Diffuser, Candle...or Both?

I struggle for space to display items in general at Bellacara, but during the holidays the struggle is epic. One of the things I stock up on during the colder months is candles. I don’t always have room for them, but once it gets cold I can’t resist lighting candles around the house. I love the glow of the flickering flame on my coffee table as I snuggle up in a cozy blanket. However, I am a bit of a candle snob. I don’t like candles that are too sweet, too strong, not strong enough, don’t burn evenly, the list goes on. So, finding ones that fit the bill isn’t easy. I also don’t like candles that have too much of a design on them. I want them to live with my décor, not be the décor. As a result, I don’t have that many candles. But as of this week, I have a ton.I have now added the candles from Molton Brown to our Molton Brown collection. These candles come in beautifully colored glass with the Molton Brown logo etched rather than written on the glass. They emit a gorgeous, intense scent that can be smelled throughout the house, even after it’s been snuffed. My favorite scent changes from season to season, but right now I’m loving the Black Pepper.We also have a small assortment of Tocca candles in stock. As most of you know, I once carried a very large assortment of Tocca candles. Over the years I bored of some the same old scents and became less enthralled with the vessels they came in...and I eventually stopped carrying them. This year I happened to be sent the new line to look at and I was impressed. The new candles have a very heavy, thick glass container. Instead of a label smacked on the front, the logo is printed on the glass. The boxes aren’t flimsy fold-overs, but rather substantial, lidded ones. The presentation is so good that the $42 price tag actually seems a bit low. The scents are also lovely. I personally love Tuscany as a wonderful kitchen candle with Tomato on the Vine as the base fragrance. The presentation is beautiful. Simply tie a bow around a box and it’s a wonderful gift.Those of you who like a smaller candle for travel or powder rooms are in luck as well. I have a new line of travel candles in four scents with matching hand creams and soaps. The candles burn well and send a lot of fragrance for a small candle. Fog smells like a nice men’s cologne, which for some reason I just love.Last but not least, we have LAFCO. These candles are the largest of our collection with the most variety in scent offerings. There is something for everyone. I love a lot of these candles. Penthouse, which smells like champagne, and Ski House, which has the scent of firewood, are my winter favorites. The glass vessels are hand blown and come in a variety of colors. They can be popped in to the freezer after the candle has burned all the way down. Once frozen, simply pop the wax out of the bottom and wash. You now have a vase, a margarita glass, or a beautiful votive holder.I am such a fan, that this year I added diffusers in several of the scents. Of course, I have Feu de Bois in both diffuser and candle now as I have realized that having the diffuser means I can enjoy the scent from every room in the house and only burn the candle when I’m actually in the room to enjoy the flickering light. The best part? Once you buy the diffuser you never need buy it again. Simply purchase the refill and use the original hand-blown vessel over and over again. Want to try a new scent? Buy a different refill. Genius.