Let’s talk about candles for a minute, shall we?
The subject may sound trivial but it isn’t, given that our habit of lighting candles to fill our homes with sweet fragrances participates directly in domestic pollution.
The majority of candles sold on the market are made with a mineral wax, which is none other than paraffin, a product made from solid petrol residues.
Delicious.
Their fragrances are often made synthetically and aren’t even present in the whole candle but only in the top third to attract the customer or around the wick to diffuse a faint smell (of fraud…).
Even better.
This explains the relatively low pricing practiced by many producers.
Personally, I prefer buying a smaller quantity of candles which are of better quality, made with vegetable wax and filled with harmonious fragrances assembled by a true nose in Grasse.
I am referring to a specific brand (as you might’ve guessed): the “Un Soir à l’Opéra” candles – it was love at first sight (smell?).
I was seduced not only by the product but also by the creator, the charming Katia.
Her childhood was always in tune with operas, as her mother was a lyrical artist at the Opéra de Paris. Katia would often watch the rehearsals and the shows perched up between a couple of pulleys backstage.
Her narrative explains why Katia creates each candle with care on the basis of a specific opera. The Magic Flute releases the cedar fragrances of the flute itself. La Bayadère’s oriental spices transports us to India and Don Giovanni’s combination of incense and salt reminds us of Venice’s churches and canals.
Initiating your children to lyrical art whilst making sure your home smells good: a perfect combination if I ever saw one.
September 21, 2018
