Today's tip involves making your home smell amazing with CANDLES!

I'm a big candle buff (inherited from my grandmother), so here are my thoughts:

White Barn Candle Company
Upside: This is a great place to buy candles and you can find the store in most malls. They have tons of fragrances, sizes, and most of all, COLORS. I buy candles with not only the scent I can handle, but that match my apartment. They also have great plug-ins for rooms that last MUCH longer than a drug-store plug-in. Prices are pretty low, and you can often find good deals (buy 3 get 1 free). Favorites: Plumeria and Vanilla Orchid.

Downside: The jars are boring. You really won't find anything interesting or abstract with the designs of most of the candles. I also think some of the fragrances are boring. And some of the candle fragrances are SO damn sweet they give me a headache. Take your time and smell them well before buying.

Tocca Candles and Diptyque Candles
Upside: These candles are amazing. VERY fragrant, but not overpowering. They last a VERY long time. I also think the list of fragrances are so different than most more common candle stores provide. You can buy Tocca online, here. You can also buy Diptyque online, here.

Downside: A bit pricey, but I suggest having a couple, and supplement with more inexpensive ones. They are WELL worth it. Because both often use essential oils, the fragrance lasts in your room long after you've blown them out--thus, you don't have to burn them as often.

A great place I've found to buy unique candles are spas. For some reason, spas I've been to have excellent selections of candles.

Enjoy! (And get pumped for those holiday candle fragrances!)

Posted by Lawren at October 29, 2003 09:00 AM

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