Talk some sense into me: candles

[MangosteenSoda]

I, until recently, had an (ir)rational hatred of candles. If there was a thread about stuff people like that you hate, for me it would be candles (and massages and musicals.. but I digress. Just the concept of tea lights would make my eye twitch.

I had a few candles in my house gathering dust because they are the kind of thing that people gift. I don’t know what possessed me, but towards the end of last year, I lit one, an it smelled glorious. It looked pretty too. Anyway, I’ve ended up burning my way through the previously discarded candles - my fireplace looks like a shrine at Lourdes. My home smells divine. I have used several boxes of matches. I fear I am addicted.

I just went to replace the first candle (the gateway drug of candles) and I discovered it costs £15. And after a bit of googling, discovered that’s not even considered expensive in the candle-verse.

What advice do you have? Any recommendations for lovely smelling and pocket friendly candles? I can spend 15 quid on one, but at my burn rate that’s going to get pretty costly. Aibu to just crack on and burn, or should I extinguish my new found habit?

Try The Holly Cottage Chandler on Facebook! The scents are divine, the candles have amazing throw and they're so clean-burning.....no "burnt wax" smell at all. All hand-made in small batches, and the best candles ever in my opinion!

This is a really nice one, they have other scents too

https://meadowfarmlifestyle.co.uk/shop/candles/into-the-woods/

Do you know the name of the shops?

I love the Chesapeake Bay ones - my fave is Joy + Laughter which has a lovely scent and the smell really goes far across the room. Burns for hours and hours and is a really decent price - usually £10. Can get it everywhere, including Amazon.

https://skyecandles.co.uk/collections/scottish-collection
some of these are absolutely lovely and not overwhelming

Thanks MN for the gorgeous recommendations. I have been fully candleverted. There’s no turning back

Trying to avoid this thread but everything sounds so gorgeous!

I think you have invented next year’s entries for the Oxford English Dictionary word of the year!

These look lovely, thank you.

Make your own,you know what goes into them and you can choose from literally hundreds of fragrances..Sooty marks and tunneling candles are not the candles fault ,it is bad users....use them properly ..no soot,no tunneling...all down to the user....

I have a candle going pretty much constantly when I'm working (WFH).

Home Bargains and B&M do huge seasonal ones for a few quid and they last ages (I get a few of the gingerbread, hot cross bun and cinnamon bun ones each year - they smell divine!). Aldi's big Yankee candle copies are great and they had some lovely ones at Christmas too (lovely scents and also good quality wax and decent burn times), and Homesense have an amazing range, though are a little more expensive. I like to get the occasional 'nice' one among the cheaper options. My sister also bought me a proper Yankee candle last year and it was gorgeous and lasted forever.

Shop the sales and clearance sections for a bargain and make it known to friends and family that you love them, as they're easy gifts.

Aldi do one that smells like the Jo Malone one but without the mortgage level price. It's pretty good for a cheap candle. White Company ones are lovely if you can get them half price in the sales/at an outlet shop.

My Yorkshire candle company mystery box turned up.

I got 2 small tins and 3 large plus a room mist.All for £20. All smell nice so I’m very happy.

Ohoh! Just ordered a mystery box, thank you! I did order a few candles from their sale as well earlier this month as well!

Just noticed Highland Soap Company sell candles as well as soap. Going to buy a few!! Love this thread 👏 🙌 ❤️

Sand and Fog at TKMaxx… St Eval Winter Thyme is a cracker however

I can confirm that there’s no talking sense into me Today I have taken delivery of a candle lamp (thanks for all the suggestions). I’m currently using it to melt the Voluspa (spelling?) wax that was left in its tin after the wick finished (almost certainly down to - what I now know, thanks to this thread - my amateurish burning technique). I scooped the left over wax into a glass holder and voila!

Will do the same with what’s left of the Winter Thyme next. Although that wax is much harder and less ‘scoopier’ so not sure if I will successfully manage to transfer it to a glass container.

From now on, I will burn my candles with better strategy to ensure the best longevity. I’ve also learned that stick shaped scented candles are a waste of time. I got some of the St Eval Inspiritus ones because they were on sale and they smell amazing in the box but I can’t perceive the scent when burning. I guess due to there being no wax pool. I might chop up the rest and melt them in a glass jar under the lamp.

I’m so far down this rabbit hole 😶

stand the candle in warm water, this will soften the wax and you can remove it easily,,

Haha. So obvious! I would have been at it with a power drill before I thought of that, so thank you!!

Got my £40 mystery box. Two reed diffusers. 4 small candles and 2 large ones. A real mix of scents! Will be giving a couple of the candles away - they aren't my type of smell. But all in all a good buy.

I have to confess that this thread prompted me to treat myself in the St Eval sale with my Christmas money. Some of the scents are amazing. Favourites so far are Sandalwood, Tranquility and Inspiritus!

I also bought some of the small candles and yes, I agree you need to light two or three at a time to catch the scent. The trouble I have had is finding a candle holder to fit that size of candle - I've been looking everywhere for 'chime' candle and 'spell' candle holders, there are so few around with a small aperture for them (unless you want a 'witchy' holder with pentangles etc on it!)

If by 'chime' candle you mean a thin candle, I was wandering round Sostrene Grene earlier and they seem to have a few. Quite liked the look of https://sostrenegrene.com/en-gb/products/home/candleholder-p-cc25b122

I saw some in John Lewis the other day. I think they held 3 or 4 candles. Glad the thread inspired you

This is the Candle holder I saw. I don’t know if they had other ones but the candle section was surprisingly big (it was my first time).