In the past decade, scented candles have moved from a basic item to a must-have home staple. Some even take it into the realm of being a lifestyle! Regardless of whether you need a single candle for guests or a collection just for yourself, there’s a candle out there for everyone! Here are the aspects to take into consideration when buying a candle.

1 – Décor

You can’t scroll through Instagram or look at a “shelfie” without seeing candles pop up in every type of vignette. This is where we’ve seen the packaging and vessels that poured candles go into really taken to the next level. Some people don’t even light them, and they become more décor than candle! Whether you light them or not, an artsy candle is a must-have styling accessory for any coffee table, mantle or kitchen shelf. 

Brands have taken to making candles with not just unique scents, but unique containers too! For instance, Kandl Artistique is a Toronto-based family-owned company that gets glass-blown containers from Poland! The blue colour of the glass was inspired by the base-hue of the flame itself. They even have a boutique fragrance lab that even lets customers design the fragrance of their own candle! The durability of glass means that you can reuse the candle jar as a vase later!

2 – Scent

Sometimes we need candles to mask other smells! Like in the bathroom or the kitchen. As much as we love eating, smelling day-old fried onions is never pleasant. For this, you might want a fragrance that won’t be off-putting with food smells. Malin and Goetz have a great line of candles, hand-poured in Brooklyn, that don’t smell like your grandmother.

The Bergamot is my favourite and they take inspiration from traditional apothecary ingredients. They also have some great Man Candle – some people call it a MANDLE – scents here like Dark Rum and Leather!

3 – Relaxation

We often think of using candles to relax in a bubble bath or for meditation and yoga. And scent can help transport us. What you find relaxing is very personal, but many companies have made candles for specific relaxation purposes. Toronto-based company 100 Years of Love has a sleep candle called Bedtime Story. You don’t want to fall asleep with it lit, but with lavender and eucalyptus, this candle is ideal for relaxing into slumber.

Because fragrance is so complex, and in a luxury candle, there are top notes, middle notes and base notes, just like a fine perfume. But fragrance experts know that you can add something unpredictable into the mix with just the right other botanicals and it creates a very memorable fragrance.

I love this “Bestie” scent from Terradomi, which is another local small business and this fragrance actually has Bubblegum as a scent note in it! Another trend we’re seeing in unusual fragrances is Cannabis, and 100 Years of Love has a couple of cannabis candles like Mary Jane which is filled with robust notes of cannabis paired with an earthy and sensual suede finish.

4 – Humor

Lastly, we wanted to share this awesome black and female owned brand called Real Talk. They have great soy-blend candles that are vegan and cruelty-free, but what’s truly special are the messages on the packaging. The owner is also writer and she believes in straight talk, and telling it like it is. Each candle has a message on the front to start conversations, make you laugh and of course, make a great gift. They’re are also different because they have wooden wicks, which create with a gentle crackling sound, almost like a teeny indoor campfire!