Scent Snob

Facebook Top Fan December 2011 - Kathy Muelker

2012-01-11T11:39:00.000-05:00

Guest Post by Kathy Muelker
December Facebook Top Fan

My love affair with luxury candles began on Valentine’s Day 2010. My husband and I took a weekend trip to a nearby small town known for its quaint gift shops, antique stores, and rustic charm. We sauntered in and out of several shops along the main street, but one particular gift shop stood out. Upon entering the store I was immediately drawn in by a wonderful fragrance, which enticed me to explore further. The source of the lovely aroma was a candle, burning steadily and beautifully. The fragrance was Trapp Lemongrass Verbena, and I just had to have it. I was already a big fan of lemongrass—in love with the mildly sweet and refreshing citrus fragrance, but the addition of vanilla in this candle added a calming, tranquil effect. After lingering in the shop for what seemed like hours and sniffing all the Trapp candles, my husband agreed that Lemongrass Verbena was a good choice. In addition to the candle, we purchased the home fragrance mist and a couple of votives. Thus, the addiction was born.

After happily burning my new candle every day, I searched the web to see where I could buy more Trapp products. I found several online sources and a few local retailers who carried Trapp. I spent quite a bit of time perusing websites, reading and comparing, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the vast selection of luxury home fragrance products. Several more weeks passed before I finally decided to place an online order with Candles off Main. I found their website appealing and easy to navigate, and I enjoyed reading the blog posts too. Their active Facebook page made the ‘who-will-get-my-business?’ decision even easier. I found useful information, fun contests/giveaways, and a growing number of fans who seemed helpful and friendly. After all, I was (and still am) a true novice when it comes to luxury home fragrances. I lurked and learned for many weeks before I built up the courage to post on the COM Facebook page.

Fast forward many months—and now I feel like part of the family, posting photos of my candles and joining the discussions. I continue to learn a great deal from the faithful fans and customers of Candles off Main, and I appreciate all the great tips and personal recommendations. I can’t say enough about the exceptional service I’ve received as a COM customer, and I’ll continue as a ‘top fan’ until my flame burns out.

I’m grateful that Candles off Main maintains a strong social media presence and allows candle fanatics to congregate in a virtual safe haven—their Facebook page. For those of us who live thousands of miles from the shop in Annapolis (which I dream of visiting someday), we have a cozy place to share our enthusiastic love of luxury candles and home fragrances.

My 3 favorite products at Candles off Main:

Voluspa Mandarino Cannela
The fragrance of this candle is a refined blend of orange and cinnamon—but not your typical holiday fragrance. There is a spirited and sophisticated vibe, with a robust note of fresh ginger peeking through to grab your attention. The vanilla adds a luxurious creaminess, and the nutmeg perfectly complements the other components. Mandarino Cannela has a sanguine quality that is invigorating--and quickly brightens a dull day. The red glass vessel adds an extra touch of distinction to this beautiful fragrance, and I’ll never tire of it.

Aura Karma
It’s difficult to choose my favorite Aura candle, but Karma stands out as the perfect soft blend of sweetness and spiciness. A purifying fragrance emerges from this candle and wraps me in its arms, filling my spirit with peacefulness. When I burn this candle at the end of an arduous day, the lovely aroma filters the toxins and carries them away. Serenity is mine, and a restful sleep awaits me. If this fragrance is my “fate” then so be it—I readily accept it.

Voluspa Macaron
Macaron is a confectionery delight for my senses, yet more comforting and soothing than a cookie or pastry could ever be. There’s a deep, rich quality to this fragrance that I imagine is scrumptiously similar to a genuine Macaron de Paris. I can’t get enough of this candle; it leaves me wanting more and more. The perfect complement to a relaxing bubble bath, I usually prefer to stay in close proximity to this candle because the throw is not as strong as other Voluspa candles. However, the divine aroma is a panacea for all problems, big and small. All is well in my world after burning Macaron.

I must mention a few other favorites that were contenders for my top 3: Votivo Clean Crisp White, Aura Muse, Trapp Sexy Cinnamon, and Aquiesse Monterey Pine.

Linnea's Lights Blog Contest Winner - Caitlin Feener

2011-12-06T13:47:00.001-05:00

Guest post by Caitlin Feener
for Linnea's Light Blog Contest - Winner!

A Mother’s Nose Always Knows

I have my mother’s eyes, her keen sense of direction, and unwavering compassion for all forms of life. But above all of these wonderful traits, plus many more, I inherited her unbelievable sense of smell.

And when I say unbelievable, I mean unbelievable.

Considering that I could probably apply for a job with the FBI as a drug and body-sniffing police dog, inheriting my mother’s sense of smell has had its ups and downs. I have watched my mother do mold inspections while house hunting using nothing but her single handy-dandy nose tool. I have witnessed her relocate my child self to certain areas in a room due to faint detections of human excrement in the air. And I have watched her face cringe in disdain over “that horrible undertone” she smelled in just about every single perfume or lotion I excitedly brought home during my teenage years.

While our sharp noses haven’t always been a picnic for either one of us (especially when my brother hit puberty and had a constant musk of grease, dirt and oil about him, which was later coined as the “adolescent boy” scent), my inherited sense of smell but has also allowed me to experience some of the most incredible moments in life.

My nose is like a camera, capturing the essence of a certain place in time. When I walk into any home, I can smell the carpet, the dinner cooking in the oven, the air freshener, the walls, and the faint trace of memories—all bundled into one unique and unforgettable package. I can smell vacations—Santa Barbara smells like cherry candy and ocean air. Oregon smells like marionberries and pine trees. Grass Valley smells like lavender, and France smells like Campari, rainy days, and Amber Myrrh lotion. I can smell my childhood bedroom. I can smell playing outside on warm summer nights. I can smell the first time I fell in love. And I will always and forever be able to smell my mom.

My mom is a rose. Maintaining a rose garden in every house we’ve lived in, she would plant a particular rose bush for different people in her life. I was always the Peace rose. Rose is always a note that I know my mom will enjoy in a candle or a perfume. She adores Votivo Rush of Rose—such a pure representation of what a rose really smells like. I recently had the opportunity to smell Carriére Fréres Damask Rose blend was completely captivated by the alluring, mysterious blend. I can’t wait to surprise my mom with this candle at Christmas this year—I know she will love it.

My mom is tea. When I was a child, I have many memories of my mom sitting her pitcher in the sun so she could have a large batch of fresh iced tea. I used to hate the stuff unless I added tablespoons of sugar, but I still loved the smell of her lemon tea basking in the sun. To this day, tea is still her drink of choice. Tocca Bianca has captivated her soul, and she wears the gorgeous green tea lemon-scented perfume every single day. She has also recently discovered the wonderful world of Starbucks chai tea lattes, so I’m looking forward to incorporating a beautiful chai blend candle into her life.

My mom is grapefruit. A true citrus lover, I remember when my mom went through her grapefruit phase when I was a kid. She would have grapefruit every single morning and attempt to get me to eat it too. Once again, I used to hate the stuff unless I added tablespoons of sugar (I’m sure you see the trend). To this day, she favors grapefruit candles of all sorts. If it’s a grapefruit blend, I know my mom will be hooked. One of her favorites is Aura Clairvoyant. I gave her a small tin and she burned it down to nothing in about 24-hours flat. I can’t wait to give her NEST Grapefruit, a fragrance I know she is going to fall in love with.

My mom is violet. Those decadently floral French violet candies are one of my fondest childhood memories. My mom always used to have them around and my parents would bring them home for me every time they went to Europe (the pre-Cost Plus World Market days). Violet is a common bond I share with my mom—we both can’t get enough of it. One of her favorite violet fragrances is Morning Violet by Votivo. Pure and beautiful, this candle is relaxing and nostalgic for us both.

My mom is all of these notes, blended with the rich strength of sandalwood, the sweetness of sugar, the comfort of amber, and the soothing nature of chamomile. She smells like home-cooked meals, 50 hour work weeks while keeping a perfectly clean home, and a selfless dedication to making the world a better place for the people she loves. I will always be able to honor and love the fragrance of my mom.

Linnea's Light Blog Contest Winner - Ryan Patrick Kelley

2011-12-06T13:17:00.001-05:00

Guest post by Ryan Patrick Kelley
for Linnea's Light Blog Contest - Winner!

It was my mother who started me off on my love for fine-fragrances. Some of my earliest memories of my mom revolve around beautiful scents. As a child, I can remember my mother buying me a collection of Strawberry Shortcake figurines that each smelled like a perfectly sweetened fruit. I held onto these toys in a vice grip of death and carried them with me everywhere I went. If anyone tried to take them from me I would have an instant melt-down/tantrum of doom. I was probably only four years old, but thinking back, those small treasures that I toted around with me were most likely the beginning to my long romance with the exotic world of fragrance.

I have always felt that scent is the finest of the senses. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. You can tell more about your surroundings in that filling inhalation then you can with your sight and hearing. Your eyes can only show you so much. But, your nose...your nose knows the truth! One sniff and you can tell whether you are somewhere clean or somewhere...well, not so clean. One deep breath in and you can be calmed or you can be appalled. You can be filled with ease or shrouded in anxiety. Fragrance has the power to switch a person's mood one way or another. It is that aspect of fragrance that I find the most magical.

photo from thisbuddyofmine.com

When I think of fragrance and how it is has impacted my life I am always brought back to those little toys. They truly awakened a love for scrumptious scents inside me that has never backed down. My mother was always very encouraging of this. I think mainly because my mother always smelled so wonderful herself. I can't pinpoint my mother smelling of any one specific perfume. I remember her vanity always being littered with various perfume bottles. She changed it up so much that none of them ever stood out. I do remember her always smelling fresh like the soaps she used. Ivory soap will always be associated with my mother. Or of her smelling of baby oil in the summers when she would take us swimming. She would douse herself in it and tan by the pool. Slicked up and shiny like a seal basking on the rocks in the flaming sun. Thinking back, it's quite scary knowing how often she would literally BAKE herself in oil. I guess her Italian skin could handle the vicious rays of the sun. I, on the other hand, inherited my father's Irish skin and would probably combust into a ball of flame were I to coat myself in any type of oil. How fair is that? Thanks Dad!

I remember my mother always lighting candles around the house. She always wanted everything to smell fresh and pretty. I definitely inherited that quality from her. Her love for sweet and savory scents has always been apparent but she has also always cherished floral based scents. I remember moving from California to Ohio when I was five years old and my mother lighting candles around our new home. It's probably only an odd 'made up' memory but I can almost see her in my mind frantically spritzing perfume on things and waving her arms around like a lunatic to try and run the previous home-owner's smell out of the house.

But, oh...there were candles.

There were ALWAYS candles.

Thinking back I try to place specific brands or labels on them...but, I can't. It wasn't up until the late 90's (when I was in high school) that familiar luxury lines started popping up in the house. I remember VOTIVO being one of the first scents to influence my OWN personal spending habits with home fragrance. Red Currant was an instant hit among all of us in our family. Soon after my love-affair with Votivo I discovered Voluspa and was hooked. I remember it fondly because I came across them the same year I graduated high school. It was a monumental time in my life in so many ways and Voluspa fragrances were such a comfort to me during all the stressors of growing up and moving on with my life.

I can remember holiday's filled with exquisite scents wafting through the air. Mom always had gorgeous scents burning in the home during the cheerful Holiday season. Cozy nights sitting by our fireplace playing games and cuddling up together as a family will always be some of my most cherished memories of home-life. The house always smelled like fresh baked desserts and the citrusy scent of our mammoth eleven foot Frasier Fir married with the aroma of smoking firewood. I wish I could go back in time and capture the exact essence of that scent. It was so unique. If I had to compare it to any scent that is on the market now It would be Nest's Holiday.

There is something incredibly evocative about Nest fragrances. The scents transcend merely being "pretty fragrances". They remind you of things you love. Grapefruit by Nest reminds me of mornings before school when my mom would cut up fresh fruits and try to coerce my brother and I into eating them before running off to the bus. Of course, we never did. We scarfed down the cereal and muffins instead...but, to this day I always think of dewy spring mornings and the beginning of summer when it comes to Nest Grapefruit. It brings me back to my youth and I love that about it.

It's funny that the Holidays are near and that I once again find myself lighting candles to cheer my mood and brighten my spirit. I gravitate towards the gourmand blends this time of year. The cold weather always makes me want something comforting. Something completely warming to the soul. I go straight for Nest's Wild Oats & Bourbon to fill the home with it's richly sweet and spicy blend. Of course it's a love not wasted between my mother and I. She adores it just as much as I do!

My mom and I find ourselves fighting over fragrances now. She sneaks into my closet of candles and kidnaps them.I will find them scattered about her living space. A Modern Alchemy Dia De Los Muertos here, a Nest Bamboo there. Whenever I can't find a scent I instantly know who the culprit is and where it most likely wound up.

I have turned my mother into a candle-lover on a whole new level! It feels good to know that I have introduced her to brand's like Aquiesse (she recently took my Mandarin Tea and has been fiendishly obsessed with it!), Nest (She's a Grapefruit fan!), Voluspa (Let's not get started on how often she smuggled my Santiago Huckleberry's from me!), Belle Fleur (She went nuts over Kyara Clove) and Thymes (Moonflower is one of her all-time faves!!!).

It's funny that my mother influenced my sense of scent so much and always motivated me to try new things and now I find myself sharing MY finds with her. The circle of giving has continued! I guess that's just how life works! We all find ourselves coming full circle at some point or another. Even with something as small as luxury scents.

I love my mom. She is truly one of my best friends. I appreciate everything she has done for me in my life and love that we share a common bond through fragrance together. I hope to share many, many more years of candle-sharing with her! :)

Linnea's Lights Blog Contest Entry by Bonnie Jacobs

2011-12-06T12:24:00.001-05:00

Guest post by Bonnie Jacobs
for Linnea's Lights Blog Contest

The best fragrance experience I have ever had was during my first trip to Maui. It was a beautiful rainy evening and I decided to take my Voluspa Truffle White Cocoa candle outside with me on the balcony. It just does not get better then sitting outside on my balcony in a comfy cozy chair listening to the sound of the rain gently coming down while looking at the beautiful palm trees surrounding my hotel room with the smell of chocolate in the air from my Voluspa candle.

I just love that Voluspa makes a wide variety of candles in tins because they are great for traveling. I do not like to travel without my candles and they are easy to take with me as I can just toss them in my suitcase and not worry about them breaking.

Whether it is the holidays, a beautiful vacation, relaxing with a nice bubble bath, or just curling up on the couch watching a movie the experience would not be complete without a beautiful candle in the background. Candles have the wonderful ability to relax, soothe, and comfort me and they add to my day to day experiences as well as my special ones.

Linnea's Lights Blog Contest Entry by Andrea Villarreal

2011-12-06T12:08:00.001-05:00

Guest post by Andrea Villarreal
for Linnea's Lights Blog Contest

Linnea's Lights

I am telling you these are the BEST candles ever!!!

I first bought one in Laguna Beach at a store called Anthology. It was White Coral and I absolutely fell in love! I had it burning in my room and you could literally smell it through the whole house. The fragrance is so saturated and yummy. They also have cotton wicks and burn really cleanly. I bought a Yankee Candle at Target the other day and literally had to set it outside after blowing it out. It refused to stop smoking!!

Then at Remnants of the Past I found them at The Beautiful Life booth and they had Pumpkin! Oh my gosh I can not begin to tell you how fantastic it smelled!! It took me right back to my mom's kitchen on a Thanksgiving morning! Nostalgia:)

So now I am going to try some of their Winter scents and I found a really great website called Candles Off Main. Now in the stores they run $32-34. On the site they are all $30 with no tax. And even better FREE shipping and handling!!

They have tons of other companies as well like Archipelago Botanicals, Votivo, Modern Alchemy and about 30 others. So if you are looking for your favorite scent or looking to try something new. Check them out Candles Off Main. I ordered Lavender, Winter and Fireside:)

Have a wonderful day!

Linnea's Lights Blog Contest Entry by Kate Collins

2011-12-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Guest Post by Kate Collins
for Linnea's Lights Blog Contest

The most haunting, endearing remnants of childhood are the fragrances imprinted permanently upon our brains, called up again and again, floods of memories, at every familiar whiff.

Suddenly I'm 4 again, peering up at my mother as she brews fresh coffee in a pyrex percolator on the stovetop, cinnamon coffeecake in the oven. After-work hugs from my steelworker father, faint scent of oil on his hands. I'm 6, watching grandpa change a tire on a hot summer day, machine shed air of diesel, gasoline.

Humid August, heavy with the musty breath of cornfields. Searching for newly-laid eggs in sweet straw beds under placid hens. Running barefoot in freshly tilled garden, rich black Illinois soil, popping sun-warmed raspberries into mouths with berry-stained hands.

Climbing trees, smells of leaves and bark, playing endless hours on carpets of freshly-mown grass with apple-blossom breezes, then, worn-out, coming in to dinner prepared lovingly by grandma, aromas of the old country.

photo from underground.com

Autumn brought dusty harvest and burning leaves, evening bonfires and roasting, toasting, burnt marshmallows. Long midwest winters, oh-so-cozy with Christmas pine and daily sweets as icy gales beckoned, "come play in the snow!" And now, creating happy, fragrant memories for my own children, I light a Holiday candle as sleet begins to pelt the windows, and put on a pot of coffee.

Linnea's Light Blog Contest Entry by Jim & Dorothy Samson

2011-12-06T06:41:00.001-05:00

Guest Blog Post by Jim and Dorothy Samson
for Linnea's Lights Blog Contest

Winter seems to bring out the sensual and spicy kind of fragrances. One of my early memories is of me standing at the kitchen counter, barely able to see the spicy cookies cooling to be eaten later! Maybe I couldnt see those yummy cookies very well, but I surely remember the spicy aroma tickling my nose!

And the sensual? Well, winter is a the perfect season to experience the clove and sensual wood type fragrances of Linneas Lights Fireside candle! A perfect combination!

Photo from ziggityzoom.com.

Top Fan November 2011 - Bonnie Jacobs

2011-12-05T06:05:00.001-05:00

Guest Post by Bonnie Jacobs
Our Facebook Top Fan for November 2011 as rated by Booshaka

I have been a candle lover for several years. There is just something so relaxing about coming home after a long day and watching a movie with a fantastic smelling home.

I also love to travel and my candles almost always come with me. I just love that Voluspa makes so many fragrance choices in tins. They are great as I can just toss them in my suitcase and not worry about them breaking.

One of my all time favorite memories was during my first time to Maui. Sitting outside listening to the gentle sound of the falling rain, looking at the beautiful palm trees with the Voluspa Truffle White Cocoa 3-wick tin. Yes I am probably the only person to take a chocolate candle with me to a tropical destination but I just adore my gourmand fragrances.

