The onset of autumn, coupled with work-from-home life, is more than enough justification to invest in some little luxuries for your personal space. We like to start with candles, which infuse warmth into forgotten nooks, heighten concentration in your home office, and bring deep relaxation to the bedroom. (Anyone else having trouble sleeping these days?) Here are seven of our current favourites that make staying at home as cosy as can be. —Katie Nanton
homecoming candles. This 100 per cent vegan brand founded by Vancouver-based entrepreneur Suraiya Nanji uses only lead and zinc-free cotton wicks in all of its hand-poured soy wax creations, and launches a chic new ceramic vessel line of candles this October—just in time for the cold snap. Scent we love: Amber + Bitter Orange ($28), with notes of clove, citrus, lavender and balsam—flirty and joyful, it gives us Old Fashioned cocktail vibes.
woodlot. Founded by Sonia Chhinji and Fouad Farraj, local favourite Woodlot introduced three new scents this past year: Amour, a sexy blend of pepper and rose; Rose + Palo Santo, an earthy floral; and the rich and robust Rose + Cannabis, which taps into hemp leaf-derived essential oil. (Nope, it won’t get you high.) Scent we love: Cascadia ($26), with notes of fir, cedar and patchouli—it’s an invigorating walk in an old-growth forest, just after the rains.
boy smells. The L.A.-born cult fragrance brand known for two things: scented candles and sumptuous underwear. Explore the former through collections such as the cannabis-laden Kush, or the just-launched, four-piece Hypernature Collection—which sounds as hypnotic as it is hard to describe (give it a Google). Scent we love: Gardener ($48), with notes of tomato, petitgrain, white tea, and honeysuckle—it’s sundrenched tomato vines in a late-summer vegetable garden.
cire trudon. Based in Normandy, this fancy French brand dates back to 1643, making it the world’s oldest candlemaker; it even supplied the Court of Versailles during the reign of Louis XV. These days, Cire Trudon’s smoke-free candles are the epitome of “treat yourself”luxury, though they can cost more than $600. If you want to smell before you invest, Vancouver’s Provide stocks 17 different scents. Scent we love: Abd El Kader($150), with notes of mint, ginger, apple, lemon, clove, jasmine and vanilla—it’s fresh and mysterious, like exploring a tucked-away spice market.
mala the brand. This Vancouver-based label is all about giving back to the environment while helping your space smell spectacular: for each candle sold, they’ll plant a tree through their partnership with TreeEra and Plant the Peace. (Current tree tally: more than 7,000 planted.) Scent we love: Milk and Sugar ($30), with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and cream—it’s the next best thing to an oven full of fresh-baked cookies.
lohn. This female-founded Toronto-based candlemaker is all about invoking nostalgia with their organic coconut and soy wax range. Their collections are inspired by journeys, which can help satisfy the traveller in us all while safely rooted to the couch. Scent we love: Sur ($49), with notes of cedarwood, frankincense, palmarosa, tangerine and ylang ylang—it’s like burning a stick of incense in a field of wildflowers.
canvas candle co. This Port Moody-based line of soy candles, founded by Caylen Baker, recently introduced an aptly-named Cozy at Home collection for fall. The three new scents include Slow Sunday, heavy with notes of espresso, Mayan chocolate, and cardamom; D’Anjou, a not-too-sweet pear fragrance; and Ember. Scent we love: Ember ($28) with notes of cedar, vanilla, and nutmeg—it’s like the final glowing embers in an early-fall campfire.
bonus: nest. What would autumn be without the iconic PSL? Nest New York‘s Pumpkin Chai candle creates a cosy autumn ambiance with a blend of wild pumpkin, spicy masala chai, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon. And, new this year, the brand has introduced packaging that’s greener than ever, with a box made from eco-friendly materials that’s and 100 per cent recyclable. Another scent we love: Nest has also released, for fall, an Apple Blossom scented candle, with luscious notes of crisp red apples enhanced by the essence of apple blossoms and the warmth of white amber and cedarwood. With this one, the company is donating 10 per cent of the purchase price from each Apple Blossom product sold to NEXT for AUTISM—a non-profit organization that launches innovative programs aimed at transforming the national landscape of services for people with autism. —Noa Nichol
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