So … candles. I think there’s a bit of a love-hate relationship with them. Oh, not me, I absolutely love them as you can tell. Some people love them, some people hate them. Some people love burning them, some people think it’s a waste of money. I guess it’s how you look at it and how it works for you really.

I didn’t actually start out loving candles. To me, candles were what my parents took out whenever there was a blackout at home. My brother and I weren’t allowed to go near them because according to Mum, “they’ll burn your fingers off and you’ll have no more fingers left!“. Yes, Mum can be bit dramatic (like mother, like daughter) but believe you me, it scared the crap out of my brother and I and we don’t touch them unless absolutely necessary. Plus you couldn’t get fancypants candles back then. The only coloured candles were the long slim ones that go on candelabras for romantic meals like what you see on TV.

When I left home for the UK, I was astounded by the amount of gorgeous candles shops sell. No corny long, slim candles but big jars of coloured goodness. Still, I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable burning them in my room because 1) my fingers might burn off and 2) I might forget to extinguish them. That was when I discovered tealights.

Man, the amount of tealights and fragrance oils I went through in uni was crazy. I bought heaps of cheapie fragrance oils from £1 shops. I stopped using tealights and candles when I left UK for good and went home to Malaysia because they weren’t cheap then.

When I moved to Australia, I used to buy a lot of cheap Glade candles from Coles and Woolworths. It was during a crafts fair a few years ago that I learned what soy candles were and why they are much better for our health and home. When I learned how easy they were to make and how much each candle would actually cost (including utility bills to make them, etc), I was sold. I’d make my own soy candles and it was a lot more fun using what I made.

Limited edition Glasshouse in Night Before Christmas, a set of 4 snowflake candle votives from The Reject Shop, Circa Home in Oceanique and Dyptique in Roses (a gift from a very dear friend).

Having said that, I do buy readymade candles too. My absolute favourite ones are from Glasshouse. They come in gorgeous apocethary jars that can be reused to store facial cotton and cotton buds. Plus they make my dresser look so pretty. Over Christmas, I discovered a few more candles by Jaye Niemi, Mrs Meyer’s, Circa Home and the holy grail of candles simply because it costs an arm and a leg, Dyptique.

Why do I love candles so much? Easy. They exude warmth. They give the home a warm and cozy feeling. They get rid of fried fishy smells in a kitchen. They add a bit of *ahem* bowchikawowwow atmosphere in the boudoir. They add character and personality to a home especially when entertaining friends and family. I could say more but I think I’ve sold you the idea of candles well enough.

Do I feel like I’m burning money when I burn candles? Well, the way I see it, it’s like bowling. Every time I go bowling, I call it “throwing money down the drain“. But I absolutely love the game and am more than willing to go again. And again. A candle is something that gives me comfort and warmth at home, and for that, you can’t put a price on it. Plus there’s no need for expensive candles to give you that warmth for there are places that sell good quality soy candles that don’t cost you an arm and a leg.

That’s my story about my love for candles. What’s yours? Do you like them or think they’re a waste of money? No judgement here; I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you love them, what’s your favourite?

Now that you’ve read 9 rambling paragraphs on my gushing about candles, do check out Paris B and LeGeeque‘s stories on their love for candles too!