I am grateful for Candles Off Main. They run a lot of fun contests and have excellent customer service. I also love that they are really generous about sending scent sniffies which gives customers a chance to see what things smell like before purchasing.

My 3 Favorite Products at Candles Off Main

Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanille
I would be lost without this candle. When you are having one of those days this is my favorite go to candle. There is just something magical about this. When I light it I just melt and everything just kind of disappears.

Nest Wild Oats & Bourbon I just love gourmand fragrances and in my opinion this is one of the best on the market. There is just nothing like the scent of oats with a touch of ginger and bourbon. Simply fabulous! Nest candles amazed me from the first time I burned one because they are incredibly clean burning (have never seen any soot on the jar) and have the most amazing scent throw. (Since I can only choose three candles I will try to sneak in a little something extra. Shhh don’t tell! ;) I absolutely love layering candles so try burning this with Nest Pumpkin Chai it is just heavenly!)

Nest Tahiti Vanille
This is the best vanilla candle I have ever smelled and one of my favorite candles of all time. This isn’t your boring run of the mill vanilla you smell vanilla, white chocolate, and a touch of rum and caramel. It is a fabulous blend! I had to have a backup of this before I would even light the first one I loved it that much.

Tabak or Not Tabac. Tabaq.

2011-11-28T06:36:00.001-05:00

Most customer's initial reaction to hearing "tobacco" in a fragrance description is "ew". Images of cigarette buts and smokey bars come to mind. Tobacco, however, lends a rich and masculine appeal to a home fragrance to make it incredibly comforting and relaxing. Think oversized leather chair in a dark den surrounded by wood paneling. I could stay all day.

Our first introduction to tobacco was in the legendary Archipelago Botanicals Havana candle which blends bergamot, tobacco leaf and ylang ylang. Men and women are both drawn to this exotic fragrance that whisks you away to an exotic island with rum drinks, bold shirts and cigars. I, too, was skeptical of tobacco in home fragrance but after experiencing this scent I became a believer.

Belle Fleur created a unique twist on tobacco by blending it with cocoa in the Cocao Tabaq candle. To hear Belle Fleur creator, Meredith, describe this fragrance is a scene out of When Harry Met Sally. Her eyes roll back and half shut as she walks you through how deep cocoa, tobacco leaf and ebony wood come together with a touch of roasted espresso for warmth. You'll want to scream "I'll have what she's having!" and run home and devour the delectable scent.

Then came Voluspa Warm Perique Tabac. At first sniff, most customers turn away from the almost bitter note from this candle. Light it, though, and it opens up to reveal the most warm and inviting fragrance. Worn, wooden floors appear beneath your feet and you're surrounded by leather bound books. It's the most robust and distinguished of all the tobacco fragrances we've encountered. It's not for the faint at heart but can become a healthy addiction for true tobacco aficionados.

Aura did a great job at creating a sensual tobacco fragrance with their new Muse candle blending tobacco flower with vanilla orchid and amber. If you're looking for a new "bedroom" candle - this warm and intimate blend is it. Aura mastered the art of balancing yin and yang with this fragrance- the masculine tobacco is perfectly complimented by just the right amount of supple, more feminine vanilla.

Tobacco has even made it's way into holiday fragrances with Aquiesse Cinnamon Tabac and the new Tocca Marrakesh candle.

"Gifts of golden cinnamon gently dusted over warm vanilla, with hints of sweet aged tobacco, summoning memories of the glow from a stone fireplace."

Aquiesse Cinnamon Tabac is mostly a spicy blend offering warm cinnamon and soft vanilla. The tobacco in this blend gives the overall fragrance nice depth but doesn't overwhelm. If you're looking for a good fall/winter scent that has a unisex appeal, this one is for you. I love the uber thick smokey glass with Aquiesse candles. Added bonus - these come with a lid that can be used as a snuffer, base when the candle is in use, and as a cover when the candle is not in use for a clean, dust-free look.

One of my favorite new holiday fragrances this year is by Tocca. Their new Marrakesh candle offers sweet tobacco blended with creamy vanilla. The tobacco in this blend is so sweet it comes across almost like incredibly rich caramel. If Voluspa Warm Perique Tabac leans towards this bitter side of tobacco, this is on the extreme other side of the spectrum with it's velvety appeal. This slightly oversized candle is super fragrant with 3-wicks and a brass base for a dramatic ambiance.

If you've never tried a candle with tobacco - fear not - for it can add depth and character like no other fragrance note. Pick a crisp dark night. Dim the lights. Light a luxuriously scented tobacco candle and stretch out on a plush rug in front of a roaring fire. You'll want to stay all night.

Linnea's Lights Winter

2011-11-28T06:18:00.000-05:00

The description for the Linnea's Light Winter candle lists of evergreen, mint and berry, but there is something incredibly delicious about this scent. It's almost like there is vanilla hiding in there making everything so yummy and delightful. This fragrance reminds me a little of Voluspa Frost Pinecone that also seems to have a hint of sweetness about it.

This fragrance reminds me of Pecan Snowball cookies where the inside is natural and delicate and the outside has the slightest dusting of powdered sugar to soften the taste without being overly sweet. I could eat these cookies all day long and not get a belly ache. Linnea's Lights Winter has the same long-lasting appeal.

Linnea's Lights candles are hand-poured with pure, all natural soy wax and fine fragrances. They use lead-free cotton wicks and come complete with a pack of matches. These 9oz highly aromatic soy candles last approximately 60 hours. Linnea's Lights uses packaging made with recycled content and soy-based ink.

If you were to make a "Winter" fragrance, what would it smell like?

Linnea's Lights Fireside Candle

2011-11-27T16:17:00.000-05:00

A smoldering blend of tobacco, clove, pine and sensual woods.

The description for the Linnea's Lights Fireside candle is perfect! Smoldering and sensual are spot on. I love this blend. It reminds me of Aquiesse Cinnamon Tabac, but instead of going heavy into spices, it takes an almost fresh turn with notes of crisp pine needs. I love the base of sensual woods to ground the fragrance and bring an earthy feel but not overwhelm. This is a great, unique blend that would work well in the cooler winter months from November to February.

Linnea's Lights candles are hand-poured with pure, all natural soy wax and fine fragrances. They use lead-free cotton wicks and come complete with a pack of matches. These 9oz highly aromatic soy candles last approximately 60 hours. Linnea's Lights uses packaging made with recycled content and soy-based ink.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide

2011-11-23T08:28:00.001-05:00

Best No-Brainer Gift: Nest Holiday Candle
The quintessential holiday fragrance with a blend of mandarine orange, cinnamon, pine and eucalyptus. The Nest Holiday candle is a staple on our gift list. This fragrance best encapsulates the holidays. It's not overly tree or fruity and it's not sweet or gourmand. It's fresh, festive and brings back memories from years gone by. Be sure to buy more than one! If you buy one as a gift, you won't want to give it up. The 3-wick size is gorgeous and can be re-used as a flower vase when the candle is done.
Classic, 8 oz, 50 hours $32
Votive, 2.3 oz, 15 hours $14
Mini votive 6-pack, 2-3 hours each $32
Diffuser, 5.9 oz, approx 4 months, $34

Best Hostess Gift: Voluspa 2-wick Metallo Candles
The 2-wick metallo candles by Voluspa are our #1 best-selling hostess gift. Customers go crazy over these beautiful tins. Voluspa candles offer clean burning coconut wax and 100% cotton wick. At just $16 each for approx 50 hours of burn time, these adorable tins can't be beat. Our favorite fragrance? The new Coeur de Cassis fragrance in the Maison D'or Collection.

Best Mission Impossible Gift: Lampe Berger Lamp
Looking for something for the person that has everything? The lamp only needs to be lit for 2 minutes, then provides luxurious fragrance while removing odors (think kitchen and pets) without any soot or smoke. Starting at just $43, there is a lamp for every decor and price range.

Best Stocking Stuffer: Antica Petite Diffusers
The petite diffusers by Antica make great stocking stuffers! At just 100ml each, they are also great for air travel to make any stale hotel room smell like home. Our favorite fragrance for the winter months? Sandalwood Amber with rich notes of sandalwood, soft amber, musk and vanilla bean.

Best Office Gift: Nest 6-Votive Gift Set
The new Nest 6-votive gift set is an instant charmer! We fell in love at first site. Featuring the six best-selling Nest Fragrances (Bamboo, Wasabi Pear, Moroccan Amber, Orange Blossom, Moss & Mint and Grapefruit), this attractive gift set is perfect for your co-worker or Mom. Well priced at $40.

Best Luxury Gift: Hervé Gambs Candle
It isn't often we're floored by a candle line, but Herve Gambs had us at first sniff. Every fragrance is divine and unique. Our favorite? Noir de Cassis with delicious notes of blackcurrant seeds infused with vanilla and amber santal.

Most Charming Gift: Simpatico Hobnail Candles
These oversized, vintage, hobnail candles will charm any gift recipient. Filled with 100% vegetable wax, these candles last approximately 100 hours and can be easily washed out with soap and water and reused as a flower vase, makeup holder or pen/pencil holder. If you have a tea lover, the #2 Tea fragrance is warming and relaxing with notes of camellia leaf, and oils of bergamot, orange, and myrrh.

Best Gift to Impress: Lafco Candles
Weighing in at well over a pound, these extra large candles are sure to impress. Each candle is poured in a 4” x 4” hand-blown glass vessel that will become a keepsake for generations to come. Each vessel is unique and offers a mesmerizing glow when it’s burning. Our favorite this time of year? Foyer (Amber Vanilla) with notes of black vanilla and warm amber and patchouli.

Best Tool: Wick Snuffer/Tweezer
The only way we extinguish candles at home is with a candle tweezer/snuffer. Simple pinch the wick dipper to extinguish the flame with out any smoke or soot. At just $3.75, they make a great stocking stuffer for any candle-lover.

Most Thoughtful Gift: Bayberry Tapers
"A bayberry candle, burned to the socket, puts luck in the home, food in the larder, and gold in the pocket." Our favorite holiday gift is true bayberry tapers. It's an old New England tradition to burn bayberry tapers to the nub on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve for health and prosperity in the year to come. Everyone loves this thoughtful, scent free gift.

It's Beginning to Smell a lot like Christmas

2011-11-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

Imagine a walk through the woods on a crisp winter day. Bright blue sky overhead and clean air filling your lungs. You're on a journey to find the perfect Christmas tree. You stop and pull a small strand from a Frasier Fir and snap the needles between your fingers. The cool and invigorating scent of pure evergreen refreshes you. Snow crunches beneath your feet. You continue on your journey anxiously awaiting the burst of fragrance from a newly cut fir tree to fill your home with the scent of Christmas.

Want to bring that fresh fragrance into your home without the tree? Try a Thymes Frasier Fir, Linnea's Light Forest Fir, K. Hall Siberian Fir or Trapp White Fir candle. All of these candles off the clean, bright fragrance of a fresh fir tree. Of these fir fragrance options, Thymes Frasier fir is the most bright, opening scent while K. Hall Siberian Fir offers a more relaxed scent bringing in the heart/trunk/woody notes of the tree to balance the energizing green needles.

Thymes Frasier Fir and K. Hall Siberian Fir fragrances are also available in a diffuser to provide a constant fragrance. Place next to your real or artificial tree to fill your home with the smell of Christmas.

Thymes Frasier Fir also offers a room spray and sachet as additional ways to spread the scent. Hang the sachet on your tree, in your closet, in your car or use as a tag on a holiday present to spread holiday cheer.

Forest photo from http://fr.123rf.com/photo_352464_hiver-sapin-recouvert-de-neige-fra-che-sur-le-fond-le-ciel-bleu-vif.html

Living It Up with Linnea's Lights

2011-11-21T08:53:00.002-05:00

Linnea's Lights was founded by a mother/daughter team, Lynn Manley and her daughter Laura Cler. In tribute to their Swedish family lineage, the name Linnea’s Lights comes from the Swedish word Linnea (the national flower of Sweden) from which Lynn’s name originated. Lynn and Laura’s resourceful outlook towards nature remains an integral & important part of their business, and Linnea’s Lights will forever be an environmentally mindful company. Linnea’s Lights candles combine natural soy wax, lead-free cotton candlewicks, pure essences and fine fragrances to create clean burning, perfectly scented and highly aromatic candles.

Linnea's Lights Blog Contest!

Join us for a chance to win 1 of 2 prize packs featuring candles 3 Linnea's Lights candles. One prize pack will feature French Pear, Pumpkin and Pomander. The other prize pack will feature Forest Fir, Winter and Fireside. (Retail value $90 per prize pack.)

To enter, simply submit a blog post (text only) to Contest@CandlesOffMain.com by Thursday, December 1, 2011. The blog post must have a fragrance theme. For bonus points, the blog post should have some reference to your mother and/or a fragrance experience you've had with your mother. For additional bonus points, the blog should reference one or more products or brands on our website, CandlesOffMain.com. If you would like to submit personal photos simply attached them to the email with your blog post.

We reserve the right to post your blog entry at any time during the contest and keep it on our blog indefinitely. (We, of course, will give you credit on the post as a guest blogger). We also reserve the right to not post your blog entry if we don't feel it is the right fit for our blog.

We will select 2 winning blog posts on Friday, December 2, 2011 and announce the winners on Facebook, Twitter and here. We'll ship the prize pack to any address in the continental US.

Good luck!

12/4: Congratulations to Ryan Patrick Kelley and Caitlin Feener for winning the Linnea's Lights blog contest. I'll post the winning posts soon.

Aquiesse Embers Candle

2011-11-18T09:06:00.008-05:00

New to the Aquiesse Portfolio Collection is the new Embers fragrance. It's a blend of blend of saffron, cardamom, English leather, tobacco, olibanum, and musk. If you like spicy, masculine fragrances - this one is for you.

The saffron and cardamom come across very strong initially, but what I like about this fragrance is exactly what Aquiesse excels at - the ability to balance a fragrance so it doesn't lean to heavily in any one direction.

The bold and strong spicy notes are comforted by a soft foundation of olibanum and musk. The leather and tobacco add to the masculine feel and provide rich character. This fragrance is warming and relaxing. It would be perfect for a den, office or bachelor pad.

If I were to give this fragrance a:

Color - Medium brown like a milk chocolate bar
Age - 48 (for the fragrance, not the purchaser)
Celebrity - Clint Eastwood
Name - Moroccan Leather
Place - the Middle East
Room - Den
Time of Day - Anytime
Weather - Gray Skies, 50 degrees

Given the description, when would you use this fragrance?

If you've tried this fragrance, do you agree or disagree with my description?

Photo from Celebrity9.com.

Gift Ideas for Moms & Moms-in-law

2011-11-15T12:01:00.011-05:00

Moms and holidays are stressful enough on their own, but holiday shopping for any Mom or Mother-in-law can be downright torturous. Here's a head-up when home fragrance shopping for your Mom. They typically look for one of three types of fragrances: Clean (because, yes, kids do smell), Cozy/homey (because they don't always have time to throw cookies in the oven) or Feminine ( every woman has a girly side).

If there's one thing I know about Moms (as someone that has one and is one), you don't want to mess with them. Given this, I've picked some fail-safe scents that make great gifts for your Mom or Mother-in-law.

For clean fragrances I would go with top sellers Nest Bamboo or Votivo Red Currant. These are both fresh scents without screaming lemon. Nest Bamboo is based on the famed Slatkin Bamboo & Jasmine candle and we know you can't go wrong with that. Women love the classic jasmine fragrance and the green bamboo notes make this scent more fresh than floral.

Votivo Red Currant is also iconic with the same cult following. We like safety in numbers when it comes to picking gifts for Moms, but the clincher for me? My Mom actually likes this one. My Mom doesn't like much when it comes to scented candles. I see the wounded warriors all around her home that have sacrificed their lives to try and appease her to be left unloved and dusty. It's a tragic seen. Votivo Red Currant, however, is the only candle that has been invited back. Nuff said.

For cozy fragrances that make a house smell like a home I love Trapp Orange Clove. Also based on a cult classic (Trapp Orange Vanilla) this candle makes you feel loved even if you aren't and makes your Mom look like Mrs. Cleaver even if she isn't.

The other cozy fragrance for the more sophisticated Mom would be Nest Pumpkin Chai. Or Nest Tahiti Vanille. Or, ok you got me - we love Nest, Wild Oats & Bourbon. Laura Slatkin is an incredible chef in addition to being a fabulous home fragrance maven. Her gourmand fragrances emulate her amazing cooking skills and I don't know anyone that wouldn't want their home to smell like Laura Slatkin's.

For florals, if you want the smell you get when you walk into the cooler at your local florist, go with Trapp Bob's Flower Shoppe. Bob Trapp owned a flower shoppe and created the candle to simulate that same amazing environment. Looks like it turned out alright...

The other floral goes to Tocca Grace. This candle will fill her home with the scent of real lilies. Ok, you got me again. I have to be honest and say I'm not going with safety in numbers on this one. As stated earlier, I am a Mom, which as you well know, means I can change my mind, rules and preferences at any given moment without explanation or logic. I just happen to adore this floral. It's the only one that doesn't make me gag. There, I said it. If I were going to go with another strong seller for florals it would be Trapp Fresh Cut Tuberose.

If you want to go with a holiday fragrance I recommend Nest Holiday or Thymes Frasier Fir. These are no-brainers. Nest Holiday is everything holiday wrapped up in candle form. It doesn't get more holiday than this and if it doesn't make you feel like Elf singing in the department store then there's nothing I can do for you. Except recommend Thymes Frasier Fir. Stick a ginormous Christmas tree in a blender and you have Frasier Fir. Both of these fragrances are available in furry red boxes - perfect for gift giving.

If she isn't into fragrances and she's sentimental (or you're engaged to her son and you're trying to impress and/or please) go with a pair of Bayberry tapers. You'll gain massive points on the thought alone. It's an old New England tradition to burn bayberry tapers on Christmas Eve (or any special occasion, just make something up and go with it) to bring health and prosperity in the year to come.

Hopefully this has helped take the stress out of shopping for your Mother or Mother-in-law. When all else fails - wine. And lots of it... for you.

What's in a Name - Aquiesse Alpine Meadow

2011-11-14T21:16:00.005-05:00

This fragrance falls perfectly into my "What's in a Name?" category. Naming is everything. Nest Mahogany (RIP) is an example of a fragrance death by name. It was a great fragrance that smelled like caramel praline. Customers looking for a rich, woody (ie - Mahogany) scent were disappointed with it's gooey sweetness. Customers looking for rich caramel would never know to try it. Sadly, the fragrance wasn't able to make it into the hands of customers that would truly appreciate it and it's was "retired".

