Bohēme’s Candles and Scented Matches Evoke the Spirit of Travel Without Leaving Home
These days, there are so many candle brands out there that it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.
As someone who essentially has a candle burning on her desk at all times, I've tried candles in all shapes and sizes over the years, and I've gotten pickier about the candles that deserve my time. So, when the folks at Bohēme Fragrances invited me to chat with them about their travel-inspired candles and scented matches, I was intrigued. I hopped on a video call with founder Sadaf Kherani to learn all about what makes Bohēme special, and got the chance to try their products for myself, and here's what I discovered.
The Brand
Bohēme is a unique candle brand with specially crafted scents designed to evoke a sense of travel and the love for new adventures. Created by Sadaf Kherani, herself a world traveler, each candle in the Wanderlust collection captures the spirit of a specific destination, and the sights and smells you'd experience upon traveling there.
Bohēme's candles are all handmade in the U.S. and made with clean-burning, all-natural and non-toxic vegan candle wax, with the best scents around. The brand also features their Girl on Fire scented matches, with their own delicious scents, and long handles perfect for lighting all sizes of candles.
During our meeting, Sadaf also shared her top tips for getting the very most of your candles. For example, it's crucial to trim the wick to a quarter of an inch before each lighting for the cleanest burn possible, and your first burn should always be long enough that the entire top layer of the candle liquifies, ensuring even burnings on subsequent lightings. With all of this in mind, I looked forward to the arrival of my matches and candle, and the lovely scents they had in store for me.
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The Products
Ember Girl on Fire Matches: $25
One of the things that initially intrigued me most about Bohēme was actually their Girl on Fire line of scented matches. I'd never seen scented matches before, and even better, these are long, sleek aspen wood matches that work great for standard and tall candles alike.
Even before opening the Ember matches, I could smell them—a little fruity and sweet, and a little floral, scented with red currant, mimosa and vanilla. I was burning a different candle at the time and was a little too excited to strike up the match to light it. Even the box, with its golden window on the front, was gorgeous.
And while its marvelous fruity scent didn't last long, I loved that it was paired with the slightly sulfurous smell of a burning match to make it smell even better. The stripe for striking the match along the side of the box is also huge, which is great for anyone who's ever had to deal with being unable to light a match because theirs was small and worn out.
One thing to be wary of, however, is that, like any match, it burns down fast. You'll want to act swiftly, yet carefully, with it and have a plan for disposing of it properly once it's blown out. And while they might smell like incense, they're not, so once you blow them out, they should stop burning.
(via Bohēme Fragrances)
Marisol Girl on Fire Matches: $25
When the time came to finally light by Bohēme candle, I also had to use a Girl on Fire match to get things started. Again, I could smell the matches before even removing the plastic wrap around the box. These ones smelled even more of incense, scented with cardamom, clove and sandalwood to create a scent that was a little woodsy, a little musky and a little sweet, and yet again, it smelled even better once it had been lit. Of course, lighting my Asti candle for the first time was just the beginning.
(via Bohēme Fragrances)
Asti Wanderlust Candle: $49
Before I even opened it up, I was impressed with the Asti Wanderlust candle. It comes in a stunning green box that slides open, with a subtle golden outline of a window, and would be perfectly recyclable into a cute trinket box.
As recommended, I trimmed the candle's wick to a quarter of an inch before using the Marisol match to light it, and immediately I was enamored with the scent. It's inspired by the Asti region of Northern Italy, known for its grape-growing and local florals, as well as its views of the Italian Alps.
The first sense I got was a fruity, almost candy-like scent, with the scent of white grape and apple coming through strongly, but as the candle burned, more complexity came to shine through. Beneath the fruit, there's also sweet jasmine and musk, and through the candle's entire 50-hour burn time, spread out over more than a week, I never tired of the scent.
And once the candle had burned out, I was surprised to see that there was zero wax left in the bottom of the candle, which had burned cleanly all the way down to the very bottom. I love how unwasteful that is, and I'm now left with a ridiculously cute vessel I plan to clean out and repurpose.
(via Bohēme Fragrances)
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Bottom Line
Bohēme makes premium products with travel-inspired scents that impress, so whether you're looking for a candle with a scent you've never quite smelled before, or are curious about the magic of scented matches, they're absolutely worth exploring. While these aren't bargain-priced candles, they're also on the affordable side for their luxurious offerings, and you will not be disappointed by what they have to offer.
Not looking to spend so much on great-smelling candles? Click HERE to learn all about Bath & Body Works' White Barn collection.