Rive Sud Interior Rosewood Candle

Once in awhile, I go off the deep end for a home fragrance. It's happened again. This time, the culprit is a brand that is new on the fragrance scene: Rive Sud Interior. I was sent press samples from this French company, in the form of small candles about 3 ounces- a great size that is unfortunately not available for purchase at this time. The only size you can buy is their mega-huge 3-wick 1100 gram size.

My favorite of the two scents I was sent is far and away Rosewood. It is beyond gorgeous. The throw is excellent, it's a creamy, woody, sensual fragrance that is so chic, suits all of my many moods and always seems appropriate. I really felt the loss when it was gone! I can see Rive Sud being carried by US niche shops like Lucky Scent/ Scent Bar, and I truly hope that happens, along with the expansion of size options (like the ones pictured on their website- it looks like there's a mid-size option that isn't available yet).

If my home fragrance budget were king-sized, I'd buy this baby in a heartbeat, and I'd repurchase again and again. It is a very sexy scent, with or without the beautiful tattooed brunette holding it.

There are four fragrances available: #1 Acqua di Latte, #2 Cap Ferrat Les Pins, #3 Via Della Basilica, #4 Rosewood. The other one I tried besides Rosewood is Via Della Basilica, which I found to be very charming- an aromatic/herbal incensey number that just isn't fragranced intensely enough for my taste, as described perfectly by Gaia of The Non Blonde.

Rive Sud Interior candles are available in full sizes at 250 Euros each for a 3-wick, 1100 gram candle (pictured above) directly from rivesudinterior.com.

Aftelier Perfumed Beeswax Candles

Just when my frenzied passion for candles was waning enough to be in danger of cycling back to incense exclusively, Mandy Aftel launches three limited edition (of only 23) perfumed candles. They're each 3oz and burn for approximately 18 hours, they're hand-poured and made with 100% pure beeswax. If you were one of the lucky few to snag her candles that were available last holiday season, you know how special they are.

The votive vessels are exceedingly impressive on their own, with coiled strung glass seed beads in a color appropriate to the scent it's paired with. Each candle has a very distinct personality, and when they are lit, they blossom into their full glory.

A fine candle has a way of engaging multiple senses when it's lit, and when every detail has been carefully thought out and executed by hand with luxury in mind, the experience is unmatched. These Aftelier perfumed candles afford that rare experience, and in my opinion are not to be missed.

Lemon Basil ($35)
The fresh aromatic qualities of this blend makes it the most versatile of the three. Not just a kitchen candle, the brightness of lemon and the sharpness of basil together produce a sort of neon anisic quality that is not only delicious, but addictive too.

Campfire ($45)
Campfire is powerfully reminiscent of the real thing, with emphasis on the smokiness. The wax is a lovely shade of mahogany and the vessel's seed bead embellishment is red, which further enhances the coziness of the scent. You don't even need to light this candle to scent the room-- its diffusiveness is very impressive. Campfire is a rich, woody trip down memory lane for former summer campers. Just bring your own lanyard-making supplies and fixins for S'mores.

Root Beer Candy (circa 1972) ($35)
Lastly, there's Root Beer Candy, my favorite. It definitely smells like the real thing, and it's worth mentioning that the "circa 1972" part was aptly used to qualify the name. Old-school root beer barrel candies have a certain flavor to them that I could never have dreamed could be captured in a candle fragrance, but it's all there. A little sweet, a lot sassafrass-y, and a pure, unexpected delight. On a related note, if this were available in perfume form, I'd wear it ALL the time.

All three limited edition perfumed candles are available for purchase at Aftelier.com right now, but fair warning: there are only 23 of each to go around. If you pick just one to buy, don't worry, you really can't go wrong. These are a major treat for anyone who enjoys creating a warm and inviting living space. The cheerful disposition of these scents come through even when they're not lit, as they are very highly fragranced.



[samples sent to me by the creator for my consideration]

Organic Home Fragrance: NuboNau Trinity Candle in Refresh

Is it possible to create a luxury spa-quality candle with all of the proven aromatherapeutic benefits of natural, certified organic essential oils, with all the sophistication you desire, and none of the cliche trappings of aromatherapy (i.e. health food store smell, hippie, kitschy, crunchy)? Oh, yeah. It is.