The Aquiesse Alpine Meadow candle is near the cliff but not quite ready to jump off. From the name and description, I was expecting a spring-like scent the smells of fresh cut grass, blue skies and wild flowers. Instead, I was transported to a ski lodge in the mountains. Out of the shower comes a freshly washed, very sexy man, still smelling of soap from the shower and newly applied cologne. It's a musky scent with lots of spicy pepper and fir notes from the deep woods.

Don't let the name fool you from trying it. This is a great fall/winter scent. If you are looking for a "boyfriend" candle (making your home smell like you have a boyfriend when you don't), this is your ticket.

Aquiesse uses lead-free, cotton-based wicks are used for optimal burn time and clean, even burn performance. The reusable, ultra-thick smoke-brown glass is stunning and looks beautiful in every home. Custom heat-resistant candle cover is designed to serve as a pedestal for the candle to rest on while burning, to extinguish candle, and also to keep the wax dust free when not in use. Packaged in a reusable keepsake box.

Fragrance intensity 3/5. Burn quality 5/5. Photo from skiinstructorblog.com.

Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier Candle

2011-11-14T09:37:00.006-05:00

I love to spend lazy afternoons wandering aimlessly through our local garden center. Acres of trees, flowers and plants scattered around like the most beautiful eye candy. Warm sun, fresh air and a soft breeze caressing me as I drink it in slowly, in quiet peace.

This past summer I remember passing by the fig trees. I didn't realized what they were at first. Their natural scent called out to me before I even saw them. I recognized that fresh, green scent and went in search to see what had my sense of smell perked. I looked over at the awkward trees. Stalks barley thicker than my thumb. Gigantic, floppy leaves like elephant ears overwhelming the stick-like structure. I was surprised that a leaf could crate such a clean and strong fragrance.

The Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier fragrance is that day in candle form. Fresh nature exuding a delicious scent. Clean, pure and relaxing. It's a big green scent, as big as the leaves on the tiny fig trees. I love the way Herve Gambs candles burn. The wax liquefies to create the most clear wax pool softly glowing though the milky white glass. This is a great background fragrance.

Do you have fig trees in your yard? Does the fragrance change when the tree bares fruit? I almost bought the trees so I could have this amazing scent in my yard.

All About Aquiesse

2011-11-07T10:41:00.004-05:00

Aquiesse Giveaway!

Join us for a 2-week long celebration of Aquiesse candles.

Enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 prize packs featuring candles from the Aquiesse Holiday Collection. One prize pack will feature Aquiesse Cinnamon Tabac and Aquiesse Frankincense & Myrrh. The other prize pack will feature Aquiesse Monterey Pine and Aquiesse Winter Currant. (Retail value $64 per prize pack.)

To win in our Store/Website Raffle:

Earn 1 raffle entry for each Aquiesse candle or diffuser purchase between 11/7 and 11/17/11.

Earn 1 raffle entry when you stop by the store and tell us your favorite Aquiesse fragrance by 11/17/11.

Earn 1 raffle entry for every Aquiesse review you post on our website between 11/7 and 11/17/11.

To win in our Social Media Raffle (entries valid between 11/7 and 11/17/11):

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post.

Follow our blog (if possible) and earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post.

'Like' us on Facebook and earn 1 raffle entry for posting your favorite Aquiesse fragrance on our Facebook page.

Earn 1 raffle entry when you Tweet about an Aquiesse candle and link to that candle on our website. (Include the hashtag #AQUIESSE so we can track your tweets.) Limit 1 tweet per day.

We'll select random 2 winners on Friday, November 18, 2011 and announce the winners on Facebook, Twitter and here. We'll ship the prize pack to any address in the continental US.

Good luck!

Carrière Frères Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Candle

2011-11-04T13:35:00.000-04:00

"Sandalwoods are wild fragrant trees with tenacious leaves that grow in India’s Mysore state. Its wood was often used in building temples that to this day have kept its penetrating scent. Sandalwood oil has been used as a remedy for ailments for over four thousand years, and is a common fixative in perfumery. In Chinese medicine, sandalwood increases longevity, and builds confidence and determination." - Carrière Frères Industrie

Sandalwood is a popular scent in home fragrance, typically used as a base note to compliment the key player. It's a neutral fragrance, bordering on boring. Many times, on it's own, it comes across as being almost watery and useless. The Carrière Frères interpretation of sandalwood, however, is anything but boring.

It reminds me of the Stephen Swift Furniture Studio in Nantucket. Stark white walls and warm wood floors filled solely with sleek, hand crafted, solid wood furniture. The wood is sanded to such a fine finish it feels almost like velvet. Soft curves made for comfort. Stylish tapered legs. Polished with simple oils to bring out the color and personality, each piece is a work of art. Nature made even more glorious. Anything else in the room would just add distraction. All that is needed is simple pieces of exquisite furniture for the most stunning statement.

The Carrière Frères Sandalwood candle is the same way. White frosted glass and creamy white wax liquefying cleanly and glowing softly as it burns. The fragrance is nothing like the raw, sawdust scent you get some from single note wood candles. It's refined and distinguished. Full of character and elegance. Carrière Frères managed to create an almost feminine and delicate scent from such a masculine product - wood so strong and durable the scent lasts for decades.

Anyone that knows my fragrance preferences enough is well aware of my affinity for trees. I enjoy the strong, heart of the tree even more than it's leafy, showy side. The Carrière Frères Santalum Album candle is a welcome addition to my collection. Now I am even more anxious to see what they've done with cedar...

October Top Fan Caitlin Feener's 3 Favorite Candles

2011-11-04T10:23:00.005-04:00

Caitlin Feener's Favorite Products at Candles Off Main

NEST Wild Oats & Bourbon There is something about this blend that warms me in a way unlike any other fragrance I’ve encountered. It’s by far the most unique candle I’ve ever smelled. Upon first sniff, the ginger is prominent and entices you into wanting more. However once you light it, the oats and bourbon come into play and create an incredible atmosphere of old-fashioned class and sophistication. This candle is vintage elegance—a timeless blend that is layered so perfectly and simply cannot be replicated. Wild Oats & Bourbon stands alone as one of the most original fragrances on the market. It boasts the enormous talents of Laura Slatkin and her ability to create the most phenomenal blends.

Voluspa Ambre Lumiere I have been a Voluspa fan for many, many years and it’s hard for me to pick just one of my favorites. However if I had to pick one to burn for the rest of my life, it would be Ambre Lumiere. This blend is just magical to me. It’s oh-so sweet yet musky at the same time. I typically adore most amber blends, but the vanilla and patchouli work with this fragrance to create a gorgeous maple-like masterpiece. It’s sophisticated and gourmand, and you can’t go wrong with the dark packaging of the Maison Noir line.

Tocca Grace This third pick is very difficult for me, but I decided to branch away from my typical dark, gourmand palette and pick a classic. I’ve loved Tocca Grace for almost 12 years—it was the fragrance that actually introduced me to the wonderful world of luxury candles. One word for this blend—goddess. Grace is a Casablanca lily fragrance. The throw on this candle will literally blow you away. It engulfs you in it’s beautiful world of femininity and floral decadence, and I promise it smells unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Tocca also just recently announced their Grace inspired perfume: Graciella. I’m sure it will be as beautiful as it’s candle counterpart.

Holiday… It Should Smell so Nice!

2011-11-03T13:35:00.009-04:00

Guest Post by our October Facebook Fan, Caitlin Feener

As my mother always says —An ice cream sundae without nuts is like a day without sunshine. And the same goes for the holiday season and fragrance. Can you even imagine a Thanksgiving without the warm notes of pumpkin and the smell of leaves circling in the crisp, autumn wind? Could you spend the Christmas season without the elegance of pine drifting through the house and the ashy warmth of the fireplace? I’m not even sure that New Year’s Eve could properly exist without the wet winter air and champagne (or sparkling cider) bubbles tickling at your nose. I’d rather spend my days in the pitch-black dark eating ice cream sundaes without any nuts, thank you very much.

The holidays truly are defined by fragrance. When you sit back and recall spending Christmas with your family as a child, you might distinctly remember the sweet tobacco wafting from your grandfather’s pipe, or those delicious cookies that your mom always baked. These are the unique scents of our lives—the comforts all around us that can instantly transform us into a special place in time.

Here are some wonderful notes found in some of my favorite holiday candles that are simply perfect for this time of year. Whether they remind you of scents from the past or become a brand new staple in your holiday décor, these fragrances will take your holiday season to a whole new level of comfort.

Pumpkin
Sweet and gourmand, pumpkin is a palette pleaser for many months out of the year. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, even pumpkin hummus is found in on many tables during the fall and winter seasons. If you truly want to maximize the pumpkin experience, then I highly suggest making NEST Pumpkin Chai a part of your holiday routine. This candle takes pumpkin to a sweet and sophisticated level that, in my humble opinion, cannot be matched by any other pumpkin fragrance on the market. If you want the dreamy smell of a warm, gooey, spicy pumpkin delicacy permanently baking in the oven, then don’t wait any longer—the solution is here, and it’s NEST. You won’t even believe how quickly this candle can fill a space with its irresistible delight, within minutes of lighting. This candle encompasses all that is autumn. As a matter of fact, I have trouble even recalling those long-lost PPCTs (Pre-Pumpkin Chai Thanksgivings).

Vanilla
This warm note completes practically everything nostalgic, from sugar cookies to vintage tobacco. I adore vanilla because it can completely transform something plain and simple into something comforting—vanilla is the hug within every candle. Don’t like to bake? Great news—you don’t have to! Let the warm sweet scent of these candles fill the air for the complete gourmand experience. If you are looking for the warm-baked cookie ambiance, then Voluspa Macaron is for you. This candle could warm up a home in Antarctica. Just like the French delicacies for which it is named, Macaron is sweet, colorful, and comforting. If Buddy the Elf were real, I know he would give Macaron two thumbs up.

Another take on vanilla that I enjoy during the holiday seasons is Karma by Aura. This blend of vanilla with sophisticated spices such as cardamom, cayenne, and sea salt is as comforting as a glass of classic eggnog, but sassy enough to resemble an eggnog martini with extra spice.

And finally, to top off the gourmand vanilla blends, NEST Tahiti Vanille is as pure as they come. With subtle hints of white chocolate, caramel, and rum, Tahiti Vanille is decadent and can be burned alone, or layered with just about any other blend. It’s very hard to find a candle that plays so well with others—Tahiti Vanille is the secret ingredient to your holiday candle cocktail.

Pine
Of course, the beautiful scent of a fresh Christmas tree in your living room is certainly pleasant. However, not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a real tree in their home, nor do you have to. Tree-inspired fragrances both complement and/or replace the essence of pine, fir, eucalyptus, and more. My personal favorite is NEST Holiday. This gem combines pine and eucalyptus with a twist of citrus and cinnamon. In other words, it is the mack-daddy of all holiday candles. If I were to bottle up Christmas and put it in a beautiful red and gold package, it would smell exactly like NEST Holiday. It’s truly perfect, and I highly recommend it for anyone and everyone during the holidays.

Another fun take on pine is the Icy Blue Pine candle by Votivo. This candle is cool and fresh, a gorgeous accent piece for a cold rainy or snowy day. To be honest, Icy Blue Pine is one of the most unique takes on a tree inspired blend I’ve come across. It’s a pure white snowflake on the tip of a pine tree—almost haunting in a good way.

Berries and Champagne
You don’t have to consume alcohol in order to appreciate the beauty of a champagne or wine blend. When the holidays are coming to a close, drive off that post-holiday depression with an uplifting celebratory candle. One of my new favorite blends to hit the market is Bubbly by Aura. Reminiscent of a tall sparkling glass of elegant European ice wine, Bubbly is both a crowd-pleaser and perfect for a quiet night in. I love the grape essence in this candle–it’s really hard to find a blend that replicates the sophistication and layers of a glass of wine, and Bubbly pretty much nails it.

I also adore the Celebration candle by Belle Fleur. This blend is a bit more dry and spicy, with a gorgeous ginger edge. Light these candles, get intoxicated by the scent, and dance around your house barefoot—I promise I won’t tell anyone.

Another fantastic new berry-inspired blend is Winter Cranberry by Votivo. A different take on the holiday blend, cranberry and raspberry blends fantastically with vanilla and tree notes. This candle was very surprising to me—if you aren’t a huge fan of the traditional pine holiday candles, try Winter Cranberry and see if its more your style.

I implore you to try one of these blends and maximize your holiday season. Just like the pumpkin seeds roasting in the oven and the peppermint mocha constantly in my hand, my holidays just wouldn’t be the same without these gorgeous candles. It’s never too late to start making those comforting holiday memories and traditions.

Please, share some of your favorite holiday candles in the comments section down below! Or if you have tried any of these candles, what are your thoughts?

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Want to know what Caitlin's 3 favorite products are on the CandlesOffMain.com website? Click here to find out!

Aura Euphoria

2011-10-03T19:08:00.006-04:00

Join us for Aura Euphoria!
A 2-week long celebration of Aura Candles.

Enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 prize packs each featuring the new Aura Bubbly and Muse candles (retail value $48 per prize pack).

To win in our Store/Website Raffle:

Earn 1 raffle entry for each Aura candle purchase between 10/3 and 10/13/11.

Earn 1 raffle entry when you stop by the store and tell us your favorite Aura fragrance by 10/13/11.

Earn 1 raffle entry for every Aura candle review you post on our website between 10/3 and 10/13/11.

To win in our Social Media Raffle (entries valid between 10/3/11 and 10/13/11):

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post.

Follow our blog (if possible) and earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post.

'Like' us on Facebook and earn 1 raffle entry for posting your favorite Aura fragrance on our Facebook page.

Earn 1 raffle entry when you Tweet about an Aura candle and link to that candle on our website. (Include the hashtag #AuraRocks so we can track your tweets.) Limit 1 tweet per day.

We'll select random 2 winners on Friday, October 14, 2011 and announce the winners on Facebook, Twitter and here. We'll ship the prize pack to any address in the continental US.

Good luck!

10/14: Congratulations to Kathy Muelker for winning our Website/Store raffle and Debra Roberto-Kelley for winning the Social Media raffle.

Top Fan September 2011- Ryan Patrick Kelley

2011-10-01T07:09:00.004-04:00

Guest Post by Ryan Patrick Kelley
Our Facebook Top Fan for September 2011 as rated by Booshaka

So, here I am...blogging! It feels strange to finally blog about one of the things I love most in the world: LUXURY CANDLES!

I have been a candle enthusiast since I was a young boy. Something about the combination of the flame and the wax working together to birth fragrance has always enchanted me.

I can't even begin to convey the troubles I put my parents through with all of my candle-lighting shenanigans at such a young age. Let's not go into details about the time I almost burned the house down. Note to parents: Always supervise your kids if they light candles!! ALWAYS!! I was also probably one of the only 11 year old boys who wanted scented candles for his birthday and holiday gifts. As you can imagine, my parent's pretty much had no idea what to do with me!

But, my love for scents and fine fragrances has always been something that I have embraced wholeheartedly. I can remember buying Voluspa when they first launched over ten years ago and falling head-over-heels in love with their candles. I had an instant connection with the line and still, to this day, continue to embrace each collection that they come out with. Macaron, Santiago Huckleberry and Ambre Lumiere are staples in my household.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing candle lines that have ranged from the uber-pricey to the super affordable and with each candle I have learned a little more about myself. I just turned the big 3-0 and I feel that with that leap in age I have become a lot more decisive about what I do and DON'T like in life. That goes for candles too. I have my favorite brands and I have brands that I don't care for.

Candles Off Main provides such an amazing range of products and a tremendous social movement that has brought so many fellow scent-lovers together. I am happy to say that through Candles Off Main I have created friendships that go beyond wicks and wax. I have bonded with people and have had some of the most fun & totally WACKY online experiences you could imagine through the various contests and topics Dave & Sue have generously provided for us all.

I am so happy to have had a chance to blog a little about myself and what I love about fragrance.

My 3 Favorite Products at CandlesOffMain.com:

Voluspa 12 oz. Macaron Candle
This scent is pure comfort for me. There is nothing quite like it. The warm throw on this is like nothing I have ever really experienced. It lifts me up and calms me down all at the same time. I love the sweetness of the cookie fragrance. It makes my space feel like walking right into a trendy French bakery. All the fresh, warm baked goods wafting through the air. This is just pure deliciousness. There are no words to truly explain how much I adore this candle. It is so beyond amazing to me. I always want to take a bite out of it when I am burning it. Pure YUM. :)

Nest Wild Oats & Bourbon Candle
Laura Slatkin has crafted such an original scent with this candle. There is something so special about this blend. Whenever I burn it I feel enveloped in luxury. The scent is like nothing I had ever experienced prior to my first encounter with it. The ginger melding together with the bourbon and oats intertwine and make this a hearty, sweet, 100% unique scent that is truly decadent. I can't rave enough about the throw on Nest fragrances either. They fill a room unlike no other candle on the market. This scent is amazing. Perfect for the cooler fall months but truly a scent you could have filling your home year-round. I adore this scent.

Modern Alchemy Dia De Los Muertos Candle
I have been burning this scent for the last few days before going to bed. It never fails to evoke a sensuality to the room when I light it. I love the sexiness of this blend. I would have never believed that marigold and frankincense could come together and create such a seductive, dark, mysterious scent. The vessels for the Historical line are exquisite. I can't get myself to throw them out. The frosted glass with the hand made etchings of various historical based elements are amazing. Dia De Los Muertos gives us echoes of a day meant for the dead yet I can't help but feel an immense amount of life and beauty from this scent. It's certainly something worth living for. Love it.

Nest Fall Fest 2011

2011-09-19T21:32:00.008-04:00

Join us for Nest Fall Fest!
A 2-week long celebration of the best in Nest fall fragrances.

Enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 prize packs each featuring 3 Nest 8oz candles in Pumpkin Chai, Tahiti Vanille and Wild Oats & Bourbon fragrances (retail value $96 per prize pack).

To win in our Store/Website Raffle:

Earn 1 raffle entry for each Nest purchase between 9/20 and 9/29/11.

Earn 1 raffle entry when you stop by the store and tell us your favorite Nest fragrance by 9/29/11.

Earn 1 raffle entry for every Nest review you post on our website between 9/20 and 9/29/11.

To win in our Social Media Raffle (entries valid between 9/20/11 and 9/29/11):

Earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post on our YouTube channel.

Earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post on our blog.

Earn 1 raffle entry for posting your favorite Nest fragrance on our Facebook page.

Earn 1 raffle entry when you Tweet about a Nest product and link to the product on our website. (Include the hashtag #NestFF so we can track your tweets.)

