I live in a house that's almost 100 years old; with me are two male cats (and their three litter boxes — yes, they have more "bathrooms" than I do) and my partner (who cooks all the time — seafood, Indian, Thai, Burmese, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Italian food — pungent stuff!) Apart from doing a "country-house-style" cleaning a few times a year (scrubbing walls, floors, ceilings and everything in between) I rely on scented products to make my environment smell a little better than it would if I simply relied on open windows and elbow grease. I'm a big user/addict of, pardon the cuteness, candles (fire), diffusers (twigs) and incense (smoke).
Like all scented products, home fragrance prices have skyrocketed; this post will concentrate on "affordable" (or at least reasonably priced) items. Please chime in with your own favorites in all categories. The comments from my recent soap post provided sensational ideas for soap fiends; I hope this article will generate the same response for home fragrances fanatics.
L'Artisan Parfumeur Île Bourbon candle
(vanilla); 175g; $70; 45 hr burn time
This is the most expensive item on my list; and, unfortunately, these days, $70 for an "up-market" candle is almost bargain pricing. I'm a vanilla guy in the sense I love vanilla-flavored foods and vanilla-scented home fragrance items. Île Bourbon presents a natural-smelling vanilla bean aroma that's not too sweet. As one layers perfume, you can layer home fragrances. If you can be extravagant, layer Île Bourbon with L'Artisan's beautiful Amber candle (this is a great combo for winter — powerful enough to banish cooking AND animal, two-legged and four-legged, odors from your home).
Kaufmann Mercantile Beeswax Tealight Candles
six for $12; each tealight lasts for approximately 5 hours; at Kaufmann Mercantile
Let's now turn to the least expensive item (almost free at $12!): beeswax tealights. These lights smell of...beeswax (that earthy honey-tinged scent). Beeswax is one of the very few home fragrance aromas I use at dinner parties; the natural beeswax scent doesn't interfere with the taste of food (for me, anyway). Kaufmann even sells beeswax birthday cake candles (see below), 12 for $5, if you want to recreate a Colonial America celebration. Kaufmann sells a large variety of beeswax candles: pillars, votives, tapers.
Compagnie de Provence Summer Grapefruit Fragrance Diffuser
(fresh citrus notes, spearmint, geranium, thyme, orange blossom); 100 ml; $26; 8-10 weeks
Diffusers are the workhorses of home fragrance. The average six-ounce candle burns for about 45 hours. A 100 ml diffuser scent should last at least eight weeks; that's 1,344 hours of constant scent (without the threat of burning down your house or singeing pet whiskers). If you find a diffuser scent that you like and that works as it should you've saved lots of money. Compagnie de Provence makes great diffusers...they really diffuse scent, and the scents smell good, not artificial. Summer Grapefruit has a perky aroma: a fruity-floral that's not too sweet (or feminine).
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lemon Verbena Room Freshener
8 oz; $5; at Mrs. Meyer's
Let's say I'm sitting around the house and someone unexpectedly knocks at the door. Let's say I had a fried-egg sandwich earlier with my morning coffee and "forgot" to clean the skillet or toss the coffee grounds. What I need is an air refresher (that does not smell like perfume) to 'clean' the air FAST. I keep Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lemon Verbena room spray next to my front door. Its light aroma smells of herbal verbena with tinges of cool iris and tomato leaf; it's a sheer but lasting air freshener.
Nippon Kodo Mainichi-Koh Kyara (Aloeswood) Deluxe
300 sticks; $20; 30 min burn per stick
Because of the aforementioned felines in my home (and their little lungs) I don't burn much incense in my house (funny how I don't care about my own lungs and particulate matter!) In summer, I light incense on my front porch or back deck and let the scent drift inside. My go-to incense (though I have almost 50 varieties at this writing) is Nippon Kodo aloeswood incense, a soft/powdery, sweet aloeswood perfume that I'd buy in a split second if it were available in liquid perfume form.
