Whenever I want to escape from daily routine, I light my Mariage Frères Thé Rouge candle and watch as its dark red wax melts slowly, releasing rich fragrance into the air. Tart red plum, lusciously sweet apricot and spicy gingerbread shimmer against the backdrop of a rich tea note. The interplay of bitter and spicy, sweet and elegant is what makes the scent both seductive and comforting. It is a perfect choice for the evening or whenever one desires to daydream.

Mariage Frères is the oldest tea importer in France, having started tea trading in the 1660s. While it is primarily well-known for tea, Mariage Frères also offers a variety of other tea scented products. Besides Thé Rouge, the range includes 9 other candles: Ambre Thé (warm amber and black tea), Darjeeling (green almond, tea buds, hazel nut, and muscat grapes), Rose D'Himalaya (Darjeeling tea and tea rose), Sorbet de Thé (sweet green tea liquor), Thé Blanc (bitter white tea and white flowers), Thé Bleu (tea and herbs of Provence), Thé Dansant (green tea and juicy mirabelle plum), Thé des Mandarins (white tea buds and mandarin peel), Thé des Pluies (woods and smoky tea). The candles are handmade, and burn for approximately 50 hours. The candles scent my room even when unlit, which attests to the potency of their fragrance. Packaged in sumptuously coloured glasses, Mariage Frères candles make for a stunning presentation, even long after the candle has burned away.

Mariage Frères candles are available at aedes and sloanhall for $65 each. In Europe, they can be ordered directly from Mariage Frères at the price of 45 €.