Amelia’s Magazine | The Very Best Scented Christmas Candles

Willow candle by daria hlazatova
Willow Organic Gold Frankincense and Myrrh candle by Daria Hlazatova.

I don’t know what it is about candles that gets me so excited. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I love beautiful smells. My house may be a mess but I quite often spritz my office with a sweetly scented room spray or light a candle to imbue a relaxing mood. I think that this is the nub of what is so brilliant about candles, viagra especially the really high quality ones that contain high quantities of essential oils – they are the simplest way to create a delightfully relaxing and cosy feeling within a space.

willow organics candle

And of course Christmas is all about candles. Since I lived in Sweden as a little girl my family has had a tradition of lighting advent candles during the month of December – and whilst I don’t spend much time at my parent’s home anymore, rx I always look forward to candlelit dinners when I return for Christmas. Candles impart a certain cosiness which the Danish call “hygge” – and during these bitterly cold dark winter months is most sorely appreciated.

Gold Frankincense and Myrrh candle by Daria Hlazatova
Gold Frankincense and Myrrh candle by Daria Hlazatova.

This year my favourite discovery is the Willow Organic Gold Frankincense and Myrrh candle. It comes beautifully presented in a beribboned fold out box and utilises the naturally healing and calming effects of precious oils that have been synonymous with Christmas since biblical times.

Willow candle box
willow candle box open

From the wonderful scents to the gold leaf that floats glittering in the top of the wax, it doesn’t get more christmassy than this. The Willow Organic shop in Kings Road, Chelsea is open until the 23rd December, so there’s still time to grab a fabulous Christmas candle before the big day.

Cire_Trudon_by_Megan_Piontkowski
Cire Trudon by Megan Piontkowski.

Earlier this year I discovered the French Cire Trudon brand, which has been in operation in various guises since 1643. Alongside very high quality candles presented in beautiful glass pots with heraldic shields, they also produce stunning room sprays in statement bottles and a boxed set containing a room spray, candle and illustrated fairy tale – the idea being to encourage children to enjoy evocative scents from a very young age. Not for the hard up these boxed sets don’t come cheap, but I love the idea and the illustrated booklets are a delight.

Sinbad the Sailor - Fairy Tale Box - Cire Trudon

Recently discovered: the Albam independent menswear clothing store in Spitalfields stocks three yummy varieties of candle, my favourite being the figgy one. When I went in they were also testing out a new scent called Library, which was suitably masculine. Unfortunately I don’t think you can buy these online but it’s definitely worth taking a trip down to this great little store. I have since discovered that these candles are made by ecological candle makers True Grace. You can find a whole host of flavours online for a very reasonable price here.

Spitalfields Candle Co by ellie sutton
Spitalfields Candle Co and Tocca candles by Ellie Sutton.

There is also the Spitalfields Candle Co. which uses sustainably sourced soya wax in all candles. It was hard to choose my favourite from such a yummy range only briefly sniffed in the Inspitalfields gift store, but I think it has to be Lemon Verbena – I just love that clean bright scent.

Diptyque Candle - The Cloud Commission
Diptyque Candle by The Cloud Commission.

Tocca are a high end scent company that stock in Liberty – I particularly like the sound of the Bianca candle which contains Green Tea and Lemon. Each year the Parisian brand Diptyque creates a special Christmas range, in beautifully decorated coloured glass jars. The Orange Epicee sounds yummy, as does the Canelle.

Jo Malone by Gareth A Hopkins
Jo Malone by Gareth A Hopkins.

Lastly but no means least Jo Malone offers incredibly classy scents, all tastefully presented in cream boxes with crisp branding. The limited edition Pine & Eucalyptus Collection sounds glorious, and how about a giant candle with not one but four wicks to make a major statement?

Right, I’m off to get on with my present wrapping by the scent of my Willow Organic candle. Have a glorious Christmas everyone.

