Kalmar : Large Scented Joy Candle

Who doesn’t love to burn a beautifully fragranced candle on a warm summer evening? At The Amazing Blog, we love how the flickering ambient light from a solo candle under the stars, always adds to the mystical evening glow. This is another of our #amazingfinds with the Joy Candle from wellbeing and lifestyle brand Kalmar. More than just a candle, it’s full of botanicals and infused with amber gemstone to enhance positivity with crystal healing.

The journey of Kalmar begins with its founder, Karen Ruimy. She was born in Morocco and moved to Paris with her family when she was seven. Karen was thriving in the world of finance as she climbed up the corporate ladder and landed a position as a director at the age of 28. This also happened to be the beginning of her spiritual journey. Since then, her spiritual awakening has led her to focus on her spiritual healing, writing, dance, music and philanthropy. In 2016, she began her brand Kalmar to help others on their journey to wellbeing. She has made this her life's work - realigning the mind, body and soul through energy and intention-setting, assisting individuals to move forward on their own unique journey to wellbeing. The brand is centred around four soul states joy, calm, peace, and love; focusing on the positive holistic impacts on the body. As Karen says, "It's our passion to create indulgent self-care products that help you create sacred rituals to rejuvenate your being, uplift your mood, and boost energy." The bath, body care and candles are suitable for vegans, non-toxic, and cruelty-free. Kalmar's products are sustainably sourced as their packaging is FSC Certified. With every purchase, Kalmar will also plant one tree across the UK. They are also a member of the Forest Carbon’s Carbon 100 Club. Kalmar has made a name for themselves in the wellbeing and lifestyle industry as they won multiple awards for their range. They recently won three awards at the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards, ‘Best Solid Natural Fragrance’ for their Peace Balm of Serenity and two Editor’s Choice Awards for their I Am Loved Body Cream and Calm Deep Cocoon Shower Cream. The Scented Joy Candle won ‘Best Luxury Candle’ at the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards.

The Joy Candle is a luxurious candle, with a scent that lifts spirits and gently fragrances a space, it also enhances energy and positivity. As they say, "The invigorating scent freshens your mind to start a new day or open yourself up to new possibilities." According to Kalmar, this candle is good for bringing warmth and comfort to your space with an essence of a late summer evening. This candle is made from natural vegetable waxes (not specified) and contains a fresh and zesty scent of lemon, ginger and bergamot, jasmine, magnolia and white musk; that is also combined with rhodiola, cocoa, orange extract, and amber gemstone extract.

Let’s take a look at the slightly more unusual ingredients. Rhodiola is a plant that has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries and is thought to increase the body's resistance to stress. It also helps with fatigue, reduces symptoms of depression, and improves brain function and exercise performance. Cocoa, when used aromatically, actually helps calm your body and mind, and in addition to a delicious citrus scent, the orange extract boosts your mood and reduces stress. The amber gemstone extract, sourced from fossilised tree resin, has many emotional healing properties, including emotional stability through relaxation, and also helps with the reduction of depression and anxiety. It also offers strength, protection, peace, trust, wisdom, and memory.

The candle is great for setting intentions, and Kalmar recommends lighting the candle when you need a vital energy boost.. "After lighting the candle, close your eyes and say the mantra, ‘I'm so inspired at this moment, my soul is thriving." i.e. inhale the zesty scent, and exhale all the stress. Edwina, our executive editor, was one of the judges at The Beauty Shortlist Awards, and she loved lighting this candle - even in the morning - to enhance her energy, getting her prepared to conquer the day! This candle is poured into a striking buttercup yellow recyclable glass container, and packaged in a sustainably sourced card. We think that this is one to gift to a friend or to keep and enjoy for yourself. The Joy Candle makes the perfect addition to any space. To purchase see here for the 200g Joy Candle £45, or here the Smaller 75g Joy Candle £25.

Little Green's CBD : Unwind Candle

As we kick off the new year, finding new ways to improve our hectic lifestyle and reduce stress, we're making a priority. Here at The Amazing Blog, it is no secret that we are huge fans of CBD, as it helps relax our minds and improve our focus. Regular readers will know we’re also big fans of scented candles, so when we received the UNWIND Candle by CBD wellness brand Little Green's CBD, we knew we were in for a treat.  

