I don't think I used to think of linden as calming, particularly, but lately I find Astier de Villatte Grand Chalet just that. ("It was here, in this unique landscape with its healing climate, that the painter Balthus made his home, enchanted by the fragrances of milk, honey and hints of citrus from the ancient lime trees that surrounded his studio.") If I had more money to invest in calm, I'd consider the ceramic candle ($140 at Sue Fisher King, or you can get the glass version for $85) and as long as I was investing so much in calm, I might as well throw in the kitty lid, $100).
The daily lemming
Aha, more spendy candles for my lemming list (luckily for my wallet, almost nothing will move me to actually buy a spendy candle): the new Townhouse Collection from Jo Malone. I'll take the Green Tomato Vine (shown), but you can also pick from Wild Berry and Bramble; Pastel Macaroons; Glowing Embers; Lilac Lavender & Lovage; and Fresh Fig & Cassis. They're done in ceramic designs inspired by Georgian architecture, 300g for £90 each. Due to launch in October but you can admire them now at Selfridges.
The daily lemming
I sorta wish Kevin had not told me about Cire Trudon's latest, a collaboration with Balmain, but I suppose I would have found out about it eventually. "Building upon that longstanding relationship, the new Balmain x Trudon candle is the result of a unique partnership between the two Parisian houses. The container and perfume reflect the distinctive savoir-faire and style of both Balmain and Trudon. The striking container, inspired by the pattern of Balmain’s iconic marinière, relies on horizontal stripes and the house’s two signature colors: gold and black. The meticulous creation process relies on an initial hand application of gold leaf upon the clear glass, before it is lacquered in black - resulting in many fine cracks, ensuring that each candle is truly unique. The fragrance features leathery notes, Atlas cedarwood, gunpowder, cigar notes and a mysterious and distinguished black rose." $150 for the 270g, $650 for the massive 2.8 kg.
The (almost) daily lemming
Pumpkin spice season starts in earnest around early August, so we're already late. One of Voluspa's efforts (yes, there are more), the Mini Spiced Pumpkin Latte Candle Pairing Gift Set, with 72g votive candles in Whipped Coconut Crema, Kabocha Pumpkin Pulp, Cinnamon Spiced Brulée and Fluffy Vanilla Marshmallow, $38 at Sephora.
Lingers like the melancholy ramblings of an old inebriate
This sounds like an admirable scheme and the descriptions of the candles on the website are great: “The Local”, which “evokes the classic British boozer” and “lingers like the melancholy ramblings of an old inebriate”; “The Cinema” which boasts “salt popcorn”, “a fug of recirculated air” and “just the faintest whisper of third base in the back row”; and “The Festival” which features “sun-warmed cider”, “dew-damp sleeping bag” and “the merest shimmer of distant Portaloo”.
— David Mitchell of The Guardian takes a look at pandemic candle spending; above he is talking about a charity effort from the brand Earl of East, Scents of Normality. Read more in Why the scented candle really gets on my wick.