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Livingetc
Livingetc
Amiya Baratan

What Do the 'Notes' of a Candle Actually Mean? How to Decipher Them, and Use Them to Find a Home Fragrance That You'll Actually Like

A dark rum scented candle on a chrome tray by a coupe with a vial of fragrance oil on a marble counter by a chrome jigger and a bowl of pinecones.

It's been a long, long time since I looked at the label of a candle in confusion, wondering whether the words 'top', 'heart', and 'base' meant anything at all. My curiosity stemmed from the writings on perfume bottles, but was only taken seriously when I began candle collecting.

And let me tell you, these little nuggets of educational information will make such a difference to how home fragrance trends manifest in your space. Instead of going home to find that your votive doesn't really smell as expected, you'll be better equipped at choosing the best scented candles based on the notes you so desire.

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