Little Green's CBD was founded by former personal trainer and model, Sasha Green. Having worked for over ten years in these professions, he noticed the stressful impact they were having on both his body and mind. Sasha started using CBD products on his journey to find a holistic way to help deal with stress, sleep, and recovery, but his experience was not exactly what he was hoping for. With his research and difficulty to find top-quality CBD products that also offered full transparency, it inspired him into creating his own brand, Little Green's CBD. Sasha explained, "Little Green's CBD was created with the main focus on being high quality, and where each product had a specific purpose." The brand has a range of CBD products that include candles, oils and a balm, where each is aimed at targeting a specific need. The candles have been developed to promote a sense of calm and help de-stress, the oils, one for the day to combat stress and anxiety, and the other to be taken at night to improve sleep patterns, and the balm to relieve pain and revitalise overworked bodies. Both the candles and oils are made from the broad-spectrum distillate, which is THC-free and uses the whole plant to retain the full-plant synergy. Sasha himself has benefited from using the products and commented, "These CBD products have helped me immensely and have become an integral part of my self-care routine." The emphasis here is on the importance of full transparency, as they work with a certified government supplier, and all their products are developed and tested in the UK. The brand also conducts thorough in-house testing at its factory and sends all products to a third-party lab for further testing. They also work closely with hemp plant farmers who avoid using pesticides, which means the CBD will be additive-free, with a more natural and sustainable growing approach. The company works towards safeguarding the environment by using a more eco-friendly extraction method, and through their partnership with One Tree Planted This charity aims to help with global reforestation, they plant a tree for each product sold. We were also happy to hear all their products are made from natural ingredients and are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.  

The UNWIND Candle is made from 100% eco soy wax and is infused with CBD to soothe the mind and body. Soy wax, derived from soybeans, known to be an excellent carrier oil. As a natural and renewable resource, soy wax is biodegradable and has a lower melting point than other waxes commonly used for candle-making. This difference means that soy wax candles will burn cleaner and longer, and emit less black soot than other candle composites. This candle uses a natural hand-made cotton wick, which also means it burns longer and emits less smoke. The infusion of 1500mg of broad-spectrum distillate allows the candle to harness the soothing and healing plant powers of CBD. When this candle is lit, and the fragrance fills its surroundings, the CBD here offers benefits such as boosting mood and promoting a sense of relaxation and relieving insomnia. The candle also includes a blend of essential oils with holistic and aromatherapeutic properties combining tobacco absolute, lemon, mint and jasmine – which create a warm and comforting oaky scent. The tobacco fosters an enriching and energising aroma which has been proven effective in relieving symptoms such as mild depression. The zesty lemon oil fights fatigue and listlessness, and the refreshing peppermint has uplifting qualities with compounds that promote muscles relaxation. As for jasmine essential oil, it's believed to relax the nervous system while also improving mood and wellbeing. For those looking for new ways to integrate CBD into their lives, this candle is perfect, as the CBD is not ingested, so the effects are more gradual as the candle disperses its scent into the atmosphere. Let us explain; as this CBD infused candle burns, the uplifting aroma from the CBD and essential oils stimulates the cell receptors, transmitting tranquil messages throughout the nervous and limbic system (the part of the brain that regulates emotion). Burning a candle is a great way to unwind and promote a feeling of calm and serenity, so adding CBD into the mix only further enhances these positive effects.

By lighting a candle, it offers a soothing and intimate ambience, which is precisely what we all need to start this New Year by feeling calmer and stronger. This CBD infused candle's burn time is around 30-35 hours, but we suggest trimming the candle wick around ¼ of an inch to make it last longer. Remember that you should only snip the wick when it is completely cool and always clean off any smut or remnants. This hand-poured 20cl UNWIND Candle (with 1500mg CBD) is available for purchase directly from Little Green's CBD website here are now on offer at £29.  

Smiths Scents: Green Tomato Leaf Candle, and Copper Wick Trimmer

There’s nothing quite like a candle to help create a very special ambience. At The Amazing Blog , we think that there’s nothing better than creating  harmonious surroundings with a beautiful and fragrantly rich candle. Candles have long been one of the most preferred ways of setting a mood, and we’re here to carry that legacy forward. Today we’re  introducing you to two of our #amazingfinds from Smiths Scents: The Green Tomato Leaf Candle with the  Copper Wick Trimmer. 

Smiths Scents  is a brand based in Somerset, with its roots originating back to 2013, founded by husband and wife duo Robert and Hayley Smith. With their beginnings as a candle-making as a hobby in their kitchen and inspired by their wedding preparations, Smiths Scents has since flourished into a business that they officially launched in 2018. Throughout the years, they’ve maintained their passion for making inviting and warm fragrances, and every candle is carefully hand-poured, made of cruelty-free ingredients and dispatched from their home, even to this day. The Smiths love flowers and herbs, and it’s evident in their products.  Their fragrances feature unusual combinations of floral and herbal oil which include candles such as Bay & Blackberry, Carrot Blossom & Fennel, and Cardamon & Mimosa, to name just a few. In fact, their passion for natural ingredients and materials doesn’t end there. Smiths Scents makes their candles with 100% soy wax and their diffusers with soy-based oil too. In addition, Smiths Scents pride themselves on being as sustainable, selling candles and diffusers in recyclable and vegan containers and only using packaging materials that are biodegradable or recyclable. 

