Valentine's Day is fast approaching and shop shelves are currently bursting with gift ideas.
There's no shortage of flowers, heart shaped chocolates and sweet treats, mugs adorned with gushing sentiments of love and even a £1 engagement ring, as well as homeware accessories like plants and candles.
Candles can be a great romantic gift for February 14, but with so many different scents and colours to choose from, it can be quite overwhelming if you're thinking of gifting one.
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We decided to put some of the leading supermarket and stores' candles to the test to see how they compared - and whether they're worth the money.
We bought Valentine's candles from B&M, Asda, Morrsions and The Range and rated them out of five depending on how impressed we were with the look and scent of the candles.
Whether you're celebrating with a partner, your pals, or just want some well deserved pampering, here's our thoughts on this year's Valentine's Day candles:
Morrisons
With just over two weeks to go until Valentine’s Day I was sure the supermarkets and shops would be full of gift ideas, but I had to visit several stores to find a Valentine’s themed candle. Perhaps it was just the branches I tried, but Sainsbury’s, Home Bargains and Wilko all failed to come up with the goods.
However, Morrisons had a decent selection of Valentine’s gifts, including three kinds of candles, one of which was already sold out.
I picked up a packet of Red Heart Tealights, which were £2 for six. The lights aren’t scented but they would add a romantic touch to a Valentine’s table setting. I'd say they’re best placed on a candle tray holder so you can still see the heart shape as once inside a tea light holder they just look like any other candle, albeit with a soft red glow.
I also found a ‘Gin and Candle’ gift set, which contained a 50ml of Gordon’s Pink Gin and a Gin and Strawberry Scented Candle for £8.
The candle comes in a plain clear glass with soft pink wax. The label was pretty enough, but overall didn’t have a high end look.
It did give off a slight strawberry scent, without being too overpowering. The smell certainly didn’t fill the room, but it was pleasant enough and the candle gave off a pretty pink glow.
You can’t really go wrong with gin and a candle on Valentine’s Day though so overall I’d say it’s a decent gift if you’re on a budget and want something that's romantic looking.
Where to buy: Morrisons
Price: I paid £2 for Red Tea Lights and £8 for Gin and Candle in store. The Gin and Candle is currently £7 at Morrisons online.
Rating: 3/5
The Range
As soon as I walked into my local Range store, I was impressed with the Easter and Valentine's selection of chocolates and gifts.
When searching for a romantic Valentine's Day candle, I noticed the 'Strawberry Pavolva' candle, which was the only candle on offer in the Valentine's section.
The candle itself looked pretty, in a cute pale pink colour and Yankee Candle-esque glass jar (minus the extortionate price) so I was onto a winner.
One sniff of the candle and I was impressed with the sweet, almost sickly scent of strawberries, so decided to take it home with me and give it a try.
I was really impressed with the scent of the candle, although it probably wasn't everyone's cup of tea, it definitely had a 'romantic' vibe about it.
Once lit, it had a pretty glow, perfect for setting the mood, with a slight hint of strawberry scent coming off it.
The only downside was that it actually smelt stronger before it was lit, but for the price, it was a pretty decent purchase overall.
For those who don't want to spend more than £15 for a large candle, this 'The Aroma' candle from The Range is a great option, and looks lovely too.
Where to buy: The Range
Price: £3.99
Rating: 4/5
B&M
I was quite shocked to find that B&M had very little Valentine's Day stock when I visited my local large store towards the end of January.
The Valentine's Day shelf only had body wash and perfume gift sets, however in the 'seasonal' aisle I found some more products suitable for Valentine's Day, including a 'Romantic Nights' three fragrance candle.
It has a 'Very Cherry Berry' scent, with each of the three layers having a different berry smell.
The packaging is nothing special with it being predominantly white, however the candle itself is pretty as it’s a pink ombre effect.
I was doubtful the scent of the candle would be very powerful with it only costing £1, but I kept an open mind.
When I arrived home I removed the candle from the packaging and I got a slight whiff of berry, but it disappeared almost immediately.
That evening I lit the candle for the first time, but after 45 minutes I couldn’t smell anything. 90 minutes later, there was still no berry smell.
The candle looks pretty when lit, but I couldn't get over the fact there was no smell whatsoever.
I didn’t write off the candle, though, and the next evening I lit it again hoping it maybe needed to burn more to reveal the first berry scent.
Unfortunately, the same thing happened - 90 minutes later, there was no hint of berry at all.
Although the B&M candle looks pretty when lit, it's awful that there is no smell at all.
Where to buy: B&M
Price: £1
Rating: 1/5
Asda
I was a tad underwhelmed with the Valentine's Day offerings at Asda as many of the shelves were bare, though more stock could arrive as the big day draws nearer.
The candles weren't necessarily romantically themed, but there were a number of pink and red offerings on the supermarket's shelves in keeping with most Valentine's products.
I'll be honest, I bought Asda's Harmony Silk Rose & Cotton candle for the stylish pink tin it comes in. I'm a sucker for pretty products and have all sorts of candles in a variety of gorgeous designs - like sea shells and chunky twisted ombre numbers - and thought Asda's pink tin would fit right in.
I think this candle looks like it would cost quite a bit of money, or be from a pricier, swankier store but it was only £2.50.
I'm a complete neat freak and like my home to smell clean and pleasantly scented at all times. Candles are great for providing a relaxing ambience while filling the space with dreamy aromas.
Asda's Harmony Silk Rose & Cotton candle does smell lovely, it's a sweet yet fresh and floral fragrance that smells clean. It's not as long lasting as I would have liked, but for £2.50, I don't think you can complain.
Where to buy: Asda
Price: £2.50
Rating: 4/5 but mainly for the design
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