La Flamme Marie Claire with L'Occitane

Launching on 31st August is the La Flamme Marie Claire which L'Occitane has created in partnership with Marie Claire to raise funds for the education of women around the world.  This is infact the second year the candle has been available in the UK, but since it launched back in 2010 in France some 583,100 candles have been sold which has made over 1.8million Euros for selected charities.

Each Candle is priced at just £9 and 100% of the profits is donated to three chosen charities in order to help transform the lives of young girls in the UK (Rose), Cambodia (Toutes a L'Ecole) and Africa (Entrepreneurs Du Monde).

The candle is fragranced so beautifully, almost as though you have a fresh bunch of flowers in your living room.  It has opening notes of both Freesia and Red Berries and with that comes the heart notes of Lily of the Valley, Rose and Jasmine all of which are mixed delicately with Amber and Rosewood. Packaged inside a beautifully decorated pink tin, as soon as the lid is removed, the scent comes to life all before it has been lit.

L'Occitane have, for the past 30 years, supported many ethical and charitable foundations and one of their biggest projects has been enabling the women of Burkino Faso, where L'Occitane sources their famous Shea Butter, to develop other revenue generating activities to drive them towards economic emancipation.  Partnering with Marie Claire to support projects with a common goal: educating girl and young women, the flame (La Flamme) is a symbol of hope, a beacon of knowledge spreading the light of understanding and education throughout the world.

The L’Occitane La Flamme Marie Claire Candle will be available in store and online from 31st August and will be priced at £9 .

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Urban Apothecary London Peony Rose Luxury Candle

Urban Apothecary London is a brand I have heard of, but not used a product from until now. British lifestyle brand Urban Apothecary is the brilliant brainchild of its founder Tajinder Banwait. Tajinder has over 10 years experience within the beauty industry and brings her extensive knowledge and creative flair to this innovative brand. A brand that is about enjoying luxury and indulgence everyday. Tajindr started Urban Apothecary from her kitchen table, something I am sure many of use dream of doing but never actually have given it a go. It is from this kitchen and table that she designed logos, sourced packaging and received hundreds of scent submissions. Everything received the same attention to detail until absolutely perfect. It was the search for just the right glass candle jar that marked the birth of the brand.

I was very kindly sent the Peony Rose Luxury Candle which is just stunning to look at, everything about it from the label, glass jar and lid screams luxury. This candle is from the miniature candle range of which there are eight different scents to choose from. They include Fig, Frangipan, Vanilla Flower, Plum Blossom, Mint Crème, Strawberries and cream, Violet Cassis and my very own Peony Rose.

Described as follows "Experience this full-bodied fragrance of 2 of nature’s most classic and beautiful flowers, synonymous with romance and happiness. Enjoy a sweet seduction of the senses with the heady scent of red roses and pink peonies lifted by an unexpected green apple note. With the addition of powdery white musks and soft, spicy amber, this alluring fragrance is elegant and feminine".

The first thing I noticed about this candle was that before the lid was even removed, the fresh scent of rose was really evident and then as the candle burns you can smell both the Peonies and the Roses, though for me the Roses are more dominant.  

This candle is 65g and has a burn time of around 17 hours, which is actually quite a long time.  Around 15 minutes after it has been lit, the scent lingers throughout the house, which compared to other candles is really quick.  After an hour, the scent is well and truly fragrant and you can extinguish the flame and still smell the fresh rose scent a few hours later.  For me the strength of the scent in this candle is similar to that of a wax tart.

I absolutely love the design of this candle, the glass jar is really solidly put together and it is quite weighty but delicate at the same time.  I have no doubts that when this candle come to the end of its life, I will use the jar for something else, quite what that something else will be I do not know, but it would be such a shame to not use it because it is so stunning.

A candle of this size costs just £13 and if you fancy something a little bigger then there are plenty to choose from right HERE.  As well as candles you can find Reed Diffusers and plenty of other gift offerings.

