I Found the Perfect Candle
The first time I started using candles was in college, when I was trying to mask other scents in my dorm room from wafting into the hallway. The candles were usually whatever was cheap and looked highly psychedelic. Freshman year, my brother bought me an oil lamp that you filled with actual oil and lit with a long match (or in my case, a piece of spaghetti). But that didn’t last long — the glass toppled over one night, and I had to sleep on oil stained bed sheets for the rest of the semester.
Abe and I have been together since junior year so my “adult candle life” has involved his candle habits as well. I learned early on he didn’t like them. The scents overwhelm him, so he blows them out whenever I’m not in the room, causing the candles to tunnel. I don’t know why having an unscented one feels like cheating to me. It’s like, why not just put a battery operated flame on the table?!? (That’s not an option for me, either).
In Winter 2020, I read The Little Book of Hygge which convinced me I needed to light candles constantly in order to survive the pandemic. So I decided to get FANCY. I bought some beautiful glass ones — nontoxic/organic/blah blah blah — but every time I got one, Abe hated the smell. And I hated to admit it, but after years of living scented-wax free, they felt a bit much to my nose, too.
Then one day, we were getting our favorite vegan, gluten-free ice cream at Yoga-urt. The one in Echo Park is right next door to P.F. Candle Co.’s flagship store. I was skeptical at first — I’ve already seen their stuff everywhere and like all the other candles, I assumed I’d get burned (ha ha). But I found the store to be extremely inviting. So we went in, holding our chocolate peanut butter frozen desserts, and to my surprise, Abe DID NOT turn immediately towards the exit. In fact, upon sniffing several samples, we purchased two from their Sunset collection. They were so much more reasonably priced than the other ones I had been buying, too — under $30.
This is NOT a sponsored post but I am using an affiliate link here: P.F. Candle Co. makes pretty much the only candles both Abe and I enjoy having lit around our bathroom and our house. I started with the tin versions, since they don’t have to be left lit as long — the metal heats things up quicker (I really hate that tunneling issue). But recently they sent me their newest scent, Wild Herb Tonic, which came in their signature glass vessel:
A transformative, elixir-like scent for moments of tranquility, inspired by soothing walks through overgrown herb gardens, wild forest groves, and age-old remedies, with notes of lemon balm, crushed thyme, orange rind, and fir.
When you’re done with the jar/tins, you can bring them back to get a punch on your punch card. 3 empties = 1 punch. 10 punches = a free candle.
I think I may need to get fancy matches. Am I candle influencer now?
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