NuboNau Organika candles are beautiful  in their simplicity, like a neutral-color Calvin Klein sheath dress for your personal environment. They burn cleanly and evenly, and the scent throw is excellent, yet it's never overwhelming. Each candle is hand-poured and fragranced with 100% certified organic (by the Soil Assn.) essential oils, sustainable vegetable and plant waxes are used, as well as lead-free, unbleached  cotton wicks. There are no synthetic stabilizers or boosters-- in fact, they contain nothing synthetic at all.

There are three fragrances available: Tranquility, Euphoria and Refresh. I asked Hazel, the owner of the NuboNau Skin Care Boutique in Encinitas, California, to choose a blend for me based on my scent preferences, and I received the Trinity (3-wick) candle in Refresh. It was immediately clear to me that it is perfect for my home environment, which includes a very picky husband. He loved Refresh instantly, as I did.

As for the fragrance, citrus oils are the most prominent scent element, with a persistent herbal undertone. It just makes me want to take deep breaths, and I can safely do that without any smoke-related carcinogens hovering in the air. I don't know exactly which oils comprise the Refresh aromatherapy blend, but to give you an idea of its scent, I think it probably contains a combination of several of the following:
eucalyptus, geranium, bergamot, neroli, juniper, cypress, lemon balm (melissa), lemongrass, rosemary, thyme, ylang ylang

This candle creation is not a passive object, it goes to work for you. It calms nerves, sharpens focus and squashes harmful inner monologues; it's literally an anti-depressant. From the sublime fragrance blend to the satisfyingly clean and stark presentation with a special silver lid etched with what looks like a Mandala, it's an unfussy ode to the simple perfection that exists only in nature.

I adore the re-usable magnetic-flap boxes!

I've also had the opportunity to try votives of the other two candle scents- Tranquility and Euphoria, and they are both lovely, but Hazel was spot-on by pairing me up with Refresh. We were just meant to be.

The NuboNau Trinity 3-wick Candle is $95 and is available on their website or in-store. The Duo Votive Set is $59 with a choice of 3 fragrances (Tranquility, Refresh, Euphoria). NuboNau also carries a lot of my favorite natural and organic beauty brands, and they also put together great little themed gift sets (of mixed-brand origin, which is wonderful). They also have The Facial Room, where signature facial services are offered using Aromatherapy Associates, Pai and Ila Spa products. I NEED one of those Pai facials. I'll add that to the list of reasons why I should visit California as soon as possible.

Remember-- eyeliner on a cat readers can get 15% off any order at NuboNau.com with code NN15 [thanks, Hazel!]


[product sample was sent to me by the company for my consideration. I have no affiliation with this company or any other]

NEST Fragrances Orchid Rain candle for Jason Wu

The new candle created by NEST Fragrances and perfumer Christophe Laudamiel, Orchid Rain, is inspired by Jason Wu's Spring 2012 collection. As a result of this unique collaboration, candle fanatics who also happen to  love perfume and/or fashion are treated to a gorgeous presentation and fragrance composition filled with cream and green, every part of a flower, including the roots, soil, the slightly and pleasantly bitter edge of the leaves and stem, dewy petals.

The warm damp of the muted colors are brought to life by a beautiful pear accord. Pear is quickly becoming one of my favorite notes in perfume (and home fragrance), because it always adds a slightly ozonic freshness that tends to complement many different compositions. I'm not afraid of fruity, let's just go on record with that. The coconut and the soft woods are part of each other and I can't tease them apart, but I don't mind. The entire fragrance blend is ultra sophisticated and suave, and (so far, anyway)  is getting my vote for home fragrance of the year.

Orchid Rain invites us to come along to the garden early in the morning to observe flowers growing out of the ground, quite the opposite of viewing cut flowers indoors in a vase, no matter how beautiful the vase. I prefer my flora in the ground.

[photo credit: thegardenlady.org]

Speaking of vessels, the ceramic Orchid Rain vessel has one of Jason Wu's designs from his Spring '12 collection, a lovely floral pattern blanched by the softness of grays and blacks, with a bright golden lid to add contrast. It is something everyone will want to keep once the candle is burnt down to nothing. I think it was Charleston Girl who said she was planning on using it for cosmetic brushes, which is such a perfect idea, I might just steal it. Here's to hoping that many more collaborations like this one will come to fruition in the future. Hey, NEST, can Christopher Sheldrake and  Haider Ackermann be next?

