- Design Inspo
Editors’ Picks: The Most Romantic Candles
Explicitly, the best romantic candles can inspire one of our most arousing senses, the sense of smell.
When Marcel Proust wrote in his 1913 novel, À la recherche du temps perdu or ‘In Search of Time Lost,” that the taste of tea and madeleines transported him back in time, it was his nose that traveled there. For example, so significant was this reaction; it coined the term “A Proustian moment,” according to an article in The Harvard Gazette in February 2020. Therefore, this sensory experience phenomenon phenomenon triggering a memory, forgotten or otherwise, may certainly be why scents are so comforting to us.
But even more than comfort, some scents elicit emotions such as romance and desire.
Who hasn’t been reminded of amorous encounters when the scent associated with it wafts past our nose? Certainly, this experience isn't unique to Proust?
Likewise, candles always add a romantic mood to any set-up with their soft flickering glow, whether a paramour is involved or not. (Definitely a cliché, candles really do set a mood.)
Subsequently, lighting a candle can make any place feel unique with or without someone else present. As an illustration, picture arriving at night at a charming cabin nestled in the woods, completely illuminated by candles. Certainly, cozy defined.
Moreover, combining their allure with an alluring scent delivers in the sensory department. Undoubtedly, an enticing scent wafting in your space is intoxicating. These candles -whether they possess a spicy, floral, fruity or earthy aroma; or give a room a moody aura – alone may become the object of your affections likewise.
Spice Notes
Clearly, one leader in class when it comes to seduction by a romantic candle is the Giovanni scented candle from Fornasetti, named for the opera based on Don Juan's legend – the ultimate libertine and seducer. First, the setting of the opera, Seville, Spain, informs the intoxicating scent of musk, dry amber, cedarwood, and patchouli topped off with fruit and floral notes of peach, rose, and lily of the valley. Secondly, the china jar shows portraits of brand icons, beautiful opera singer Lina Cavalieri and Furio Maschera, the unknown man who appears in Fornasetti’s works, both wearing domino masks in homage to the famous story of Don Juan.
To point out an interesting tidbit. Cavalieri was a much older muse to the young Fornasetti. Her interesting life ended in a tragic scenario, consequently, as the singer and her husband were killed in a WWII air raid while trying to fetch her jewelry.
The Ourika candle comes from the famous storied French candlemaker Cire Trudon founded in 1643, not to mention also known for having some of the best romantic candles. Most importantly, the Left Bank pedigree candlemaker boasts having a royal warrant for wax making who supplied the candles at Napoleon the First’s coronation. For starters, its spicy aura culled from the iris has a sensual side in contrast that recalls Egyptian mythology. The flower also connects to Horus, the falcon God that brings the sky and the earth together.
With a name like Conversation in a Park, it’s no wonder this spicy candle has such a titillating odor. One of our favorites, this romantic candle is curated by perfumer Dorothée Piot for L’Officine Universelle Buly 1803.
In particular, this candle emits notes of citrus bergamot, floral Ottoman roses, and fresh peppermint. Furthermore, this all-natural wax candle is encased in a heavy stone vase with a terrazzo finish making its appearance likewise as attractive as its scent. Finally, it's vintage French language lable in effect, transports the bearer to one of Paris' most alluring and romantic parks, the Luxembourg Gardens.
On the otherhand, a bare candle is equally romantic. At an ample 450-gram size, the robust La Redouté pillar candle from Diptyque culls its spicy scent from a potpourri recipe that dates back to Elizabethan times. Furthermore, in lieu of a jar, this pillar candle bares a crest and exudes a ‘sauvage’ mood.
Floral Notes
Undoubtedly, the scent of a woman is truly remarkable; just ask Al Pacino’s blind character in the 1990s film of the same name. Therefore it's no wonder this Baobab candle with its notes of magnolia and rose, tempered by musk, is called The Women. Refined 9-karat yellow gold decorative trim encases the graphic female form that expresses femininity and on the other hand strength.In short these attributes make it the truly best romantic candle.
