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Browsing by category: home fragrance

Mariage Freres Rose d’Himalaya candle ~ home fragrance review

Posted by Pia on 27 December 2008 Leave a Comment

My memories of India are of mornings filled with mystery and anticipation. The haunting sound of the first call to prayer from the muezzin swirling in through an open window with the pre-dawn mist, waking the peacocks who add their plaintive cry. Chants from the Sikh gurdwara follow soon, as do tendrils of rosy sweet dhoop (incense) that meld with the dung-fire smoke from the villages, as early morning puja begins. By the time morning has settled in, the mists have burned away, and the koyal birds have begun their sweet song that will continue through the rest of a day bursting with sunshine, as the green parrots in the trees resume their daily gossip and the vendors begin to make their rounds, crying out their offerings of fresh orange juice, vegetables and shoe repair. Cows come grazing along the street, sometimes stopping to inquire mildly into the goings-on of the households they pass…

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Cire Trudon Mademoiselle de La Valliere candle ~ home fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 23 December 2008 23 Comments

On May 14, 1664, during the famous seven-day party called Les Plaisirs de l’Ile Enchantée that celebrated the inauguration of Louis XIV’s grand Versailles building project, the “scents of ambergris, rosewater and jasmine melded with the acrid fumes of gunpowder as fireworks swooped great arabesques of intertwining ‘Ls’ across the sky for Louise and her lover, King Louis XIV of France.”* Louise was Louise de La Vallière (1644-1710), the provincial, blond and blue-eyed, rather “simple” 20-year-old mistress of Louis XIV — and the inspiration for Cire Trudon’s Mademoiselle de La Vallière candle. Louise became Louis’ mistress in 1661, and she was eventually given the titles of Duchesse de Vaujours and maîtresse en titre; she bore the king four children.

The Cire Trudon candle works was founded in Paris in 1643 (just a year before the Versailles fête) and provided candles to the court of Louis XIV (and still provides candles — and candle-making expertise — to churches like the Église Saint-Roch in Paris and companies such as Hermès, Cartier, Dior, and Guerlain).

The creative force behind Cire Trudon’s perfumed candles is Ramdane Touhami who says, “Cire Trudon does not make perfumes, but creates smells”. It’s rare that I come across an entire line of perfumes, soaps, or candles and think: “I want EVERYTHING!” but that’s how I felt when I smelled the Cire Trudon line of candles at Barneys New York…

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The Bubble Roome Home Sweet Home ~ home fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 14 December 2008 14 Comments

The Bubble Roome Home Sweet Home fragranceI rarely experiment with seasonal scents at this time of year: I traditionally wear my trusty Caron Nuit de Noel perfume to holiday parties, and I might purchase some fresh potpourri from Santa Maria Novella, but that’s about it. The Bubble Roome’s Home Sweet Home is the first new holiday-themed product I’ve adopted in a long time. It’s a multi-purpose, water-based formula fragranced with a blend of oils; its scent notes are listed as frankincense, cinnamon, peach, blood orange, plum, woody juniper, spruce, pine, vanilla, and musk.

Home Sweet Home is sold as a combination “room refresher, linen spray, body spray.” I’ve been using it liberally around the kitchen, spritzing it lightly onto curtains and sofa pillows in the living room, and testing it on my skin and hair. Any of these methods creates an instant holiday mood…

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Lollia Relax Luminary candle ~ home fragrance review

Posted by Pia on 16 November 2008 6 Comments

Lollia Relax candleI first came across the Lollia line of products when I added a mini handcreme to a drugstore.com order to qualify for free shipping. As I'm sure a lot of you can relate, it makes no sense to me to pay
$5.99 for shipping when for $5.99 I can pick up a little sweet-scented doodad that I can slip in a friend's purse when she's having a bad day! Anyhow, the creme was a big hit, and the packaging absolutely delightful, so I decided to explore their other products.

Since I was in the market for a home scent that would be relaxing and appropriate for bedtime, I decided to order their Relax candle. The notes — white orchid, Tahitian vanilla, bee blossom honey and Indian amber — sounded tempting, and the packaging charming, with a lilac-colored paisley pattern printed on the glass and a little crystal droplet designed to hang from the rim. It seemed whimsical and happily romantic…

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Tocca Shanghai candle ~ home fragrance review

Posted by Pia on 27 July 2008 18 Comments

Tocca Shanghai scented candle

Finding a scented candle that works well during the hot summer months can be a bit of a challenge. Even if the fragrance is delightful, just the act of striking a match to create a spark can be utterly unappealing on those days when the sun is beating down relentlessly and you can fry an egg on the pavement outside. Diffusers are perfect for the summer season, while candles — in my house at least — tend to be set away for rainier days or the coming autumn.

Sometimes, though, one comes across a good deal, and one feels almost compelled to pick up a candle (or, ahem, two) at a bargain price. Such was the case for me with my most recent candle purchase, the Shanghai candle by Tocca. Even though I knew the summer months were here, I was intrigued by the description:

China’s peony flower seduces the soul with a subtle sweetness and exotic beauty. Inspired by the vitality and pulse of one of the world’s great cities, Shanghai intoxicates with an indulgent, glamorous fragrance…

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