NEST Fragrances Jason Wu Orchid Rain candle is available at Candles Off Main, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, as well as a few other select boutiques across the country. The price is $48, and the 7oz candle burns for approximately 50 hours.

[product sample sent to me by the company for my consideration]

A Perfect Day with Red Flower

Lately, my distinguished and well-loved fellow blogger Nav of Beauty Huile has stoked an intense and inextinguishable passion inside me for oils. I'm discovering how useful and pleasurable a wardrobe of oils for the face, body and hair can be, and how fragrance ties very neatly into it as well. I never thought I'd say this, but creams sort of bore me now.

One of my most recent discoveries via Nav is Red Flower Essential Omega Fresh Berry-Oil Serum. It contains oils of the seeds of lingonberry, cranberry, raspberry and strawberry, along with lots of other goodies that have anti-aging and hydrating properties. *For the absolute best in-depth and poetic review of this product's benefits, I highly suggest heading over to Beauty Huile.* Since I'm a relatively new huilophile, I am mostly interested in sharing my sensory perceptions of this product. Then, I will wax poetic (pun fully intended) about a new addition to my family of luxury candles. 

A few of the (very soft and light) scent elements of the Essential Omega Fresh Berry-Oil Serum are: copaiba balsam, fir, juniper berry, garden mint, guaiac wood, lavender and rosemary. Add to this the faint tartness of berry seed extracts, a fleeting sense of the ocean's mutable presence along with the rich ripeness of the forest floor, and you are well on your way to forming the olfactory picture I have in my mind. The fragrance gives me the same strange but thrilling feeling I get when I sniff Aftelier Shiso, in that it's somewhat familiar, but in many ways, not of this earth. I thought about it some more, and realized that both scents contain mint. Is it mint that is so bewitching to my senses that it practically scrambles my brains with pleasure? Maybe so. Without regard to the solution of the riddle, I plunge ahead, because all of the fun is in the shadowy journey. The beauty truly lies in its many natural subtleties and slight variations, and I wonder if I'd have missed them if I were the Carrie of 5 or 10 years ago, before my obsession with perfume really took root.

It's difficult for me to describe the fragrance without connecting it to the act of using the oil-serum on my skin-  the sensory experiences are inextricably linked. This is how I began to understand what Red Flower is all about. It's not just a bottle of oil, it's a verdant and charmingly overgrown pathway to self-love. You get to smell this unique scent only when you massage the elegant mossy green tinted oil into your skin (face and/or body). When you use it on your skin, you are protecting, hydrating and beautifying yourself;  healing past damage, catering to the senses in the present, and protecting your skin for the future. I don't profess to know much about the company's spiritual ethos (but they do have one, or several), but I am really enjoying drawing my own conclusions experientially. 

This is my first foray into trying Red Flower products, but the overwhelming message I'm getting from the smattering of things I've tried so far is "love yourself first, then broadcast that love to those around you who need it". If that sounds too granola for you, then you should know that I'm actually that kind of person deep down. I'm not closed off to hidden messages or subliminal tidings of good will. I know positive energy when I slather it all over myself or smell it in the air. That brings me to my next delightful ambient find: Red Flower's French Lavender Petal-Topped Candle. 

It comes with the top filled with dried lavender, which is so potent and lovely, I immediately transferred it to a mason jar like I do all my other plant and floral treasures (they do tell you to remove the dried flowers before burning the candle). It's a beautiful touch that makes any of the Red Flower candles a stunning gift for any occasion, but especially Valentine's Day or anniversaries. The wax is very soft and highly fragrant. The candle burns evenly and the color is a delicious deep, inky violet that looks particularly fetching when pooled into liquid. It reminds me of the perfect nail polish color that I don't have yet (but if Jessica/LipstickRose from Now Smell This gets enough votes, her violet-centric mood board may dictate a suitably stylish palette of Zoya Nail Polish shades... vote HERE!) This candle looks sexy, it smells transcendentally beautiful, and earns extra points for presentation-- when you give this to someone as a gift, you're telling them that you're like a Transformer. There's more than meets the eye.