We'll select random winners on Friday, September 30, 2011 and announce the winners on Facebook, Twitter and here. We'll ship the prize pack to any address in the continental US.

Good luck!

9/30: Congrats to Claire Rij and Donna (@simplydab) for winning Nest Fall Fest Prize Packs!

Voluspa Santiago Huckelberry

2011-05-22T17:03:00.006-04:00

We had the Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry candle in our shop for many years before I finally broke down and tried it. Year after year I continuously heard everyone rave about it. Even though Santiago Huckleberry is on of Voluspa's best-selling fragrances, I was reluctant to try it. To me, the cold throw on it came across as a jam smorgishborg that only Joey from Friends could enjoy. The thought of jam-overload scared me.

Finally, I had to try it. As the candle warmed, the fragrance opened up and revealed the most wonderful, warm scent. Notes of vanilla provided comfort and relaxation. The description doesn't list amber, but the scent was so warm and deep it comes across like warm, sweet amber. Truly lovely.

Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry is one of those unique fragrances that is loved year round. In the winter it's cozy. In the summer, it's full of fruity fun. On warm days, it pairs will with a Blackberry drink like this:

2 Parts Acai Berry Vodka
1 Part agave nectar
1 Part fresh squeezed lemon juice
Muddled blackberries
Shake and pour over ice

Santiago Huckleberry also layers well with the Crisp Champagne fragrance by Volupsa. How and when do you enjoy the Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry candle?

Photo from http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2010/10/roasted-jalapeno-blackberry-margarita

Champagne Candles

2011-05-20T16:22:00.005-04:00

Champagne is a great fragrance to turn any day into a celebration. Whether your partying, snuggling or prepping for a romantic evening, this effervescent scent will instantly get you in the mood for wherever the night takes you.

Voluspa Crisp Champagne is the first champagne scent that comes to mind. Voluspa blends sparkling champagne with vanilla for a touch of sweetness which makes it a popular option. The oak helps ground the scent to make it comforting and relaxing. With it's neutral and crowd-pleasing appeal, this scent blends with just about anything else. Try it with Figue de Bordeaux, Santiago Huckleberry or any other favorite Volupsa scent to create your personal mix. Crisp Champagne is available in a variety of candle sizes as well as room spray and petite diffuser.

Voluspa also offers their Vintage fragrance as part of the James Boyce Collection. They removed the vanilla note and added more oak. Imagine sipping champagne in the barrel room of a fine winery. Heaven. This candle is packaged in an attractive wooden box with wax seal similar to a wine cask. So pretty!

The most zesty champagne candle is by Lafco. Their Penthouse candle features a champagne scent blended with grapefruit for a fresh and lively fragrance. This bubbly scent also has hints of ginger and raspberry. Mouthwatering. Lafco candles are poured in a hand-blown glass vessel that will become a keepsake for generations. This over-sized soy wax candle lasts 100 hours.

Another amazing champagne candle is by Belle Fleur. The Celebration candle is a blend of fresh muguet and a hint of candied ginger. The cold throw on this candle comes across like the most decedent champagne fruit punch. When lit, the bubbly effervescence comes alive and it's as if you are sipping sparkling champagne right out of the glass as the bubbles tickle your nose. It doesn't get better than that.

Pick a night. Any night. And celebrate with a champagne candle. The more the merrier!

Tobi Tobin Candles

2011-05-20T12:23:00.016-04:00

Tobi Tobin has made a name with top notch celebrities for her stylish work in interior design. Her aesthetic blends timeless style with bohemian chic for an elegant and organic design. Two years ago she launched her own brand, Tobi Tobin, and opened two stores in Los Angeles and New York City. She now has 10 lines including linens, furniture, jewelry and candles.

She has 9 core fragrances and 1 signature blend in her candle line. Each candle is a massive 16oz made with soy, palm and coconut wax. She uses 3 wicks for maximum scent throw. The stunning candles are packaged in a glossy black glass vessel and crocodile box for a regal look.

Her fragrances include:

Monastery
A  mandarin  and  orange  complex  opens  this  fragrance  with  fresh  aldehydic  notes  and  supporting  notes  of  petitgrain.    The  body  of  this  essence  combines  citrus  notes  with  a  broad  Sandalwood  accord.    The  scent  is  dominated  by  woody  notes  and  accented  with  a  mossy,  musky  complex.   Sprinkled  throughout  the  fragrance  are  light  Jasmine  highlights  that  add  overall  sparkle. 

This is one of those fragrances that is so blended and complex it's tough to know your smelling. The orange comes across first but the sandalwood, musk and moss muddle it so much it ends up becoming more earthy. Then the aldehydes and jasmine come in to balance the scent to keep it from getting too heavy. Somehow it ends up clean and musky at the same time.

Temple

Top  notes  of  Tea  Leaves  and  Lemon  introduce  this  floral  creation.    The  body  of  the  fragrance  is  a  bold  blend  of  Jasmine, Gardenia, Ylang  and  Lily.   The  complete  floral  composition  is  supported  by  a  musky  foundation. 

This fragrance comes across mostly as tea. Fresh brewed tea with a slice of lemon. I like how the floral notes play with the tea leaves adding a flirtiness to the scent without being domineering. This fragrance would work well to cool on a hot steamy day or to warm on a cold, rainy day to lift your spirits.

Baroque
This  robust  woody  and  amber  fragrance  is  a  blend  of  Oudh  and  Agar  wood  oils  from  northern  India.    The  complete  woody  symphony  is  supported  by  exotic  Patchouli,  Amyris,  Cedar wood  and  Vetivert.    All  highlighted  with  a  base  of  Vanilla  and  Musk. 

This is an intense fragrance. Deep and complex. Slightly sharp from the oud. European in feel. Nothing soft about this one in the cold throw. Perhaps burning the vanilla and musk offer a soft base to land on.

Romanesque
This  fragrance  was  designed  to  connote  the  tropical  woodiness  of  an  ebony  forest.    The  fruity,  green  top  notes  enhance  and  accentuate  the  overall  tropical  setting.    The  woody  body  combines  luxurious  Sandalwood  and  mysterious  Amber  notes. 

This is the only scent where either the description of the balance is off. It's far more gooey fruity than tropical and it's more of a jam garden than an ebony forest. Burning this scent could be amazing, likening it to the Santiago Huckleberry fragrance by Voluspa.

Orangerie
True  to  its  name,  this  beautiful  fragrance  is  a  masterful  blend  of  Blood  Orange  and  Goji  Berries  that  work  together  to  provide  an  entire  range  of  fruity,  citrus  characteristics.   The  citrus  and  berry  notes  are  combined  with  a  strong  accord  of  sweet  Vanilla  that  gives  this  fragrance  its  long‐lasting  aura. 

Orangerie is a fun and fruity blend. Simplistic in scent. Perfect for the kitchen or to energize a powder room.

Folly
This  invigorating  scent  opens  with  a  splash  of  Ruby  Red  Grapefruit  combined  with  a  hint  of  Green  Leaf,  leading  to  heart  of  Yuzu  peel  and  sheer  White  Flower,  flowing  to  a  base  of  White  Musk  and  Moss. 
The cold throw on Folly is a zesty grapefruit subdued with musk and moss. It has a touch of floral notes. I would love to see how this fragrance opens up when burning.

Rococo
This  sensual  fruity  scent  opens  with  a  burst  of  Mandarin,  Pomegranate  and  Persimmon.   The  core  is  a  blend  of  fresh  green  notes  with  hints  of  Black  Orchid,  Lotus  Blossom  and  Champaca  flower.   The  base  is  a  subtle  accord  of  Amber,  Mahogany  Wood and  Black  Violet. 

This is an interesting scent because it doesn't lie easily in any one area. It isn't a strong fruity, floral or wood. It blends all three aspects together yet I can distinguish the pomegranate, orchid amber and violet. It's slightly sweet and somewhat deep. A feminine, fruity floral.

Bibliotheque
This  delectable  scent  opens  with  creamy  Vanilla  and  Sugar,  leading  to  a  center  of  sticky  Caramel  and  subtle  spices.   It  all  finishes  with  a  beautiful  and  sensual  fragrance  enhanced  by  a  warm  base  of  Musk  and  Tonka. 
Yum! Comfort scent to the rescue. This fragrance is like a fine chocolate shop. Decedent and luxurious. Perfect for a romantic evening or anytime you need some lovin'.

Signature
This  sophisticated  and  engaging  scent  boasts  a  bold  infusion  of  crisp  Aldehydes,  Black  Pepper  and  Cedar  Leaf  to  introduce  the scent.   Heart  notes  of  Eucalyptus  Blossom  and  Hyacinth  lend  depth  and  intrigue  while  background  notes of  Cashmere  Wood,  Patchouli,  Birch  Wood  and  Incense  add  warmth  and  opulence. 
We love this complex, musty blend. Definitely an intriguing and opulent blend. It reminds us of antique wooden floors you'd find in Europe that have soaked up years of history.

Georgian
This  intoxicating  fragrance  exudes  a  luxurious  aura  as  Mango  and  Green  Leaf  introduce  a  rich  floral  bouquet  of  Gardenia, Tuberose  and  Orange  Flower.   Background  notes  of  Sandalwood  and  Vanilla  lend  depth  and  harmony  to  this  luminous  and alluring  scent. 

This is the floral in the collection and it packs 3 heavy hitters: gardenia, tuberose and orange flower. The sweetness from the mango comes through and there is a faint hint of sandalwood and vanilla to ground this heady floral.

What I like most about Tobi Tobin fragrances is that they are all very well balanced and distinct. The line offers tremendous variety - almost to the point of split personality. Some of the scents, like the Signature scent and Baroque, come across as very complex and European with intense depth while scents like Orangerie come across so simplistic more like US made fragrances. The benefit is there's something for everyone and a scent for every day and any type of weather.

The 3-wicks provide a beautiful ambiance and obliterate the possibility of tunneling. The downside is the glass gets intensely hot, so be careful to touch after the candle has been burning for a while. The packaging is elegant and fits the Tobi Tobin elite design image perfectly.

Overall, Tobi Tobin has created a candle line that is unmatched in the US. A welcome and unique addition!

Juliette Has a Gun Candles

2011-05-03T15:31:00.004-04:00

Juliette Has a Gun was launched in 2006 by Romano Ricci. The Gun is a metaphor for the perfume – a weapon of seduction or simple accessory of bluff – and symbolizes the liberation of women towards men. Sometimes with a taste for revenge… But the concept is also influenced by romanticism. A modern version where reinventing couples and femininity is a constant quest.

Juliette Has a Gun is best known for their perfumes Lady Vengeance and Miss Charming, but they recently launched a new candle line with 3 fragrances:

Lucifer is a bonfire scent. Where Votivo Smoke on the Water focuses on the damp ashes from a fire and Lafco Feu de Bois brings out the wood in a fire, Lucifer is the smoke that billows from a great outdoor bonfire. Simple and pure this one, like the others, is true and unadulterated.

Did you know that Lucifer means “Light-Bringer” in Latin? Interesting…. If there’s a Jesus, how could there not be a Lucifer? How could White exist without its opposite Black? Aren’t we all made out of dark matter? Of course we are… and that’s exactly what makes us human. The essential incoherence of the soul. As for this candle, Romano Ricci wanted it to smell like a familiar future place.

Marilyn is femininity at its best - all cosmetic and lipstick in fragrance. It's youthful and clean without being aged or powdery.

She wanted to be loved by you… and she was. Marilyn Monroe personified Glamour with her alluring beauty and voluptuous curves. But Marilyn was more that a ‘50’s sex goddess. She dominated the age of movie stars to become, without question, the most famous woman of the 20th century. With it’s powdery lipstick note, this candle is dedicated to her, so that she can live with us a little longer.

Mary Jane is pure hash. Another simple, on-point fragrance. Where Jonathan Adler Hashish is slightly sweet and Modern Alchemy Opium Den is somewhat tobacco oriented, the Juliette Has a Gun Mary Jane candle is hashish in its most raw form.

What a lovely name for such a malicious substance… Also called hashish, or hash, the resin composed of compressed marijuana has been used by men for five thousand years. When inhaled, one is supposed to be suddenly gifted with a certain happiness, to be feeling more artistic, more just, more noble. So, marijuana at the heart of men’s imagination? According to French writer Charles Baudelaire, it might even be responsible for our taste for Infinity.

All of the Juliette Has a Gun candles are poured in a silver container with the story of the fragrance embellished on the side. Each candle lasts approximately 50 hours for $58.

Wedding Gift Ideas

2011-05-03T14:34:00.004-04:00

Wedding season is quickly approaching and luckily, there are so many fabulous wedding gifts available in a wide range of prices.

Volupsa Maison Gift Sets always work well when your not sure what fragrance the recipient enjoys. Each gift set contains 8 different fragrances - one of each in the particular Maison Collection. I really like the Voluspa Maison Blanc Gift Set with its crisp white box and glittery gold detail. Each votive candle in the gift set includes a screw top lid making the candle easy to use when traveling (perfect for the honeymoon). The 8 different fragrances allow the new couple to find scents they both enjoy.

The Voluspa Fleurs de Fete fragrance has been around for a while and is always a huge it. This buttery floral scent blends Calla Lily, creme roses, white narcissus, tuberose absolute and butter creme cake. This fragrance is available in a 5oz candle, 10oz candle with velvet box, 3-wick tin and diffuser. All these options make gift giving a breeze because it can work in any price range. The whole collection in a gift basket is a perfect wedding present while the 3-wick tin can be great for any small pre-event celebrations.

Lafco makes a great Penthouse candle with a Champagne fragrance leaning towards zesty grapefruit/citrus. This lively blend last 100 hours and is poured in an over-sized, hand-blown glass vessel that will be a keepsake for generations to come. The black and white detail would make a great compliment to any black and white themed wedding.

We love the Belle Fleur Celebration candle. This fragrance blends sparkling champagne, fresh muguet and a hint of candied ginger. The cold throw comes across as champagne fruit punch with berries jumping about. Fun and festive. Burning the fragrance is divine! Like fine champagne with a berry garnish on the rim. It's a stunning fragrance that burns beautifully with 2 dancing wicks like Bride and Groom. This candle makes a great gift in its shiny patent leather box with simple bow.

Jonathan Alder's career began with pottery so it's no wonder he is known for his gorgeous and unique porcelain products. The Jonathan Adler Muse Blanc candle is poured in a stunning porcelain vase that will be enjoyed for years after the candle is done. Muse Blanc is a watery flower and the 2-wicks provide a mesmerizing glow through the porcelain while burning.

The Muse Votive Gift Set has 1 small Muse Blanc candle and 1 small Muse Noir candle, both in porcelain. I love Muse Noir with it's intense blend of bergamot and black plum mingled with amber and vetiver. The gift set provides one feminine/floral scent and one deep/masculine scent to compliment each other and the newlyweds.

What's your favorite wedding gift to give?

Anthousa Violet & Black Currant

2011-05-03T14:17:00.003-04:00

Earlier this year, Anthousa launched a new fragrance - Violet & Black Currant. It's a fruity floral blend of red raspberries, Valencia oranges, tart black currant, Macintosh apples and peach nectar grounded with pink jasmine, red geranium and purple violet. Violet can tend to be very heavy and sweet, but the addition of all the fresh, fruity notes really help lift and energize the scent.

This limited addition fragrance is available in a candle and diffuser. The Anthousa Violet & Black Currant candle wax has a soft violet accent and the packaging is stunning with a bright, bold pattern. Anthousa candles are made with 100% vegetable wax lasts approximately 60 hours. The beautiful, frosted, Italian glass tumbler washes out easily with soap and water and can be reused as a bud vase or votive candle holder.

Anthousa diffusers last approximately 6-9 months and provide fragrance the same as walking past a bouquet of flowers. It's a nice uplifting surprise as you walk by and they don't tend to overwhelm a room. To freshen the scent, flip a few or all of the reeds as often as you like. The fragrance oil in the Anthousa Violet & Black Currant diffuser has a juicy violet accent.

Enjoy this fragrance while it is available. Anthousa limited edition fragrances tend to stay around for one or two years.

Nest Spring Fest Candle Giveaway

2011-04-26T21:33:00.005-04:00

We're giving away one Nest Peony candle a day from April 25th to May 8th as we count down to Mother's Day. 14 chances to win!

Below are the various ways you can earn raffle entries:

Post on our Facebook page "I'm here for Nest Spring Fest" for 1 raffle entry.

Earn a raffle entry everytime you have a new friend join our Facebook page and post "[yourname] sent me for Nest Spring Fest". Your friend will also earn a raffle entry. This entry is only valid when you have someone new join our page.

Request a scent sample of Nest Peony Blanche by sending your mailing address to SniffIt@CandlesOffMain.com. When you receive your sample, post your feedback on our Facebook page for 1 raffle entry.

Earn 1 raffle entry for every in-store or on-line Nest Fragrances purchase between 4/19/11 and 5/7/11.

Earn 1 raffle entry for every Nest Fragrances review you post on our website between 4/19/11 and 5/7/11.

We'll draw a random raffle entry each day starting Monday, April 25th and announce the winner on Facebook, Twitter and our website. You have 30 days to claim your prize by sending an email to YeahMe@CandlesOffMain.com. Each winner will receive a Nest Peony Blanche candle (retail value $32). If you live outside the Annapolis, Maryland area, we'll ship the candle to any continental US address. Good luck!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

2011-04-23T20:59:00.004-04:00

Mother's Day is coming up on May 8th, so we thought we'd help out with some great gift ideas for Moms.

Voluspa candles are always a hit and the Maison Gift Sets are a great way to offer a variety of fragrances if you're not sure what your Mom likes. The Voluspa Maison Blanc Gift Set offers 1 votive in each of the 8 fragrances in the Maison Blanc Collection. This gift set includes some of Voluspa's best selling fragrances such as Saijo Persimmon and Laguna. I love the white box gilded with gold and the votive candles are poured in cosmetic jars with a screw top lid making them perfect for travel or trial. $50 per gift set.

Juilette Has a Gun offers wonderful perfumes for women. Miss Charming is a sweet fruity floral perfume perfect for daytime or the light-hearted, playful Mom. This perfume is a blend of Moroccan rose, musk and wild berries. Lady Vengeance is more rich and sensual and perfect for nighttime or for more daring Moms with a blend of Bulgarian rose, patchouli and vanilla. $110 each.

Lafco candles make a gorgeous gift with their keepsake hand-blown glass vessel. I love the bright pink container for the Lafco Powder Room candle. The Duchess Peony fragrance is perfect for the girl in every Mom. These oversized candles last 100 hours. $50

Beau Bain bath bombs always make great gifts for women as they leave your skin silky smooth and your body feeling like butter. Beau Bain bath bombs are available in individual large size, 6-packs and 12-packs of mini bombs. Prices range from $8 - $30.

