Candles are a hot commodity this time of year. Is there anything more zen during cold weather than relaxing by the fireplace with a candle and your beverage of choice? We think not. At Collected, we’ve done our best to curate a thoughtful selection of luxurious candles with long burn times, premium ingredients and impossibly gorgeous scents. We have another criteria, though, that we apply to our candle selection: a backstory. Because in a saturated market like candles, knowing how your candle is made, where the ingredients came from and why the scent was chosen by the creator can make all the difference.
Today we’re profiling a few of our current favorites, but the selection in store and online is even greater, with more candle backstories to come!
Baobob
As much a decorative object as a candle, Baobob has been perfuming the indoors since the 2002. The mouth-blown glass vessels are true works of art, with special editions sometimes even incorporating precious metals or handcrafted leather. Because the company considers itself a perfumer, specialized “noses” scour the globe for essences and raw materials resulting in unparalleled scents. And the hand-poured wax goes through several phases of production to achieve the highest-quality burn. True beauties.
Bastide
Leave it to the French to create a candle that is effortlessly luxurious and beautiful. The word bastide itself even means “manor house,” a south of France mainstay of luxury and beauty. Bastide was recently acquired by a third generation family of scientists and formulators, serious about bringing captivating scents and Provence’s most natural ingredients to Bastide candles and beauty products. Each product line is overseen by a “Beautisan,” the term coined by Bastide to honor the French artisans who create them. In the case of Bastide candles, a team of these beautisans, including a dedicated “nose,” work together to bring these elegant candles to market. Scent inspiration in Provence is easy to come by, and Bastide candles evoke memories of lavender fields, sun-soaked afternoon walks or a lazy lunch. Each scent has its own wax blend designed to maximize that specific fragrance. And each candle is made from hand-blown bubble wax, resulting in a perfectly imperfect and unique vessel.
Homesick
Homesick pays homage to the essence of communities and captures the spirit of memory, all with a touch of whimsy. But they are not just slapping a label on a candle that smells good and calling it Chicago. No, for a location candle like Chicago, Homesick speaks to between dozens of residents, visits local favorites, pays attention to the scents of the food and the city itself, and then tests different scents with community members until they feel they have captured the essence of their city. This painstaking process means that if you own a homesick candle, you’ll likely be experiencing core scent memories from the comfort of your own home.
Lumira
Lumira candles were born from a love of travel and passion for design. Each artisanal Lumira scent is reminiscent of a specific spot on the globe – whether a countryside village, luxurious island resort, or bustling metropolis – again, evoking the important human connection to scent memories. The woman behind Lumira, Almira Armstrong, (three cheers for women-owned businesses!) is also passionate about sustainability, and so the brand is committed to environmentally conscious business practices and giving back to their community.
Looking for a scent or brand not featured here? Check Collected for more options!