To have nearly fainted at the price of Jo Malone candles

[MarjorieChardem]

Thought I'd look at some stuff for my Mum's birthday and heard good stuff about the Jo Malone candles so just had a quick look on Amazon...

EIGHTY FUCKING QUID!!! For a candle. That you burn. I mean it could smell like unicorn farts and rainbows and eighty quid would be ridiculous! I am frankly stunned.

Why though? What am I missing here? What else should I avoid for the sake of my blood pressure?

nowt you can't do with a bit of twine and earwax

I've got a few different ones, they make the house smell gorgeous! And people love them as presents in my experience! The normal sized ones are £40 incl a silver top tho?

Check out this one at Selfridges! £420!

try John Lewis next time you feel like fainting dead away OP. I can't believe anyone would pay that for a candle.

for a more realistic price try Penhaligons though even they have some at mad mad prices

they are the best tho ...and last ages! fantastic christmas pressie

Even if I had the money I wouldn't buy one, the name puts me off.

To me it sounds trashy, do they do a ' Vicky Pollard' one?

Who the hell is Jo anyway?

Make some. Seriously. Two weeks ago I read about making them on here. One drunken night I ordered soy wax, wicks and fragrance oils... I'm on a candle making roll.

So far I've made three warm amber: four "baies": one lime, mandarin and basil, two rose and night jasmine and one winter fir. I also made some frankincense and myrrh wax tarts. All amazingly easy to make and all smell brilliant - not quite as good as dyptique candles, and I'm talking a tiny bit though - but about twenty times better than anything you can buy in supermarkets and most of TKMaxx (occasionally the same firm who supply dyptique turn up in there and I buy them all up terrified others will find them )

If you love candles do try this. And they make lovely presents too. I put them in all sorts of cute containers, anything that's not cracked or chipped will do. I did some glass ramekins with nice material lids on and they were gorgeous.

Yankee are pretty grim. Synthetic and cheap smelling.

Jo Malone ones are nice but diptique are nicer : )

I'd love to do a blind smell test, inc Fanny's own ones

Shall I be the sanctimonious arse that says anyone who spends £260 on a candle when there are people starving needs a damn good slap?

I really love Yankee candles. They are an affordable indulgence, and so much choice.

Years ago my now SIL bought me a Jo Malone candle as a flat warming present. I had no idea it was expensive, nice or anything else. I merely thought it was a smelly candle, said thank you and stuck it on a shelf.

She must have hated me

I got a set of 3 for my mum from the Jo Malone website. They were £60

Bleh I went to a JM counter yesterday and got pounced on by a sales assistant. She sprayed my wrist with something that smelt strongly of that mouthrinse the dentist gives you

The other wrist smelt of men's aftershave.

I am not impressed.

We went to the JM shop this afternoon. Dp felt like he'd been robbed. The chap in front of us bought 3 super large ones!!!

I have to confess to a predilection for Jo Malone.

I have Lime, Basil & Mandarin burning as I speak. My sitting room will still smell of it tomorrow.

I got some lovely soya non smoking candles in lovey little jars in the pound shop.
I put essential oils in them and they're fab.

What about those Diptique ones? They're pricey too aren't they? Wonder are they worth all the hype.

I also love Yankee Candles, I have Christmas ones from last year still going and I like to buy a new one to put up after the decorations have been taken down to think of the coming Spring.

Excuse me for half an hour whilst I just go and punch my sister in the face, very very hard.

sock why are you punching your sister in the face?

I've got loads of them - some presents, some treats to myself. I just burn them a little at a time so they last me ages - literally years. I love to burn one when I'm having a relaxing bath or light one in the downstairs loo when we're having guests or in the living room when having a cosy night in with DH.

Smell is such a personal thing I can understand people not liking them/preferring yankee candles/whatever. I like the purity of Jo Malone scents, much less 'chemically' than other brands (candles or perfumes). I currently have grapefruit on the go in the living room, pear and freesia in the loo, wild fig and cassis in the guest room, both pomegranite noir and vanilla and anise in my bathroom. Oh and a small lime basil and mandarin in the kitchen family room. And I have a small stash in my shelf awaiting burning .

And I don't feel bad about having these little luxurious touches in my life. I love them, my DH and I worked/work so hard for our lovely life, I like it to smell lovely too. Doesn't mean we don't pay our taxes or donate loads to charity!

I never understood the appeal of a candle. If my place smells funny I clean it. If I want to relax I burn some essential oils in an oil burner that cost $10. I bought the oils online about 5 years ago for $30 and I think I have about another 5 years worth left. If I want to look at a flame I either get the fire going or put the christmas channel (shows picture of a fireplace) on the television and mute it.

Hell would have to freeze over before I bought a gift candle. I regift the ones given to me to people I don't like! Tea lights and dinner candles all come from ikea.

Oh and Jo Malone isn't even involved in the business anymore. She sold up years ago and now her restrictive covenants have expired she's doing the "Jo Loves" range and has a new shop, in Belgravia I think.