The packaging on the Tocca perfume is absolutely divine and uber-girly yet ultra stylish. Tocca Bianca is a delicate blend of tea, rose, lemon and sugar and perfect this time of year when buds are just starting to open and steamy days are on the way. Tocca eau de parfum is $68 (price increase to $72 soon). The solid perfume retails for $30 and is perfect for travel or for your Mom to toss in her purse for use during the day.

Anthousa diffusers are great if you want to give the gift of home fragrance without giving a candle. Diffusers provide a constant fragrance and add beauty to any room. The gift sets by Anthousa offer 3 mini diffusers that are perfect for powder rooms or smaller bedrooms. The Garden Collection offers 100ml diffusers in Bougainvillea 1768, Pomegranate & Mint and White Gardenia.

What's your favorite gift for Mother's Day to give or to receive?

Votivo Rush of Rose & Morning Violet

2011-04-22T20:28:00.004-04:00

Earlier this year Votivo launched two new fragrances: Rush of Rose and Morning Violet. Both fragrances are fun and very feminine. While they each have a strong focus on a single note, they each use other fragrances to help them achieve their mission.

Rush of Rose is an explosion of fresh, green Damascus rose buds, surrounded by light, watery notes and soft woods.

Rush of Rose is a perfect name for this fragrance. It is exactly that. Like your face being jammed into a bouquet of roses. The brilliance of this fragrance is that Votivo used ozone and aldehydes to keep the fragrances light and fresh. Many rose fragrances can get powdery and smell like Grandma's bathroom. Not what most people are looking for. This rose is full-on rose without being old.

Top notes: Water greens, light ozone, clean aldehydes
Middle notes: Moroccan rose, damask rose, may rose
Base notes: sweet floral musk, soft woods

Morning Violet is a refreshing breath of life concocted of sweet pears, Parma violets and guaiacum wood.

Violet fragrances can get very heavy and sweet. Votivo mixed Parma and Victoria violet with greens and fresh pear to lighten it up and make it a little juicier while still staying true to the violet fragrance.

Top notes: leafy greens, fresh pear
Middle notes: Parma violet, Victoria violet, powdered Iris
Base notes: amber, musk, guaiacwood

Votivo candles last approximately 50 hours and are made with a soy wax blend and cotton wick.

Peony Fragrances

2011-04-22T18:46:00.003-04:00

Peony is a wonderful and feminine flower that is dearly loved. The flower features delicate petals in grand abundance.

Peony Blanche by Nest Fragrances is the most recent launch. This fragrance blends peony with jasmine magnolia and lily with watery nuances. The effect is a soft floral that is strong in fragrance. This candle features beautiful petal pink wax and gorgeous packaging.

Red Flower scanned the world to find the most distinct fragrance from each area and selected Peony from Japan. Red Flower Japanese Peony is fragrance is powdery and natural. The large candle comes with peony petals on top that you need to remove before your burn the candle. The candle liquifies as it burns for a beautiful, glowing effect. The large candle lasts 50 hours and the tiny candle lasts an astonishing 15 hours. Both candles are highly fragrant.

K. Hall Designs makes the most natural blend focusing on single note fragrances. The K. Hall Peony candle smells like soft, velvety floral petals reminiscent of rose petals. K. Hall Designs Peony is also available in a diffuser and diffuser refill.

Lafco makes the most stunning hand-blown vessels for their candles that will become a keepsake for generations to come. Their Powder Room, Duchess Peony, candle comes in the most exquisite pink glass container. This large candle lasts and astounding 100 hours.

Trapp Private Gardens launched their Pure Peony candle earlier this year. Trapp Pure Peony is a very water, floral blend focusing on the vintage peony fragrance. This fragrance is available in a 5 and 7oz candles as well as a votive candle.

It's nice to have so many peony candles for selection to be able to find just the right one for you. Which one is your favorite?

Vivacious Violet

2011-04-16T20:16:00.007-04:00

Guest post by Caitlin Feener

Something that is considered vivid can be full of life, strikingly bright or intense, and might even produce powerful feelings and clear images in the mind. Violet is vivid—a fragrance that can have a fantastic effect on the senses.

An extraordinarily versatile scent, violet is deep, complex, and enticing. It blends seamlessly with so many other notes, from fruity to spicy, and each combination discovers and exposes violet in a whole new way. No two violet blends that I have come across have mirrored one another, yet at the same time, violet is always the star of the show in its own unique way.

Votivo Morning Violet. Full of Life.

Morning Violet is a refreshing breeze on a carefree warm day, the crisp beautiful memories of pure violet floating in the wind while you run through fresh green grass and breathe in the sweet scents of summer all around you. Parma and Victoria violet are enhanced with notes of sweet pears, leafy greens, and powdered iris, and are rounded out with the flawless exotic touch of amber and guaiacwood. Morning Violet captures the essence of feeling alive—a calm reminder to pause every now and then and make sure to smell the flowers.

Anthousa Violet & Black Currant. Strikingly Bright and Intense.
Elegant Violet & Black Currant is like nectar, juicy enough to turn even the coldest day into a seductively sweet soiree. Spend the evening with Violet & Black Currant and embrace your inner goddess, sipping fragrant dessert wine while marveling at the stars in the bold black sky. A fruity floral blend of red rasberry, Valencia orange, tart black currant, fresh Macintosh apples, and peach nectar meet the bright floral notes of pink jasmine, red geranium, and purple violet to create an intense feeling of sugary sweet clarity.

Odin 04 Petrana. Powerful Feelings and Clear Images in the Mind.
Petrana is the dark side of violet, a sultry symphony of mystery and mystique. The violet is the calm before the storm, as your sense are quickly engulfed into the tantalizing world of exotic spices and the thrill of exploring a strange, new environment that is far away from home. Transported to a Jordanian desert landscape covered in blooming black iris, Petrana emerges from a foundation of wild orris root and green violet leaf absolute, swirling with herbaceous coriander, spicy pink pepper, and deep purple cassis.

Violet photo from humanflowerproject.com.

DayNa Decker - Innovative & Trendsetting

2011-04-14T10:40:00.014-04:00

DayNa Decker is both innovative and trendsetting while creating eco-friendly yet stylish products. A powerful combination of skills and design. She invented the Luminesse Sculpture (shown above) that uses 100% pure plant derived fragranced lamp oil - a first of its kind. She also uses an EcoWood Wick in her chandel that burns clean and creates a soothing crackling sound as it burns.

Diffusers have been a major trend in the home fragrance industry over the last few years. They typically use a decorative vase filled with fragrance oil and bamboo reeds to absorb and diffuse the scent creating a constant fragrance. Some diffusers use ceramic pieces or wood block for diffusion. Other options for constant fragrance are ceramic potpourri or scented rocks.

If you were to invent a stylish product for constant home fragrance,
what would you create?

Post your answer below for a chance to win a 6oz DayNa Decker Clementine Chandel. We'll select a winner on Friday, April 15th. We'll ship the winning candle to any continental US address. Good luck!

DayNa Decker - Background

2011-04-12T13:14:00.007-04:00

DayNa Decker's talent for creating seductive, luxurious and decadent home fragrance products evolved while she was immersed in the world of fashion, art and culture as she traveled internationally as a Ford model. She was born with a business sense growing up in a family of design and wellness entrepreneurs. DayNa studied perfumery in Grasse, France to create her innovative and trend-setting fragrance luxuries.

If you could have any talent, training or environment, what would you want?

Post your answer below for a chance to win a DayNa Decker 6oz Leila Chandel. We'll select a winner on Wednesday, April 13, 2011. If you live outside the Annapolis, Maryland area we'll ship the candle to any continental US address. Good luck!

Rise and Shine!

2011-04-03T09:24:00.003-04:00

It's one of those mornings where I'm slow to get going. I'm feeling groggy and my eyes don't want to open all the way. It's times like this when I like to start the day with a bright fragrance - something strong and bold.

Most days I make a hot cup of tea and reach for my Aura Clairvoyant candle. It's simple and pungent citrus melange is just the wake up I need. Clairvoyant is a blend of yuzu grapefruit, cassis, orange and rose geranium. I love the way Aura candles burn - clean and easy. I like that no-fuss-no-muss option, especially early in the morning. Aura Clairvoyant is also a wake-up call for the house getting rid of all the stale air from the day before and creating a clean slate for the new day.

The other candle I love when I need a shot of caffeine-fragrance is the Lafco Office candle. The bright green container alone is enough to open my eyes. It's the most brilliant chartruese green. Office is a blend of three of my most favorite invigorating fragrances: eucalyptus, rosemary and wild mint. This fragrance comes alive when burning. It screams not only "Wake up" but also "Make the most of your day!". I love the beautiful glow on the Lafco candles illuminating the oversized, hand-blown glass vessel.

Another fresh fragrance is the Nest Grapefruit candle - a blend of Pink pomelo grapefruit and watery green nuances with lily of the valley and coriander blossom. I love this fresh zesty scent with a hint of floral. Nest candles are crazy fragrant! If you need someone to scream in your ear to wake you up, this is your fragrance equivalent. The soft floral accent makes this fragrance a great choice anytime you want something strong and vibrant to breathe life into the room.

What helps you wake up in the morning? Have you ever tried using fragrances to help start your day? This is a new habit for me that I am really enjoying. I'd love to hear what works for you.

Fresh Orange Candles

2011-03-31T18:13:00.014-04:00

It's one of those stuffy winter days where you just want to open the windows and clean the stuffy air out of th house. Today I turn to my fresh, orange scented candles to help me out.

One of my favorite fresh orange scents is Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne. I fell in love with the cologne at first sniff. When they launched a candle in the same scent, I immediately snagged it. I'm crazy about Atelier candles. They smell exactly as the cologne so I can be surrounded in the scent I love so much. While they don't burn evenly, they do burn cleanly and completely off the glass. The fragrance is strong without being overwhelming. Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine features top notes of top notes blood orange and bitter orange along with heart notes of jasmine and geranium from South Africa. The base notes are amber woods, tonka beans and sandalwood. What's not to love?! Atelier Cologne candles are made in France with a blend of vegetable and paraffin wax.

I am completely addicted to the Tocca Stella Body Scrub (Tocca Esfoliante da Corpo Stella Rich Body Polish ). I LOVE this scent and the body scrub is the best I've tried. Surprisingly, it wasn't until just recently that I started burning the Tocca Stella candle. The fragrance is the same as the polish and it's a perfect, fresh scent. Heaven!!

Another favorite blood orange candle is Red Flower Italian Blood Orange. Red Flower does a great job at making scents that focus in one one particular fragrance. Their blood orange candle is their most beautiful burning candle offering a brilliant orange glow as the wax liquefies. The scent is simple and pure.

"Imagine the creamy flavor of a homemade gelato, dripping with mandarin, sweet tangerine, honeyed Clementine, and a hint of musk." I love Bond No. 9 perfume so when I heard they had a candle in my favorite orange fragrance, Little Italy, I jumped on it. I love the orange vessel and heavy gold top.

Zesty orange scents are great anytime of year. In the winter they offer a fresh reprieve. In the summer, they are cooling on hot, steamy days. Orange is one of the few fragrances that can translate well into bath products, personal fragrance and home fragrance. Or all of the above at the same time!

Ecoya Giveaway

2011-03-29T08:43:00.013-04:00

Ecoya products are crafted in Botany Bay, Australia where 100’s of rich botanicals were cataloged in 1770. Ecoya products feature natural waxes, cotton wicks and sustainable botanicals.

Ecoya offers the black Sorrento jar candle ($39 for 70 hours), clear Metro jar candle ($29 for 50 hours), small ($13.50 for 15 hours) and large ($20 for 30 hours) travel tins, soy wax melts and diffusers ($50). Ecoya features 6 fragrances including:

Lemongrass & Ginger: a clean and refreshing citrus with lemon, thyme and lime. Well balanced and not heavy handed with hints of African mint.

Vanilla Bean: Butterscotch and vanilla tones, mouthwatering and edible. Rich luxurious layered, dense and full with hints of caramel and toffee.

Lotus Flower: Elusive pineapple and sweet cotton candy notes with a light floral aspect, almost lavender. Warm floral and comforting.

French Pear: Spicy cinnamon, star anise characteristics reminiscent of stewed apples with crumble. Hints of spice, juniper berries, cranberries, nutmeg and tropical fruit. Sweet with passion fruit notes.

Wild Frangipani: Voluptuous with complex buttery intricacies and subtle nuances of rose. A fragrance that builds in layers throughout the burn.

Sweet Pea & Jasmine: light and refreshing watermelon and cucumber tones with refreshing notes of lavender.

Let us know what you think about Ecoya for a chance to win a gift pack valued at over $100 including a 4-votive gift set, diffuser and Metro candle. Answer the following 3 questions as a comment to this blog post for a chance to win. There is no right or wrong answer. We're looking for complete honesty. You cannot offend.

1. What do you like about Ecoya?

2. What do you not like about Ecoya?

3. Would you buy Ecoya products?

We'll select a winner on Monday, April 4, 2011. We'll ship the winning prize pack to any continental US address. Good luck!

Aura Cosmic is Out Of This World

2011-03-24T20:30:00.008-04:00

Cosmic: limitless; grandiose. A creamy and scrumptious blend of blood orange, vanilla bean, vanilla orchid & amber.

Cosmic is definitely one of my favorite fragrances by Aura Candles. If you love blood orange and vanilla, be sure to give this one a try. I was immediately taken by it's delicious scent. It's my go-to candle anytime I need something uber fragrant and super yummy without being too sweet.

I love how Aura uses juicy blood orange essential oil for a super fresh and vibrant fragrance. The earthy vanilla bean makes it comforting and the touch of amber deepens the scent but doesn't overwhelm. The fragrances blend harmoniously and the result is perfection.

Aura candles burn easily and completely. The soy wax blend burns clean leaving very little residue on the glass. I even posted a photo so you can see how cleanly and completely they burn. One thing I love about Aura candles is that I know I will be able to smell them. I'm never let down with the intensity of the scent.

Burn quality: 4.5/5. Fragrance intensity 4/5.

Aura Luscious Candle - It's Auralicious

2011-03-23T19:55:00.008-04:00

Luscious: highly pleasing in taste or smell. A warm and exotic blend of tangerine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk and amber.

I am completely addicted to the Aura Luscious candle. I can't be without it and I even take it with me when I travel. It's such a grounding scent for me. I know I can count on this scent to help settle my nerves. It untangles my muscles until I'm a puddle on the couch.

I love sandalwood/vanilla blends. Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanille is comforting like being wrapped in a thick, warm blanket. It soothes me. Tocca Colette is a very sensual sandalwood/vanilla fragrance for a romantic evening. Aura Luscious, though, is the most bold sandalwood/vanilla blend. Aura Luscious grabs me like a big bear hug and let's me know everything is ok.

Here's what customers:

"Luscious is literally an addictive blend. The sandalwood, amber and tangerine elements come through like the perfect marriage. They are so relaxing and beautiful." - D. Roberto-Kelley
"Luscious is one of my favorite Aura fragrances. It's a sexy, sophisticated scent that's warm and spicy." - D. DeMarco
"Luscious has such a sweet & sexy depth." - R. Kelley
"To me Luscious is my consistent go to candle." - W. Wiltsey

One of the things I like about all Aura scented soy wax candles is that they burn so well - cleanly and easily. I trim the wick before I relight (as I do with all my candles) and that's it. I never have to fuss, worry or mettle with them to keep them burning cleanly. They also burn evenly and completely with no wax residue on the glass. With a burn time of 70 hours and ultra hip/chic packaging, what more could you ask for?

Aura Lucid Candle

2011-03-22T21:19:00.004-04:00

Aura Lucid is a fresh watery floral blend with notes of lotus flower, freesia, wild celery, hyacinth and orange blossom. It's one of those fragrances that feels great on a hot day or refreshing any day. The addition of wild celery gives it that unexpected twist that we're growing to expect from Aura. They have a creative way of making ordinary fragrances unique and contemporary. If you like the Voluspa Laguna candle or Aquiesse Shoreline, you will fall in love with Aura Lucid.

Customers are "head over heels obsessed" with this latest fragrance by Aura Candles.

Aura creates creamy custom blended soy candles generously scented with the finest fragrance and essential oils. Each evocative blend is designed to burn slow and clean using cotton wicks. This fun and slightly edgy candle line is simple, yet detailed, and always down to earth. Hand poured in the USA.

K. Hall Designs Peony Fragrance

2011-03-15T20:44:00.004-04:00

Today I'm enjoying the K. Hall Designs Peony candle - True to its name, this floral is delicate and heady with peaceful, watery notes. This feminine fragrance is reminiscent of dew covered vintage peonies.

Peony is a romantic and feminine fragrance and K. Hall's interpretation is unadulterated. It's a slightly heady and somewhat sweet fragrance, yet comes across with a delicate nature and grace. While old-fashioned, it isn't powdery or grandmotherly. The cold throw is far greater than the warm throw. It is not an overwhelming fragrance but rather softens the room in a relaxed and elegant way. The K. Hall Peony diffuser would be a welcome addition to any powder room or guest room.

This new fragrance is available in a diffuser, diffuser refill and soy wax candle. K. Hall candles are made with 100% vegetable wax. K. Hall Designs uses 100% recyclable containers and recycled or reusable material for packaging. All of their products are hand-made in the USA and they never test on animals or use animal by-products or petroleum bases.

K. Hall Sugared Magnolia

2011-03-14T20:34:00.006-04:00

Earlier this year K. Hall announced their newest fragrance, Sugared Magnolia - a delightful blend that is breezy and warm, sweet and soft and anchored with grassy notes and woodsy vetiver.

This fragrance is extremely floral, though not heady or cloying, and very feminine. There is a strong sweetness to it. It smells like soft, velvety flower petals. As if a thousand fresh flower petals were jammed into the glass. Even though it is intensely floral very slightly powdery, I wouldn't classify this as a "Grannie" scent. It has a youthful, fun appeal. While the name is Sugared Magnolia, the sweetness comes from the natural sweetness of flowers. It reminds me of sweet rose petals. It's not a sugary or candy fragrance.

K. Hall Giveaway Question

2011-03-14T14:04:00.004-04:00

K. Hall Designs fragrances are mostly single note scents, such as Peony, Pomegranate, Moss and Lavender. If you were to create a one-note scent, what would it be?

Post your answer below for a chance to win a 3-wick candle by K. Hall. We'll select a random winner on Monday, March 21, 2011. We'll ship the winning candle to any continental US address.

To see how else you can win a K. Hall candle, check our website at http://www.candlesoffmain.com/k-hall-giveaway.aspx.