Categories ,Advent, ,Albam, ,Beauty, ,candle, ,Christmas, ,Cire Trudon, ,Danish, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Diptyque, ,Ellie Sutton, ,Essential Oils, ,Fig, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,gifts, ,Gold Frankincense and Myrrh candle, ,hygge, ,Jo Malone, ,Kings Road, ,liberty, ,Megan Piontkowski, ,organic, ,Pine & Eucalyptus Collection, ,spitalfields, ,Spitalfields Candle Co., ,sweden, ,The Cloud Commission, ,Tocca, ,True Grace, ,Village Classic Candle, ,Willow Organic

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Amelia’s Magazine | Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Best for Natural Skincare and Beauty

Trevarno Organic Skin Product Illustration by Alice Jamieson
Trevarno Organic Skin Products by Alice Jamieson.

Don’t forget, gift buyers, that it’s always nice to feel a bit pampered on special occasions, nudge nudge wink wink. Which is why I’m going to share some great ideas for natural and ethical beauty and skincare gifts.

trevarno skincare
I first sampled the Trevarno Skincare brand a few years ago when I wrote about it in print, and I can’t praise their products highly enough: everything is handmade using organic ingredients that are sourced for their therapeutic uses as well as cosmetic benefits at the Trevarno Farm in South Cornwall. And the gorgeous jewel coloured glass packaging will look great in the bathroom, no wonder Vogue is a fan… This season I like the sound of the Luxury Hamper containing such delights as Crabwood and Lemongrass Soap and Grapefruit and Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.

Lush fairyshiki scarf wrap
You can always bank on Lush to produce something a little bit special for Christmas: this year I am particularly loving their Fairyshiki scarf wrap which can be matched with your bath bomb of choice for a great price. Better still is its provenance – the wraps are made from recycled glass bottles, saving 170,000 from landfill. Add one to your Lush order today!

Willow Organic luxury mother baby set
I interviewed the founder of Willow Organic, Sue Stowell, awhile back and continue to be impressed by her blogging prowess – got a query about natural skincare? She’ll most likely have written about it on her website. Since I’m a mum, I’m after the Willow Organic Mother and Baby Box, which is as beautifully presented as all her products are, in a silk box (with a teddy) that can be used to store precious things at a later date. Find her latest top tips on beautifying foods here.

akamuti kalahari watermelon moisturiser
akamuti chocolate face mask
Akamuti is one of my go to brands for baby care and I absolutely adore the new packaging that is gradually coming into use across the entire product range. It makes me feel very proud to know that I instigated this particular hook up between Akamuti founder Lindsay and Jenny Lloyd, when the later illustrated my interview a few years back: an interview about this collaboration is long overdue. I particularly love Kalahari Watermelon body moisturiser, or how about a Chocolate Marshmallow Face Mask? And aren’t the illustrations on the packaging just too beautiful?

CJ’s BUTTer is an American secret that is gradually finding it’s way over to these shores: I was recommended it by someone on Etsy as a great natural brand for using on babies and I use their products on Snarfle every day. The range comes in a vast range of yummy flavours such as the best selling Monkey Farts and best of all it’s great for mummies too: I love their lemon cheesecake lip balm.

ANTIPODES JUBILATION ULTRA NOURISHING BODY CREAM
I discovered New Zealand brand Antipodes at London Fashion Week, and a bespoke facial left me floating on air. Now I’d like to try more: the Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Body Cream would go down a treat.

Botanist Dr Paul Richards is the creative force behind Herbfarmacy, dreaming up wonderful products made from the herbs grown on his own farm. Another great brand that I’ve been using for some time – read my interview here. Why not check out some Herbfarmacy gift ideas?

Burts Bees Christmas gifts
Burt’s Bees really know how to package their goods in style: check out their gift section for a host of beautifully presented ideas. My favourite has to be For the Love of Lip Balm – an oversized lip balm tube (modelled with us in the photo above) containing a host of different lip balms for the serious addict to try. (Hands up, I am a lip balm addict.)

figs and rouge lip balms
Speaking of… Figs & Rouge produce 100% organic and petroleum free lip balms in gorgeous tins.