The fragrance is a true French Lavender which proves its natural potency with a slightly metallic twinge in the overall impression. The scent fills a room (or an entire moderately sized apartment) quickly and continues to throw long after it's been extinguished. When I compare this Red Flower candle to other luxury candles I love dearly, it ranks very highly. In fact, I'm already plotting to obtain the Italian Blood Orange, Indian Jasmine and Icelandic Moonflower candles next. True confession time: I've no idea what a moonflower smells like, do you? I hope to find out soon. One day I would love to lose myself in Red Flower's NYC urban oasis for a couple of hours. It's now become a mandatory stop on my next trip up there.

[Red Flower Essential Omega Fresh Berry Oil-Serum available from redflower.com and barneys.com among other places: 2.5 oz for $48. It's a large bottle, so this is what I'd consider a great value for a really fabulous product. The Lavender Petal-Topped Candle is available for $34 at Candles Off Main (my very favorite candle shop) as well as redflower.com, beauty.com and others.]

[products were purchased by me for my own use]

Holiday Gift Guide 2011: The Most Covetable Fragrant Gifts

All year long I've been gathering intel on what I consider to be the most tantalizing, squeal-inducing gifts, jotting down notes on everything that gives me a thrill. What follows is a list of my favorites paired with the type of person that might enjoy each gift the most.

For your favorite xenophile luxury junkie:
Amouage Jubilation 25 Candle with holder (available at Amouage.com for 165 euros, candle by itself also available for 120 euros. Available in the US at Lady Ruth Perfumes for $220)
Arguably the finest incense-y candle you will ever come across. It looks every bit as beautiful as it smells.

For the boyfriend or husband who really needs to toss that bottle of cologne you hate (or you'll toss it for him):

Soivohle Transcendental Musc Pour Homme ($135 for 35ml spray at LizZornPerfumes.com)

Welcome to the 21st century, honey! This fragrance is a modern take on musk. It's fresh, addictive and will increase snuggleability by about 1000%.

For the frustrated city-bound nature worshipper:
Juniper Ridge Steep Ravine Natural Room Spray $15, Soap $8, Yuba solid perfume $65 (at juniperridge.com)
Place these three things together in a pretty gift bag and give to the nearest wistful city slicker you can find. There's no substitute for the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, but all of Juniper Ridge's products are created from that environment. They also donate a part of their proceeds to environmental conservation for the region. It's a win-win for everyone- stunning, resinous, woody natural fragrances for you, and much needed help for the environment. Juniper Ridge is one of my best discoveries of the year.

Juniper Ridge Steep Ravine Room Spray

Juniper Ridge Steep Ravine Soap

Juniper Ridge solid perfume

For someone who works with their hands a lot (and unfortunately, it shows):
Becca & Mars 3 Piece Holiday Hand Candy set ($25, scents are: Orange Clove, Peppermint Vanilla, Winter Night)
Becca & Mars make the most amazing all-natural sugar hand scrubs, and this set of three jars will make anyone happy who needs some serious hand-smoothing action and would like to smell festive while doing it. You can also split up the set for smaller (yet still fantastic) gifts.

For the lady who was most certainly a flapper in a past life:
Opus Oils Les Bohemes deluxe coffret (10) 1 dram roll-on  bottles (in oil or alcohol base, your choice. $300 available through Opus Oils Etsy site)
I thought about choosing only a few of Kedra Hart's Les Bohemes line to feature, but I am inclined to feel that would be a crime. This is a set of all ten fragrances in dram roll-on bottles, and they are designed to be layered together or worn alone. The whole line is brilliant and executed with a sense of fun that is infectious.

For the dedicated but persnickety perfume enthusiast:
Aftelier Oud Luban solid perfume ($210 for 1/4 oz at Aftelier.com)
Yes, I can name a dozen people I know who are like this, all of whom I adore (and okay, I might be one of them too). In truth, any of Aftelier's perfume solids make stunning gifts, but Oud Luban has stolen my heart. Its woody, smoky spiciness with a mouthwatering orange topnote makes it particularly wonderful for the season. A connoisseur's delight.

For family, teachers, your veterinarian, hairstylist... yes, anyone!
NEST Sir Elton John Holiday candle ($38 at CandlesOffMain.com, 8.1 oz, 50 hrs burn time)
This candle has a gorgeous balsam fir and citrus fragrance and spot-on presentation with its deep aubergine glass vessel and wax to match. This is how you get major bang for your holiday buck.