Good luck!

Modern Alchemy Historical Collection

2011-03-08T11:13:00.006-05:00

Alchemy was the medieval pursuit to transform un-precious metals into gold through a combination of magic and science. Utilizing the rarest of extracts, essences, and absolutes Modern Alchemy is able to create fragrances that conjure time and place, transforming environments from the mundane to the sublime.

According to Modern Alchemy, smell is often called the sense tied most closely to human memory, profoundly influencing people’s ability to recall past events and experiences. Each fragrance in the Historical Collection by Modern Alchemy will evoke the essence of a moment in time, places long past and events rooted in our collective history.

I love the vessel for the Modern Alchemy candles. Thick and colorful but muted. They remind me of a mysterious castle. Rich with dark wood and stone. Masculine and powerful. I love the glow of the container when burning. It's mesmerizing. When the candle is done they can easily be washed out with soap and water and reused as tealight or votive holder.

Modern Alchemy candles are made with a patented blend of high-grade European waxes including soy, maple and palm wax. Many of these waxes are used for luxury body creams and lotions. If you run your fingers along the top of the candle, it has a silky, smooth finish. You can immediately fell the difference in the wax when you run your finger along its milky surface. Moist but not greasy, it is virtually absorbed into the skin upon contact. This formula houses the delicately balanced essential oils without altering their fragile character. The wick used in all Modern Alchemy candles is hand-braided cotton and lead-free.

Modern Alchemy Tincture of Winchester

2011-03-08T10:37:00.007-05:00

Tincture of Winchester - a blend of fire arsenal of wood stock, 19th century lacquer and smoky gunpowder.

According to Modern Alchemy, smell is often called the sense tied most closely to human memory, profoundly influencing people’s ability to recall past events and experiences. Each fragrance in the Historical collection by Modern Alchemy will evoke the essence of a moment in time, places long past and events rooted in our collective history.

Modern Alchemy definitely achieved this feat for me with their Tincture of Winchester candle. It reminds me of warming by the fire on cold New England nights. Tincture of Winchester is most likely my favorite Modern Alchemy candle. I always gravitate towards woody, smoky scents.

The Lucifer candle by Juliette Has a Gun plays on the smoke from a fire. When you're out for a walk on a dark, brisk night and you pick up the scent of a roaring fire in a nearby home. I love that smell. It makes me happy inside. That smell makes a house a home.

The Lafco Ski House candle celebrates the wood in the fire - the heart. Natural and fresh. Slight sweet with just a hint of smoke.

Votivo Smoke on the Water is the ashes under the fire. Damp, smoldering newspaper ashes. The morning after a late night campfire by a lake.

Tincture of Winchester brings all of that together. Imagine standing next to a grand, stone fireplace almost as tall as you. Rich wood paneling lines the walls. Thick rugs are scattered on the floor and you're relaxed in an oversized, worn leather chair. It's not refined, stuffy or pretentious like a Ralph Lauren ad. It's warm, relaxing and welcoming and yet rich and luxurious.

It's fun when fragrances bring memories to life. I wonder where the other Modern Alchemy fragrances will take me...

Tincture of Winchester is in the Modern Alchemy Historical Collection by D. L. & Co.

Modern Alchemy Giveaway-a-Day

2011-03-07T13:55:00.002-05:00

Featuring the Modern Alchemy Historical Collection by D. L. & Co.

Alchemy was the medieval pursuit to transform un-precious metals into gold through a combination of magic and science. Utilizing the rarest of extracts, essences, and absolutes we are able to create fragrances that conjure time and place, transforming environments from the mundane to the sublime.

We're Having a Modern Alchemy Giving-a-Day (M-F) on Facebook this week!

Join us on Facebook and check our page each day to see how you can win something from the Modern Alchelmy Historical Collection. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we'll giveaway a Modern Alchemy candle ($45 value). On Friday, We'll give away the History Lesson #2 Gift Set and an Owl snuffer. Friday's prize pack is valued at over $100.

We'll ship the prize package to any continental US address. Good luck!

Rub a Dub Dub - This is The Best Scrub!

2011-03-07T11:18:00.003-05:00

I absolutely LOVE the Tocca body scrub in their amazing Stella scent. I've tried a zillion scrubs and this one has the best consistency by far. Exfoliating without being scratchy. Uber-moisturizing without being greasy or heavy. The Italian blood orange fragrance is amazing - fresh and lively - and the scent lasts and lasts.

The Tocca Stella body scrub (Esfoliante da Corpo ) uses crushed olive granules to delicately exfoliate dry skin. It's also rich in natural oils including Italian olive oil, safflower oil and grape seed oil.

I used this scrub before flying cross-country and it worked wonders at helping me stay fresh and moisturized all day. I use this scrub at least once a week and the results are incredible. A must have product!

Disclaimer: Yes, we sell this product. Typically my posts are objective and slightly analytical (just my nature). This blog post, however, is simply out of passion for this product. Just wanted to share some Tocca scrub love with you.

Because Life Doesn't Always Smell Like Roses

2011-03-06T07:40:00.010-05:00

Ahhh.... waking up in the morning. The sun is rising. The air is fresh. Birds are chirping. If only every day was like that. Today is gray and dreary. Outside it's as if someone pushed the mute button. There are no birds or sunlight in sight. The air, unfortunately, is also not fresh.

Have you ever had a morning where you walk into your family room or kitchen, and instead of smelling pleasant or neutral it smells like last night's dinner or worse? Welcome to my day. Today it smells like rotting trash. Like someone cleaned out the worst from the fridge yesterday and didn't bring the bag outside. Blick.

Normally, with cooking odors, I try to be proactive. If I know it's going to be bad (like with bacon or fish), I'll light a Clean Air candle while we're cooking to absorb the odors without interfering fragrance. When we're cleaning up I'll light my Lampe Berger lamp to obliterate the rest of the cooking odors. Done deal.

Today, though, I know if I remove the source (the rotting bag) I'll be in good shape. There is, however, a trail of stench that remains. My first attack is with my handy Voluspa room spray. I always have a bottle in the bathroom and by the kitchen trash bag. I like to spray the trash can before I put a fresh bag in. It makes throwing out the trash a fresh, pleasant experience. I always have Golden Cypress Sawara for this task. I love clean, mountain air. Since I'm eager for spring and more citrusy scents, I think it's time to switch to the Voluspa Arcadia room spray. That bright lemony scent would be a welcome addition right about now. Both fragrances layer nicely with candles.

My candle of choice when I need something bright and alive is Aura Clairvoyant. It provides a simple, fresh, citrus scent. Direct and to the point, it's exactly what I need when I need to wake up stale or stinky air. It's also useful on mornings when I'm groggy and my eyes just don't open up as much as I need. Clairvoyant is a burst of unconvoluted citrus without being too grapefruit or too lemon or too orange. It's the perfect blend of fresh.

I also recently brought home the Votivo Sumatra Lemongrass candle. When we first opened our shop one of the original founders for Votivo stopped by to visit. He spoke passionately about how much he loves Sumatra Lemongrass from the Votivo French Collection. He smokes at home and loves how this fragrances makes his home smell fresh. Even given his compelling story, I never tried it. A customer of ours had trouble with hers (see blog post on tunneling) so I brought it home to see if I could fix it. I ended up falling in love with the fragrance. Fresh and bright. It layers perfectly with Aura Clairvoyant.

Now my stinky kitchen is stellar! If only the weather could turn around as easily.

Jo Loves... by Jo Malone

2011-03-01T16:01:00.002-05:00

Very excited for this! What an inspiration. Watch for updates on www.joloves.com.

Volupsa Candles in a Minute

2011-03-01T14:59:00.003-05:00

Voluspa was created in 1999 by Troy and Traci Arnsten of Southern California. Voluspa is known for creating beautiful collections including their new Maison Blanc, Maison Rouge and Maison Noir Collections. Voluspa also offers the Seasons Collection, Japonica Collection and James Boyce Collection.

We love Voluspa Candles because they offer excellent quality, gorgeous packaging, unique contemporary fragrances, and long lasting candles all at an amazing price.

If you're not sure what Voluspa fragrance to try, check out my favorite, Makassar Ebony & Peach, or Dave's favorite, French Boubon Vanille. Both of those fragrances can be found in the Seasons Collection. You can also try the best selling fragrances by Voluspa, Baltic Amber or Santiago Huckleberry, both in the Japonica Collection.

Voluspa candles are hand-poured in the United States using a coconut wax blend and cotton wicks for a clean and easy burn.

New Fragrances by Trapp: Yuzu & Bonsai, Pure Peony and Quince & Pomegranate

2011-02-28T20:27:00.007-05:00

Earlier this year, Trapp launched 3 new fragrances: Yuzu & Bonsai, Pure Peony and Quince & Pomegranate.

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit, similar to a grapefruit. This fragrances has strong sweet accents and the yuzu comes across like a sticky, pink grapefruit that was sugared just prior to blending. There also seems to be some floral notes and other tropical fruits in this candle adding to the fruity sweetness. Trapp Yuzu & Bonsai comes across as being zen-like to most people.

Trapp Pure Peony is a soft, petally floral. This fresh, spring scent is perfect for anyone seeking a floral fragrance that isn't heavy or intense.

Trapp Quince & Pomegranate is a fresh, fruity blend. Quince is a small tree that grows in southwest Asia and grows fruit related to apples and pears. This tropical fruit is blended with tart pomegranate and notes of Asiatic Lilies. This bright, fruity blend works well anytime of year.

If you're looking for fun and fresh fragrances, be sure to give these a try!

Trapp Bamboo Sugar Cane

2011-02-28T19:48:00.002-05:00

I love sweets, so it's no surprise how much I enjoy the Trapp Bamboo Sugar Cane candle. What I really like about this candle is that it isn't sicky, sugary sweet. It doesn't give me a belly ache like some over-the-top sugary scents can. It doesn't smell like cookies or frosting.

If you've ever had the pleasure of sucking on pure sugar cane, you know exactly what I mean. It's a soft, mellow, natural sweet that soothes. The bamboo notes offer a freshness to help keep the sweeter notes from becoming too heavy. The effect is fresh and relaxing.

This candle works well anytime of year and any type of weather. I enjoy it on rainy days to provide comfort without weighing me down. On warmer days it layers nicely with Pink Grapefruit for a more refreshing scent. Blended with spicy scents like Trapp Exotic Spice or Sexy Cinnamon it becomes more lively. For sweeter blends, layer it with Guava/Mango, Pear or Macintosh. You really can't go wrong layering Trapp Bamboo Sugarcane.

Trapp Bamboo Sugar Cane is available in 5 oz and 7 oz candles as well as votive candles.

Trapp Giveaway Blog Question

2011-02-22T09:57:00.004-05:00

Answer this question for a chance to win a Trapp prize pack valued at over $100. Here's the question:

If you were any Trapp fragrance, what fragrance would you be?

You must post your answer as a comment to this blog post by 3/1/11 to be entered to win. We'll announce the winner on Wednesday, March 2nd. You're welcome to follow our blog while you're here! Look for the follow button in the right column.

We're giving away 5 Trapp prize packs this week. Click here to see all the ways you can win.

Each Trapp prize pack includes an exclusive Trapp bag, Trapp diffuser, 2 Trapp candles and a Trapp room spray in a fragrance of your choice. We'll ship the winning prize pack to any continental US address. Good luck!

Trapp Giveaway Week

2011-02-22T09:47:00.017-05:00

We're giving away 5 Trapp Gift Packs valued at over $100 each!

Below are the various ways you can win:

Twitter Raffle: Follow us on Twitter and earn 1 raffle entry every time you tweet "Follow @CandlesOffMain and RT by 2/27/11 for a chance to win a Trapp gift pack valued at over $100 http://bit.ly/g7OO58 ". We'll announce the winner on Monday, February 28th.

2/28/11: Congratulations to Michelle Simons (@MCJunkie) of MI for winning out Trapp Twitter raffle!

YouTube Raffle: Subscribe to our YouTube channel and earn a raffle entry when you answer the question in our Trapp giveaway video by 2/28/11. You must post your answer as a comment to the video on YouTube for entry. We'll announce the winner on Tuesday, March 1st.
3/1/11: Congratulations to Kim Miller (pookiekitty62) for winning our Trapp YouTube raffle!
Blog Raffle: Earn 1 raffle entry when you answer the question in our Trapp blog question giveway post. You must post your answer as a comment on the blog post for entry by 3/1/11. We'll announce the blog raffle winner on Wednesday, March 2nd.
3/2/11: Congratulations to Melissa Kelley for winning our Trapp Blog raffle!
Facebook Raffle: Join our Facebook Page and earn a raffle entry when you post your top 3 favorite Trapp fragrances on our wall. Earn a raffle entry every time you have a friend join our Facebook page and post their 3 favorite Trapp fragrances (they also earn a raffle entry). They must post "[yourname] sent me" on our wall for us to keep track. We'll announce the Facebook winner on Thursday, March 3rd.
3/3/11: Congratulations to Robin Nuscher Donnelly of MD for winning our Trapp Facebook raffle!

Website/Store Raffle: Earn 1 raffle entry for every in-store or on-line Trapp purchase by 3/3/11. Also earn 1 raffle entry for every Trapp review you post on our website by 3/3/11. We'll announce the Website/Store raffle winner on Friday, March 4th.
3/4/11: Congratulations to Dawn Miller of OH for winning our Trapp Website raffle!

Each Trapp gift pack includes an exclusive Trapp bag, 2 Trapp candles, 1 Trapp room spray, and a Trapp diffuser all in a fragrance of your choice. Total value over $100. We will ship the prize package to any continental US address. Good luck!

D. L. & Co Candle Giveaway

2011-02-14T14:51:00.003-05:00

Join us on Facebook for a chance to win a 1oz D. L. & Co. Thorn Apple candle. We'll have 3 random Facebook giveaways during the week and we'll announce the winners as we go. This contest runs 2-15-11 to 2-18-11.

Good luck! We'll ship the winning candles to any continental US address.

Bluewick Giveaway

2011-02-08T12:44:00.010-05:00

This week we're featuring Bluewick and sharing the love by giving out 3 Bluewick candles. Below are the various ways you can win:

Facebook Raffle: The inspiration for the fragrances for Bluewick candles are from Art's memories as a child. If you could create a fragrance to represent a special memory, what memory would you select and what fragrances would you use? Join our Facebook Page and earn a raffle entry when you post your answer on our wall by 2/13/11.

YouTube Raffle: Subscribe to our YouTube channel and earn 1 raffle entry when you answer the question in our Bluewick YouTube video. You must post your answer as a comment to the video in YouTube by 2/13/11.

Blog Raffle: Bluewick changed the packaging on most of their collections to an clear jar with screw top lid. The new design is efficient and eco-friendly. If you were to create a poured candle line, what would you use as your container? Post your answer as a comment to this blog post by 2/13/11 for 1 raffle entry.

We'll announce the 3 raffle winners on Monday, February 14th. Good luck!
We will ship the prize packages to any continental US address. Fragrances vary.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-08T11:15:00.006-05:00

Not sure what to get this Valentine's Day? Here are some things we love for this special and fun holiday.

Red Flower Lavender Bath & Body Oil for a sensual massage or add a few drops to your bath for a relaxing retreat. Oh la la.

Soak with a Beau Bain Coconut Lemongrass Bath Bomb to make your muscles turn to mush. Ahhhh..... I love this fragrance (even though I normally hate coconut) and it includes sandalwood which is an aphrodisiac. Bonus.

The Tocca Perfume Viaggio will make any girl giddy. Three adorable perfume bottles in Tocca's Florence, Cleopatra and Stella fragrances. Love.

The Red Flower Moroccan Rose candle - Oh, the things you can do with the petals to add romance to your relationship - sprinkle across the table for a romantic dinner, add some to a love letter, put in a sachet for your lingerie drawer... Red Flower candles have a beautiful glow to them when they burn adding to the ambiance.

I'm not a huge floral fan myself, so I go for the more sultry scents like Belle Fleur Kyara Clove. I love the mix of woods and vintage leather for a relaxing and grounding effect. Can't beat sophisticated and sexy.

If you're not into fragrance, dine by candlelight or scatter unscented votive candles around the room for the ultimate romantic evening. Whatever you do - enjoy!

Friend Fest

2011-01-17T20:43:00.004-05:00

We're giving away 3 Gift Packs valued at over $200 each!
Below are the various ways you can win:

Twitter Raffle: Follow us on Twitter and earn 1 raffle entry every time you tweet "Follow @CandlesOffMain and RT for a chance to win a luxury gift pack valued at over $200! http://bit.ly/dFiogd Contest ends 1/28/11."

YouTube Raffle: Subscribe to our YouTube channel and earn a raffle entry every time you post a comment on any video by 1/28/11.

Facebook Raffle: Join our Facebook Page and earn a raffle entry when you post on our wall: "I'm here for friend fest". Earn a raffle entry every time you have a friend join our Facebook page and post: "[yourname] sent me for friend fest". Your friend will also earn a raffle entry for joining us.

We'll announce the 3 raffle winners on Saturday, January 29th. Good luck!
We will ship the prize packages to any continental US address. Fragrances and colors may vary.

Ana Candles

2011-01-14T19:11:00.007-05:00

Over 15 years ago, Frank Weeden was driving down the New Jersey Turnpike thinking of a gift for his girlfriend. That is when he devised the idea for Ana Candles - the original striped taper candle. That was over 15 yeas ago. Since then they've graced the O List and many exquisite homes across the country.

Ana Design started on the first level of Frank's historic factory building in the old Trenton Window Washing Factory where the business still resides. Each year Ana Candles creates new color combinations to keep things fresh and current.

Look for Ana Candles in the set backdrop for a scene in Janet Evanovich's "One for the Money" movie starting Katherine Heigl. Evanovich is a Trenton native who's novels about private detective Stephanie Plum all take Place in Trenton, NJ.

Ana Candles can be found in art museum shops, resorts and specialty boutiques nationwide.

Sugar Jones

2011-01-08T21:41:00.011-05:00

For the new year, I'm trying to eat healthier. For me, that means missing all my sweet treats. Since I can't gain weight sniffing, I decided to surround myself in yummy scents to cure my sugar craving.

I'm layering Modern Alchemy Cake Walk with Voluspa Truffle White Cocoa. I love the combination. Since neither are overly sweet, they work well without inducing complete scent sugar coma.

When I smell the Cake Walk candle cold, I feel as though I've stuffed my head inside the box of Pillsbury Vanilla Cake mix. Dry, fatty, vanilla flour heaven. I love it so much I want to eat it. It's far more creamy than sugary but still incredibly indulgent. A girl's best friend.