Andrea Garland Pill Box:Lip Balm - Squirrel
And in fact a serious lip balm addict will delight in this Andrea Garland Pill Box Lip Balm decorated with a cute Squirrel from The Lollipop Shoppe, which contains natural lip balm made from 100% shea butter. Speaking of shea butter – why not check out the fab Shea Alchemy? All the products are ridiculously good value and your purchase will help fund Afrikids, a children’s rights organisation in Ghana.

apivita xmas-gift-ideas
Greek brand Apivita have been creating natural products since the 1970s and have evolved in a sustainable manner true to their name, which is inspired by the lifecycle of a bee. If you know someone who would love to sample Apivita then why not give this fabulous vanilla and honey based gift set?

NEOM organics scentwithlove
Lastly, I’m seeing a lot of buzz online about NEOM Organics, who produce gorgeous pampering gift sets that include candles and beautiful scents such as Happiness (with White Neroli, Mimosa and Lemon)

Go on, there’s still time to treat that special someone this year…

Categories ,2012, ,Afrikids, ,Akamuti, ,Alice Jamieson, ,Andrea Garland Pill Box Lip Balm, ,Antipodes, ,Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Body Cream, ,Apivita, ,Beauty, ,Burts Bees, ,Chocolate Marshmallow Face Mask, ,Christmas, ,CJ’s BUTTer, ,Crabwood and Lemongrass Soap, ,Dr Paul Richards, ,ethical, ,Fairyshiki, ,Figs & Rouge, ,For the Love of Lip Balm, ,ghana, ,gifts, ,Grapefruit and Cocoa Butter Lip Balm, ,Greek, ,Hamper, ,happiness, ,Herbfarmacy, ,Kalahari Watermelon body moisturiser, ,Lip Balm, ,lush, ,Luxury, ,Luxury Hamper, ,Moisturiser, ,Monkey Farts, ,NEOM Organics, ,New Zealand, ,Presents, ,Shea Alchemy, ,Shea Butter, ,Skincare, ,South Cornwall, ,Sue Stowell, ,The Lollipop Shoppe, ,Trevarno Skincare, ,Willow Organic, ,Willow Organic Mother and Baby Box

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Amelia’s Magazine | Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Best for Natural Skincare and Beauty

Trevarno Organic Skin Product Illustration by Alice Jamieson
Trevarno Organic Skin Products by Alice Jamieson.

Don’t forget, gift buyers, that it’s always nice to feel a bit pampered on special occasions, nudge nudge wink wink. Which is why I’m going to share some great ideas for natural and ethical beauty and skincare gifts.

trevarno skincare
I first sampled the Trevarno Skincare brand a few years ago when I wrote about it in print, and I can’t praise their products highly enough: everything is handmade using organic ingredients that are sourced for their therapeutic uses as well as cosmetic benefits at the Trevarno Farm in South Cornwall. And the gorgeous jewel coloured glass packaging will look great in the bathroom, no wonder Vogue is a fan… This season I like the sound of the Luxury Hamper containing such delights as Crabwood and Lemongrass Soap and Grapefruit and Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.

Lush fairyshiki scarf wrap
You can always bank on Lush to produce something a little bit special for Christmas: this year I am particularly loving their Fairyshiki scarf wrap which can be matched with your bath bomb of choice for a great price. Better still is its provenance – the wraps are made from recycled glass bottles, saving 170,000 from landfill. Add one to your Lush order today!

