Thatisbeyond… We like candles, we really do! Ooooh! And Hedwig!
I don’t know what it is, but we like candles! There is no shame in this, and with our track record with living in flats that at first seem perfect… and then develop mould, scented candles have been a great temporary solution!
So in this post I thought I would introduce you to some of my favourite brands and scents, that you can find burning around my flat in North London. Whilst this is my collection, I also have to say that as with most married men, my wife also has the power of Vito – which means that all of these candles have been ok’d by her too!
My favourite two brands are Yankee Candles, and Bath and Bodyworks (there is also a great collection called everyday luxe that do great winter candles) and I have to say that it is for very different reasons. The fragrance pay off of bath and bodyworks candles is much better, you can take the lid off of them, and the aroma will fill the room! The only problem is that sometimes the burn down of the wick is not so good. With Yankee Candles, I find they burn much more evenly, but the fragrance is less strong. Yankee candles also have the benefit of being available in the UK, which B&BW are not. (Unless you heavily overpay sellers on eBay!)
B&BW black pepper bergamot is my man candle! This spicy and masculine scent is the scent of my days in the house alone, watching TV, drinking a beer and getting myself spruced up for a night out! Bergamot is one of those interesting ingredients that is really unique on the pallette. (Gentleman’s wit, a beer by the camden brewery, features bergamot, is my favourite, and would be another excellent choice for my Man Day!)
B&BW Leaves is an Autumn scent with an apple base. It doesn’t smell like apple cider, but there is a spicyness to the fragrance. This is a weekend fragrance to me, it’s when the house is a hive of activity and friends are round. This is enjoyment personified, and even my finished candle is left lid off fear ancient our lounge even as we speak!
B&BW Marshmallow fireside is one of their classic fragrances. This one is from their snow day 2013 collection, and it is exactly as you would imagine. There is a smokiness from the fire and a crisp sweet scent of toasting marshmallows. This is a real winter warmer, it’s a hug in a fragrance.
YC fireside treats is a very similar fragrance (I picked this up from TK Maxx) but it has much less of the smoke. This is more of a straight up marshmallow fragrance and I kinda like it! If I had to choose it would be this one for spring/ summer and the other one for autumn/ winter (there’s nothing like sitting on the fence!)
Now I must move on to my friend Hedwig! Hedwig is my oil burner that I use for the Yankee candle scent tarts! These are little disks of fragrance that you put into the top of a burner and the heat from the tea light melts the disk and releases the scented oils. Hedwig lives on my Harry potter shelf and is only brought out for special occasions!
We have recently bought some new tarts to burn as we stumbled across a Yankee Candle Store in reading and the selection was so immense I had to get them. In the spirit of FairPlay my wife and I picked two each, and these were our selections:
Summer scoop (wife’s choice) smells a bit like fruit ice cream and hundreds & thousands/ sprinkles. It’s deserts and very very sweet!
Bahamas breeze ( my choice) as the picture shows, this tastes of those fruit cocktails you get sitting by the pool in the Bahamas! Fruity and summery.
Beachwood (my wife’s choice, although really mine!) this is a serene woody fragrance that is calming, masculine and homey.
Pink Dragon Fruit (my choice) a vivacious fruity scent that is fresh and a little different. Exotic and fruity, another great summer fragrance.
So this is my most recent collection of candles, honestly it’s nice to eat by candlelight, and adds a bit of atmosphere. There are some great “man candles” out there, and I am on a constant search for them.
Why not give them a try?
Bath And Bodyworks …I beg you to open a shop near me … Please (and if not please offer a delivery option)!
Happy candle burning everyone. And Harry potter will always be cool!
TIB
ThatIsBeyond 