Candles to Love This Winter

It’s no secret that I have a thing for candles.

I’ve always loved candles that have a nice, strong throw. I just love burning a candle right after I clean the house, while I’m cooking, when I’m writing, when I’m editing, reading a book… Probably the only time I don’t burn candles this time of year is when I’m sleeping. Don’t worry though, I have a bit of an OCD when it comes to those things, and always check every room before going to bed- just to make sure I’ve put out my candles.

Lately, though, I’ve been really struggling with my meds and extreme nausea. This means that I can’t even leave my Bath and Body Works favorites (like Winter or Eucalyptus Mint) opened, as their cold throw alone is way too strong for me right now. So, in today’s post, I’ll talk about few winter favorites that are on the delicate side, and won’t induce a headache. If you love a good strong throw, Bath and Body Works candles are of course great, but I also love DW Home and Scentsational– if you can spot them at your local HomeGoods, grab as many as you can because they’re amazing and usually priced at just around 6 bucks (Christmas Spirit smells like Christmas in a jar.)

Keep in mind that I’m no expert though- I just like pretty things that smell good.

Diptyque Genevrier– this is a winter/holiday favorite from Diptyque. It has woody notes with a touch of earthiness- my favorite combination. It’s a bouquet of juniper berries, cypress, cedarwood, fir balsam, and Gaiac wood. It always makes me think of taking a long walk through a winter forest- something that we (my sister and cousins) used to always do with our grandfather around the holidays, so I think it might be a contributing factor to the fact that it’s a holiday favorite for me. As with most Diptyque candles, the burn is nice and even (Black Baies was a huge disappointment in that department).

Maison La Bougie Marbre– when it comes to white musk, it’s always been a hit or miss for me. A lot of white musk-scented candles I’ve used often feel overwhelming and I’d go as far as to say… nauseating. Marbre is different. It’s a soft blend of lavender, ylang, white flowers, tree moss, cedar and… white musk. I’d describe it as elegant and simple.

Maison Louis Marie No.02 Le Long Fond– a mix of hinoki wood, amber, cedarwood, and white musk. This is a really delicate and soft, woody scent with a touch of earthiness. The keyword here being “delicate” as once lit, it doesn’t have a very strong throw. I usually love burning it in a smaller space- like my home office or bathroom when taking a bath or face-masking. Even though it’s a beautiful scent, probably not the best option if you love a strong throw in a candle. On the other hand, if you tend to get headaches when burning scented candles and prefer something very delicate- this is it. My only wish is that the burn was more even- that’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine when it comes to candles.

Botanique Mimosa Fruit– These Botanique candles are sold exclusively at Urban Outfitters. Mimosa fruit is a combination of mimosa petals, Italian citron, and ylang-ylang. I’d describe it as a soft, sweet (but not *bubble gum* sweet) and bright scent. I usually stick to woody scents, but I just love burning this on dark, gloomy days because it’s such a bright and fun scent, it just makes me think of sunshine.

Voluspa Milk Rose– Probably one of my favorite rose-scented candles; a mix of a Bulgarian rose, marshmallow milk, white copali amber. This candle really reminds of Diptyque’s LE Rose Delight from last year- both remind me of my childhood, for some reason. Milk Rose is soft and not as sharp as other rose-inspired scents I’ve experienced. I also love the textured jars that these candles come in, and the fact that the burn is so even- I don’t have to use my candle lighter to melt the wax off the sides of the jar to keep the burn even. The throw is also quite nice and strong with this one, but not in an overwhelming way.

A&F Winter Pine– Okay, so this is not a place where I’d usually shop for candles, but when I stopped in the store and smelled it, I was sold. It’s a beautiful blend of balsam and sage that isn’t overly artificial or strong. It reminds me a little of my holiday favorite Christmas Spirit, but it’s much more delicate.

If you’re also a candle lover, you can check out this post I wrote last year, where I shared a few tips for keeping your candle jars clean and repurposing them.