon: Eclectic London – this was another expensive candle I gifted myself. Not only is it the same deep and musky scent as the library candle, but it comes in more beautiful packaging, copper vessel with a marble lid that can be used when the candle is finished. This really relaxes me after a stressful day and almost feels like it helps me to breathe deeper. The excellent thing about this and the library candle is that because they are such strong scents you still get a waft of the scent when you walk past days after burning them.

& Other Stories: Kungsholmstorg - & Other Stories have so many differently scented candles on offer. I spent almost 45 minutes choosing my favourite because it was so hard to chose. Most of them are very fresh and fruity or flowery scents, which I’m not as much of a fan of but this one has a depth of scent. As you can tell I’m not the best at describing fragrances but I try! This candle is cheaper than the other two but comes in very modern, stylish packaging with a box, which is great if you’re going to give it as a present. & Other Stories also have a great selection of perfumes; beauty products and I use their great smelling body lotions. 

Do you have a favourite candle? What kind of scents do you like?