Voluspa Warm Perique Tabac candle
(perique tabac, antique leather, "worn wooden floors"); various sizes/burn times: $12-$29, 50-120 hours
Voluspa is one of the few candle makers that realize the importance of DOUBLE WICKS — to make sure the entire surface of its candles liquefy with each burn (see "Notes" below). When you buy a Voluspa candle you'll get your money's worth: no waste. At present, Voluspa favors candles with a gourmand element (in almost all blends, even florals). I chose Warm Perique Tabac (inspired by perique tobacco) because, though I've never smoked, I love tobacco/warm-pipe/cigar aromas. This blend is strong but sweet, with a dark, vanilla bean background.
Thompson Ferrier Bulgarian Rose candle
(rose, cassis, vanilla orchid, lilac, strawberry seed, honey), 13.2 oz; $68; 85 hr burn time
I feel guilty writing about a candle scent that's JUST been discontinued (WHY? It smells wonderful!) But you can still find this online (on sale!) if you search long enough (I found mine for $35). To put it simply, this candle smells like Diptyque's L'Ombre dans l'Eau perfume, a fruity rose blend. The candle is beautiful and burns evenly and cleanly. Thanks to Bulgarian Rose, I plan on exploring other scents by Thompson Ferrier.
Notes on Candles and Diffusers
In order to utilize every drop of scented wax and diffuser oil, follow these tips:
Candles
When you burn your candle, make sure the entire top of the candle turns to liquid. If you are the type who lights your candles, lets them burn a few minutes to release fragrance, then blows them out: you will get an "ugly" (and wasteful) burn. An ugly burn is when your candle forms a "core"...with lots of wasted wax build-up along the sides of the glass — your wick will burn away before the precious, scented wax does. Quite a few expensive brands have this "core" tendency due to the wax blends used, even if you allow the candle to burn for hours (I'm looking at YOU, Diptyque). If you notice that the candle wax liquefies unevenly, reposition the wick to the center after allowing the candle to burn at least 30 minutes.
Trim the wick to 1/4 inch before each burn (this makes the candle burn at a slower rate and cuts down on candle smoke and flickering flames).
Finally, keep your candles away from drafts; a strong draft will affect the liquefying pattern of the wax.
Diffusers
Diffusers come with "reeds"; I've found that using half the reeds for the first half of the diffuser's life and the reserved reeds for the final half will aid in the diffusion of the perfume; in other words, if your diffuser will last six weeks and comes with eight reeds, use four reeds for three weeks, then use the remaining four (fresh) reeds for the final three weeks. Reverse the reeds in the container once a week (meaning: plunge the dry ends of the reeds into the oil and let the wet ends "air out" atop the container).
Often, you pay lots more for fancy diffuser containers than for the oils in them; I buy brands that sell fragrant oil refills so I never have to buy a duplicate (and expen$ive) container every time I want a particular diffuser scent.
Now: please share your own recommendations!
Excellent article as always, Kevin!
My go to home fragrance is a Bath and Body Works candle called Summer Boardwalk. Unfortunately, I think it’s been discontinued, but it’s unbelievably evocative of a summer day spent strolling along a boardwalk, with its smells of caramel corn and cotton candy and a delicious ocean breeze. The throw is intense, and after burning, the scent lingers for days!
caffeinequeen: and perhaps something FRIED? HA. Now I’m thinking about candy popcorn…from the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD!
I am reluctant to burn candles, since I have four cats. Even putting them on my mantle where generally the cats can’t reach make me nervous. Of course that may be because one of my cats uses me as a trampoline to reach the top of my bookshelves, my mantle, closet shelves etc. What I’m more worried about are the fumes candle give off. I know that they aren’t good for birds, but does anyone know about cats? I’ve never liked incense, but I may look around for some diffusers. I do have one Pacifica candle in Tibetan Mountain Temple, that I never light. However, just the unlit candle itself has enough throw that I can smell it throughout my living room.
Priscilla: I’ve never heard anything specific about candles and cats/dogs…but if you let a candle smoke, it can’t be good for anyone to breathe. Thankfully these days candle wicks are cotton and waxes are more often soy or coconut … non-toxic blends of wax.
