There is nothing quite like the smell of a candle at Christmas, and whether for giving or keeping, a stylish and cleverly wrapped jar of soy wax can bring a lot of joy.
The candle in question is by Feather and Thistle Candles, which are hand poured in small batches by Laura Work at her rural home in Duntrune, Dundee, The Candle Bothy. The backstory to the name is really down to memories of Laura’s dad. Laura explains that he taught her many valuable life lessons and that when he passed away in 2019 her family gave her a ring engraved with the words: “When feathers appear, angels are near.”
She began finding small white feathers in the strangest of places. The thistle is a celebration of Scotland and the Highlands and Laura’s childhood memories of weekends and holidays travelling all over the country with her dad in his lorry, stopping for roadside picnics and taking in the beautiful Scottish countryside.
Laura has created two collections – Living Inspiration Collection and Caledonian Inspiration Collection – with individual candles with names like Believe, Celebrate, Courage and Strength. They have an impressive 40 hours average burn time.
I am reviewing A Christmas Wish, which promises to evoke “memories of a magical tradition.”
The candle arrives in a plain silver box, minus tags and labels, which can be reused for other presents, and is inside a stylish grey, eco-friendly linen pouch, which can also be repurposed.
A slice of dried orange, a white feather and a little silver bell attached to a ribbon complete the packaging. One feature I particularly like is the dust cover over the candle which has seeds inside it – Laura encourages you to fill the empty glass candle jar with soil and grow some wild flowers. A clever touch.
So, once all the bits and pieces are unpacked it’s down to lighting the wick. The scent is sensational – orange, mandarin, rose, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and patchouli create a punchy yet not overpowering smell. The soy wax burns slowly and cleanly without any of the spluttering which can come with other candles. Another bonus is that the candle is 100% vegan, with paraben-free fragrance, so there are no nasty chemicals released into the air.
I am instantly a fan. At £28, the price is comparable to other quality candles I’ve tried, and pretty soon, I am feeling in the Christmas spirit.
To find out more visit www.featherandthistlecandles.co.uk