How Would I Get Scented Candles?

Q. How would I get scented candles? (Dorothy K.)

A. Dorothy, thank you for your question. Sometimes when we look around stores we often wonder how can we get unscented candles. Scented candles seem to be everywhere these days, and sometimes we yearn for a simple lit taper or columnar candle that delights the eye and leaves the nose alone. Most stores do carry unscented candles, fortunately, and 100 Candles is one of many good online resources for ordering.

But many people love fragrance. Look in your local grocery store and you will see an entire section of the household products aisle dedicated to home fragrance. There are sprays, plug-in scents, and now scented oil candles. Glade makes a line of such candles, and click on this Epinions link to read a consumer review of these Glade products. The consensus seems to be that these are more expensive than scented candles and do not last as long (only about 3 hours), but many of the fragrances are quite special.

Most stores that cater to home goods will carry some types of scented candles. Now is the perfect time to purchase them as many are on sale after the holidays. Start shopping now! We recommend these resources.

• Yankee Candle -- they have a huge selection, as well as the intriguing Scentstories fragrance disks
• Illuminations -- another group with a huge selection, and we like their handblown glass accessories
• Zionsville Candle -- we liked their natural soy candles and their Contemporary/Spa line looks fab
• Candlemart -- their Apple Jel Candle with Apple Topper looked like a real cutie to us
• HomeGoods -- their inventory is constantly changing; check their website for the nearest store
• Pottery Barn -- their Luminary Candlepots (see photo below) are wonderful
• Anthropologie -- we're mad about their Archipelago Monogram Candles and Aunt Sadie's Grass Candle
• Target -- we think their CandleTini line is a hoot, scented candles in martini glasses
• Candelicious -- their triple-scented candles apparently blast out the fragrance
• Kmart -- an upscale Scented Soy Jar Candles line boasts amazing names like "Be Loved" and "Joyful Soul" (see photo above)
• Wal-Mart -- we were very impressed with their scent-tastic line of Lauren Nichole Spa & Candle Gift Baskets

If you're feeling in a Do-It-Yourself mood, then there are many scented candlemaking kits available online or through hobby store retailers. Here are some resources to check out for DIY homemade candles.

• Love to Know has some how-to information on making scented candles; that's a good place to start
• Cierra Candles features candle and soap making supplies
• Zionsville Candle has candlemaking kits and supplies and a soy candle making video to see how it's done
• The Complete Candlemaker: Techniques, Projects & Inspiration is a Norma Coney book that can explain candlemaking A to Z for the true crafter (available from Michaels Stores)

Thank you for your question, Dorothy, and we hope you find the scented candles you're looking for. Some of these resources carry up to 60 different fragrances and many burn for 30 hours or more, so it might be hard to choose from so many intriguing scents and candle styles. But it's fun to have too many options!