Introduction
It might be the faint fragrance of lavender or the gentle flame of a tea light, but carefully selected luxury candles can help create the right ambiance and add the finishing touch to your interior decoration.
The candle industry is already worth over US$10 billion worldwide annually and £240 million in the UK and perfumed candles are continuing to grow in popularity.
As demand rises, so does the choice on offer and choosing the ideal fragranced candle is more complicated than one might have first thought.
It is with this in mind, that we have written this essential guide to luxury scented candles. We will not only discuss what you should consider when buying your luxury candles, but also how to make the most of them.
After all, Edith Wharton said: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or mirror that reflects it.”
The Art of Craftsmanship in Luxury Candles
Luxury candles are more than just sources of light or fragrance; they are masterpieces crafted with meticulous attention to detail.
Premium brands often use high-quality waxes like soy, beeswax, or coconut wax, which burn cleaner and longer than traditional paraffin wax. The wicks are typically made from cotton or wood, ensuring an even burn and minimal soot.
Expert boutique perfumery houses and artisan candle makers blend sophisticated fragrances using essential oils and natural ingredients, creating complex scent profiles that can transform the ambiance of any space.
Discovering the Best Luxury Candle Brands
Exploring the world of luxury scented candles unveils a selection of brands renowned for their excellence. Names like our company, Pairfum London, Jo Malone, Diptyque and Cire Trudon all offer candles that are not just products but experiences.
We all combine elegance with exquisite fragrances. Some may highlight their candle heritage and artistic approach. Others, like Pairfum London, focus on the quality of their perfume and how to optimise the diffusion of the fragrance in a room, e.g. clean burn, fragrance intensity.
Comparing these brands helps you find the perfect match for your taste and home.
What Type Of Luxury Candle Should You Purchase ?
Of course, everyone’s reasons and surrounding circumstances for wanting a luxury scented candle are different.
Therefore, we have created a table that can be used as a reference to better inform your decision.
| Candle Type | Usage |
|---|---|
| Candles in Glass | – Are poured into containers, usually glass. – The most common type of perfumed candle. – The molten, hot wax releases the perfume. |
| Pillar Candles | – Are formed into cylinders from firm wax that can burn free-standing. – Can be placed on a heat-resistant & decorative dish or holder. – Often used to enhance a beautiful living room mantel piece. |
| Taper Candles | – Made from firm max shaped to be much taller and thinner. – Typically, they are found in a classic candelabra or a candlestick holder – Commonly placed as a centrepiece on a dinner table. |
| Votive Candles | – Typically small, square or cylindrical. – Commonly presented in a small cup or glass jar. – Suited perfectly for bedside tables, bathroom units or bookshelves. – Playful type of candle |
| Tea Lights | – Usually are small and round. – They are recommended to be scattered across flat surfaces in the home. – Ideally placed in clusters. – Another candle to use playfully |
Different Types of Wax In Luxury Candles
The main criteria for assessing the quality of a candle are:
- wax: is the wax petroleum derived or from a sustainable source?
- clean burn: does the candle soot and smoke when it is burning?
- strong fragrance: does the fragrance fill the room? Is the odour of soot or smoke perceivable?
- beautiful appearance: is the wax beautifully white or creamy? Is the surface smooth?
- no drip: does the taper candle drip?
- type of wick: is made from cotton? Does it contain a metal filament?
The type of wax that a candle is made from, is often overlooked by most of us and yet for luxury candles, the wax has a significant impact on their quality.
Paraffin Wax
Paraffin wax is the most common type of wax. It produces more smoke and soot than other waxes. Contains ‘toluen’ and ‘benzene’ which are known carcinogenes. On the other hand, it is the cheapest of all waxes, easy to dye and very suitable for making highly scented candles.
Beeswax Candles
Beeswax has a natural honey-like aroma and emits a warm glow when lit because of its colour, i.e. reduces the need to add dyes to the wax. This means they are a good choice for those with allergies or looking for a natural wax. Due to its high melting point, beeswax is also less likely to drip.
Soy Wax
Soy wax is natural and renewable. Essentially, it is the sustainable choice. The wax is made of soybean oil, which is biodegradable but also burns cleanly for extended periods of time. Any spills can be easily washed away with soap and hot water.
Other Waxes
There are many other types of wax that are very suitable for perfume candles: palm, sunflower, coconut, flower wax, avocado, stearin, …
Their popularity varies between regions, e.g. stearin is the most popular wax in Scandinavia, and candle formats, e.g. stearin is more popular for taper candles and soy wax is mainly used in container candles.
For a more in-depth overview, you may enjoy reading through our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ about candles:
Superior Materials
Luxury candles are distinguished by the superior materials from which they are made:
- The best luxury candles use natural waxes like soy or beeswax. These waxes burn cleaner and longer than traditional paraffin wax.
- Essential oils and natural fragrances provide authentic scents that enrich your environment.
- Eco-friendly wicks, made from cotton or wood, ensure a steady flame without harmful emissions.
Choosing candles with these features enhances both your well-being and the ambience of your space.
Luxury Candles & Fragrance
Exploring Captivating Scent Profiles
Fragrance is at the heart of the luxury candle experience.
Each fragrance profile creates a different atmosphere. Floral notes like rose and jasmine bring tranquillity and romance. Citrus scents such as lemon and grapefruit invigorate and refresh. Woody aromas like cedar and sandalwood add warmth and depth.
Understanding these profiles helps you select candles that complement your mood and décor.
