I'm notoriously picky about candles. It's not enough to just catch a passing whiff of the scent—I need it to envelop and transport me, without becoming too overwhelming. I know it's a tall order, and, quite frankly, most candles aren't able to strike this precise balance. However, the new Take Your Time candle, a collaborative creation between Nette, an award-winning clean fragrance brand, and cult-favorite haircare line Crown Affair? Consider me delighted.
Housed in a hand-thrown ceramic vessel, this candle is the epitome of a blissful stroll through Martha Stewart's garden on a serene spring day—a blend of yuzu, apple, lemon blossom, tea, and freshwater lotus, all grounded by woody notes like cedar wood, sandalwood, and amber. Subtle enough to sit next to me while I work yet capable of cutting through the dusty aroma of my home office, Take Your Time marries Crown Affair's fresh and sexy Signature Scent with an elegant coziness that is distinctly Nette in nature. The resulting candle launches today, Oct. 5, on Sephora and Monday, Oct. 8 on the Nette and Crown Affair websites.
The collaboration stemmed from the brand founders' mutual admiration for each other's work. Nette founder Carol Han Pyle tells Marie Claire that she exclusively uses Crown Affair products on her hair. Likewise, Crown Affair founder Dianna Cohen has been burning Nette's chic, sustainable candles in her home since their debut in December 2020. Coincidentally, Cohen always hoped to someday turn Crown Affair's juicy Signature Scent—which perfumes every formula in the line, from shampoo to finishing spray—into a home fragrance.
"The process was quite involved but we had an amazing French perfumer, Laurent Le Guernec, working with us, and his mastery and understanding of what was needed made all the difference," Pyle recalls of the candle development. She adds that the team didn't want to stray too far from the Crown Affair scent as it is, in her opinion, "quite perfect." All that was left was to make a few adjustments to help it become even more appropriate for a home environment. To do this, they added cedar wood, sandalwood, and amber to the base, as well as a hint of green apple to enhance the sweetness of the top notes.
"Home scents are meant to last longer and fill the whole room, while body fragrances are more personal and designed to stay close to your skin," explains Cohen of the tweaks. "Home scents [create] a specific atmosphere, whether that’s cozy, calming, or fresh. Body fragrances, on the other hand, are about expressing your personal style or mood."
Of course, Take Your Time isn't the only Nette candle Cohen is obsessed with these days. "I love the Laide Tomate candle," she gushes. "It is in two places in my home because it's honestly one of the best executions of the tomato scent that I’ve ever experienced. I really love The Magician, too. There’s something really cozy about it." She adds that Nette Coco Fleur is her go-to from the fragrance collection.
As for Pyle's favorite Crown Affair products? She swears by The Cleansing Scrub and The Renewal Mask. "I use them all, really, but [those] two are absolutely non-negotiable," she says. "I really appreciate the deeper clean that the scrub delivers without feeling stripping, and the granular texture feels so satisfying on the scalp. And the mask is just this luscious formula that makes my hair feel and smell great."
Luckily, you'll no longer have to wait for wash day to indulge in the spa-like experience of the Crown Affair scent. Shop the Nette x Crown Affair Take Your Time candle, along with both founders' top recommendations, below.
