How To Buy The Right Candle For Your Home, As Told By Radhika Of Rad Living

Scented candles are a perfect way for evoking memories and creating a multi-sensory experience. We all have scents that overwhelm us while some tug at our hearts with the strings of nostalgia. They not only bring a soft glow to the room but also give it a new and personal identity. That being said, fragrances are very subjective to each person’s liking. Some might like sweet and floral scents like jasmine, while others might like a more aquatic and fresh fragrance. The choice of a candle can also change according to the space you wish to place it in. 

Kitchen: Use citric scented candles like orange or lemon that would make your kitchen feel fresh and energetic and cover any unwanted odour.

Bedrooms:  Scents like vanilla and lavender can be used in bedrooms as they are sensual, relaxing, and help in having a quality sleep.

Bathrooms: The bathrooms can be adorned with a twinkle of floral scents like rose or lily to create a pleasing atmosphere.

Work Desk: Pick strong and woody scents like coffee, and cinnamon work best as they increase your focus and keep you from slacking off.

Different sizes of candles offer different opportunities to play with the proportions and textures of the room decor in a way that speaks to your personal aesthetic. The market is filled with endless options for types of candles. They can help raise the aesthetic quotient of your décor and bring a shape and style to the space.

Pillar Candles: They come in a variety of colours and can burn free-standing. You can keep them on your bookshelves or side tables as accent pieces and play around with their colours and sizes to bring in a more modern yet playful look to your space.

Tapered Candles: You can put them on candle stands, decorate around with some flower vases and create a gorgeous table setting with them. These candles are usually tall and sleek which will help bring some dimension and sophistication to your table setting. 

Container/Jar Candles: As the name suggests, these candles come in beautiful jars and containers, some are adorned with pearls, some have interesting labels on them, and some even have many colour options which make them versatile for almost every space. You can place them on your vanity table, workstation or on the bedside table to make a cosy corner. They can also be very well used as an accent piece for your decor.

Votive Candles: These candles are small and ideal for adding a small dose of candlelight to bathroom units or shelves or to be even scattered throughout the house to create a soothing aura.

There are broadly three types of wax: Paraffin, Beeswax, and Soy wax. Out of these three, I’d recommend you to always go for soy wax or perhaps any other vegetable wax, considering they are a more sustainable option. Also, soy wax is more long-lasting as it burns slower and the fragrance is released gradually giving a clean burn.

Pro-Tip: Rad Living's candles are made from natural soy wax blend.

A candle can have more than one wick depending on its size. A candle with multiple wicks (three to seven wicks), creates larger pools of liquid wax, releasing a more intense fragrance along with creating a more vibrant glow courtesy of multiple flames which makes them a go-to choice for a living room, master bedroom or any other lager area. But this doesn’t mean that candles with just one or two wicks are any less effective. They have a simple but equally enchanting look, and can be a sweet option for decorating your bedrooms, bathrooms, and vanity tables. 

The burn time of a candle depends on its size and quality. Long burn times are a signifier of superior quality candles, and you can increase burn time by caring for candles correctly. For your first burn, let the wax melt and reach the container’s edge to prevent it from tunnelling. It is recommended to not let a candle burn for more than four hours at a time to maintain its quality. Also, remember not to blow on a candle instead use a snuffer, dipper or a candle lid to extinguish it.