Looking for expert guidance to design your

Leave your information and we will call you to book your preferred consultation slot

Please enter your Full Name
Please enter your Mobile Number
Please enter your Pincode
Please enter your Email ID

Everything you need to learn about the art of buying—and savouring—candles

  • Tips & Tricks
Oct 17, 2019

Our candle-obsessive writer explains the sensory appeal of the beloved home accessory, the best you should buy, and the rituals you must undertake in order to experience a candle fully

 

What is it about smell that makes it the most visceral of all our senses? Scent is a time machine—it can transport you back to your childhood and the wafting spices of grandma’s baking, or dial us back to beachside vacations where salty air mingles with the fragrance of suntan lotion and fruity cocktails. That’s why perfumes are such an impulsive and deeply personal purchase: you can have an army of experts tell you which one is the most technically perfect scent is, but eventually, you will go with what speaks to your heart and gut.

 

For me, scented candles fall into the same category. The ritual of trimming the wick to just the right size, lighting the candle and breathing in its silage is an almost meditative experience. Like many others, I’m obsessive about the candles I allow into my collection, and light specific ones at different times of the year: Diptyque’s most popular candle Baies (or berries) is my summer burn of choice, and so are Nest Fragrances’ Bamboo and Birchwood Pine. For fall, I veer towards tobacco-scented flavours, while in winter, the smell of woodfire from Diptyque’s Feu de Bois sends a comforting message. At nostalgic moments, I’ll light a wick to take me back in time—Indian brand Niana manufactured the signature scent for Ananda in the Himalayas, and I light that very sparingly to remind me of the blissful week I spent in the mountain spa.

 

Like fine perfume, good candles can be expensive. Unfortunately, unlike perfume, you can’t test out a candle before buying, so there’s a fair amount of trial and error involved. To be safe, buy one candle from each brand to start, and see how they perform. Often, different scents even from the same brand will perform differently: some might be milder and only fragrance a small corner of the room, while some flavours might permeate through your entire home. In essence, you want to be aware of a few things while testing:

 

  • The first time you light a new candle, allow it to burn for a few hours at the least, so the whole top layer of wax is molten. If you don’t allow that process to take place, your candle will tunnel, or not burn to the edges of the jar.
 
  • Always trim the wick to 1/4 or 1/8 of an inch to keep the candle from burning too quick or smoking. Start with ¼ of an inch and if the candle starts smoking or the flame is too high, trim down even more. Too long a wick will cause the problems mentioned above, but a too-short wick might drown in its own pool of wax and you won’t be able to light it again, or will cause the candle to tunnel, so proceed with caution.
 
  • After you put out a candle, reposition the wick so it’s in the center of the jar. Wicks not positioned correctly will cause an uneven burn and your candle will not melt uniformly in the future.
 
  • A candle’s scent should be evident even as you near the end of the jar: if the scent ceases to be emitted halfway, avoid repurchasing from that brand.
 
  • As for accessories, some are essential: a candle trimmer is a necessity if you’re serious about starting a collection, it allows you to comfortably cut the wick without struggling with a pair of scissors. Secondly, a glass candle shade will help a wick burn more evenly if there is a draught in your room which affects uniform burning.

 

Below are some iconic luxury candle makers and their most beloved scents, as well as a few new contenders and worthy Indian brands.

Byredo
Byredo’s candle names and the themes behind them are as intriguing as their scents. Bibliothèque transports you to a library filled with precious tomes and Apocalyptic tries to imagine a dystopian future, while Chai promises exactly what it says: whiffs of black tea, spices and boiling milk recreate the magic of the founder’s grandmother’s kitchen.

Cire Trudon

Cire Trudon have been in the candle-making business since 1643, so fair to assume they know a thing or two. Their gorgeous handcrafted glass jars with the signature Trudon shield are fine keepsakes after all the goodness of the beeswax candle has melted away. There are two distinct themes running through the scents: nostalgia, which gives us gems like Gabriel (chimney fire) and Carmélite (old mossy walls), while the fruity floral thread has some worthy contenders like  Madurai (Indian jasmine) and Prolétaire (Lily of the Valley).

Bombay Perfumery

This newer contender on the Indian scene has some solidly-made candles with beautiful scents at a great price point. Pondicherry Yellow with facets of coconut, sandalwood and the surprising addition of turmeric make it an unusual yet interesting starter candle.
At various stockists in Mumbai, Delhi Bengaluru, Goa, Kolkata and Jaipur

Jo Malone London

The British fragrance brand has a sizeable candle collection and is one of the few that are currently available in India. For Sonam Kapoor’s mehndi celebrations last year, two of the brand’s scents set the mood: English Pear & Freesia as well as Lime Basil Mandarin.
At Palladium, Mumbai; Select City Walk, Saket and DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Nest Fragrances

Nest’s chic glass jars contain fine fragrances way above their price tag. Rose Noir and OudBamboo, and Grapefruit are forever favourites, and their spicy holiday offerings are a treat for those who can’t get enough of heady spicy and piney fumes.

Astier de Villatte

This Parisian ceramics-maker continues their tradition of making 18th century pottery, but they added candles to their repertoire a decade ago and it’s been a triumph for everyone, most of all candle lovers. Named after places around the globe, their delectable scents are truly unlike no other: in a toss-up between Oulan BatorStromboli and any of the others, only your nose can pick favourites, because they’re all equally stellar.

Looking for expert guidance to design your

Leave your information and we will call you to book your preferred consultation slot

Please enter your Full Name
Please enter your Pincode
Please enter your Mobile Number
Please enter your Email ID

By proceeding, you are authorizing Asian Paints and its suggested contractors to get in touch with you through calls, sms, or e-mail.

tick

Thank You!

We value your interest in Asian Paints - Beautiful Homes. We will get in touch with you to customise your package.

Tell us more and you may qualify for a

special appointment!

Get a special appointment
1/ 4

What’s the status of your home possession?

2/ 4

What’s the condition of your home/space?

prev Previous Question

Will you be living in your space during the renovation ?

, Previous Question
3/ 4

Is your interior design budget over 4 lakhs?

prev Previous Question
, Previous Question
4/ 4

Book next available appointment slots with our experts!

prev Previous Question

DEC 2023

27 FRI
31 MON
1 TUE

JAN 2024

01 WED
02 THU
03 FRI
05 MON
06 TUE
07 WED
08 THU
arrow

Please Select Date and Day

Previous Question

Something went wrong!

We were unable to receive your details. Please try submitting them again.
To reschedule or cancel, call toll-free
Submit again

Appointment Scheduled!

Thank you for giving an opportunity to Asian Paints Beautiful Homes Service! Our Customer Experience Specialist will get in touch with you soon.

Appointment Date & time

17 Oct 23, 03.00PM - 04.00PM

To reschedule or cancel, call toll-free

Thank You!

Our team will contact you for further details.

Similar Articles