The holiday shopping season is here once again, and with that comes the annual question of what to buy for those people who seem to have everything. This year, our answer has come in the shape of a candle that honors writer James Baldwin, courtesy of Oprah Winfrey.
The celebrated host just shared her favorites list for 2023, comprising fashion, beauty, and wellness essentials – and among them is one of the best candles on the market. While we admit there are lots of notable candles to shop this season, Oprah's pick, Purple Love, by the Harlem Candle Company, is one of the most unique out there.
According to the Harlem Candle Company, 'Purple Love' pays tribute to writer James Baldwin, who traveled from Harlem to Provence, France, in the pursuit of love. The scent 'celebrates love' and 'portrays a dramatic, romantic theme with both masculine and feminine accords melding beautifully together' – from the opening of crisp apple and watery green notes to the nuance of aromatic elemi and clove.
This candle has bottom notes of elemi, apple, and clove, middle notes of Rose de Mai, and a base of Sandalwood – all of which capture the aroma of Provence in a stylish shell, designed in Harlem.
'This hand-poured candle was created just for us and gives off a lush rose scent, with elements of sandalwood and clove,' Oprah says on her favorites list.
The rose scent, in particular, is a tribute to James Baldwin's affection for his garden in St. Paul de Vence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The garden reportedly had blossoms of varying shades of crimson and deep violet that complemented the purple sky when the sun set over southern France. The sandalwood base is said to bring further 'warmth and depth' to this unique blend – a subtle nod to a literary great.
The Harlem Candle Company itself offers another reason to get excited. Created by lifestyle expert Teri Johnson in, you guessed it, Harlem, the brand is a blend of her love for her fragrance, jazz, and the vibrant spirit of this zip code. The result means we can enjoy the coolness of Harlem with scents from around the world – in this case, France – and we can't think of a more unique mix.
Candle aside, our other top picks from Oprah's list include the Ooni Volt 12 pizza oven (we can confirm it's one of the best pizza ovens out there after our recent test) and the Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Electric Kettle, approved by our in-house barista Laura.
