As you can see from this photo I’m a true advocate for the scented candle, I have them dotted all around my home. With our sense of smell being the most powerful trigger for emotion and memory they can uplift a mood in seconds. The prices and scents vary from candle to candle depending on the time of day I’m burning it to the atmosphere I want to create. And lets not deny that they also make that perfect accessory to suit your colour scheme. I’ve rounded up some of my current favourites to share with you.

From left to right:

Laura Ashley Silver Pear Candle
A pear that smells like a pear, what’s not to love? LA say: “Our Pear Scented Candle brings a touch of light to dark spaces, and releases the soft scent of pear to help you create a space which is warm and inviting.” All of which is true and makes a fabulous ornament when not in use. A calming fruity scent I often burn at a dinner party as it also makes a great table centre piece.
£16 www.lauraashley.com

Wax + Wick Workshop Bay Leaf & Lavender Candle
W+W are ticking all the ethical boxes with their stylish candle jars being made from repurposed wine bottles. They believe in taking the art of candle making back to basics with only two ingredients… oils and soy wax -meaning no palm oil, artificial or synthetic colours. Their candles are hand poured and cut in their London studio. Each candle comes with a reusable cotton drawstring bag and you can select clear or green glass. With a burn time of approx 45 hours this stunning unusual scented candle looks very modern with it’s striking label. The scent seems to cut through the air refreshing and uplifting a room in minutes.
£18 www.waxandwickworkshop.com
Check out the W+W candle making workshops too

Piglet Fresh Linen Candle
I adore the scent of clean washing and this natural soy blend candle truly does fill your home with the delicate scent of freshly laundered linen. With notes of lily, musk and sandlewood this candle will burn cleanly for approximately 40 hours. Packaged in a drawstring bag made from the same stonewashed natural linen as their gorgeous bedding range. This votive is a day burner for me, and one I light just before a friend visits, making my home smell beautifully fresh and pure.
£25 www.pigletinbed.com

Primark No 28 Candle
From Primark’s ‘number’ home fragrance range with prices starting from £1 (yes you read that right) this votive scores top marks for budget. I bought it to add a pop of yellow to my interior photos. To be fair, I wasn’t expecting much from the scent for the price but it surprised me with it’s punchy citrus scents of mandarin, verbena and lime. There’s around 30 different scents in the range and I love the classy typographic design on the label. With its’s stunning yellow glow when lit I light this candle in the evening on the mantle, or sometimes just to brighten up a dull day.
£2 www.primark.com (only available in store)

Roja BONBON candle
At £85 this candle is at the top end of the budget (it was a gift). Created by Perfumer Roja Dove, who claims his experience, passion and creative flair are embodied in every one of his creations. This votive mixes a fruity medley of apple, blackcurrant, strawberry, pineapple, pear, peach, coconut with bursts of bergamot & mandarin. It’s very Sweet, and fruity, and is described on their website as an “Irresistible temptation”. I only burn this indulgent candle at special occasions, recently at a little afternoon tea party I hosted,  it gave a real feel of decadence.
£85 www.rojaparfums.com

Sandy Bay London Persian Rose & Vintage Champagne
This range is one of my all time favourites and all are hand poured here in the UK. The scents not only fill a room, but a whole floor within minutes. The black pictured jar contains Persian Rose with it’s notes of raspberry, rose, cedar wood with a seductive patchouli base. The white jar contains Vintage Champagne (limited edition) with notes of pear, green grape, peach, vanilla and oak barrel that make this an all year round celebration candle. All their candles are created with their own unique natural wax blend which includes coconut wax. SBL have recently redesigned their branding I have some of the new look products on order and can’t wait to style and burn these in my home. Approximate burn time 40 hours. These are my ‘me-time’ candles lit to go with that relaxing bubble bath or when I’m snuggled up reading a favourite book.
£25 www.sandybaylondon.com

Champagne Flames
With it’s ethos being ‘reduce, reuse & recycle’ Henrietta & Hudson hand cut used and vintage Champagne bottles, then lovingly pour them with soy or regular wax depending on how strong you wish the throw of the scent to be. Choose from pomegranate nior, sandalwood, cedar wood and jasmine, vanilla, eucalyptus, rose or lime. Bottles range from Veuve Clicquot to Perrier-Jouët. These stunning keepsake candles come beautifully gift-boxed making the perfect present. The company is a start-up that is only selling via Instagram at present with plans for a website soon. This candle makes a fabulous talking point as an ornament and is lit for dinner parties and drinks with the girls.
Prices from £30 Order via Instagram page www.instagram.com/champagneflames

Primark Pineapple
Lots of people ask me where this cute gold Pineapple candle is from and the answer is good old Primark, but they aren’t currently stocking it so I can’t link it for you, sad times. But yet again PM came out top for budget with this on trend ornament/candle. I guess the moral here is if you see something in the store you like, buy it quick! as there is a huge turnover of merchandise and chances are it won’t be there when you go back.

Please let me know if you have a favourite votive you think I would like, I am a true candle obsessive and always on the look out for good recommendations.