One of life's greatest feelings is realizing that you and a celebrity own the same thing. The same chair, the same coffee table book, the same sweater ... the same anything at all. For a moment, it's as though the divide between us and them does not exist; if I can own this mug, and they can own this mug, are we really so different after all?
For me, that feeling compounds when we're talking about items sourced from some of the best home decor brands. Because as a shopping editor, I'm constantly pouring over celebrity photo dumps, scouring each and every inch for a piece of furniture or decor you and I could just as easily own. Don't we all deserve to feel famous from time to time? And make our spaces look better while doing it?
So of course I was elated when I noticed a large luxurious candle hidden within a post from Romeo Beckham, British soccer player and son of David and Victoria Beckham (whose stainless steel kitchen you should check out if you haven't already) — before then calling in some experts to help me identify which fragrance it was exactly.
'I'm a bit of a candle connoisseur, so I instantly recognized the brand on Romeo Beckham's coffee table,' says interior designer and Livingetc contributor Luke Arthur Wells. 'The gold foil crest on the front is the signature of a luxury fragrance brand called Trudon, and these candles have a great reputation for great scents and burning well.'
Of the Trudon candles Luke has tried, his favorite scent so far is Cire,' he tells me. 'It's a sweet, honey-scented fragrance that has base notes of vanilla. If you're considering trying out this brand, that's my recommendation!'
Given the size of the candle, Luke deduced that Romeo had purchased the 'supersized Great candle,' which 'will set you back over $600.' But it has 'three wicks so it burns evenly across' and feels 'super luxe.'
That said, I'm willing to guess most of you aren't eager to drop that much cash on a candle right now — so I gathered a few of the smaller (but equally as luxurious) options below.
Price: $140
Named after the Italian city of Reggio, this hand-poured candle is reminiscent of the fresh mandarin trees that cover the area's landscape. This
Price: $140
Coming highly recommended by Luke is the Cire candle, with top notes of bergamot and honey; a middle of beeswax, cinnamon, and sandalwood; and a base of musk, patchouli, and vanilla.
Price: $125
And last but certainly not least is the Spiritus Sancti candle inspired by the inimitable scent of cathedral altars. Amen, indeed.
6 other luxurious scents to try
Price: $110
Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang is also a fan of the tomato leaves line from luxury brand Loewe, which offers the fragrance as a candle, a hand soap, and a room spray.
Price: $45
Diptyque is forever a classic, and its most iconic scent has to be Baies. This fruit and tangy formula will lighten your bedroom or living room, and you'll feel that much fancier for having burned it.
Price: $47
Cash in on the Byredo hype with the Bibliotheque candle: top notes of peach and plum, middle notes of peony and violet, and base notes of leather, patchouli, and vanilla.
Price: $84
If you're familiar with the luxury space, you are certainly familiar with Le Labo. Named after the most prominent note in the overall blend, this candle features fig most noticeably, as well as blackberry.
Price: $80
Mother's Day is around the corner and I'm sure your family's matriarch would love a long-lasting Jo Malone candle, this one laced with enticing pomegranate and spicy pink pepper.
Price: $70
Last but certainly not least, we have the Maison Margiela By the Fireplace Replica candle. You have no doubt seen this candle across social media; it has its own acolytes. Perhaps its time you check out the hype?
How should I burn a large candle?
Believe it or not, there is a wrong way to burn your candles. And especially when you're paying more than $15 for one, you don't want any mistakes on this front to eat into your burn time.
'My tips for burning large candles evenly is to always make sure the candle is fully melted across on the first burn — it's super important to stop your candles tunneling after the first burn,' Luke advises. 'An hour should do it, but avoid burning candles for too long —this causes your wick to mushroom, and this can cause your wick to smoke, staining your vessel and even potentially your walls.'
Otherwise, 'you should always trim your wick down, too,' he continues. ;This keeps your flame under control, as too long a wick can cause the same issues as a mushroom wick.'
