Spring is finally here (I’m sure those of you in the colder parts of the globe are even more excited than I am)! Spring means the beginning of warmer weather and longer days—and the blooming of wonderfully fragrant spring blossoms. When this time of year rolls around, I usually put together my standard list of “Spring Favorites,” but this year I thought I’d mix things up a bit. My inspiration came from the most unlikely of sources: sports. Anyone close…
I love sharing my new discoveries, and I was extra excited earlier this month when I stumbled upon the Max Benjamin candle line—a luxe Irish brand just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day! I couldn’t help but save it to share today, in celebration of this fun Irish holiday. This quickly growing brand has been around since the early 1990s, and is now distributed throughout Europe and Asia. While it hasn’t made its way to U.S. retailers yet, its 18…
Simple and elegant, pillar candles are one of the most common types of candle. They’re sold without vessels, meaning that the wax itself is formed into a gorgeous and simple cylindrical shape. I love to use these candles to add a rustic element, particularly when putting together a unique table setting that blends elements of old and new. My favorite table settings tend to remind me of the European countryside, drawing upon a mix of items both simple and complex.…
Autoportrait Burn Time: 80 hours Throw: Medium Notes: Fresh and woodsy elemi, sweet Thai benzoin, cedarwood, and grassy vetiver Room Recommendation: Office and living room Price: $85.00 With its warm, smoky, and woodsy fragrance, I adore burning Olfactive Studio’s Autoportrait when I’m working. I find its fragrance incredibly inspirational, perhaps because of the creativity that clearly went into developing this wholly original scent. Every time I experience Autoportrait’s aesthetic wonder, I find it hard not to aspire to create something…
February Valentine’s Day might be over, but the seduction continues! We’ve had an exciting month jam-packed with some of the SEXIEST content I’ve ever written—and I’ve written a LOT! I wanted to share some of the highlights from the month of love just in case you missed anything. Luxury Candles Inspired by Classic Seductresses: Parts I & II That’s right, there were so many amazing seductress-inspired candles that I had to split it into two posts. From Cleopatra to Josephine…
Burn Time: 40 Hours Fragrance Strength: Medium Notes: Citrus oil and juniper with flourishes of lavender, basil, and rosemary. Base notes of white amber and oak moss. Room Recommendation: Office and living room As the brand’s name suggests, Samphire by Laboratory Perfumes feels like it’s the product of endless hours spent in a lab perfecting the recipe for the most appealing fragrance possible. Their entire line has a professional feel that reassures you of the methodical scientific research behind each…
I’m excited to continue my series on luxury candles inspired by classic seductresses—there was such a range of home fragrances honoring these iconic women that I couldn’t fit them all into a single article! Whether you’re taking a bath and basking in Marie Antoinette’s classic fragrance or breathing in the timeless aroma of roses, these gorgeous scents will leave any woman feeling irresistible. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by emulating these fascinating female…
Is it just me, or does that sexy, irresistible seductress from your favorite film or novel often get a bad rap? After all, is it really her fault that she’s so charming, so witty, and so beautiful as to make men trip over themselves trying to win her praise? Inspired by some of the most famous women from history and literature, candle makers have even crafted idyllic fragrances in their honor, penning their own “love poems” to these unforgettable women…
Wax Type: High quality vegetable and paraffin wax blend Burn Time: 50–60 hours Throw: Medium Notes: Damascena, the damask rose; and centifolia, the May rose Room Recommendation: Living room or bedroom The brand’s limited edition release in celebration of Valentine’s Day, Diptyque’s Rosa Mundi embodies that feeling when you’re walking hand-in-hand with you’re love and the first warm spring breeze hits your cheek after a long, cold winter. Expertly blending roses and soft powder, this candle exudes the freshness and…
Wax Type: Beeswax blend Burn Time: 55–60 hours Throw: Strong Notes: Freshly cut stems, bergamot, violet leaf, lily, tuberose, jasmine, rose, and so much more. Room Recommendation: Living room, bedroom, office—this versatile scent works in nearly any space! Victoria Cator’s Casablanca is a floral lover’s dream. As the fragrance fills a room, it feels like fresh flowers are blossoming around me—almost as if I were Demeter herself, the Greek goddess of the harvest. While lit, the aroma of jasmine and…
There are as many varieties of women (and men!) as there are flowers in the world, so why not pick a more unique flower for your love this Valentine’s Day? And what better way to keep the feeling going all year long than with a luxury candle to prolong the heady fragrance of your bouquet? To keep my celebration of Valentine’s season going, I’ve designed four gorgeous bouquets featuring some of the more romantic, meaningful, and fragrant flowers out there,…
I can’t hide it any longer, I’m in love… with oud! Pronounced üd, or, as I like to think of it, “oooooh’d,” I can’t get enough of this full-bodied, sensual fragrance. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I just had to share my love affair with oud with you, my faithful readers. Who knows, it just might inspire you to burn this manly, musky scent and turn up the heat with your boo this February 14th! Oud is the…
While many of us look forward to the romance inspired by Valentine’s Day each year, the saint who inspired this holiday is actually as romantic as the event itself! During the third century AD, marriage was made illegal for Roman soldiers—Emperor Claudius thought that having a spouse distracted his soldiers from their work. Believing wholeheartedly in the power of true love, legend has it that a priest named Valentine chose to secretly marry these couples despite the royal decree. When…