One of my favourite things to shop for are candles. I dont have to worry about whether the company has my shade, whether the thighs are too tight. When I shop for a candle, there is no physical constraint, just a decision as to whether I like the smell… or not. Department stores are great for candles, but, there is nothing like buying a candle in a dedicated candle shop.
There are lots of independent retailers that sell candles, but I am very very luckily to live not too far from the Milkhouse Candle Shop in Crystal Palace. The Milkhouse Candle shop draws you in from the moment you see it with row upon row upon row of candles, in milk bottles, butter jars and pillar candles and crock pots. Regardless of the fragrance of the candle, and there are over forty to choose from, the wax (a mixture of beeswax and soya) is a delicious creamy colour. The huge array of scents, from food, to floral, familiar to unusual will draw you in. Do you know what an heirloom tomato smells like? Neither did I until I stuck my nose into this candle and I can guarantee you that is does not smell like ketchup.
The other great thing about his shop is the staff. They know what they are talking about, they are happy to leave you to browse but equally will give you as much assistance with scents and burn times etc as you need – Micheal, I’m talking about you!
The milk bottles are very cute and have a fifty hour burn time, and I was very tempted to invest in the three hundred hour of burn time that can be found in the four wick circular crock pot but i decided to plump for the butter jar which is a double wick candle that burns for one hundred hours and has a metal carry handle.
I chose grapefruit as I was happy to see this as a single note rather than as part of a blend but with over forty fragrances to choose from it was a very difficult choice.
The first thing that you notice when you burn the candle, is how quickly the fragrance fills the room. In approximately 15 minutes the fragrance starts to envelope you and then the room is saturated with the sharp acidity which is softened by a sweetness, which does not overpower the citrusy gloriousness of a perfectly ripe grapefruit.
I have been burning this candle for a fortnight, and as much as I think that this fragrance would cocktail very well, I have chosen not to, as I am really enjoying the fragrance by itself. I am really really impressed with these candles, great containers, great fragrances, great shop.