I have an Archipelago Botanicals three-wick lidded candle in Kashmir that I have had (unlit) for four years. It is still so strongly scented I only leave it open for 20 minutes at a time.
Archipelago used to do a private reserve series a couple of years ago and the number 83 was my favourite ever – it was made to evoke the sensation of walking along the banks of the Seine in Paris on a summers evening – if you closed your eyes it had a wonderful evocative scent. The candle was a very reasonable £25 for 55hr burn time
nathan: interesting! I guess I should start sniffing Archipelago once more…they are sold all over Seattle.
monkeytoe: wow…I always think of Archipelago as more mildly scented! I’ll have to sniff that scent next time I see it.
Oh Kevin, I’m guessing that the Roja Dove ‘ESSENCE OF FORTNUMS’ Reed Diffuser I saw yesterday when shopping in London which was £550.00 for 75cl of fragrance (just the fragrance in a plain plastic bottle) and an additional £850 for the crystal bottle to actually put the scent into – coming in at a total of £1400 is slightly over your affordability threshold for this posting ? Lol. I needed smelling salts after seeing the price.
nathan: that is certifiably insane! HA!
Great suggestions, and I’m going to look for that Bulgarian Rose candle!
But I have a question—do you ever have a problem with your two cats and the diffuser reeds? Do you have to keep them out of the kitties’ reach, or does the scent of the oil deter them? My cat will steal and play with all kinds of reed-like objects… pencils, pens, chopsticks, asparagus spears, carrots, uncooked spaghetti… He doesn’t try to eat them so much as just bat them around and eventually send them under the furniture, so an oil-soaked diffuser reed seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
Janice…my cats leave everything alone unless it’s edible…so I’m lucky. They don’t ever go near candles either…but I always put the diffusers up high so humans or cats won’t topple them and cause a mess.
Interesting and informative post, Kevin! I buy a scented candle or spray every couple of years and then forget to use them, but I’m delighted to find a source of beeswax tea lights… and travel candles… lots of other intriguing things on that site, too… this could be an expensive post!
I do sometimes use to use Annick Goutal Noël candles in December, but the usual that stores did not stock them this year, as far as I could tell. I wonder if they are discontinued? They showed up on a discount site, and I bought a couple of boxes, just in case.
Noz: love the Noel room spray, too. I’ve always had good luck with Goutal candles.
I love Aquiesse brand candles, which are very nice quality and findable at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. My favorite is No 025, Sandalwood Vanille, a wonderful smokey, musky true vanilla. I love incense too and burn it all year long, the trick being to purchase good incense without the bamboo stick core. NipponKodo ka-fuh Hinoki sticks, 120 per pack, burn time about 25 minutes and well under $10 are probably my fave, they remind me most of my childhood in Japan and if you are a fan of the scent of cedar I encourage you to give it a go. They also have a Fiddlehead Fern scent I really like. There is a wonderful blog devoted to incense called Olfactory Rescue Service, in case any of you would like to join Kevin and I in falling down the incense rabbit hole!
StinkerKit! thanks for the info…love hinoki aromas and must look at the fiddlehead fern now….
Aquiesse candles are wonderful. There’s one calls Pomegrante Sage that is just amazing. I am stockpiling them from TJMaxx before they are gone!!!
Katrina…just did a search and see these are sold all over Seattle…will give them a sniff…thanks.
I’m chiming in to agree about the Aquiesse candles, and candles in general at Marshall’s. I use candles all over my house, quite often, and although I love lines like Cire Trudon and L’Artisan, I simply burn through (sorry) too many candles to regularly buying high end. I’ve found that many mid-range candle makers now offer better than average scents. My most recent favorite is Absinthe and Oud from Makers of Wax Goods.
LisaD…thanks for that … Makers’ birch just called out my name! Ha!
I love that you keep room spray by your front door! I am going to adopt this immediately!
And thanks for the tips on reed diffusers. I’ve always been stumped on how to make them work better…
eswift: you’re welcome!