For the vintage villainess:
Ayala Moriel Bon Voyage Purse Roll-on Trio 5ml each- Sabotage, Espionage, Film Noir ($175.50 at AyalaMoriel.com).
With this trio, you can choose any of a number of different perfumes, but I love these three together. It sets the scene for a particular type of character- the 1940s Film Noir Villainess. She's got perfectly waved hair, kohl-rimmed eyes and deep red lips. She's smoking a cigarette and packing heat, and she looks damn good doing it.

For someone who wants to bone up on their perfume history:
Francois Coty: Fragrance, Power, Money ($25.55 at Amazon)
Francois Coty's life story is a fascinating one and is intertwined with the history of perfume as we know it. This book captures the good, the bad and the odoriferous.

For your friend who has a growing curiosity about perfume:
Ormonde Jayne Discovery Set, 12 x 2ml spray sample vials (44 GBP at OrmondeJayne.com)
Ormonde Jayne's entire range of scents is available in this gorgeous discovery set, and it's such a pleasure to explore. Just about everyone I know loves at least one Ormonde Jayne fragrance- there are delicate tropical florals and rich, woody chypres and everything in between. A brief word of caution: this set has been known to turn a person with a harmless affinity for perfume into a bona-fide, sample-hoarding scent-obsessive.

For a much-adored femme:
Guerlain L'Art et la Matiere Iris Ganache 75ml ($235, available at Bergdorf Goodman in store and now online)
Iris Ganache is my holy grail gourmand perfume. It has a very sexy elegance about it and the creamy sweetness bounces off of the cool iris in the most bewitching way. It comes in a lovely presentation box along with a bulb atomizer and a regular one, and the bottle itself is a feast for the eyes. Iris Ganache (or any of the L'Art et la Matiere line) would be a luxurious gift for the most cherished girly-girl in your life.

Juniper Ridge Steep Ravine and Yuba

Occasionally, a small independent brand will pop into my sphere of existence from out of nowhere and quietly hand to me something that I hold in the highest esteem, and that is peace of mind. I am a worrier by nature, I fret (and I do it well), I toss and I turn, I'm often restless and anxious. Juniper Ridge, a company dedicated to wildcrafting from (and protecting) the Western Wilderness, offers peace of mind in abundance. Today, I'll be reviewing a room spray and a perfume, with more to come in the future.

Oregon Wild- photo by Justin Rohde

First up is the Steep Ravine Room Spray. Forget any notion you have of room sprays for a minute, and imagine this: an all-natural pump bottle room spray that smells exactly like the woods in winter, with a little hit of ozone appropriate for the season. A crisp accent of citrus carries with it a certain levity that pairs so well with the pine, and a touch of eucalyptus tickles the nose. In other words, heaven on earth, in the most literal sense. The scent is ideal for the home, and I think it would make a really beautiful holiday gift for absolutely anyone.

notes: bright pine, sap, dappled sunlight and warm wind blowing through the giant trees

Juniper Ridge also has solid perfume in their lineup of products, and I was sent Yuba to try. My first thought was "I love this little vintage tin!" They use repurposed (but brand new) Flood's Ointment tins from the 1930s that contain 1/2 ounce of solid perfume. 

notes: cozy cedar cabin, pine sap, Sierra Granite Lake

Yuba is very sprightly and refreshing, and I'm quite impressed with how potent and long-lasting this solid is. There is also a lot of skill in the blending: the light grapefruit topnote perfectly accents the fresh cedar and pine, and this balance is maintained throughout wearing (which is about 4-6 hours). I'll be honest- natural woods and resins of high quality such as this makes my eyes roll back into my head with pleasure. There's never a time or place when a scent like this wouldn't be desirable to me. Yuba is an all-purpose mood lifter, and it works with a swiftness that only natural essences can achieve.

Juniper Ridge source their materials locally and give back to the environment that inspires them, and that's the sort of warm fuzziness that separates Juniper Ridge from many other indie businesses. They create unique products responsibly, and I promise that if you give them a try, you'll go back for more. They also carry incense, handmade soaps, essential oils, teas and sachets in addition to their amazing room sprays and solid perfumes. If you fall in love with a particular scent, you can usually purchase it in several different forms as well. I hope that one day I can make it back to the Pacific Northwest and treat myself to one of their Wildflower Tours, but in the meantime, I've got inspiration aplenty to take me to my happiest place in the forest. 

Yuba 1/2 ounce solid perfume can be purchased for $65 and Steep Ravine Natural Room Spray is $15 for 2 ounces- both available at juniperridge.com.

