Candalology

Burn Baby Burn
Light Your Fire

There’s a lot to love about candles. For one thing, lit in the evening, they improve your looks by 40% . That’s a scientific fact. Alright, that’s a lie. It’s not a scientific fact, but it’s a BeansTalk fact.

We don’t entirely get how they used to actually use candles as a nighttime light source. We can’t help but think that there were a lot of people who loved to read who suffered from poor eyesight due to the strain.

Our big party tip is to put light candles and generally dim the atmosphere. Not only does it camouflage our perennially messy home, but it really is pretty and cozy. Today’s candles also can smell fantastic. In fact, whatever scent you like, from white cake to absinthe (we don’t know what that actually smells like, since it’s, well, illegal in the U.S. and have never been in Amsterdam, or wherever they still sell it). D.L. Little sells those super expensive candles. Something slightly larger than the votive is like $75. We met hin (and didn’t get sample, by the way, so we can’t review or categorize it; but they look good).

We also try not to mix up too many scents to confuse the pleasures of the nose. Here are our picks for the best in homey-ness.

Candles are made of various kinds of wax and soy – these are the most readily available. Soy is notable in that it doesn’t emit a black fog that will attach itself to your walls and ceiling. You might notice a grey tint in rooms where you frequently use wax candles. It’s difficult to clean, but best not to let it build up.

Perhaps our best advice of all is to ONLY BUY CANDLES MADE IN THE U.S.A. We realize that makes us sound all patriotic and stuff, but it really is about not getting lead into your lungs and saving the paint in your room and getting a candle that actually lasts as long as it says it will. Candles that are foreign made are not monitored in the same manner. And they never, ever last as long.

Chesapeake Bay candles seem to be everywhere. Their packaging is terrific. But that’s where it ends. They are, in our opinion, nice to look at, sucky to use. They don’t burn evenly, they’re not made in the U.S. and they are soot city. They often sell them at Ross (which if you’re a BeansTalk reader, you know we love, but this is one of those things you don’t buy there).

Candle can be very pricey. You don’t have to buy a super expensive one (back to the D.L. Little ones) to get a good quality, but take time and do make an investment, for your health, for your home, for your comfort and relaxation – which are keys to candles, which we already know are an incentive to romance.

Don’t scrimp on candles. That’s the best advice we can give you right now, in this time of creating ambiance. Candles are like band-aids. Don’t buy generic. Or cheap. They won’t last as long as good ones, you’ll lose the wick or it will get sooty, leave wax on the sides of the container or all over your holder, and you’ll have to toss it anyway. (Again, we’re so all about the bargains, but this isn’t something you should cut corners with) But we will say, although we’ve used the photos of D.L. Candles, we’ve never used them, we’ve never been given them, and Doug himself told us that he’s all about the packaging. Yes, they’re beautiful, in their rare original cast from an antique mold and Burmese-silk boxes.

[Just FYI; we love this concept, but can't wrap our tiny wallet around the price....

D.L. & Co. candles are based on various poisons and are comprised of a patented blend of high-grade European waxes, many of which are used for luxury body creams and lotions. One immediately feels the difference in the wax when one runs a finger along its milky surface. Moist, but not greasy, it is virtually absorbed into the skin upon contact. D.L. & Co.'s candle wax formula not only burns cleaner than any other candle, it also houses the delicately balanced essential oils without altering their fragrance character. The wax in D.L. & Co. candles are specifically designed to have a low melting temperature, thereby yielding a greater liquefied surface area by which to better release the fragrance held within.

D.L. & Co. candle's love and appreciation for finely crafted glassware served as the inspiration for the distinctive scalloped glass that houses this fine candle. Evoking the fine vessels that flourished at the turn of the century until the middle of the 20th century, D.L.'s candle glass recalls the art deco period's penchant for organic yet stylized contours. The true brilliance of this floral design lies not only in its visual elegance, but also in that the form itself actually amplifies the fragrance while the candle is alight. When awakened, the D.L. & Co candle's fragrance reverberates into the air with a surprising liveliness.

Stitched in Burmese silk, these carefully crafted containers recall the boxes that held cufflinks and collars in a glorious day gone by. DL's candle is enclosed in a black satin ribbon imported from France, chosen for its exquisite sheen and weight. The smallest candles are $65, but most average $125. www.candledelirium.com/DL--Co-Candles]