When it comes to fashion, the ultimate ladies' man is certainly designer Giambattista Valli who teamed up with Cire Trudon on a luxuriously scented candle. Aptly named the ‘Positano,’ this best romantic candle naturally evokes the picture-perfect town on the Amalfi coast. Its flower-powered fragrance contrasts heady top notes of jasmine, orange blossom, and gardenia mixed with subtle touches of magnolia, tuberose, and lily. As a result, the floral combination gives your space the feeling of summer on the romantic Italian riviera.
Founded by three friends at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain in 1961, Diptyque Paris practically invented scented romantic candles' transformative powers. Of course, their ‘roses’ candle is no exception, possessing a scent reminiscent of the romantic flower blooming in a rose garden.
However, this scent doesn’t stop at a lone candle. A full spectrum olfactory experience is possible using their complimentary scent. Eau Rose perfumed soap uses the most prized roses in the same vein, the damascene and the centifolia, paired with a silk caressing body and bath oil made from argan, almond, and macadamia nut. In short, it's rose bath.
Surely inspired by an Oriental screen, this Fornasetti Flora Coromandel candle takes its cues from the lush garden flora in the garden of the grounds of the Fornasetti house in Milan.
Fruit Notes
The Cire Trudon Carmelite candle features notes of orange and armoise, the ancient medicinal plant known for relaxation and reducing anxiety. In other words, just the combo of a rush of sunshine paired with inhibition-releasing oil helps set a romantic stage,
Technically fruity, the Figuier candle from Diptyque also bears a woodsy scent on account of the fruit-bearing tree that stretches across Mediterranean landscapes, for instance. It captures the aura of the sun, releasing its natural fragrance of bark, leaves, and figs as they ripen across the region. Most importantly, as a sensual fruit, the smell of this romantic candle awakens many of the senses.
Earthy Notes
Likewise, a fireplace sets a romantic mood on any occasion. The Feu de Bois candle from Diptyque features a scent from the Parisian candlemaker that transports you to the famous Bois surrounding Paris, such as the Boulogne and Vincennes woods. Set in a green hand-blown glass jar, this candle recalls an inviting open fire on a winter day.
Natrually named for carpentry’s patron saint, Joseph, L’Officine Universelle Buly 1803’s scented candle smells of cedarwood and pink berries and is composed by perfumer Sidonie Lancesseur. On the other hand, the massive stone vase made from glass paste, enamel, and fine minerals with a terrazzo finish takes its cues from the mosaics found in Venetian palaces, the ultimate locale for romance.
Using Comme des Garcons signature polka dots, bedecked with a pair of romantic red lips, undoubtedly this a sexy candle. The Comme des Fornà candle by Fornasetti smells of simple Provencal ingredients thyme and lavender with a distinct earthiness.
Taper candles / Candle Holders
Even without a scent, placing candles at a meal signals the mood for romance and relaxation. Consequently, Cire Trudon’s Madeleine tapered candles, named for the historic Roman Catholic church in Paris, fit the bill.
In fact, this same style has been lighting the church since the 17th century. For a touch of elegance added to your romance, why not make them the table centerpiece by encasing them in a chic candleholder, for example?
Baccarat, the French crystal house founded in 1764 under Louis XV's permission, offers faceted crystal candlestick holders. And yet these elegant tabletop decors shine even without a lit candle. Part of the Mille Nuit collection, a reference to 1001 Tales of the Arabian Nights, sets the scene for an exotic and romantic candle-lit evening.
In the same vein, Saint Louis crystal, another one of France’s most storied crystal makers, offers two styles: the Oxymore Adiante, a graphic stacked cubed pillar. Perfect to place the best romantic candles.
Lastly, Les Endiables by St. Louis, two opposing semi-circles, give your mood lighting an apropos alter on which to rest a romantic candle.
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