Can you give your home a designer scent for under £5?
Are expensive candles and diffusers really worth their price tags? Fragrance expert Karen Gilbert gives us the low-down…
Designer candles D can be a seductive concept. On one hand, they’re a way of adding a high-end element at home without splashing too much cash. On the other hand – you can spend upwards of £50 on something that will burn out in a week or two. Fragrance expert Karen Gilbert shares her insider knowledge on what to spend your money on…
“Candles might look simple, but a lot of thought goes into them for both quality and safety. When buying luxury candles or diffusers, there will be a high expectation on what we call ‘throw’ – which is how much the scent fills the room. To do this, you need higher fragrance levels and a bigger budget for the materials. Lots of people want natural scents in their candles and that comes with a higher price. Natural oils don’t give the same powerful scent that synthetic fragrances do, so more scent and a bigger budget is needed.
“I think there’s a fine line between paying for quality and paying huge amounts for designer brands. Packaging is also costly, so with limited editions and beautiful wrapping you can expect to pay a lot more. When choosing candles for your home, think about what you’re looking to achieve. If you’re just looking for a warm cosy glow, then you don’t need to spend a fortune on designer candles.”