The perfect gift when you can’t think of anything else to buy! I don’t know anyone in my life really who doesn’t love a great candle, well, generally blokes excluded.
I used to feel like I couldn’t just wrap that up on it’s own and over compensated with silly bits and bobs to pad it out but the older I get, the more discerning I become with my purchases and now its only fantastic quality wicks that float my boat which I feel confident are good enough as a stand alone gift.
I always load up with great value and cute packaging Bath & Body Works candles when we go to America, or Dubai as I don’t fancy paying the duty & taxes you incur when shipping to the UK but lately, the ante has been well and truly upped in Britain with the quality and availability of gorgeously scented, beautifully packaged candles. But home grown talent is flourishing and here are my top picks, British or otherwise.
Let’s start with a real favourite of mine, Grace & Butler. I first discovered this brand when I was rushing to a spin class at David Lloyd. The two women behind the brand had set up a beautifully lit, sweetly scented pop up shop and had the most glorious aromas floating around where I’d used find the smell of sweat and testosterone. I have one of these up for grabs so stay tuned to the end of this post!
Chatting with these gorgeous super-friendly BFF Essex girls, I discovered the labour of love that was G&B and how bloody hard they were working to get their beloved products out there. My favourite from the range is this which fills my home with luxurious notes of lemongrass and lime.
I hope to see them stocked in the best shops on the high street some day soon as they certainly deliver on quality and value! £25 for around a 50 hour burn time is not to be sniffed at!
Next up, let’s go to household name Elemis. A big chunky quality number, the ‘sleep’ one from the range is a touch of luxe for your boudoir! At £36 it’s a good price for a trusted brand and as long as the burn time matches the addictive scent, it’s a value gift for anyone. This one maxes out a nice 40 hour burn time – can’t argue with that!
Now, Annick Goutal is a classy lassie, a real chic, high-end lady and her extensive fragrance and candle range is understandably a cult buy. Now my fave is my Eau De Hadrien and I can’t get enough of them but if you want to bag one for yourself, shop around as I found Liberty’s had them a cheeky clear tenner more expensive than this website here
My gorgeous friend Jess is the founder of new kid on the block brand Lara Quin and is flying off the shelves in John Lewis.
If you want to know why the range is so called, I’m not going to tell you, just pop over and check out the website for a real feel good story. I just really hope one day we get to meet Lara Quin! Burn time 55 hours, average price £30 – extremely reasonably priced, and in the most perfect rose gold Instagram-perfect packaging, you can’t go wrong with this range!
Owen Drew was not, I admit, a name I’d heard of until recently and when I saw a press release of them I almost deleted UNTIL I saw a picture. These are the kind of lustworthy specimens I want dotted all over my home to feel like I live the kind of life I see on Instagram!
I hyperventilated a bit when I saw their rose gold collection on their website, I mean, it is actual perfection!!!! My house is mainly silver so I plumped for this chic dark amber & incense encased in rich metallic which stands out a mile in my home as not only a gorgeous smell but exquisite decor.
At £60 it’s not the cheapest but worth the investment for the look and the luxury feel alone, let alone the fact it has a burn time of 100 hours and is made from 100% natural soy wax blended with the finest fragrance and individually hand-poured in England. Sold!
Now, can we just take a moment to talk about the sexy mofo range from The Chapel? Who? Yep, I get it but it’s my job to bring you the newest and the best of the best, right? Well this is a name to remember from now on! Go on their website if even just out of curiosity – it has sounds accompanying each scent, what an interactive experience!
They do a few, including the gorgeous Oparus, (pictured) but my absolute fave is this Noctula which first grabbed my attention for the look of it as it’s all rolling stones-meets-iconic-dripping-lips graphics and so utterly Instagramable.
Once I’d actually smelt it I was hooked on the juicy red fruits scent and citrusy vibes. An 80 hour burn time and a price tag of £65, this is pricey but oh-so worth it.
My final tip for the top wick would be this funky Etro Ambra candle. Etro prints are among some of the most recognisable in fashion and their candle range is no different. £40 quid buys you 40-50 hours of burn time and a whole lot of street cred! I feel a bit fancy just having one in my home!
So there you are, now I promised you a giveaway and here you go.Simply enter via the Rafflecopter below to win a fab Grace & Cole candle and good luck!
*Each of these candles were gifted to me but that’s because they are my faves and I spend my hard earned on them every other time!All feelings and opinions are, as always, mine*
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