As some of my writing for Strategist suggests, I spend too much money on candles. Not the cheap ones you can find at a drugstore but far fancier hunks of perfumed wax that can cost as much as dinner and drinks. Once that wax burns away, though, I’m always left with empty jars that litter my medicine cabinet, windowsills, and nightstand as testaments to my expensive habit. Like any good candle aficionado, I do my best to reuse them: I repurposed an empty Byredo candle into a toothpaste-and-toothbrush holder; a Diptyque Bais jar became storage for my scrunchies and other hair baubles; an old Maison Louie Marie No. 04 vessel now houses cotton rounds. But my collection of empty candle jars eventually reached a saturation point. There are only so many beauty bits and bobs that need a place, after all.
Of all the things I imagined repurposing my empty candle jars for, perhaps the only thing that never occurred to me was to reuse them for … more candles. So when I saw an ad for Siblings, a company that sells DIY candle kits meant to be used with vessels you already own, it was nothing short of a revelation. The affordable kits are packaged in plant-based bags, and each comes with a hunk of scented coconut-blend wax, a wick, and a wick holder that you use to assemble a candle inside whatever reusable vessel you might have lying around the house.
I ended up going with Scent No. 01, which features notes of bergamot, white rose, and oakmoss. The candle-making process couldn’t have been easier: Following the included instructions, I simply microwaved the hunk of wax in its bag, centered the wick in an empty jar using the provided wooden holder, poured the wax, and waited for it to solidify. (If you don’t have a microwave, Siblings recommends that you place the bag in a pot of simmering water for about five minutes or until it melts.) I poured my wax into an empty Byredo Burning Rose candle, on which I spent $85 — or almost four times the price of a Siblings kit — to make my apartment smell like the Glossier showroom for 60 hours (the same burn time as each Siblings scent). While I certainly felt like a folksy candlemaker, it was probably the least labor-intensive DIY project I’ve ever done. And once I trimmed the wick and lit a match, I found that not only did the Siblings scent fill my kitchen; it was also a dead ringer for the Burning Rose candle it replaced.
Scent No. 01 is one of nine sophisticated-sounding fragrances from the brand; others I want to try include No. 09, with warm notes of coconut milk, fresh fig, and sandalwood, and No. 04, with wintery notes of eucalyptus, balsam, and wild berries. For those who don’t have scores of empty vessels at their disposal, Siblings sells a wheel-thrown ceramic “Forever Vessel” made by Los Angeles–based pottery studio Sheldon Ceramics for a not-unreasonable $40. And if, like me, you have a candle-burning habit, the brand sells its scents via a subscription plan: Every three months, it will send a new candle kit to your door and take 15 percent off that kit, making the already affordable indulgences that much cheaper.
More Siblings scents
The aforementioned No. 09 that I have a feeling will give Diptyque’s Figuier a run for its money.
If you want to make your bedroom smell like a Scandinavian forest this winter.
Those who prefer something a little sweeter might try this cardamom-and-vanilla-infused option.
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