Flamingo Candles Lemon and Lime Mojito

Flamingo candles is a brand I have seen on many blogs, so when I got the chance to try out my own candle, I was every bit as excited because I am candle obsessed, even as I sit and type this, my Flamingo candle is burning away. If you haven't heard of the brand, Flamingo Candles are handmade candles which use soybeans and natural cotton wicks, they contain no no petroleum, paraffin or beeswax products and more information about the brand can be found HERE.

The candle I was kindly sent is Lemon and Lime Mojito and it smells exactly as the name would suggest and is described as follows:

"Fruity and exotic Lemon & Lime Mojito is a fruity aroma incorporating notes of freshly squeezed juicy lemons combined with notes of warm orchids, infused with fresh lime with added notes of cool aldehydes, mandarin and grapefruit".

Once the lid has been removed there is a sudden citrusy scent which captures your senses and once alight, that scent is magnified and quickly spreads throughout the entire house. I am a huge fan of candles which have a big scent and this one is definitely one of those, it is fresh, zesty and is perfect for those Sunday afternoons once everything has been cleaned, scrubbed and polish to sit back and relax too with a cuppa whilst browsing blogs or reading the paper. 

Flamingo Candles' Classic Jar Candles cost just £12 each and you can find them on the Flamingo Candle website, Amazon and Asos to name a few. They also offer upto 50 hours of burning time which I think is really impressive for a candle of this size. Next on my list of Flamingo Candles to try is
Oriental Lotus & Rose Otto Scent Melt and the Coconut Lemongrass Scent Melt to see if they are as good or better than similar products out there!

Have you tried anything from Flamingo Candles? Do you have a favourite scent?

Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Candle

I have recently become a massive fan of Aromatherapy Associates, starting from the time I had my hot stone muscle massage. From the bath and shower oils to their massage oils, I can pretty much tell you it was love at first try. Then the Inner Strength Candle** came into my life and well, wow!

I am a huge candle fan, I've said this a million times on my blog and I will probably keep on saying it, but I find them incredibly relaxing. There is something about watching the flame dancing about once it is alight that makes me feel suddenly relaxed and I like to have a candle alight in whichever of the rooms I am in, whether that is watching TV in the lounge, having a long hot soak or even reading a book in bed, I will always have a candle alight.

Described as follows:

"Evoke a sense of calm and inner peace to your surroundings with the fortifying combination of frankincense and cardamom to inspire. Elegantly designed and beautifully embellished, this candle will create an atmosphere to uplift the senses in any room. Our candles are hand-poured in the United Kingdom and made from the highest quality soy wax with unbleached cotton wicks. 100% GM free".

So being created to evoke a sense of calm and inner peace to your surrounding, the ingredients used are frankincense and cardamom. Frankincense is said to soothe and calm the mind, slows down and deepens breathing and is excellent for use when meditating. It also helps to calm anxiety and obsessive states linked to the past.  Cardamom leaves you feeling refreshed, invigorated and is known for its uplifting and refreshing properties.

As soon as you open the lovely bright purple coloured box, the scent immediately comes to life, it is one of those you breathe in deeply as soon as you get sense of it.  As soon as the candle is alight, that very same fragrance instantly surrounds you, almost enveloping you within and you get a sudden sense of calm and as it drifts throughout you home, the scent is simply wonderful and even when the flame has been extinguished, the scent lingers for a good few hours afterwards.

If you haven't used on of these candles before, they are all poured by hand with soy wax and the wicks are unbleached cotton. The burn time is a rather impressive 40 hours and as you can see it is presented in an elegantly designed and embellished frosted glass jar.

If you are looking for a candle which can transport you from a stressful day, week or are simply in need of some relaxation time, I cannot recommend this candle highly enough, it does everything it states it will do and more and is totally and utterly heavenly.

You can purchase this Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Candle for £35 and there are four others within the range which include - Relax, Revive and Indulge and every one of them sounds as appealing and amazing as this one.

Are you a fan of candles?  Do you use them to relax?

10% of proceeds from each sale of this candle will be donated to the charity, Defence Against Cancer.

Love Rocks Candle - Bomb Cosmetics

If you hadn't gathered by now, I am a huge fan of candles, whatever their shape or size, I love them.  I find them relaxing, they create a relaxing atmosphere and of course send wonderful scents throughout the home.