We requested to try out their Green Tomato Leaf Candle. Described on their website as a “fresh and leafy uplifting fragrance that makes you reminiscent of a summer greenhouse,” it’s a perfect scent to accompany these warm summer days. The top notes of the candle are cucumber and tomato, the heart notes are basil, and the base notes of oregano and thyme tie the candle together to create a cohesive and uplifting fragrance. As we mentioned above, Smiths Scents makes all their candles using soy wax and essential oils. As a natural and renewable resource, soy wax is biodegradable and has a lower melting point than other waxes commonly used for candle-making. This difference means that soy wax candles will burn longer and last longer; they also burn cleaner and emit less black soot than other candle types. Because the candles include essential oils rather than artificial scents, you also reap the holistic and aromatherapeutic benefits as these candles burn, such as stress relief, relaxation, or a brightened mood, depending on which scents you pick. 

If you burn a candle you need a wick trimmer!  Smiths Scents kindly send us their Copper Wick Trimmer. With wick clippers on one end and elongated holders on the other, the Copper Wick Trimmer provides easy and no-mess access to the wick even after your candle has burned deep into its jar. Trimming candle wicks is an essential part of candle maintenance that improves the longevity and appearance of the candles. Untrimmed and long wicks can cause candle flames to take on a dull appearance, give off more black soot, and produce a larger flame that burns through your candles at a faster rate. By trimming your candle wicks, flames burn clearer and brighter with less unsightly soot, and help to burn candles at a slower pace, making them last longer. Top tip: It's safest to wait until your candle has completely cooled off to room temperature before you trim the wicks, and we actually like to trim our candle wicks each time before we light them. We recommend cutting wicks to about ¼ of an inch, and any debris that falls from the wick should be cleaned up before lighting the candle to keep your home safe. 

Through their shop Smiths Scents they offer a wide array of fragrances available both in candle and diffusers. If you’d like to experience the 220g Green Tomato Leaf Candle for yourself, it’s available to purchase here for a very reasonably priced £13.95 (if you select packaging with a copper lid). Or for £11.95 if you select packaging without a lid. Best of all, the burning time on this candle is 35-40 hours. The Copper Wick Trimmer is also available here for £8.00.

Afterglow Candles: We Create

At  The Amazing Blog  we’re huge fans of scented candles. We love the ambience they give, and when lighting a solo candle under the stars, it always adds to mystical evening glow. Now that alfresco dining has finally arrived we wanted to try this wild fig and blackcurrant candle We Create from Afterglow Candles and it didn’t disappoint.

Afterglow Candles are a UK luxury black-owned and eco-friendly home brand founded by Alex Bertie and her partner and co-founder Darrell. Alex is a doctor, and Darrell is a barber. The idea came when they were gifted a simple candle making kit and where they soon got creative. Since then, they have built up the business finally launching Afterglow in September 2020. Their mission is to provide luxury candles that are affordable and safe for the environment. Alex said: "Afterglow has been a labour of love and a steep learning curve, which has completely exceeded our expectations. We've met some great people along the way and can't wait to see what the future holds!" These artisan, hand-poured, and unisex candles are made in East London; the designs are simple, chic and minimalist made to suit every gender, age and social group. Where the stylised monochrome designs express luxury and affordability all at the same time. Afterglow candles are eco-friendly, with waxes that are 100% vegan, cruelty-free and non-toxic. The metal tin cases, that house the candles, are all made from recycled sources and can also be recycled and reused – we think it would make a great pen holder! Most of the ingredients are sourced from the UK in order to support local businesses and reduce the carbon footprint. Finally, Alex and Darrell wanted to have a charitable element in their business. So, they donate £1 from every sale to charities supporting adults and children living with sickle cell disease, as Darrell suffers from the disease. And in the forthcoming months, Afterglow Candles is also working with a charity called Crescent Kids  who provide support services to children and families impacted by Sickle Cell and Thalassemia.

