candles

If you happen to live in a world where money is meaningless, may we suggest you take a gander at this Missoni Home Torta candle ($520)? It's a pretty four-wick candle with a zigzag pattern and a Missoni plaque stuck to the side, so everyone will know it's designer. Also, it costs more than some peoples' rent.

This is the sort of thing that makes me wonder if, somewhere, there are candle connoisseurs just waiting to snap these up, and candle museums that will need one for their collections. Because what else could explain something costing this much? It isn't even perfumed, so there are no fancy oils to use as an excuse. Plus, for $520, you can get a candle-making kit, take a candle-making course, then make 80 candles yourself and still have money to burn.

Baxter of California and original Parisian cool-girl boutique Colette have teamed up to give California its very own honorary candle: Cruel Summer ($30). While it's fittingly scented with a green floral accord "inspired by the scent and ambience of California," this definitely sounds a little bit more like So Cal to this Northern California girl. But still, it got me thinking about what other states' candles would smell like. Do you have any state candle suggestions? To read my stereotype-laden ideas, just keep reading.

If you've read any of my past candle reviews, you probably know that as much as I'm a candle fanatic, I'm also quite picky about what I light up in my home. The latest candle to come under my scrutiny is Tocca's Colette Candle ($38). I've had good experiences with the luxury brand's beauty products in the past, but had never tried Tocca home fragrances.

Just like the Tocca Bianca, which I recently reviewed, Colette had me at hello. The 10.6-oz. candle is elegantly packaged in a Tiffany-blue box with the brand's chic, gilded logo. The candle itself arrives in a luxe, milk-white glass vessel, which suits any interior and can be reused with tea lights or even as a small vase. In other words, the packaging is perfection.

Now, on to the scent . . . Colette's primary notes are of warm incense, musky vanilla, and amber. I'm generally very opposed to vanilla scents, but this one is very subtle and smells natural like a vanilla bean, rather than artificial. The "warm incense" doesn't seem to have much play here, and the amber is the most intriguing note. Overall, the fragrance is sophisticated and seductive with an alluring, je ne sais quoi confidence, much like the French lady it's named for. I'd reserve this one for evenings — and maybe even just for the bedroom.

The candle has a 60-hour approximate burning time, which ranks up there with the best of them. Anything burning over 40 hours gets a high five from me. As single wick candles tend to do, if at the end this one burns too deeply, it'll be a perfect contender to be salvaged in such a beautiful jar. But mind you, this one's made of paraffin wax, so it's not as eco-friendly as its soy-wax counterparts. As for the price, this one is no bargain; I do have some favorites that clock in around $15-$30. But the scent is elegant and understated, so it's a foolproof alternative to pricier Dipytque candles, which cost an arm and a leg at $60.

You can order this one from Sephora or check out a range of Tocca's other scents in a local Sephora, if you want to sniff before you buy!

If you've read any of my past candle reviews, you probably know that as much as I'm a candle fanatic, I'm also quite picky about what I light up in my home. The latest candle to come under my scrutiny is Tocca's Bianca Candle ($38). I've had good experiences with the luxury brand's beauty products in the past, but had never tried Tocca home fragrances.

To begin, let's just say that Bianca had me at hello. The 10.6-oz. candle is elegantly packaged in a Tiffany-blue box with the brand's chic, gilded logo. The candle itself arrives in a luxe, milk-white glass vessel, which suits any interior and can be reused with tea lights or even as a small vase. In other words, the packaging is perfection.

Now, on to the scent . . . Bianca's primary notes are of green tea, lemon, and a dash of sugar. It smells herbal with a subtle sweetness, but it's not overwhelming or heavy. It has a truly beautiful fragrance that's light, airy, and transitional. It's perfect year-round, for daytime and evening occasions, but I see myself mostly pairing with a long bath, a cup of tea, a good book, and maybe a glass of red wine.

The candle has a 60-hour approximate burning time, which ranks up there with the best of them. Anything burning over 40 hours gets a high five from me. As single wick candles tend to do, if at the end this one burns too deeply, it'll be a perfect contender to be salvaged in such a beautiful jar. But mind you, this one's made of paraffin wax, so it's not as eco-friendly as its soy-wax counterparts. As for the price, this one is no bargain; I do have some favorites that clock in around $15-$30. But the scent is elegant and understated, so it's a foolproof alternative to pricier Dipytque candles, which cost an arm and a leg at $60.

You can check out a range of Tocca's other scents at Sephora, if you want to sniff before you buy! I'm excited to try more Tocca scents; I think I may be on my way to finding my favorite!

Watch out, Yankee Candle. Thirteen-year-old Hart Main is hot on your trail. The teenage entrepreneur has created a line of candles scented with "masculine" aromas like buttered popcorn, grass, garage, sawdust, and bacon. Each hand-poured Mancans candle is packaged in an empty soup can (Hart reuses them after donating food to a soup kitchen) and shipped from his central Ohio home. And if that weren't enough, the budding wax mogul makes his own commercials to show how his product can magically transform Justin Bieber into one of the manliest men in music history: