The Best Scented Candles In Ireland

Oh, I know. I'm aware. It's all too obvious: I know it is rather basic of me but I do love a good scented candle.

And, Ireland, in particular, happens to produce some really wonderful ones. Here are some of my all-time favourites, all made here on the Emerald Isle, at a couple of different price points.

1. Fig & Vanilla, Paul Costelloe, Dunnes Stores, €12.00.

These candles are a long-time favourite of mine. The packaging is chic and slick and the candle is poured into a very simple glass tumbler that I have since repurposed to house my make-up brushes. Fresh from the box or empty with brushes or pencils inside, they look great on dressing tables and are really rather good value. You get a real luxe feeling at about a third - or less - of the price of a high-end candle of this size. This scent is my favourite - subtle and sweet and not at all over-bearing. I will say that more expensive candles tend to smell more potent without being too strong but Dunnes are one of the best for offering lower prices and non-stinky scents.





2. Spearmint & Sea Salt, Considered by Helen James, Dunnes Stores, €12.00.

A lot of the same boxes can be ticked as above for this offering from another of Dunnes' homeware ranges. I adore anything that claims to smell like the sea and am a big fan of this one. Again, the packaging is chic, the scent subtle and price-point is competitive. The only thing I will say is that it is so subtle, it can fade into the background and become virtually unnoticeable if you're burning it for a long period of time. However, it is still really pleasant and fresh and a little more unisex and less sweet than the Fig & Vanilla.





3. Rose Tea, Cloon Keen Atelier, €40.00.

I got gifted a sample of this last year and I love it. Sadly, this scent is never among those sold in the selection at Brown Thomas in Dublin. I have to wait until I go on a trip to Galway to stock up but it's always worth it! It really does smell like my favourite rose tea - a natural, earthy smell that isn't synthetic or over-powering at all. This is how rose should always smell - sweet but a little more complex and almost musky. There's a step up in price but also in packaging and quality. Again, I've kept the container and used it to house my sketching pencils. The mirrored effect on the outside looks nice now but was particularly attractive when a flame was burning inside and casting light all across my room. But it's not just how it looks, as I said, expensive candles smell different. They don't become background noise. They give off distinct smells that pervade the room once burned. If you like rose smells, this one is a real winner.

Sadly, this scent seems to have been discontinued now but I still highly recommend the brand and their Galway store is a place of great and quiet beauty.





4. Dublin Tea Rose, Oud and Patchouli, Rathbornes, €19.00 (Travel Size).

The lady in Brown Thomas told me that this company is the oldest, continuously running, candle company in the world. Established in 1488, this Dublin-based company is uber-elegant with containers that look like porcelain, a box that looks like something jewellery should come in and gilded lettering on everything. Again, it's a rose tea scent but, again, it is more complex and rich. In fact, I think this may be my favourite candle scent of all time. It's subtly sweet, a little spicy and really permeates through a room. I was also surprised by how long it burns for, definitely longer than was indicated on the box.

Yes, it's a bit of a splurge - the travel size cost more than the Dunnes candles that are around three times the size - but if you're looking for a luxurious Irish candle brand, this is the one!





So, maybe that wasn't quite so basic after all....I mean, I'm no nose and have none of the proper terminology going on but that's a lot of words about candles....

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Cloon Keen Atelier

I know it's rather basic of me but I do love a good scented candle. And Cloon Keen Atelier make some damn good scented candles.

You can purchase the candles and the rest of their line of products in select stores and spas, Brown Thomas among them, but I highly recommend a visit to their stand-alone store in Galway if you get the opportunity. Both the shop and the products themselves are stunning with a seriously luxe vibe that makes you feel really special and fancy. 

Through a pointed arched doorway, with gold lettering above and a plaque to the left announcing the identity of the store, you step into a tiny Aladdin's cave full of scented candles and perfumes. This tiny and charming premises dates back to 1625 and is executed in monochrome tones and mirrored surfaces that compliment and respect historic features of the building like the stonework. The packaging is, likewise, pared back and chic with monochrome boxes and labels with clean typefaces on simple glass bottles and metallic jars. 

The products rest in single file, ready for sniffing, on recessed shelves with spotlights overhead. There's no fuss, no unnecessary frills and the shopping experience is breezy with no one looming over your shoulder. You're simply left to browse at ease with shop assistants awaiting at the counter behind, ready to help, should you need it. 

You can purchase candles, perfumes, body lotions and linen sprays which come in delicious, and somewhat unique, scents such as Rose Tea and Antique Library. I'm currently burning the Rose Tea and it legit smells exactly like my favourite rose tea. I've also been impressed by the burn time and the unbelievably even way these candles burn - you can't mistake the quality. 

All the products are all macerated, poured and bottled in a perfume lab in Spiddal run by the store's owner, Margaret Mangan, so an added bonus with these is that you're buying Irish and supporting a small, fantastic business. Mangan left the film industry over ten years ago to move back to Ireland and set up the business with her husband, Julian Checkley. Originally, they worked out of her parent's garage while Mangan learned and thoroughly researched the history of, and how to make and design, fragrances. With a focus on individuality and simplicity, the company prides itself on a quality and creativity that keeps customers returning to them. 

Do go in and get a whiff if you're in the vicinity, you shan't be disappointed. 

But don't blame me if your monthly candle budget gets out of hand...

...or am I the only one with one of those...?

You can find the store at 21a High Street, Galway.

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Bonus Gift Guide: For those who left it until now...

So, it's the night before Christmas Eve and you've left it until now, haven't you? The terror has taken over and you've no idea what to do. Put down the scratch cards and boxes of chocolates. I repeat - put them down.

Never fear! Colette is here.

I know I proclaimed a recent gift guide the last of the year but this is the emergency guide. Someone, somewhere pressed a panic button and I came running to see what was wrong. Let's look at some scenarios.

SCENARIO: You've bought absolutely nothing.

SOLUTION: Places like Dunnes, TK/TJ Maxx, Lidl, Tesco etc.

Some of these places are better than others but if you haven't bought a thing, a store with multiple departments under one roof is your saving grace. One trip, all of your gifts. These types of stores suit various price points and offer a location to buy gifts suitable for all sorts of people and age groups. Dunnes, for example, has beautiful homewares, clothes, accessories, toys and food.

SCENARIO: You've put it off because you don't have a lot of money and you have no idea what you'll be able to afford.

SOLUTION: Jars.

Jars are your friend. "How so?" you might ask. They offer the opportunity to make several different kind of highly personalised DIY gifts that show how much you know and care about a person - without spending a lot of money. Here are some options:

1. Buy some medium sized jars, some paint, ribbon and tealights. Paint a nice pattern on the outside - snow or stars or something equally festive. Now pop a tealight inside and tie a ribbon around the top. You can also paint a message or the year on the bottom. This would be a nice gift for relatives or friends and shows you put the effort in.

2. Buy a larger jar and fill it with a person's favourite sweets and, again, present with some nice ribbon. Bonus points: try track down sweets they can't get readily or have admitted to loving as kids but not having eaten in years. Showing you listen to someone can be more impressive than the fanciest gift!

3. Buy a medium jar, glitter and laminate a nice photo. Firmly attach the photo to the inside base of the jar upside down, add water leaving a little room at the top, pour in some glitter, tightly close the jar and present with the lid facing downwards. You've now made a personalised snowglobe just for them! Bonus points: pick a really cute photo of you with the person - it's like an even sweeter version of you giving them a framed photo.

4. Buy a large jar and the ingredients to a person's favourite cakes or cookies. Bake the cookies/cakes and place inside the jar, decorating it with some nice ribbon etc.

SCENARIO: You don't know someone very well/they're just difficult to buy for.

SOLUTION: Unless they're someone very close to you (or odd), scented candles may be your solution!

It's always nice to get something luxurious as a gift that you probably wouldn't spend your own money on. It might not have the sentiment of some of the other suggestions in this post but it's a safe bet for many people. I mean, who doesn't like nice smells and pretty candle light?

SCENARIO: You have only practical/boring gifts bought for a parent/close friend/significant other and want to give them something else more heartfelt as well.

SOLUTION: A photo album.

We rarely print our photos anymore and it's always nice to have the physical ones about the house but who has time to get them developed these days? Therefore, not only are you doing something they probably wish they made time for, you also have the opportunity to show someone how much the matter to you and how they have shaped your life. Try to include cinema or travel ticket stubs, short paragraphs or memories and other bits and pieces as well as the photos in order to really tug on their heartstrings.

SCENARIO: You're super-stumped, don't want to face the shops and have no time left to order anything online.

SOLUTION: Get on Ticketmaster or a similar site and check out the gigs, plays, shows etc coming up in the next few months. A band they like is gonna play soon? Buy a ticket online, print it out, pop it in a card and hey presto! You're not only showing knowledge of things they like, you're giving them your time and setting a moment aside just for you guys. Super-sweet.

Hope this helped! Happy Christmas!