Bomb Cosmetics have so many amazing candles, they come in tins, glasses, paint tins and teacups to name but a few, all of which you can see HERE.  I am currently burning Love Rocks which is a tinned candle and described as being 'truly sensuous'.

As you can see it is very decorative and a little biy funky, quite different to alot of the candles you purchase online, in your local supermarket or from specialist shops.  I love the design and colour of this candle, the hearts which are placed around the wick, for me, give it such a fabulous and fun finish.

A further description of this candle reads "A truly opulent floral- musky fragrance fashioned from luxurious accords of heliotrope and lilac blossoms, white violets and ylang ylang, enveloped in layers of velvety musks. Vanilla and soft woods infuse the base, while a sparkle of bergamot freshens the top".  Now this candle contains some of my favourite scents and as soon as the lid is removed, some of those scents have already come to life.

Priced at £7.99 you get around 35 hours burn time with this candle and the amazing thing is, you only need to burn it for 2-3 hours before extinguishing the wick for that scent to have filled every room in your home, it is lovely and floral and thankfully the vanilla isn't too overpowering, it is there and noticeable within the scent but it is the Lilac and violet that are the more dominant scents, or the ones I can detect the most.

Have you ever tried one of these candles?

Fruity Melon Yankee Candles!

I love the fact my local Asda now sells Yankee Candles, though it can sometimes be too difficult to walk past the aisle within which they reside and not pick up a few everytime I am in there.

The latest additions to my collection is this set - Fruity Melon.  Priced at £13 for the Large jar which has a burn time of 60-95 hours and the samplers which have a burn time of around 15 hours are £1 each they are total bargains.

I always smell the candles before I buy them because if I don't like the scent on first sniff, then I know I won't like it once it is lit.  One thing I am always looking for is a hint of vanilla because it is one of those scents which can give me a headache, so I stay well clear.  This candle though was an instant hit as soon as I sniffed it.

So what does it smell like?  A fresh melon, a watermelon to be exact.  The first time you cut into a watermelon and you pick up that fruity scent, that is what you get with this candle, but obviously no seeds and no mess.  Once it is alight, the same scent permeates the room within which the candle resides and slowly works it way around the house.  The reason I have come to like it so much is because it is such a fresh scent and one that is definitely designed to burn on a chilly spring morning to just add a hint of scent.

I am a big fan of this candle, everything from the bright green colour to the fruity scent, it isn't too heavy and it smells wonderful from the moment it begins to burn to a good few hours after you have blown it out.

Have you bought any new Yankee Candles lately?

MeMeMe Pure Indulgence Giveaway

I have another fabulous giveaway for you lovely lot.  It comes in form of a Pure Indulgence Set from MeMeMe which you can see below:

Included within this set is the following

• Natural Nail Gloss Innocent 12ml, 
• Luxury Moisturising Face Base 30ml, 
• Hand and Nail Cream 40ml, 
• Essential Bath Oil 3ml, 
• Candle, 
• Body Mop and Emery Board

To enter, all you need to do is complete the form below and it will be with you in time for Christmas - Good Luck

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rituals Jasmine Dream Candle

I love candles, they create such a relaxing atmosphere for me that I tend to have a few dotted about the house (though I never leave them to burn unattended).  

At the minute I am burning Jasmine Dream, a candle from Rituals which was a gift from someone that I work with.  I love the packaging on this candle, once you remove the lid, the part which encases the candle opens out to reveal more information about the scent.

It retails for £19.50 which you can see HERE and for your money you get 50 hours of burn time and the most amazing scent comes to life just a few minutes after the wick has been lit.  The glass jar that the candle is housed in also lights up once the candle is alright adding to the look.

Rituals describe this candle as follows:

Jasmine Dream combines the relaxing and harmonising power of Jasmine blossoms with the calming properties of Ylang Ylang, the ‘flower of flowers’.

This candle smells totally divine and whilst I normally associate being able to relax with a Lavender scent, this candle does just a good a job at creating a relaxing environment with the most amazing scent to go with it.

I would definitely buy more candles from the Rituals range and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this candle again.

Have you ever used a candle from Rituals?  

What candle do you burn to help relax?