With the horrible rains and weather in California I’ve been spending most of my time in my little new apartment. And the funny thing is I love being in my cozy little place and it’s not just for the warmth and obvious benefit of staying dry…it’s because it looks and smells absolutely lovely.

A few weeks ago I decided when I move into my new place I would keep it ridiculously tidy, decorate it to a tee and make it smell delicious. I achieved the latter two goals with a great selection of candles.

Candles are the most affordable way to make your house a beautiful home. The key though is to buy quality candles. They burn better, last longer and smell lovelier. I chose mine from a webpage on SkinStore.com about (fragrant gifts for home). Many of the brands they sell have a line of candles for the home and I already trusted those brands from the great skincare products I’d already used over the years. Sometimes, I’ve received candles as gifts with purchase which I absolutely love…but for the larger one’s I just sat down and ordered them separately after reading their descriptions of therapeutic scents. These candles truly potentiate and set any mood. It’s aromatherapy via ambience!

My picks with wicks:

For my living room on my new pillar candle sticks I got from Pier One Imports that are like 4 feet tall. I have three pillars with the following candles placed on them.

I chose three pillar type candles from a lovely company called Archipelago Botanicals. They offer natural soy candles, scented diffusers, natural fragrances and bath and body products that help us relax and enjoy life and transform our homes into veritable sanctuaries.
 
Archipelago Botanicals Pillar Candle in Jaipur (A blend of Cedarwood, Kaffir Lime and Amber)

Archipelago Botanicals Pillar Candle in Demeter (Orange, Patchouli, and Cardamon)

Archipelago Botanicals Pillar Candle in Madagascar (White Orchid, Vanilla, Freesia and Jasmine)

All three smell incredible and burn for an amazing 65 hours!!

In my kitchen I keep my L’Occitane Peach Blossom Scented Candle (described as “A walkway to a sunny orchard of Provence, evoking the delicate freshness of flower petals and the sweet, velvety scent of white peaches. The fragrant pleasures of a fruit garden, captured in a candle.”  This little gem burns for around 20 hours.

Tomorrow I’m going to share with you a few more of my favorite candles and amazing fragrant gifts for your home. One of which even sets up an atmosphere of total relaxation and an amazing night’s sleep. Additionally, I will share with you how to extend the lifetime of your candles as well as some other tips regarding usage and safety.