We chose the 'We Create' a wild fig and blackcurrant candle from the Empowerment Collection. As mentioned above, all the candles come in a metal tin, together with unbleached cotton and linen wicks. Their range of candles are made using a blend of natural coconut and soy wax with high-quality essential oils and fragrances. Both waxes are a great alternative to paraffin as they are more sustainable and don’t have any nasty fumes or black smoke when burnt. Coconut wax is harvested from coconut crops that are sustainable and high in yield. It is also a great diffuser of scents and has a low impact on the environment, whereas the soy wax here is made from soybeans which are renewable and biodegradable, and helps to provide a clean burn. The fragrance combination in We Create has the top notes of cassis (blackcurrant), raspberry and sweet cherry. The heart notes are raspberry leaf and fig, and the base notes are sandalwood and cedarwood. This is uplifting and refreshing; we’d even go as far as to say inspirational, where it brings together all these summer fruits which, when lit, linger beautifully in the evening air… We think it’s one to burn to when you want to make the most of these balmy summer evenings. Also thanks to coconut and soy wax, the candle can burn for approximately 40 hours making it very cost-effective. Afterglow Candles offers nine different scented candles and a few accessories like bags, a wick trimmer and snuffer and even a USB lighter. By the way, for each candle you buy, you'll get a mini tin opener plus £1 will be donated to their appointed charity, You can buy the 250ml 'We Create' candle here for £22.

Chic & Raw: Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Crystal Candle

Who doesn’t love to burn a beautifully fragranced candle in the evening? At The Amazing Blog, we love how with its flickering ambient light it helps make a house feel like a home. This is another of our #amazingfinds, more than just a candle; this  Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Crystal Candle from Chic & Raw  combines the positive energies of crystal healing, natural soy wax and a relaxing spa-like fragrance.

Binanti Cuzner and her husband Darren created Chic & Raw in 2019. The brand started as a creative outlet to help them get away from their busy and stressful work lives. With Binanti’s love of yoga, meditation and chakra healing (focal points in ancient meditative practices), she wanted to share her knowledge and beliefs to help others through her brand. Chic & Raw dedicates itself to providing holistic and luxury products beneficial for the mind, body and soul. These are mainly candles, "I wanted to create a sense of joy and harmony with these candles," said Binanti. She studied chakras and crystal healing, matching them for an optimum release in her candles for healing crystal vibration.  She wants to combine beauty with harmony to make every home beautiful by releasing uplifting scents and integrating this with the unique crystals. Binanti believes that a harmonised home, relates to peace of mind. Chic & Raw is committed to working with a few trusted suppliers, and wherever possible, sources local ingredients from UK businesses. The cotton wicks are organic, the soy wax is natural and the fragrances are a mix of essential oils or luxury fragrances from the French perfume house, Drom. We applaud the brand their giving-back policy where they recently partnered with Ecologi to plant a tree for every product sold on Earth Day. Their current candles are themed as Crystal, Tinned and Colour Therapy. Plus, they have other lifestyle products and a new skincare Honeyzen, which for now, has only one face oil. 

As mentioned, we tried was the Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Crystal Candle, presented in a solid luxury cardboard rose gold foiled box. The candle itself comes in an elegant electroplated rose gold and etched glass container (which we later repurposed for storage). Incorporated in this candle are two rose quartz crystals positioned at opposite edges; these are ethically sourced from Madagascar. Rose quartz is known to enhance the heart chakra, boosting feelings of peace, calm and love. It is often used during meditation to help open the mind and heal the heart. It’s also possible to remove these crystals as the wax melts, placing them in your hands, or on the heart chakra to activate the rose quartz while meditating. The candle is made with natural soy wax, a non-toxic alternative to paraffin. Indeed, soy wax is biodegradable, releases less soot while burning, more sustainable and burns 50% longer than paraffin. The organic cotton wick makes it easier to continuously relight the candle, where it can last up to approximately 40 hours. The soy wax contains white tea essential oil, which is known to promote a general sense of wellbeing and helps to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and depression. This is a light and clean scent with subtle notes of citrus, basil, peony and amber. This mingles sensuously with the warm and spicy ginger oil, known for its stimulating and warming qualities. We lit this candle during those bleak February #lockdown days, using it to enhance our affirmations and offer thanks for keeping our loved ones safe. It's a candle we'd recommend lighting during meditation to uplift spirits and to help deal with any emotional pain. There are three other Crystal Candles in the range with Ruby, Amethyst and Aventurine, each one offering a different purpose. They also provide a fascinating insight on how to ‘active’ or ‘recharge’ your crystals here. As Binanti says: “Burning Chic & Raw Crystal Chakra Candles releases both the energy of the crystal and the soothing fragrances that relieves stress and helps to balance your mind and body.” Something we could all benefit from at this time. This luxurious Rose Quartz Heart Chakra Candle is available for £36 here.