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‘Tis the season to light a candle, or a dozen—in fact, Candles.org estimates that Americans spend $3.2 billion (yes, billion) a year on these flaming sticks of wax. And to be fair, many candles are dirt-cheap. Yet on the other end of the spectrum, there are candles so pricey, people don’t dare to light them since this amounts to hundreds of dollars going up in smoke. Seriously, what’s up with that?
According to candle makers at least, there are many valid reasons why candles can cost a pretty penny. First, there’s the quality of the wax. Beeswax is the priciest, according to Christine Flores of the Beeswax Co., and runs 10 times more than the usual paraffin. Beeswax costs more due to the mind-boggling fact that it takes about 8 pounds of honey to net 1 pound of beeswax.
Then there’s a candle’s scent. Surveys put the number of available candle fragrances at 10,000. And, similar to pricey perfumes, these pleasing odors are made of ingredients such as rose essential oil that “can run over a couple of hundred dollars for a small container,” says W. Jonathan Poston, who has worked as a pricing consultant with candle makers.
Then again, Poston also says that many candle companies jack up their prices simply to send out the message that they are true luxury products.
In other words, that cute candle that graces your dining room table, or the one you light to chant your oms every night, might just be a rip-off, plain and simple.
But hey, it’s the holidays! So if you absolutely must splurge, here are some tips: For starters, make sure to factor in the burn time, which is typically on the label somewhere. If an expensive candle lasts a long time, then maybe it’s worth the extra cash.
Another cool tip? If you want to get more bang for your candle buck, slow the burn time by snipping the wick. Shorter wick = slower burn.
And in case you don’t believe us, here’s a rundown of some of the most expensive candles that somehow have devoted fans who buy them.
Fornasetti scented candle with lid ($175)
Come on baby, light my hand-poured fire.
Amazon
This will come as a surprise to absolutely no one, but surveys show that 90% of all candles—like this one above—are purchased by women. One online reviewer confesses that, “this is my third Fornasetti candle with lid. Can’t seem to stop buying them despite the price tag.”
So why is it so steep? This one is hand-poured and, according to Traci Pichette, founder of Pumeli.com, who uses candles in her curated gift boxes, “hand-poured candles cost more due to the labor involved.” (Um, we’ll take a boring, old machine-poured candle any day if it’s cheaper.)
Burn time: 70 to 80 hours
———
Cedar wood-scented candle by Burberry ($495)
From trenchcoats to candles?
Burberry
A company renowned for raincoats is a player in the candle biz? Yep. Hence why this five-wick candle is, according to the product description, “presented in a hand-glazed black ceramic holder that evokes one of the classic Burberry Heritage Trench Coat shades.” Imagine that, a trenchcoat candle!
Still wondering why this candle that smells like “intense precious wood” is so pricey? Consider that Burberry argyle socks cost $135 a pair. (Translation: You’re paying for the status symbol a brand name such as Burberry affords.)
Burn time: 185 hours
———
Jo Malone London pomegranate noir luxury candle ($470)
Wick-ed expensive
Jo Malone
Jo Malone pioneered luscious, unusual scents for perfumes and colognes in her native Britain in the 1990s, and her eponymous products went on to become one of England’s most famous fragrance brands. It’s no wonder Malone branched out to the lucrative candle industry with products such as this outrageously exorbitant pomegranate noir five-wick wonder. Is it worth shelling out half-a-thou to enjoy it?
“The best fragrance you have ever used,” insists Aisha O. in an influenster.com review. God bless, Aisha O!
Burn time: 230 hours
———
Diptyque baies / berries 5-wick ($295)
Oh-la-la!
Diptyque
Diptyque helped pave the way for the ultrafancy candle boom when then–Gucci designer Tom Ford put these wallet-busters in his stores. The candles now enjoy a “cult-like following among the entertainment and fashion crowds,” according to the New York Times. The brand’s most popular candle starts at around $65, and prices go up to $295.
Burn time: 293 hours
———
Voluspa Hearth 5-wick candle ($198)
The electroplated glass of this candle claims to mimic the glow of a fireplace.
Voluspa
This hand-poured Goji Tarocco Orange–scented candle is made of a proprietary coconut wax, which accounts for at least part of its hefty price tag. Coconut wax, you see, isn’t so easy to make. First you have to gather up all those coconuts and cold press the oil out of the meat. That oil then becomes wax through hydrogenation. The result is a creamy, clean-burning wax that’s better at holding scents than, say, your ho-hum paraffin wax. (No word, though, on what tarocco is.)
Burn time: 250 hours
———
Spiritus Sancti great candle by Cire Trudon ($495)
Hey, at least shipping is free!
Barneys
Founded in 1643, Cire Trudon is one of the oldest wax-producing factories in the world and once provided candles to Louis XIV (aka the Sun King). That lineage may account for the price, or the sky-high cost may be chalked up to the brand’s hand-crafted glass container.
Burn time: 200 hours+
———
Hermès Nuit du Solstice candle bowl, large ($450)
Hermès doesn’t just make candles.
Bergdorf Goodman
Yes, ultraluxe accessories brand Hermès is now hawking a scented porcelain candle bowl with a red enameled finish. When the candle burns away, at least you’ll have a cool bowl to save pennies in, right? (And if you thought Burberry socks were costly, Hermès baby socks run an eye-popping $245.)
Burn time: 105 hours
The post Why Are Candles So Freakin’ Expensive? A Must-Read Holiday Rant appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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