While COVID-19 restrictions are loosening up, the the yearning for your favorite escape from home has not. And, since travel may not be on your “ready to do” list just yet, home is still the place that needs to function as the place where you are the most relaxed.
Cue this lineup of candles that smells like all of your favorite places in the world, from the forest to the beach house.
Designed to relax and recharge you, these candles will soothe your mind, heart and soul — just as if you were at your favorite vacation destination.
Nomad Noé’s MUSE in Wyoming
This grounding and restorative scent smells like wild rose bushes, fresh fields, fertile cedar, sunshine. One reviewer said this scent makes her feel good while another said the scent was “transporting.” And who doesn’t love to smell sunshine?
Nomad Noé’s candles fragrances are all crafted in Grasse, France, and formulated without parabens, sulfates SLS and SLES, phthalates and mineral oils. They’re also vegan and cruelty-free.
Get MUSE in Wyoming for $65.00.
Moodcast’s Daydreamer
This candle is so popular it’s often sold out. This scent contains neroli flower, which is known for its euphoric effects combined with white tea and notes of driftwood. The reviews are chock full of people working from home or distance learning with their kids noting this candle’s serene effects.
In a time where we need to “feel our feelings,” Moodcast can help us chill out like we need to and gives us the space to be a bit moody. Their branding is also perfect for gifting candles to those moody friends you love.
Check out Moodcast’s candle line ($42.00 each) and get notified for when Daydreamer is back in stock.
Great South Bay’s Fire Island
Famous for its lighthouse, foxes, and parties, Fire Island is often a getaway for people escaping the hustle and bustle of New York City. Great South Bay’s Fire Island candle enfuses a custom blend of fresh melon, orange, and bergamot on top with middle notes of lavender and bois de rose and a base of woody violet and musk to make you feel as if you’re basking in that glorious Long Island sunset.
Theresa Gorgone, Great South Bay’s owner and CEO knows the power candles can have, telling The Gourmet Insider, “Depending on the candle fragrance you can feel like you’re either lying on a tropical beach somewhere or just relaxing at a luxurious spa hotel without leaving your home.”
To make you feel even better, their candles are vegan, cruelty-free, and in biodegradable or recyclable packing.
Get Great South Bay’s Fire Island candle for $22.
Hyggelight’s Growing Candle
OK, this candle line is seriously cool. The label contains wildflower seeds and can be planted into the candle container once it’s all been burned through (just wipe clean) to bring even more joy into your life. Perfect for the plant and candle lover in your life.
Founded on the concept of hygge (hoo-gah), meaning feeling comfortable and empowered by your surroundings, Hyggelight’s Cedarwood candle can bring you back to traveling your favorite National Parks or ancient forests with its smoky base note and top notes of cedar and pine.
“We think of vacation everytime we light one of our memory-inspired scents that remind us of adventure and living the simple joys of life,” says Cyndi Hileman, co-founder of Hyggelight.
Get the Cedarwood candle for $30-$32 depending on your choice of container.
Sea Salt and Orchid from Pretty Honest Candles
The sea salt and orchid candle from Pretty Honest Candles has notes of sea salt, jasmine, lily of the valley, and a woody base. These hand-poured candles are from North Carolina and are even part of a vessel recycle program. Making us feel better while pretending we’re on a beach in the Outer Banks? We’re in.
Get the Sea Salt and Orchid candle for $24.
LAFCO’s Spa Retreat
Nestled in hand-blown vessels, these gorgeous candles are serene to just look at, let alone smell. LAFCO’s Retreat Signature Candle with smooth match green tea and earthy maté leaves are infused with crushed mint and vibrant ginger, with herbal notes of clary sage and sacred palo santo wood.
Jon Bresler, Founder of LAFCO, tells The Gourmet Insider that combining clary sage, maté absolute, and palo santo was to “create a warm, verdant, slightly herbal sensation that feels clean and natural,” with an intention to “create a calming and tranquil retreat-like atmosphere.”
A recent reviewer said she burns it during the day in her work from home office, which sounds much needed for those Millennials who always think they’re getting fired.
Get LAFCO’s signature Spa Retreat candle for $65.00.
Brooklyn Candle Studio’s Escapist Collection
This sleek minimalist candle collection is made from some of Brooklyn Candle Studio’s favorite places in the world including Italy, the Catskills, and Maui and was crafted with the idea of staycations in mind. Each candle is wicked, poured, and labeled by their in-house team of artisans and is female founded.
Smell a cedar forest after it rains with their Kyoto candle or escape to Santorini with the scent of ripe fig trees. And if you’re obsessed with Bridgerton, you can escape to an afternoon in the royal garden with their Tuileries candle. Either candle you choose, these scents will transport you to another time and place — just close your eyes.
Grab your favorite scent from Brooklyn Candle Studio for $38.
Indian Monsoon by Scrumptious Wicks
A blend of South Asian roots and universal comforts, Scrumptious Wicks aims to help you experience the essence of South Asia in a familiar and comforting way. The Indian Monsoon candle has a dewy, green aroma interlaced with woody and musky undertones.
Sonya Malani Panchal, the owner and founder of Scrumptious Wicks, says: “One whiff of my Indian Monsoon candle immediately transports me to my summer vacations in India as a kid. I was always mesmerized with how the rain would pour, like the heavens had just instantly opened up, and then abruptly stop as the sun came out, and as if it had never even rained in the first place.”
One reviewer said that she’s been burning the candles for weeks and it’s “still going strong,” so well worth the money for those who always need a candle going.
Get the Indian Monsoon candle from Scrumptious Wicks for $20.
Yankee Candle’s Scent of the Year: Discovery
Easily one of the most accessible brands, we had to include Yankee Candle on this list. Just released this March, Yankee Candle’s 2021 Scent of the Year, Discovery, combines fragrances around the world like tropical Caribbean fruits and sweet and zesty spices. Notes of red ginger, guava nectar, starfruit, and vanilla spice are designed to instantly transport you abroad without leaving home.
The focus on Yankee Candle’s Discover was on a universal desire to experience, appreciate, and connect with other cultures “especially after a socially-distant 2020.” This limited-edition fragrance can be bought online or in stores for while supplies last.
Get Discovery for $29.50.
