The quest for the perfect scented candle can seem endless. It is a broad market with a huge price range and an overwhelming variety of fragrances to choose from. But your quest may soon be over. I believe I have found the best scented candle. Or at least the best scented candle company. Look no further than True Grace. I discovered this small company many years ago in Bath, and since then they have gone from strength to strength. With the tagline ‘the Essence of England’, and self-describing as ‘socially conscious’, they focus on natural scents which take their inspiration from the English countryside.
The range of scents available still has the potential to overwhelm, it is pretty huge, bu with evocative names like ‘English summer’ and ‘Chesil Beach’, it is fairly easy to find a fragrance that suits your mood and taste. There are a number of ‘Collections’: the Manor, the Walled Garden, and the Village, which collect together scents in broad schools, or you can shop by season. I think I must have at least 20 of these candles now, in lots of different scents, but my personal favourites are Rosemary and Eucalyptus, and Rhubarb. Each scent is complex, with the top, middle, and base notes that you would expect of a high-quality perfume. As the candle burns you can really pick out each level, and the overall fragrances are strong, but subtle enough not to be overpowering. Each scent can be bought in a number of different products, such as various size candles, or as a room diffuser, so if you’re living in student halls and aren’t allowed to light candles (I remember those days!) you don’t need to miss out. I find the Rosemary and Eucalyptus scent particularly calming; I have a tin candle which I keep in my bedroom, and even when it isn’t lit it wafts a delicate, deep, and soothing smell throughout the room.
In addition to the unbeatable quality of the candles, True Grace backs up its claims to be socially conscious by being signed up to the PAS 2060 Carbon Neautrality programme, and they are certified Cruelty Free. The candles are made from ‘natural wax’ (my guess is soy wax), so there is no need to worry about burning paraffin. Each candle is given an estimated burn time, usually of at least 40 hours, and in my experience this is pretty accurate. The wicks are quite thick so they can burn quite fiercely at times, but if you keep an eye on the wick length this is easy to manage (and of course you would never leave a candle unattended!). In terms of price they are about mid-range for scented candles, comparable to their inferior competitors like Yankee Candles. If you’re anywhere near Wiltshire you should keep an eye out on their Instagram for notice of factory shop sales, where you can get lots of their candles for less than half price (shout out and thanks to my mother for getting lots for me!). If you don’t find yourself in the West Country anytime soon, you can buy them at their online shop, where they stock various other useful candle paraphernalia. John Lewis now also stock a limited range of their fragrances.
I would love to hear your thoughts on these wonderful candles; were you as won-over by them as I was? What are your favourite scents? Let us all know in the comments below!
As ever, this post is definitely not sponsored!
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