Ritual burning

Setting light to a piece of string embedded in a greasy mush of complex fatty acids mixed in with some long chain smelly hydrocarbons is a truly singular human pastime. But love ‘em or hate ‘em, fragrant candles are a thing. Hey, the ancient Egyptians used to melt them on their heads. While I keep mine in tumblers rather than on my head, I do love a good scented candle.

My mother in law (to be) has a huge chest in her dining room full of candles. Tealights, pillars, tall tapering table candles, and fabulously ornate ones that are only for best. I have a far more modest candle cupboard. Or to be more precise, a shelf. Adjacent to the x-box. Because cohabiting man and woman must compromise on these things. I have slowly infiltrated his home with cushions, candles and crochet blankets, so in return he huffs a little at these gross infringements on his masculinity. Before realising that cushions make a bare masculine room comfortable, and that lavender and vanilla are far nicer room-mates than le parfum de man laundry.

My favourite candle scents are the natural ones – lavender, vanilla, herbs and spices. Nothing too strong, or scented like laundry detergent. Sainsbury’s scented candles are super cheap (around £2 each in a sale) but not very scented at all. So while I keep squirreling my pennies for a Diptyque Menthe Verte candle, possibly the most delicious waft of mint and summertime ever bound up in wax, I have discovered Orla Kiely’s Sage and Cassis version. The sage smell is strong, giving a nice herbal, almost vegetation smell (in a good way), with delicious mint and peppermint mid notes and a little sweet kick of cassis as an afterthought. It smells like my Momma’s Hampshire garden at the height of summer.

Are you a candle fiend like me? And do you have a favourite brand or scent?