Burning, it takes a curious twist. Modern Alchemy candles would never resemble a normal cake fragrance, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I wasn't expecting it from the cold throw. Burning, it turns slightly bitter. Almost like when you just cross that line between perfectly caramelized sugar and burnt sugar. I think it's the chicory coming through. Chicory root is used as a coffee substitute and has notes of caramel, chocolate and roasted nuts. It's a nice compliment to sweetness of the Madagascar Vanilla adding a more earthy element. Esthetically, the vessel is stunning and perfectly suited to the fragrance. Thick, frosted, smokey cream glass with subtle etching. One of the prettiest vessels burning.

Fragrance Intensity 2/5. Burn Quality 3/5 - I had to trim the wick frequently and it didn't liquefy to the sides.

The Voluspa Truffle White Cocoa candle was also not as sweet as I was expecting. The fragrance reminds me of when you melt unsweetened chocolate and butter just before you add the sugar for brownies. Chocolate heaven without the belly ache. While I love the name (elegant and perfectly Voluspa) it isn't a match for me. The fragrance isn't as creamy as cocoa and it's definitely not white chocolate. It's more bittersweet chocolate. Chocolate Ganache would be a better fit for a name. It's a very enjoyable sweet fragrance that isn't nauseating.

Fragrance Intensity 3.5/5. Burn Quality 3/5 - for some reason I have to frequently trim the wick on the 10oz Seasons Collection candles. I'm not sure if they changed their wicks when they switched to the coconut new wax formulation a few months ago. My tester was a year old.

Last Minute Gift Ideas from Voluspa

2010-12-15T10:30:00.004-05:00

There's barely a week left until Christmas! *gasp* If you're like me and completely not prepared, Voluspa has you covered.

Voluspa 2-wick metallo tins make the perfect Hostess Gift. Be sure to have plenty on hand so you're ready to go. They are priced perfectly at just $16 each!

Voluspa Petite Jar Candles make great stocking stuffers. At just $6 each you can grab a few for variety.

When you're not sure what fragrance to get, buy them all in one gift set! Voluspa Maison Gift Sets have one of each of the fragrances in each Maison Collection. The packaging is stunning for a gorgeous ready-to-go gift. I love the Rouge gift set for the holidays as it contains my favorite fragrance, Golden Cypress Sawara (perfect for this time of year), and Traci's (Voluspa founder and Creative Director) favorite fragrance, Warm Perique Tabac. Plus, the deep red color is perfect for the holidays.

Need other gift ideas? Let us know. We're here to help.

Voluspa Maison Collections

2010-11-23T19:14:00.005-05:00

Early 2010, Voluspa launched 2 new collections: Maison Blanc to replace their old Basic Creme Collection and Maison Noir to replace the old Basic Black Collection. In the summer of 2010, they launched Maison Rouge.

The new Maison Collections include a new 12oz candle with a 100 hour burn time, a 2-wick tin metallo candle and a cosmetic jar candle. The petite diffusers by Voluspa are available at a great price point for just $28 each and the room and body spray packaging is decadent.

Each collection includes 8 fragrances. Most of the fragrances are new but Pomegranate Patchouli, Crisp Champagne, Vervaine Olive Leaf, Golden Cypress Sawara and Saijo Persimmon survived the transition from the old Black and Creme Collections to the new Maison Collections. Not sure what to try? Check out the gorgeous new Maison Gift Sets that include one of each of the new fragrances for each collection.

The Someday Show

2010-11-23T18:00:00.004-05:00

It's amazing how much time and money people spend decorating their house. One critical item that most homeowners forget, however, is fragrance. Scent finishes a space and helps create ambiance and warmth.

In the foyer, it's important to select a fragrance that is welcoming and not offensive. Many people are sensitive to florals and vanilla fragrances so it's best to stay away from those in the foyer and common areas. In the fall, we like the Lafco Family Room candle for the foyer. It's fresh Cortland Apple fragrance is light and inviting and the bright red, hand-blown glass container adds a punch of color.

As you move on to the family room, relaxed and casual fragrances work well. In the fall, Nest Pumpkin chai is like a worn pair of jeans that fit perfectly. It's spicy scent is unique and comforting.

The kitchen is a great place for clean and bright fragrances such as Voluspa Mandarino Canella. Juicy orange mixed with a sweet spice under currant works well in the fall. Voluspa offers their Maison fragrances in candles, diffusers and room sprays. Diffusers offer a constant fragrance while room sprays work well when you need and instant burst of scent. Candles in various shapes in sizes allow you to select the one that's just right for you. Candles with lids offer a clean look when not in use.

In the living room a more sophisticated fragrance is nice. We love Belle Fleur Kyara Clove. It's a blend of leather, wood and spices that makes you feel like you're lost in an over sized worn leather chair in a den surrounded by rich wood paneling. It's luxurious and relaxing fragrances is perfect for cooler months.

Bedrooms are a great place for more sensual fragrances such as Tocca Colette. This alluring fragrance is a blend of sandalwood and vanilla - scents highly sought after by both men and women making it perfect for the bedroom. Candles create a romantic environment and this soothing scent will leave you wanting more.

Bathrooms are a fun place to play with fragrance. Since most people aren't in bathrooms for a long amount of time, this is a great time to get creative and try something different. In the fall we really like Votivo Teak in the bathroom. It offers luxurious woody notes but also a clean essence that works well in bathrooms. Votivo offers their Teak fragrance in a diffuser, candle and room spray to vary the intensity of the scent. Room sprays work well in bathrooms when you need instant fragrance. Diffusers are handy since they offer a constant fragrance without having to keep an eye on them. Votivo travel tins work well in the bathroom as the lid keeps hair spray out of the candle wax when not in use. If you have a candle in the bathroom that crackles or pops when you light it, chances are it's hairspray that has settled on the top of the candle.

Fall is a fun time to play with scent. Selecting different fragrances for each room that layer nicely with each other creates an effect your guests will never forget.

Sandalwood and Vanilla Goes Together Like Ross and Rachel

2010-11-19T21:04:00.013-05:00

I love the combination of sandalwood and vanilla. They balance and compliment each other like yin and yang, masculine and feminine.

Earlier this year Tocca launched Colette - a very sensual, romantic blend of sandalwood and vanilla. Colette is alluring and mysterious. The fragrance leans towards feminine, like the scent a woman leaves on a pillow. Sexy and soft. Colette is like the beginning of a relationship when you can't get enough of each other. It taunts you and tempts you and you want more just as you want more from your new lover - more time, more intimacy. Tocca Colette is a seamless fragrance for when everything is seductive and exhilarating.

As the honeymoon subsides, along come Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanille -a cozy, soothing blend. The balance between masculine/feminine is equal in the blend. As you settle into your routines, things become comfortable and Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanilla is just as relaxed as you. It's like a big, warm blanket to surround you as you spend quiet nights at home. You can cuddle with this fragrance and feel loved as it's earthy sweet blend envelopes you.

Then comes Aura Luscious. This fragrance is like a big bear hug. It grabs you and holds you tight and let's you know that no matter how bad it seems, everything is going to be alright. This warm and exotic blend is the most bold of the three. It leans more towards masculine and has a strong grip to it. When your love lets you down, and they will, Aura Luscious guards and protects you. During rough times, Aura Luscious offers the strength to press on.

Sandalwood and Vanilla go together like Ross and Rachel. Tocca Colette for the romantic, sensual moments when enough is never enough. Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanille the most relaxed and cuddly moments when things are smooth and comfortable and you're the best of friends. Then Aura Luscious for when "We were on a break!" to hold you tight through the rough times.

Aura Candles

2010-11-18T17:44:00.010-05:00

Aura was founded by Jasmine Parks and Chelsea Wilson of California. They set out to create a high-end candle that was also affordable. This fun and slightly edgy candle line is simple, yet detailed, and always down to earth.

Aura mastered the 4 key elements to a successful product:

Product: In this case I'm calling the fragrance the product. The fragrances for Aura are fantastic. Aura candles provide a great cold throw (they smell so great on the shelf you want to buy them) and in warm throw (they smell so great burning you want to buy more).
Packaging: The packaging is professional, appropriate and colorful. Packaging needs to be eye catching so you want to pick up the product and give it a sniff and Aura candles come through with color and simplicity. Aura packaging would work well in a variety of stores and definitely draws your eye to investigate. The packaging is also simple enough to not add excessively to the price or be a burden on the environment. Beautiful, excessive packaging might get you to buy initially, but if you aren't happy with the performance, you won't return for more. Aura does not fall into this trap. The Aura candle names are vague but the fragrance notes on the front of the product work well to guide you in the right direction. I'm a sucker for cheat sheets.
Price: The price is perfect for the offering. At $24 they are a great value and they are right at a sweet spot in this economy - affordable but not cheap in quality - exactly where you want to be right now.
Performance: The candles burn beautifully - cleanly and easily. I'm so impressed with the way Aura candles burn, and so excited about the fragrances, that they will absolutely be a staple in our home. There's nothing like investing in a product that wants you to not only return to get more for yourself, but more for others as a gift to share your new-found love.

Aura offers 9 fragrances including:

Cosmic: limitless; grandiose. A creamy and scrumptious blend of blood orange, vanilla bean, vanilla orchid & amber. Cosmic is a delicious blend and a great place to start with Aura candles.

Clairvoyant: quick, intuitive knowledge of people and things. A tangy citrus scent with a hint of floral including yuzu grapefruit, cassis, orange and rose geranium. Clairvoyant is clean and fresh - great for creating an invigorating environment or clearing the air.

Karma: fate; destiny. A soft and sweet scent with a hint of spice including notes of Tahitian vanilla, pink grapefruit, agave nectar, cardamom, cayenne and sea salt. Karma is a great soothing scent. If you like vanilla, start here with Aura.

Luscious: highly pleasing in taste or smell. A warm and exotic blend of tangerine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk and amber. I'm crazy about Luscious. It's like a big bear hug letting you know everything is ok no matter how bad it seems.

Obscure: vague; inconspicuous. An exotic and botanical spicy blend of black ginger, musk and white pepper. Obscure is a curious floral. It smells peppery to start, but turns floral as it burns. The black ginger is the flower that blooms from the ginger root. If you like unusual florals - this is for you.

Sublime: supreme or outstanding. An earthy and sensual blend of pomegranate, patchouli, pink pepper, plum and Italian bergamot. Sublime is not too fruity or too earthy. It's a perfect blend between pomegranate and patchouli. When burning, the peppery notes really make the fragrance pop and the bergamot keeps everything from getting too heavy.

I love the way Aura candles burn. So clean and easy. While I could never get the wax completely level, it didn't come close to tunneling. It's rare for a candle wax to come so clean off the glass, but these candles do. That's a feat that's tough to accomplish and Aura handles it with ease - as if there's no other way.

Aura 10 oz candles are made with a soy wax blend and cotton wick and last approximately 60 hours.

Aura Clairvoyant

2010-11-17T21:46:00.006-05:00

Clairvoyant: quick, intuitive knowledge of people and things.
A tangy citrus scent with a hint of floral including yuzu grapefruit, cassis, orange and rose geranium

Aura Clairvoyant has saved me more than once. There have been a few days recently when my eyes just don't open all the way. That groggy, draggy feeling you have when you just can't get going. I make a hot cup of tea and settle down next to my computer to work with Clairvoyant by my side.

Slowly, the bright fresh citrus scents in Clairvoyant wake me up. Grapefruit and cassis lighten the air. A slight hint of orange brings a smile as it reminds me of my fond addiction to Aura Cosmic. As the fragrance opens up so do my eyes. I'm more alert and eager to accomplish my tasks. The fragrance evolves and unveils the rose geranium that brings a fullness to the scent.

Where Aura Cosmic is my comfort, Aura Clairvoyant is my tool. I use it to invigorate me as well as freshen the air. When the house is stuffy or stale, or after we cook fish for dinner, Clairvoyant makes everything clean and lively. Another Aura candle I can't live without.

Stats: 10 oz, 60 hours, soy wax blend, cotton wick

Burn quality: 4.5/5 Fragrance intensity: 4/5

2010 Holiday Gift Guide

2010-11-17T19:58:00.009-05:00

Wondering what to get your fragrance loving friend this holiday? Here's a list of products any candle or fragrance fan will love.

Thymes Frasier Fir candle in Red Pot
Mountain fresh with the aromatic snap of crisp Siberian Fir needles, heartening cedarwood and relaxing sandalwood.
I like the deep red glass and the simplicity of the lid and packaging. This candle also offers almost twice the burn time of the standard size Frasier Fir candle for just $34. 12 oz.

Nest Holiday Candle

The quintessential holiday fragrance with a blend of mandarine orange, cinnamon, pine and eucalyptus.
The Nest Holiday candle is a staple on our gift list. This fragrance best encapsulates the holidays. It's not overly tree or fruity and it's not sweet or gourmand. It's fresh, festive and brings back memories from years gone by. Be sure to buy more than one! If you buy one as a gift, you won't want to give it up. The 3-wick size is gorgeous and can be re-used as a flower vase when the candle is done.

Classic, 8 oz, 50 hours $32
Votive, 2.3 oz, 15 hours $14
Mini votive 6-pack, 2-3 hours each $32
3-wick, 32 oz, 150 hours $58

Voluspa Maison Petite Diffusers

If you want to give the gift of scent without a candle, the petite diffusers by Voluspa are fantastic. The packaging is beautiful and the price is great at $28. With 24 fragrances available, you're sure to find just the right scent. Golden Cypress Sawara is perfect this time of year.

Vo luspa Maison Petite Jar Candles

The petite jar candles by Voluspa are great for travel or for trial. The easy screw top lid and sturdy glass makes them handy on the go. At just $6 each, they make fun stocking stuffers. 15 hours each. 24 fragrances.

Tocca Eau de Parfum Viaggio

The Tocca Eau de Parfum gift set couldn't be more adorable and for just $45, it's an incredible value. This gift set includes three 0.5 oz bottles of perfume in Tocca's signature fragrances: Florence, Stella and Cleopatra. You could also break apart this gift set to give 3 separate stocking stuffers, tie into the bow on a gift or use as an add-on to a larger gift. So charming!

Tocca Solid Perfume

The solid perfume by Tocca makes great stocking stuffers. They work well for travel or for discrete touch-up during the day - just toss in your purse and go. Available in most Tocca fragrances including Cleopatra, Stella and Giulietta. $30 each

Beau Bain Bath Bombs

I am absolutely addicted to Beau Bain bath bombs. Hand made with simple ingredients, these bath bombs are a wonderful, pampering gift. The fragrances are divine and these bath bombs leave your skin moisturized and silk smooth. Available in a 6-pack, 12-pack and individually. $8-$30

Refillable Butane Lighters

Long-stemmed lighters are great for lighting candles, fires and grills. These refillable lighters come with a life-time warranty. Available in 7", 9" leather-wrapped handle and 12" with stand.

Wick Dipper & Snuffer

The only way we extinguish candles at home is with a wick dipper. Simple use the wick dipper to push the burning wick into the melted wax to drown out the flame with out any smoke or soot. At just $5.95, they make a great stocking stuffer for any candle-lover. The tweezer style snuffers will extinguish a taper candle without any smoke or soot.

Bayberry Tapers

"A bayberry candle, burned to the socket, puts luck in the home, food in the larder, and gold in the pocket."

Our favorite holiday gift is true bayberry tapers. It's an old New England tradition to burn bayberry tapers to the nub on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve for health and prosperity in the year to come. Available in 6" and 10" pairs.

Aura Cosmic Candle

2010-11-16T19:47:00.004-05:00

Aura Cosmic is one of my most favorite fragrances of all time. It is the only scent that has threatened to take the spot of my beloved Voluspa Makassar Ebony & Peach. Gasp. That's hard for me to say. Makassar Ebony & Peach has been my number one since the day we met many years ago. Nothing has come close to hinting at that pedestal until now. I am crazy in love with Cosmic.

Aura managed to take what could be a country-bumpkin scent and made it chic and hip. I love the use of blood orange essential oil- so fresh and pure. The earthy vanilla bean makes it yummy without being overly sweet and compliments the blood orange perfectly. Cosmic has just the right touch of amber to deepen the scent without dominating the fragrance. The hint of vanilla orchid is divine. This candle will definitely be a staple for me.

It's rare for me to give a candle an overall rating of 5 stars but Cosmic easily wins that rating.

Burn quality: 4.5/5 Fragrance intensity: 5

Join us for Aura Euphoria Week!

2010-11-16T07:45:00.008-05:00

Introductory Offer
Enjoy 10% OFF Aura Candles until 11/21/10 with coupon code AURA.

Aura was founded by Jasmine Parks and Chelsea Wilson of California. They set out to create a high-end candle that was also affordable. These creamy custom blended soy candles are generously scented with the finest fragrance and essential oils. Each evocative blend is designed to burn slow and clean using cotton wicks. This fun and slightly edgy candle line is simple, yet detailed, and always down to earth. Hand poured in the USA.

Click here to see how you can win an Aura Candle!

We'll announce the winners on Sunday, November 21st at www.candlesoffmain.com/weekly-winners.aspx We will ship the prize package to any continental US address. Fragrances vary. Good luck!

Join Us for a Chance to Win a Voluspa Candle!

2010-11-09T13:31:00.010-05:00

Join us for a chance to win 1 of 4 Voluspa Maison 12oz Candles
or 10 chances to win a Voluspa Petite Jar candle.

Click here to see how you can win.

Fueled by a love for art, fragrance and elegant illumination, Troy and Traci Arnsten created their first scented candle in their kitchen in 1999. A creamy combination of coconut, soy and apricot waxes comprises their proprietary custom wax blend that enhances fragrance throw, glows beautifully, and delights consumers world wide. Finding their niche by creating striking packaging and extraordinary scents, Voluspa home fragrance products are found in prestigious retailers around the world and have become a staple in the homes of Hollywood's elite.

Join us for our LIVE giveaway on Monday, November 15th at 7pm EST.

We'll draw all 3 raffle winners during the live giveaway. You do not need to be present to win, but we will have a bonus Voluspa Maison 12oz candle plus a few Voluspa Petite Jar candle giveaways exclusively for those that attend the live giveaway. Good luck!

We will ship the prize package to any continental US address.

Join us each week as we give away a full sized, luxury candle from one of the following amazing candle lines: Anthousa, Agraria, Aquiesse, Altru, Antica Farmacista, Archipelago Botanicals, Aromatherapy Interventions, Belle Fleur, Bluewick, Capri Blue, D. L. & Co. Candles, DayNa Decker, Godiva, Jonathan Adler, K. Hall, Lafco, Lampe Berger, Le Cherche Midi, Linnea's Lights, Modern Alchemy Candles, MOR, NEST, Paddywax, Red Flower, Rigaud, Seda France, Thymes, Tocca, Trapp, Vera Wang, Vie Luxe, Voluspa or Votivo.

