Scented Candles - How I Love Thee

I could literally talk about scented candles all day long. You could say I am obsessed with them. I am constantly trawling websites like a stalker looking for scented candles to buy. All the local boutiques in Hobart call me the candle lady!

I have hundreds of scented candles stacked in a floor to ceiling built in wardrobe. My Mother often looks at me in disgust when she sees me with another big bag loaded with scented candles. Although I have converted her and she now loves them to she thinks I should race to the nearest Psychiatrist to be diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!

You could say I am a bit of a snob when it comes to candles. Quality is everything when it comes to forking out my cash. I can't be bothered with candles that don't throw well and believe me I have had plenty. I bet anyone who loves scented candles will tell you they have had some absolute duds! There's nothing more annoying than buying a candle with great expectations and then getting home to find it doesn't smell once it's been lit. You have to be careful because sometimes candles smell amazing in the shop but when you light them they end up scentless.

The best advice I can give about buying good quality scented candles is listen to people that know their candles. Bloggers, friends and family can save you a lot of expense and disappointment by recommending ranges of candles to try. Never and I mean never trust a sales assistant no matter how honest and genuine they seem. It's a tough economic time at the moment and people are desperate to make a sale.

It's really good if stores have a candle burning on the counter that way you can make up your own mind about scent throw and quality before making a purchase.

On You Tube you will hear most of the American Beauty Gurus raving about Bath and Body Works candles. Bath and Body Works do not ship to Australia but you can buy them through shopping services such as hopshopgo. This is a company that provides you with a US postal address and charges you a modest fee to do your shopping for you. They then forward your goods on to Australia when they arrive at your USA address (again you pay the postage).

After all the reviews on Bath and Body Works candles I decided to bite the bullet and make an order. I had to see what all the fuss was about. I ended up ordering around 20 large Bath and Body Works candles in one of their 2 for $20 sales. It ended up costing me more for the postage than the actual candles cost! It was worth it just to see what the candles were like.

Bath and Body Works candles are excellent value for money. They give a great scent throw and burn for up to 100 hours. I wouldn't by any means say they are the best candles you can buy and I personally have tried better but for the price they are amazing.

My Favourite brand of candles made here in Australia are Glasshouse. These triple scented double wicked candles are excellent value for money. They burn for approximately 80 to 100 hours and the company are constantly producing new scents. Priced at just $36.95 these candles are just gorgeous and of an extremely high quality comparable to the major league players in candle land such as Diptyque and Jo Malone. The throw is enough to fill very large rooms and drift around your home.

My favourite Glass house candle is Cradle Mountain (guava and sandalwood). I love guava but also felt a little loyalty towards the name because Cradle Mountain is actually in Tasmania where I live. I am disappointed that Glasshouse have changed the name from Cradle Mountain to Monte Carlo. I have no idea why any Australian company would change an Australian name like that!

Yankee Candles are very famous on a global scale. They are amazing and come in so many different scents it's almost too difficult to choose which ones to buy. I currently have Strawberry Butter Cream and Vanilla Cupcake on rotation and they smell sublime. The scent fills my entire bedroom and travels right throughout my house. Yankee candles are available in 3 different sizes and range in price here in Australia from $20 to $50. The large ones are the best value for money as they are huge and burn for up to 150 hours.

Voluspa Candles are amazing. Kim Kardashian recently gave all of her female wedding guests a custom made Voluspa Candle. Voluspa also make my favourite candle of all time Crisp Champagne. It seriously is the most amazing scent I have ever had the pleasure of sniffing. Voluspa candles come in a variety of different sizes and range from around $20 for a small one to $60 for one of the larger ones here in Australia.

I recently discovered a brand called Keystone Candles. They have the most amazing scent range including Red Velvet Cake, Sugar Cookie, Wedding Cake, Raspberry Lemonade and Chocolate Covered Cherries! I am such a sucker for foodie scents. These throw and amazing scent and I am obsessed with getting my hands on as many as possible. Keystone Candles come in 3 different sizes and start at $20 for the small ones, $35 for the medium ones and $45 for the large ones here in Australia.

As I said at the beginning of this post I could go on all day about scented candles. I will always be reviewing different ones here on The Pink Powderpuff as well as showing you my frequent candle hauls. I think it's time I gave up my information and shared with you my favourite brands of candles and where you can get them from here in Australia.

My Favourite Tred and Tested Brands - Yankee, Voluspa, Keystone, Lily Flame, Dusk, Glasshouse, Woodwick, Jo Malone, Bridgewater, Salt City, Wicked Wix, Circa Home, Aquiesse, Jo Malone and Diptyque.

Where I Shop -

www.candleberries.com.au - Yankee, Aquiesse, Salt City, Woodwick, Lily Flame and Bridgewater. You actually have to phone your orders through to this company in Berry NSW. They have the most lovely helpful staff and provide free postage on any order over $70.

Candle Wick House - Wicked Wix, Salt City, Keystone and Lily Flame. This company provides very fast customer service although shipping does add up with the more you buy.

www.candelabra.com.au - Glasshouse, Circa Home, Wicked Wix, Woodwick, Lily Flame and Aquiesse. Excellent customer service again and flat rate postage of $5 no matter how much you buy. They have also just opened a brand new store in The Hunter Valley.

www.bathandbodyworks.com - Do not ship to Australia but can be accessed via sites and services such as Hopshopgo.

Jo Malone - www.jomalone.com.au Jo Malone candles are a little on the expensive side but they are a gorgeous treat!

Diptyque - Available at www.meccacosmetica.com.au Again a more expensive candle but totally worth the expense.

Voluspa - Available from www.saison.com.au - Excellent customer service and prompt postage. Every order receives a free gift and they have amazing sales. Saison are the Australian distributor of Voluspa Candles.

Candle Care Tips

Always keep your candle wicks trimmed to around 1cm in length.

If your candle starts to discharge black smoke, extinguish the flame and trim the wick.

Always remove wick clippings from the candle.

Candles have a memory so to get the most out of your candles on the first burn let the wax melt over the entire surface of the candle. Failure to do this will result in your candle getting a big hole down the middle and not burning for as long as it should.

If you have any left over wax in your candles scoop it out and use it as a melt in an oil burner.

Note: I am not associated with or sponsored by any of the candle companies or brands listed above. All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.