The Scent Throw
Is the ‘Scent-Throw’ strong enough so that the fragrance of the candle fills the room?
When it comes to the fragrance of luxury candles, there are a few things that should be considered
- the bigger the space, the more candles are required or the larger the candles should be
- a candle wax with higher meltpoint will result in a stronger fragrance
- the more perfume mixed into the wax, the stronger and longer lasting the fragrance. Cheap candles frequently only scent the uppermost layer of the candle.
All luxury candle waxes have a saturation point, meaning that there is a certain limit to the amount of fragrance that can be added due to safety concerns, i.e. if the wax is oversaturated, the flame may ignite the essential oils that seep out of the wax.
The fragrance of luxury scented candles is a very personal experience and preference, which will invoke different feelings and memories in each of us. There are infinite combinations of fragrances so we invite our customers to explore the ones that appeal to them.
Wax Shrinks!
As wax cools and solidifies, it shrinks and cracks or holes appear.
A second layer of wax, i.e. like a top coat, is normally applied in order to create a smooth finish.
Some companies only scent the wick or use scented wax during the second refill, which is why you may stop smelling the candle after the top layer of the wax has burned off.
For a candle fragrance that lasts, we include the maximum amount of concentrated perfume oil that is technically possible and we fragrance the entire wax, i.e. from top to bottom and not just the ‘top coat’.
Choosing the Perfect Luxury Candle for Your Home
Selecting the right luxury candle involves considering more than just the scent. Think about the room size, décor, and the mood you wish to evoke.
For a serene bedroom atmosphere, opt for calming scents like lavender or chamomile. In the living room, invigorating fragrances such as citrus or eucalyptus can energize the space.
The candle’s design also plays a role; an elegantly crafted candle can serve as a decorative piece that complements your interior style.
Sustainability in Luxury Candle Production
As environmental awareness grows, many luxury candle brands are embracing sustainable and ethical production practices.
This includes using natural, organic and/or biodegradable materials, eco-friendly packaging, and sourcing ingredients responsibly.
By choosing candles from these brands, you not only enjoy a superior product but also contribute to environmental conservation efforts.
Supporting sustainable luxury candles is a step toward a more eco-conscious lifestyle without compromising on quality or aesthetics.
How To Maintain Luxury Candles
When the perfect candle has been found, only half of the work is complete. Even the best scented candle still needs some tender love and care to ensure it performs at its best.
Tip 1: The First Lighting Of The Luxury Candle
This is possibly the most important time in any candle’s life and should dedicate a little of your time to it. You need to watch until the wax starts to melt and form a ‘pool’ up to the edges of its container. You should not extinguish the candle before it has developed a full meltpool, i.e. the entire surface of the wax has turned molten.
This prevents ‘tunnelling’ or the phenomenon where the flame ‘tunnels’ down into the wax without ever forming a full meltpool. Tunneling eventually leads to a candle that extinguishes itself before the entire wax has been used up.
If possible, a luxury candle should be extinguished with a sniffer as it will help to ensure that the wick stays centred.
As a result, whenever the candle is lit again in the future, it will burn cleanly down the sides of its glass container.
Tip 2: Trim The Wick
When you buy luxury candles, it is very likely that the candle maker would have trimmed the wick for the first lighting If this is not the case, trim the wick to 4mm and again after each burn.
Trimming the wick down to 4mm will ensure that your luxury candles will last longer but there will also be less soot in the wax than if the wick was longer.
As well as avoiding soot, in order to avoid flaring, we recommend keeping the liquid wax free of wick trimmings or match ends.
Tip 3: Good Luxury Candle Burning Habits
Avoid burning the last centimetre of wax in order to protect the candle container, e.g. it might crack, and the surface that you have placed your candle on.
Wicks can become deformed and develop ‘mushrooms’, if they are burned too long. We recommend not burning a luxury candle for more than four hours at a time.
Luxury Candles As The Ultimate Gift
When it comes to gift-giving, luxury candles are a timeless choice that exudes elegance and thoughtfulness.
Whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary, or housewarming, a premium candle makes for a versatile and appreciated present.
Many brands offer beautifully packaged candles or gift sets, some of which can be personalized to add a special touch. Take for example the Luxury Gift Bag and Tissue Paper by Pairfum London. They add the perfect finishing touch to your gift.
The next you are thinking about a gift to bring along when visiting, consider a Perfumed Candle instead of flowers, wine or your usual gifts. Your friend, partner or acquaintance will delight in the luxurious experience that a high-end candle provides, making it a memorable gift.
Luxury Candle Gift Sets for Special Occasions
Luxury candle gift sets make thoughtful and elegant presents. They are ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions at work or as a housewarming gesture.
Here at Pairfum London, we offer beautifully packaged sets with a range of fragrances. Giving a luxury candle gift set is a way to share comfort and indulgence with someone special.
Summary: Pairfum London Luxury Perfume & Soy Candles
One of the advantages of our Pairfum Luxury Candles is that they have multiple wicks and they are made of cotton (or linen). High-quality luxury candles use finely woven cotton wicks, free from metal filaments to keep them upright. Metal filaments have been proven to be carcinogenic.
Instead, seek out candles that use wick with either a special weave or paper filaments to keep them upright while they are burning.
Our candles tend to release a beautifully intense fragrance and provide a wonderful glow. The burning time of a candle depends on the quality and size of the candle. The longer burning time of our luxury candles is a sign of quality over cheaper candles.
