Christmas is looking a little different in 2020. This year, it’s just my little pod of three at home. All of our family visits are happening via Zoom, and all of our gift-giving is happening via USPS.  That’s why it’s been more important than ever for me to retain a bit of Christmas magic at home. I put up my 7-foot-tall fake Christmas tree that I inherited from my parents, and even put up all the cheesy handmade ornaments my sisters and I made as kids, which my parents had somehow saved all these years even after we stopped hanging them up. Even though I have a fake tree, my house still ..read more

As the weather cools into the DC area’s most tolerable temperature range of the year, I am revitalizing my hunt for my ultimate pumpkin spice candle. Call me basic, call me boring, but pumpkin spice is the scent of the season, especially in 2020 when I’m craving simple comforts in a tough time. Candle Fandom fans (AKA my friends and family lmao) know that I’ve developed a shortlist of eight of my favorites, but the list just got a little more complicated when I found out about a promising new contender from Basic Bee Candle Co. Simply titled “Pumpkin Spice,” this beeswax candle has a minimalis ..read more

Do you have any post-pandemic travel goals? As quarantine drags on, I find myself fantasizing more about the places I’ll visit as soon as it’s safe to do so. I’d love to take my baby daughter to the Virgin Islands so she can try stamping her chubby feet in the sand. I’d like to finally take my husband to Italy, where my family is from, and hike the ruins of villas in Tuscany. At the very least, I’d like to take a long-overdue vacation with my friends to a nearby lakeside retreat.  While real travel still feels like a pipe dream, I’ve found a temporary solution. Given what kind of blog thi ..read more

Have you ever heard of trataka, or flame gazing meditation? While most meditation is done with your eyes closed, trataka is practiced while you focus on a flickering candle flame. One candlemaker found the practice so helpful, she created a candle brand to spread the word! Light Within candles are designed specifically for meditation, with long-lasting candle wicks and soothing, earthy aromas designed to help you relax. There’s “Flower Child,” a zingy bouquet of wild blooms. There’s “Amber Moon,” as musky and mysterious as a night in the woods. And there’s “Golden Goddess,” which I received fo ..read more

This marks my 8th week of sheltering in place. It’s me, my husband, and our baby under one, so you can imagine how chaotic it gets at times.  As usual, scented candles make an olfactory escape from the daily grind, but my latest candle review promises a particularly… spiritual ascendance from the norm. Are you ready to get a little woo-woo with me? Meet Joshua Tree Desert Rose Candles, which come with crystals and a promise of “high desert earth energy.” These candles aren’t just for decoration or aroma, but for use as part of the candle lighter’s meditative practices. Each candle comes ..read more

What were your favorite candle trends of 2019? As we send off the year, I finally got to try out one of mine. A few months after I wrote Are Sculptural Candles Replacing Jar Candles?, I heard from a sculptural candle brand, Bellana Candles. I was immediately interested in the candles’ bold colors and artistic, minimalist shapes. Bellana Candles is the independent creation of fiances Pardeep and Naomi. “I was inspired to start this brand because I asked myself, ‘Why are the majority of candles poured in jars?'” Pardeep told me. “I saw an opportunity to create a candle that would also make a bea ..read more

A confession: I used to be hesitant to gift candles for the holidays, and no, it isn’t because I wanted to keep them all for myself. (Or at least that isn’t the only reason!) With so many of my loved ones opting for more natural, chemical-free lifestyles, I was worried about gifting them candles that might not match their values or worse, give them a headache.  However, I’ve recently discovered a line of candles that can extinguish that particular problem. Santa’s Naturals is a sub-brand of Murphy’s Naturals available for Christmas 2019. In Yuletide scents like botanical Frasier Fir and spicy ..read more

This is a very special entry in my Get to know a candle brand series. It’s a blast from the past from a beloved candle brand I never thought I would see again. I just might have Illuminations to thank for my candle fandom. As a high school and college student in Northern Virginia, I did all of my Christmas shopping at a massive luxury mall called Tyson’s Corner. When I needed a break from the crowds and noise, I’d duck into the low-lit oasis of the Illuminations store for a breather. Dimly lit and exuding warm, spicy scents, it made it feel like I’d left the hustle and bustle of the mall for a ..read more

What’s the difference between a good smell and a bad smell? More than any other of the five senses, that’s a very personal question. Though there’s a range of smells we generally consider pleasant or unpleasant as a population, the intensity and spectrum varies heavily. One person’s heavenly scented candle might trigger osmophobia (sensitivity or aversion to smells) in another! For me, this hits close to home when I’m recommending scented candles to my mom. I prefer a stronger scent that can fill the room for hours, so I know I’m getting my money’s worth out of that candle! My mom prefers a mo ..read more

In 1969, a teenage Michael Kittredge II melted crayons together to make his mom a homemade Christmas present and Yankee Candle’s impressive 50-year legacy began.  At Candle Fandom, we’re huge fans of making DIY crayon candles the way Michael pioneered and even bigger fans of his company. We were saddened to hear that Michael passed away on Thursday, but confident that Yankee Candle will memorialize him for years to come. Today, the candle company that Michael started has more than 500 store locations. Additionally, more than 36,000 specialty stores offer Yankee Candles among their wares around ..read more