Willow Organic luxury mother baby set
I interviewed the founder of Willow Organic, Sue Stowell, awhile back and continue to be impressed by her blogging prowess – got a query about natural skincare? She’ll most likely have written about it on her website. Since I’m a mum, I’m after the Willow Organic Mother and Baby Box, which is as beautifully presented as all her products are, in a silk box (with a teddy) that can be used to store precious things at a later date. Find her latest top tips on beautifying foods here.

akamuti kalahari watermelon moisturiser
akamuti chocolate face mask
Akamuti is one of my go to brands for baby care and I absolutely adore the new packaging that is gradually coming into use across the entire product range. It makes me feel very proud to know that I instigated this particular hook up between Akamuti founder Lindsay and Jenny Lloyd, when the later illustrated my interview a few years back: an interview about this collaboration is long overdue. I particularly love Kalahari Watermelon body moisturiser, or how about a Chocolate Marshmallow Face Mask? And aren’t the illustrations on the packaging just too beautiful?

CJ’s BUTTer is an American secret that is gradually finding it’s way over to these shores: I was recommended it by someone on Etsy as a great natural brand for using on babies and I use their products on Snarfle every day. The range comes in a vast range of yummy flavours such as the best selling Monkey Farts and best of all it’s great for mummies too: I love their lemon cheesecake lip balm.

ANTIPODES JUBILATION ULTRA NOURISHING BODY CREAM
I discovered New Zealand brand Antipodes at London Fashion Week, and a bespoke facial left me floating on air. Now I’d like to try more: the Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Body Cream would go down a treat.

Botanist Dr Paul Richards is the creative force behind Herbfarmacy, dreaming up wonderful products made from the herbs grown on his own farm. Another great brand that I’ve been using for some time – read my interview here. Why not check out some Herbfarmacy gift ideas?

Burts Bees Christmas gifts
Burt’s Bees really know how to package their goods in style: check out their gift section for a host of beautifully presented ideas. My favourite has to be For the Love of Lip Balm – an oversized lip balm tube (modelled with us in the photo above) containing a host of different lip balms for the serious addict to try. (Hands up, I am a lip balm addict.)

figs and rouge lip balms
Speaking of… Figs & Rouge produce 100% organic and petroleum free lip balms in gorgeous tins.

Andrea Garland Pill Box:Lip Balm - Squirrel
And in fact a serious lip balm addict will delight in this Andrea Garland Pill Box Lip Balm decorated with a cute Squirrel from The Lollipop Shoppe, which contains natural lip balm made from 100% shea butter. Speaking of shea butter – why not check out the fab Shea Alchemy? All the products are ridiculously good value and your purchase will help fund Afrikids, a children’s rights organisation in Ghana.

apivita xmas-gift-ideas
Greek brand Apivita have been creating natural products since the 1970s and have evolved in a sustainable manner true to their name, which is inspired by the lifecycle of a bee. If you know someone who would love to sample Apivita then why not give this fabulous vanilla and honey based gift set?

NEOM organics scentwithlove
Lastly, I’m seeing a lot of buzz online about NEOM Organics, who produce gorgeous pampering gift sets that include candles and beautiful scents such as Happiness (with White Neroli, Mimosa and Lemon)

Go on, there’s still time to treat that special someone this year…

Categories ,2012, ,Afrikids, ,Akamuti, ,Alice Jamieson, ,Andrea Garland Pill Box Lip Balm, ,Antipodes, ,Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Body Cream, ,Apivita, ,Beauty, ,Burts Bees, ,Chocolate Marshmallow Face Mask, ,Christmas, ,CJ’s BUTTer, ,Crabwood and Lemongrass Soap, ,Dr Paul Richards, ,ethical, ,Fairyshiki, ,Figs & Rouge, ,For the Love of Lip Balm, ,ghana, ,gifts, ,Grapefruit and Cocoa Butter Lip Balm, ,Greek, ,Hamper, ,happiness, ,Herbfarmacy, ,Kalahari Watermelon body moisturiser, ,Lip Balm, ,lush, ,Luxury, ,Luxury Hamper, ,Moisturiser, ,Monkey Farts, ,NEOM Organics, ,New Zealand, ,Presents, ,Shea Alchemy, ,Shea Butter, ,Skincare, ,South Cornwall, ,Sue Stowell, ,The Lollipop Shoppe, ,Trevarno Skincare, ,Willow Organic, ,Willow Organic Mother and Baby Box

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