Notes On // Summer Candles
Notes On // Summer Candles
I’m a candle fanatic no matter the season.
And summer is no exception. For me, candle scents are all about the emotions it evokes, the memories it reminds you of and the places they transport you t. It’s not just a sea salt candle, it’s a candle that is reminiscent of summers spent on the Cape. It’s not just a tomato scented candle, it’s about the times I spent as a child gardening alongside my Grandfather. It’s not just a candle laced with notes of berries, it’s about running barefoot, picking blueberries in my Grandparent’s backyard, then enjoying the pie that my Great-Aunt Lucy would make with them. It’s about summer travels that take you to far away places and summer afternoons spent close to home, laying in the backyard, looking up at the fluffy clouds floating through an afternoon blue sky.
As far as the scents I lean towards, smoky ones are a forever favorite no matter the time of year, but during the warmer months I look for lighter versions to burn, scents that remind me of sunsets and warm nights, suntans and tropical locales and cocktails laced with nutmeg and rum and coconut. This time of year, I also love things that are bright and fresh, like the berries and garden produce of the season, or the way the scent of salt lingers in the ocean air in a small coastal New England town.
While I normally wouldn't deem something like candles to be important, I think this summer, a summer so weird and dark and difficult, it’s been so lovely to have something, like the scent of a candle, to transport one to places you can’t physically be, to experiences you can’t actually have, and to remind oneself of the better days that are behind us and the better days that are ahead of us.
Diptyque Baies //
Arguably one of Diptyque’s most popular candles, which is also a lovely berry scent; however, while Candlefish’s No. 74 smells a bit more like a dessert, Diptyque’s smells more bright and airy, like you’re picking the fresh berries, in a field, bare feet in the grass, flowy white dress on, a few fluffy white clouds dotting the blue sky above you…
The Koop Daybed //
When I burn this candle, from Black-owned NYC-based The Koop, I’m immediately transported to a daybed at some far away tropical pool, in some exotic place, like Bali, or warm summer nights, somewhere in Ibiza. It’s a little sweet, a little smoky. It’s like tropical, coconut, sea salt, sunsets, sexy cocktails and sultry summer nights all rolled into one.
Linnea’s Lights Heirloom Tomato c/o //
If you put garden fresh tomatoes and this candle in front of me, while I was blindfolded, I swear to you I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It is truly heavenly and reminiscent of one of the best scents of summer (aka fresh tomatoes). Also, if you don’t have a garden, burning this is a great way to temporarily trick your mind into thinking that you do. Also, fun fact, this brand is based where I grew up!
Limestone + Cedar Co. Southshore Sunset c/o //
This candle, from a small female-founded Bermuda-based business, is the perfect end-of-summer candle; it’s still tropical and sweet, with notes of coconut and vanilla, but also a bit smoky, warm and cozy, kind of like summer fading into fall.
Diptyque Roses //
You really can’t go wrong with a classic scent like rose, and this one is, by far, one of my favorites. It doesn’t smell fake or overdone, it just smells like a beautiful garden of roses in bloom.
Candlefish No.74 //
We picked up this scent at the Candlefish store when we stopped in Charleston on our cross country drive and it’s still a favorite to this day. Thanks to the notes of candied almonds and dewberry, a berry that is closely related to blackberries, this candle smells like a sweet summer treat, think a fresh waffle cone filled with caramel or berry ice-cream, or like a delicious vanilla cake piled high with whipped cream and fresh berries, or even strawberry shortcake.
Diptyque Verveine //
Another fresh scent from Diptyque, this one is zesty, lemony and herby thanks to the lemon verbena; it makes me think of fresh citrus, home lemonade, limoncello, seasonal cooking, herb gardens, and summers in the South of France or the Mediterranean.