[press samples were sent to me for my consideration]

Baptism by fire: Amouage Jubilation 25 Candle

Clean and dirty, pristine in its details on the surface but with an earthy growl behind it. These are the descriptors of the best incense fragrances, and ones I often use to describe my favorite Amouage scents, too. One of my biggest weaknesses (and I have many, so consider this a King Weakness) is incensey candles. And for every King of Weaknesses there is a Queen's Indulgence, an over-the-top representation of luxury that sends a shiver up my spine and melts any resolve that might be lurking beneath the surface. Meet Amouage's Jubilation 25 candle- gilded, glowing and gorgeous.

notes: tarragon, lemon, ylang ylang, rock rose, frankincense, davana, labdanum ciste, patchouli, amber, vetiver, musk, myrrh

the first burn is always the best

The perfume Jubilation 25 was created by Lucas Sieuzac, and in my opinion the candle is a very faithful representation of the EDP. I almost enjoy this particular fragrance even more as an ambient one. It's worth mentioning that because of the softness of the wax, it is entirely feasible to use the candle wax as a solid perfume. In fact, as soon as I unpacked the candle, that's the first thing I did and it worked quite well. The candle is clean-burning and quickly creates a pool of luscious liquid when lit.

This is my first experience with Amouage home fragrance products, and it's clear that the firm adheres to the same high standards as with their personal fragrances. The cold throw is excellent (the scent the candle gives off when not lit) and fills the room quickly with rich fragrance when burning. The Jubilation 25 candle is a feast for the senses and is particularly delightful as cool, rainy weather descends on the city as I write this.

candle and holder are available as a set

Amouage's Jubilation 25 candle is 6.9 oz and is available from the Amouage website for 120 Euros (candle with the beautiful holder is also available together as a set for 165 Euros) as well as  from Parfums Raffy for $195 USD. I will update this post with additional US retail outlets as I find out about them. 

[candle was sent to me by the company for my consideration]

photo credits: top photo is my own, bottom photo from Amouage.com

Ushering in Autumn with NEST candles

Lucky me! NEST Fragrances has graced us with a new vanilla-based candle for Autumn, called Tahiti Vanille. I have an insatiable appetite for vanilla in personal and home fragrances. It never gets old to me, ever. Tahiti Vanille is a bright, cheerful vanilla, definitely of the island variety, with a touch of coconut and warm spices as accents (official notes: vanilla bean, white chocolate, cinnamon, caramel, white rum). It could easily become a favorite throughout the year, and is never heavy or too rich of a gourmand scent. Can vanilla be buoyant? Why yes, yes it can!

Laura Slatkin was inspired to create Tahiti Vanille while visiting a vanilla farm on the Tahitian island of Tahaa, where she would pass by racks upon racks of vanilla bean pods drying in the sun. I love that image, and hope that one day I can enjoy those smells and sights, but until then, I'm happy to get my vanilla fix through NEST's new candle.

I'm always impressed with how highly fragranced the soft wax is, and how evenly they burn. As long as you keep the wick trimmed to 1/4 inch, you will never have to babysit or fuss over a NEST candle. As per usual, the packaging and striped, etched glass vessel is divine. A true pleasure through and through. I save all of my NEST glass vessels and once the candle is all burned up, I like to put change in them, perfume samples, cat toys, anything that will fit.

This is a good time to remind everyone about one of my favorite candles ever, NEST Pumpkin Chai. I pine for the scent year round, but it's especially wonderful in the Autumn. If you haven't had a chance to try it yourself yet, you might be thinking, "Oh, another spicy pumpkin candle. Great." But wait! It's anything but ordinary. Pumpkin Chai bypasses the "pie" thing altogether, and instead blends a heady combination of spices like Masala chai, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon. It is simultaneously scrumptious and sophisticated, and if you're looking to set a festive mood for Halloween or Thanksgiving, you couldn't do better than NEST Pumpkin Chai.

The wax is a spiced blush orange color, and the glass vessel is transparent dark ambery-brown. Just beautiful. All NEST candles make wonderful gifts, if you can manage to loosen your grasp on them long enough.

These candles can be purchased at Candles Off Main (my favorite online and brick & mortar candle shop), and also places like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. The 8.1 oz size candle retails for $32, burn time is approx. 50 hours.

[candles were sent to me for consideration by the company]