I’m a big fan of the diffuser scents from Alora Ambiance. A bit more expensive than your l’Artisan Perfumeur candle however. The company also sells candles in the range of fragrances. Bimbi is a personal favorite as is Fico and I’ve recently tried one of their new fragrances Toscana. The large size diffuser usually lasts at least 5 months and they have specials/bogo from time to time. I think you would enjoy the range and so might your cats.
Guerlainguy…thanks…indeed…they offer 16 oz diffusers, so the prices aren’t bad at all. Have you tried their soaps?
These are some of just the recent candles I have enjoyed. I like Voluspa too and just finished Yuzu Rose Stonecrop which I loved. I am not a floral candle person, but I first smelled this burning at Anthropologie and was drawn to the scent to discover it was this one burning and surprised it doesn’t really come across as a floral. I agree two to three wicks are great for a good burn. I currently am burning Linnea’s Lights Wild Fern scent which my kind of scent. The burn is perfect because Linnea’s Lights has two wicks and it is a great smaller American candle company and I like their Cashmere scent too. Trapp Frankincense and Rain has a light springtime incense quality about it, but I think it is limited edition and I am not sure if it will be gone soon. And I absolutely love Nest candles in Cedar Leaf & Lavender(herbal, relaxing), Japanese Black Current(late summer/autumnal harvest), Ocean Mist & Sea Salt(a trip to the seaside), and also Lemongrass & Ginger(refreshing for the kitchen). I love beeswax candles too and Creative Candles are my favorite source for them. As you can tell I love candles! Thank you for your suggestions, I’ll try to check them out.
Green: you’re welcome…and thanks for all your suggestions too.
One way to save a “tunneling” jar candle is with a little collar made out of foil. The foil reflects the heat back down on the sides of the candle, while letting it draw oxygen from the center. It doesn’t work perfectly on the most severe cases but it’s always worth a try.
For affordable but lovely candles, I like Henri Bendel (two candles for $50), Archipelago Botanicals (even though the jars are ugly), Voluspa, and Aquiesse. Nest candles are pricy but sometimes show up at discounters like Marshalls and Home Goods — in fact, those are good places to find a lot of luxury candles, if you’re patient and can wade through all the Chesapeake Bay/Yankee candle/random cheapo stuff.
Thalia: thanks for the foil tip. Also, I’ve been known to melt leftover wax (if there’s lots of it) and make tea lights or smaller candles..it’s easy to find fresh wicks.
BTW, I don’t think those Aquiesse candles will be available at Marshalls and TJs much longer. As far as I can tell, they changed their packaging design and also added a lid to the jars recently, and dumped all the old stock into the discounters. So for a while they were flooded, but I think the backlog is almost gone because I see them much less often. So while you have the chance, stock up! Here the going price is $13 for a $30 candle, so they’re a steal! I love the Embers, Rioja and Woodland scents, and I’ve heard the linen one is great too.
Ooo thanks for the tip and recommendations! Like stinker_kit, I love the Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanille and also found a great fruity one, both at Nordstrom Rack. I’ll have to search at Marshalls next time.
Thalia is correct. There is definitely a seasonality to finding discounted Aquiesse candles. There are bunches and then there is none until the Holiday time in Winter. So you can find them now at the discounters but the stock will dry up until December/January.
Like Kevin I am also a big fan of home scents. Favorite candles include: Caldrea, yes yes the kitchen cleaning product company. I am burning Ginger Pomelo right now for a breath of freshness. I am a HUGE fan of Illume and find them a bargain candle. Favs are Roasting Chestnut and Hot Buttered Rum for cold weather and Mango in the summer. Another fan of Voluspa, their wood smoke and their Baltic Amber are regulars. I also do incense and burning paper. Blackbird cones in Nahk are like a middle eastern bazaar. Astier de Villatte in Delhi, expensive, but you get 100-6in sticks of solid incense, not wood coated in incense powder like most. I also have a pretty hefty bundle of solid incense I bought in Bhutan at an incense factory but it’s mixed and not really a brand. I don’t use diffuser oils. But my CHEAP and cheerful trick is an old basic, water in a pot, sprinkle in cinnamon or a dash of vanilla and heat on stove.