Click here to see all of our weekly winners!

Meet The Maker - Kelly Hall Barr of Simpatico

2010-11-04T21:50:00.003-04:00

In just 6 short months, Kelly Hall Barr of K. Hall Designs launched a new luxury home fragrance comapny, Simpatico. Simpatico features 6 core fragrances and a Holiday fragrance. The Simpatico fragrances are more complex than the single-note scents by K. Hall Designs.

Congratulations to Ryan Patrick Kelly of Ohio for winning a beautiful Simpatico candle for submitting your Meet The Maker Question.

Meet the Maker - Daniel Benedict of Daniel Benedict Designs

2010-11-04T11:08:00.003-04:00

Last summer we met with Daniel Benedict of Daniel Benedict Designs. Daniel started in home fragrance with Slatkin & Co and from there then went on to create Vie Luxe with Marjorie Gubelmann. He and Marjorie parted ways and Daniel Benedict Designs was born - an eco friendly luxe candle line.

His fragrances include:

Beach House - inspired by a seaside Mediterranean beach house. The essence of bergamot is enhanced with sea air and intoxicating lemon blossom.

Driftwood - the essence of a sun drenched Moroccan Beach has been created by this mystical scent.

Palazzo - white jasmine is masterfully blended with fresh honeysuckle and enhanced with French tuberose.

Park View - infuses regal Casablanca lily with delicate heliotrope and is finished with crisp green notes.

Penthouse - an exotic combination of lush black bamboo entwined with delicate green jasmine and finished with the essence of rare black orchid.

Sand Dune - the essence of white and green tea combined with crisp sea grasses.

He recently changed his packaging to be made of all reclaimed and recyclable materials. Daniel Benedict Design candles are 9 oz and have a 65 hour burn time. They are made with a beeswax blend, natural fragrance oils and cotton wick.

Aquiesse Holiday Candles

2010-11-03T20:03:00.004-04:00

When I walked into the shop this morning these Aquiesse Holiday candles instantly caught my eye. Gorgeous! Aquiesse created four fabulous Holiday fragrances:

Monterey Pine: pine, balsam and thyme
Winter Currant: red currant berries, cassis, citrus and oak
Frankincense & Myrrh: frankincense and myrrh
Cinnamon Tabac: cinnamon, sweet tobacco, vanilla

The Aquiesse Holiday candles are available in the same beautiful glass as their Portfolio Collection, complete with dust cove/candle base/snuffer lid. They had a 100 hour burn time for just $32 each. LOVE!

Manuela Testolini of Altru Candles

2010-11-03T12:18:00.000-04:00

Atru, meaning "unselfishly giving of one's self to others". From the word Altruism. This unique collection was inspired by the beauty and handcrafted artistry of cultures around the world. The inspiration for Altru, by Gamillah, comes from a desire to connect with an enormous universe of consumers who aspire to improve the world in every way possible -- who want tomorrow to be better than today. The proceeds from the Altu Candle Collection support the In a Perfect World Foundation which aims to empower children to become compassionate and socially conscious leaders. "By supporting Altru, you embrace a cause that seeks to give children a stronger voice in making the future more 'perfect' for us all," says Manuela Testolini, the Founder and CEO of Gamillah, Inc.

She considers her greatest masterpiece to be her Integrity candle. The inspiration for the fragrance was Cairo, where her mother grew up. Manuela went through 9 versions of the fragrance to get the Night Blooming Jasmine fragrance just right for her mother.

Thanks to Deb Roberto-Kelly of Ohio for submitting your question.

Wicked Witch of the West

2010-10-30T21:36:00.003-04:00

If the Voluspa Makassar Ebony & Peach candle is the good, Wicked Witch of the East, then the Black Forest Candle by Archipelago Botanicals is the Wicked Witch of the West. Where Voluspa takes deep ebony wood and balances it with juicy peach for a pampered stroll through the woods in an Alice in Wonderland carriage, Archipelago Botanicals speeds ebony wood over to the dark side.

The addition of the black currant in the Archipelago Botanicals Black Forest candle gives it a sharp bite. That tart accent mixed with bold Douglas Fir creates a fierce, unwavering combination that is unique and intriguing. A forest fragrance like no other.

The intense fragrance is matched with strong packaging - black container, seductive black wax and a silver box with a crocodile effect pattern. The AB signature badge seals the deal. It's Batman in candle form. Audacious, distinct and oh so sexy.

Fragrance intensity 3.5/5. Burn quality 3.5/5.

Tunnel Vision

2010-10-28T17:30:00.004-04:00

To try and prevent a candle from tunneling burn it for a long period of time the on the first burn. For a candle in a container, you want to try and get the entire top of the candle liquid wax. For a pillar candle, burn until the liquid wax it to 1/4" of the edge.

The first burn sets the stage for the life of the candle. The opening of the candle will almost never get larger than the size of the initial wax pool. On a standard size jar candle, if you only burn the candle for an hour on the first burn and create a 1" wax pool, you'll be left with a significant amount of hard, dry wax around the edge of the jar that will likely never melt. It generally takes 1 hour per inch in diameter. Try to burn the candle for long periods of time as often as you can after the initial burn to keep the candle from tunneling later.

Creating a candle that doesn't tunnel is a combination of many things. The quality and type of wax is one component. Some waxes melt easier and quicker than others but may not necessarily be the one that works best with the fragrance or that provides the best fragrance throw. Many candle lines use a blend of different waxes to get the right combination.

A significant factor in preventing tunneling is selecting the proper wick for the wax, fragrance and container. Votivo uses the same wax for every candle but adjusts the wick and the fragrance for the proper burn. The trick is to find the wick that provides a large enough flame to melt the wax without overpowering it or the container. A well crafted poured candle will burn level within 1 1/2 to 3 hours after lighting. The larger the container, the larger the challenge. Some candle lines are trickier than others. Rigaud is the easiest.

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for the candle. They know their wick, wax and container best. If the instructions list to only burn for 3 or 4 hours at a time - there is a reason. Best to follow their specific instructions.

Votivo Amberwood Candle

2010-10-16T18:23:00.011-04:00

Smoky tea notes mixed with ginger, French dianthus, patchouli and sandalwood.

I've never met such an angry candle as Votivo Amberwood. It seems like it's going to come out of the gate fighting. I'll admit, from the cold throw, I was a little intimidated to try it. I was afraid it was going to beat me up. Maybe it was the ginger growling at me. Or the dianthus coming at me like hair raised on the back of a dog with it's spicy daggers. Luckily for me, it warmed up and mellowed as it burned. The bark on this candle is definitely bigger than it's bite. It goes from Doberman to Beethoven pretty quickly.

The warm throw is much smoother than I would have guessed, but it still has an edge to it. Like it could attack at any time but it's comfortable just hanging out for now. This candle could warm you to the core even in Alaska. It feels like a long, hot soak in a jet tub.

Dianthus comes across like a mix between cinnamon and clove creating an aggressive spicy note. The ginger gives it a real kick creating a 1-2 punch with the spices. Patchouli and sandalwood bring the the fragrance down to earth but are indistinguishable to the overwhelmingly spicy aroma. I'm surprised that this power-packed combination of scents isn't overwhelming in fragrance. It filled the room perfectly without strangling me.

I can't figure out why it's called Amberwood. There doesn't appear to be any amber or wood in it and the description doesn't reverence being lost in a cabin in Amberwood State Park. I think I'd name it Spice Market or Black Clove. I couldn't find any tea in it either, though the candle would go very nicely with a steaming hot cup of tea on a brisk day. If you need to be warmed deep into your soul, this is your candle.

Fragrance intensity: 3/5. Burn quality 4/5.

Votivo Champaca Candle

2010-10-15T18:53:00.004-04:00

Trudging through the rugged Himalayans on 15th day of the dark fortnight, the journeyman pauses to gaze at the black sky. The inspiring aroma of rare sandalwood inextricably interwoven with the scent of the delicate champaca petals soothes his weary soul as the whispering smoke of the nearby village ascends into the heavens.

Champaca is a fragrance that is spun so many different ways in home fragrance that it can be tough to identify. Tocca takes a tropical twist with champaca flowers in their Bali candle and tries to create an image of swaying palm trees and sandy beaches. Voluspa Champaca Bloom & Fern is a heady floral coming across mostly as gardenia. The fragrance of the Votivo Champaca candle seems, to me, to be them most true representation of the champaca flower.

The cold throw on this candle comes across very much like the Nag Champa by K. Hall. Very natural, grungy and earthy. I feared of being swallowed up in an gritty, spicy blend. A few hours after burning, however, I realized that wasn't the case at all. I was surrounded by an exotic, soft floral fragrance that is almost elegant. While the spicy aspect remained, the scent was very warm and rich.

There's a sweetness in the fragrance as well. If I stand very close to it, there's an almost caramelized brown sugar scent. It reminds me of toasted marshmallows by a campfire. The sweetness is lost in the room, but the smokiness from the fire remains.

Votivo Champaca is a very soothing, curious scent. While the Votivo Gingersnap candle we tried the other night was very jeans and t-shirt, Votivo Champaca is very hippie chic. Alternative, edgy, unique and happy.

How Votivo Candles are Made

2010-10-14T22:39:00.005-04:00

Votivo was acquired about 3 years ago by Grace Management Group. Many years ago, Bob Caldwell owned a bedding plant business with his wife. At a craft fair, his wife was so impressed with the amount of activity around one of the booths that she purchased the product and showed it to her husband. He recognized the material as scented vermiculite. Being in the bedding plant business, they had plenty of vermiculite on hand. They started making their own scented sachets to offset their seasonal plant business and their fragrance destiny was born. They created three fragrance businesses under the name of Grace Management: WillowBrook, Greenleaf and Bridgewater.

Having a nationwide sales force and a 300,000 square foot warehouse, they were looking to bring in another line that they could add to their distribution system. Votivo offered a luxury, high-end compliment to their exiting offering.

Votivo uses over 90% soy wax blended with other waxes for stability and rigidity so the candles don't melt while shipping. The wax is stored in containers in back of their factory. That way they can use the South Carolina heat to help keep the wax a 180 degrees to keep it from going solid in the tanks.

The wax is then brought into the factory in small batches and mixed with the fragrance oils. Votivo uses the same soy wax blend for every candle but they'll tweak the fragrance and the wick for the cleanest burn.

While the candles are not hand poured, Votivo candles are highly hand crafted as everything from that point on is done by hand. The wicks are centered on the bottom of the glass and then centered on the top. The wicks are trimmed to the perfect length and then the candles go under a heater to smooth out the tops of the candles.

All of the seals on a Votivo candle are threaded and pressed by hand. They are applied to the glass with glue and then secured with a light gun and the twine is trimmed by hand. All of the labels on the boxes and candles are applied by hand. Votivo candles are individually hand wrapped and trimmed before being placed in the box.

We were incredibly impressed with the amount of care that goes into creating a Votivo candle. We've always had a high respect for the Votivo brand, but after seeing the company and meeting the owners and the Votivo team, we left with an incredibly high regard for the business.

How Votivo Fragrances are Created

2010-10-14T00:01:00.011-04:00

Trey Rollins, the Brand Manager for Votivo, starts all new fragrances with inspiration. Inspiration can come from his experiences, fragrance trends, voids in the current Votivo offering, and from other fragrances such as perfumes.

Trey creates a vision in his head of what he would like the new fragrance to resemble. He gathers pictures, photos and descriptions and creates a Fragrance Brief. The brief is submitted to the Votivo perfumer, Mike. Mike is IFF trained and he is also trained in Aromo Chemicals so he not only knows how to create a fragrance but also how the fragrance will react in the product.

Votivo has over 1,000 compounds in their library and they use, on average, 100 compounds to create a Votivo fragrance. Once the fragrance is created, it is submitted to the Votivo fragrance panel for review. There are approximately 25 people on the panel that rate the fragrance on a scale of 1 to 5. The fragrance has to score a 4 or higher overall to make it into the Votivo Collection.

Votivo Gingersnap Candle

2010-10-12T21:00:00.005-04:00

A soul warming journey into the depths of comfort and relaxation, Gingersnap is a hearty blending of coarsely ground vanilla bean, steel cut brown sugar, and a dash of hand shaved nutmeg baked in a sun kiln oven to produce the best gingersnap cookies you've ever tasted.

We recently tried Votivo Gingersnap for the first time and we all fell in love. We had pumpkin whoopie pies for dessert and enjoyed this candle late into the night. A perfect way to welcome Fall weather.

Votivo Gingersnap is a delicious balance between not too sweet and not too spicy - leaning more towards spicy. The nutmeg gives it a slight edge that I like. It blends nicely with the vanilla bean and brown sugar to soften the sharp spiciness. When burning, the fragrance is just like the best gingersnap cookie you could imagine.

Votivo Gingersnap is relaxed and comfortable. It filled the room with fragrance without screaming at us or giving us a bellyache from sugar overload. I could live with this fragrance for hours.

Votivo Gingersnap is great anytime you are looking for an easy-going, reliable fragrance to warm you inside without smothering you in sweetness.

Fragrance intensity 4/5. Burn quality 4/5.

Tocca Havana Candle

2010-10-10T19:07:00.003-04:00

Havana's constant salsa rhythm moves you as you enjoy the sweet yet spicy mix of sugarcane and rum. Let the excitement of this adventurous Caribbean city envelope your senses.

I love the slightly sweet and exotic blend in the Tocca Havana candle. Again, I admire Tocca for creating a fragrance that isn't feminine. This is a fun unisex scent. The sweetness of the sugar cane blends with rum to create an intoxicating and alluring fragrance. Tocca Havana is a scent I can enjoy year round - in the summer it's fun and festive. In the winter is seductive and soothing. I enjoy this fragrance particularly late in the afternoon and evening when it's time to wind-down and relax.

This time of year, when the weather is cool, the Tocca Havana candle pairs well with my favorite drink, Winter Rum. We found it at The London Bar in NYC, owned by my #1 idol, Chef Gordon Ramsey. It's a blend of:

Montecristo Rum
Liquor 43
Fresh squeezed orange juice
Real Maple syrup
Lime juice
splash of Black Seal Rum on top
I add a whole clove. Dave likes to top it off with a whole star anise.

The drink is very similar to the candle - a slightly sweet blend of sugar and rum. Yum!

Fragrance intensity: 3/5. Burn quality 3.5/5.

Tocca Stella SPF 30+ Sunscreen Wipes

2010-10-09T11:26:00.004-04:00

It seems strange to be writing a blog post about sunscreen in October, but that is exactly when I need these on-the-go wipes - when least expected. There have been a couple of occasions when the weather has been just stunning and I was going to be in the sun longer than I intended. I love the Tocca sunscreen wipes because they are individually wrapped, so I can stick them in my purse or car and be ready to go at any time. My skin is so fair that I can't be in the sun unprotected. I hate wearing sunscreen so I only use it when required.

The Tocca Stella sunscreen wipes pack a lot of sunscreen! Enough to cover as much area as I need to or to share with my kids. It isn't too heavy or greasy and has a nice fragrance. I wish it was stronger in that fresh, Stella Blood Orange scent, but at least it doesn't smell like coconut or chemicals. SPF 30 is perfect for me. No worries in sun without overkill.

Tocca 007 Leather Martini Candle

2010-10-08T17:22:00.007-04:00

The 007 candle from Tocca infuses your living room with sparks of intrigue and desire. Encapsulated in the scent is the leathery interior of an Aston Martin and a dry Martini. A hint of mystery to stir curiosity, lavishly abundant in charm and ease.

I appreciate that Tocca, such a feminine candle line, isn't afraid to offer a very masculine fragrance. 007 smells like rich, soft leather inside a luxurious car. I imagine myself finely dressed alongside a stunning date on our way to an exquisite event.

While leather isn't a scent for everyone, this candle is a great option for those looking for the perfect fragrance for a man cave. Tocca 007 offers the most pure, simplistic option for leather. Unfortunately, the martini is lost on me. I find that to sadly be the case with any liquor reference in a candle.

Most leather candles blend themselves into cologne, books, tobacco or wood. The ones that try to be pure leather often come across as cheap, nauseous leatherette. The Tocca 007 candle, however, comes across as fine leather, simply done.

Fragrance intensity 2/5. Burn quality 3/5.

Tocca Home and Personal Fragrance Overview

2010-10-06T20:07:00.007-04:00

In 1994 three friends got together to create an affordable clothing line that still had all the fashion and detail of designer clothing. They named the business TOCCA, after the Italian word for "touch" referring the the embellishments on the clothing.

Tocca beauty was launched in 1997 and started with a laundry delicate (that they are still well known for), their original solid perfume and a body product. The beauty division grew into several bath and body products and an extensive collection of candle fragrances.

A few years ago Tocca launched their first eau de parfum in their leading fragrances - Cleopatra, Stella and Florence. While the Tocca body product fragrances match the candle fragrance, the perfume is an interpretation of the candle scent. They turned the home fragrance into a personal fragrance by adding deep base notes to extend the longevity of the fragrance on the skin. They also layered the fragrances more intricately for a more robust scent. Rather than make a room and/or body spray out of their home fragrance scents to compliment candle sales, they created a whole new category for them to really expand their offering. The result has been a tremendous success.

Tocca now offers their eau de parfum in 7 fragrances: Cleopatra (cucumber grapefruit), Stella (blood orange), Florence (floral), Brigitte (papaya ginger), Giulietta (apple tulip), Bianca (green tea lemon) and their newest launch, Colette (sandalwood vanilla). They also offer Cleopatra, Stella, Giulietta, Brigitte and Florence in a solid perfume option. I love the new perfume gift set that contains a mini version of Cleopatra, Stella and Florence. It's incredibly charming and very well priced.

Tocca is an excellent example of "If you're going to do it, do it right". They take their bath and body category very seriously and it shows. They are regularly featured in beauty magazines. Tocca created a true perfume rather than a body spray and it's paying off in their success. Tocca believes that small indulgences go a long way. Hopefully you'll have the pleasure in indulging in a Tocca product someday. As the inside of the box states, "Love yourself".

Tocca Giveaway Blog Question

2010-10-06T11:29:00.006-04:00

One way to win a candle during Tocca giveaway week is by answering the question in this blog post. You have until Sunday, October 10th to post your comment. We'll select our favorite comment from the entries below and announce the winner on Monday, October 11th. Please check back to see if you won.

Tocca fragrances are inspired by classic movie icons and exotic locals. If you were to create a home fragrance line, what would be the theme of your fragrance collection?

The winner will receive a 10.6oz Tocca candle (retail value $36) in a fragrance of our choice. We'll ship the winning candle to any address in the continental US. Good luck!