How to Burn Candles Like a Pro
Using scented candles to best effect—that is, if you want to impress your house guests—requires a bit of know-how. Who better to guide us than Nest Fragrances founder Laura Slatkin?
“Fragrancing your home should be a thoughtful moment to consider what season you’re in, what’s inspiring you at the moment, and the occasion,” says Slatkin at her Manhattan office loft, which smells divine, of course. Here she instructs us in the finer points of candle usage.
-When we’re having a dinner party I always like to burn something strong in the entryway, so people can be greeted with a fabulous fragrance that they’ll just pass through. You can do heady florals like hyacinth, freesia, rose, jasmine. One that I love is Periwinkle Hyacinth. As they come into the living room I transition to something fruity like Grapefruit or Wasabi Pear, which are crisp and refreshing.
-I keep fragrance out of the dining room when we’re eating. The only exception is when we do a magnificent Persian/Indian feast at our house. That’s what inspired me to create Moroccan Amber, which is a blend of star anise, patchouli, eucalyptus and amber.
-In powder rooms I like to burn something cozy and warm and gourmand-ish, because it’s a small space. Any of the food scents like our Wild Oats & Bourbon, which was inspired by a recipe I use at Thanksgiving, do well there.
Laura Slatkin
-A larger candle emits a stronger fragrance because of the size of the melt pool and the surface area.
-If you have high ceilings, you’ll need more candles to fill the room with fragrance.
-We have traditional florals like Pink Jasmine and Orange Blossom, and more modern florals like Bamboo and Moss & Mint. The citrus note is what makes them modern. They’re more refreshing and light. Blue Garden is one of my favorite modern florals because it has dewy accords and green notes with hyacinth, forget-me-nots and hydrangea.
-If you’re selecting a gift outside of the holiday season, look at what are the most popular scents in a brand. Grapefruit, Bamboo, Wasabi Pear and Moroccan Amber are our top sellers. I always give Bamboo because I know everyone loves it, but I happen to really love Grapefruit.
-It’s important to consider what other people will be comfortable being surrounded by. I stay away from giving heady florals because men can find them [unpleasant.]
-When you burn a candle you get black soot on the tip of the wick. It’s really important to remove that before you light it again, because it can cause the candle to smoke, or it can fall into the wax, [which can affect the fragrance] and it’s just unattractive.
-Our new scent, Peony Blanche, has peony blossoms, watery nuances, jasmine, magnolia and lily, so it’s a beautiful garden scent. It comes in a pink box. [Perfect for Mother's Day!]
-This fall we’re going to be launching body creams, body washes and roll-on perfumes! They’re going to be very different from the home fragrances because they’re really separate categories. What you want on your body isn’t necessarily what you’d want to burn in your home.
Shop all Nest Fragrances.
Meet Laura Slatkin at Neiman Marcus Boston (Copley) on Saturday, May 7, 1:30-4:30
