Travel

Pack a travel candle to set the right mood on your next vacation

You’ve packed, prepped and ready to travel. Missed anything? Take some time to consider your destination and the importance of the right ambience to set the mood when you arrive at your well-earned vacation.

Blokes are being told they are not romantic enough, don’t spend enough time thinking about our other half (mostly from their other half) and not offer enough care and attention when selecting the right accommodation for two long weeks away from home.

Back at home, everyone appreciates familiarity. There’s a reason why time and effort is spent crafting the right vibe and environment for an evening. This is partly achieved through the use of the right candle and the aroma is important.

The same theory applies to your vacation, hotel room when you’re away on business or any other unfamiliar location. We appreciate when a hotel has made an effort to freshen their room, naturally. Not every hotel makes that kind of effort.

Both business partners here at Short Motivation respect the relaxing aroma you find when you stay at 1 Hotels. Head to 1 Hotel South Beach and the distinct smell of cedarwood remains through the building, giving the entire hotel a fresh, woody, relaxing vibe.

If you are the first person to stay in an Airbnb or villa, you might find it has a slight musty smell from lack of use, early in the season. We recently travelled to a fantastic Airbnb in Miami, but the first thing we noticed is how musty the building smelt when we entered the door. Not a pleasant welcome.

The solution is a candle. Before you start thinking how it’s possible to bring a huge candle in your cabin baggage, there are plenty of special travel-sized candles which are ample for a few days away. You’ll only need to light a candle for an hour or two each evening, perhaps before you’re getting ready in the room for an evening meal.

The question is, what aroma would you consider? Smell is very subjective. Whilst one person might like the deep aroma of a smokey fire, another may prefer the sweet aroma of red roses. It’s wise to find one that is suitable for both parties in the room, which is why we recommend a fresh, light and natural smell such as cedarwood or vetiver.

We’ve picked various candles from some of our favourite brands and the most likely we’d pack and take on our vacation.

Diptyque “Cyprès” mini candle has woody overtones

Diptyque ‘Cyprès’ Mini Candle

It’s spring, you’re travelling through Italy and think of the smells you associate with the countryside. The fresh, evergreen, conifer which is prevalent in the area.

The Cypress tree, famous for its cones, produces an essential oil you’ll find in many men’s fragrances. Cypress has a woody, sharp, citrus notes and is associated with reducing anxiety, which is perfect for arriving at your new destination.

This mini candle is 70g and has a burn time of around 30 hours, which is ideal for a long weekend away.

Available now for $34/£24.

Molton Brown ‘Black Pepper’ Mini Candle

Molton Brown ‘Black Pepper’ Mini Candle

Black pepper is a rare universal fragrance with deep, spicy, warm and musky notes. The essential oil has warming, anti-inflammatory benefits, making it ideal for relaxing, particularly after a run or gym session on your vacation.

This 30g mini version of the more popular Molton Brown candle is relatively small and is only ideal for a couple of evenings, so perhaps 48 hours in your favourite city.

Sadly it’s only available as part of a 4-candle collection.

Available now for $58/£42.

Malin+Goetz ‘Vetiver’ Votive

Malin+Goetz ‘Vetiver’ Votive

Vetiver is an essential oil from Asia which is used to uplift, sooth and boost energy levels, which could be ideal after a long international flight.

This travel candle combines vetiver with cedarwood to offer citrus, fruity and a fresh lasting sent. This travel version, in a 67g format. Although we do not have a burning time recommendation, it should be good for a long weekend and is one of the better-valued travel candles.

Available now for $20/£16.

Tom Dixon ‘London’ Candle

Tom Dixon ‘London’ Candle

Surely your first thought of London would be smog from the vehicles or dirt from other sources, but step away from the busy areas and there are plenty of other smells associated with the city.

Tom Dixon has attempted – and succeeded – in capturing these aromas within this candle and it’s one of our favourites. Expect to find notes of red brick, mixed with spring crocuses and the salty smell of the river Thames.

This mini candle as a burn time of 80 hours and is part of an expensive 3-candle ‘Eclectic’ set.

Available now for  $110/£80.

There are plenty of other candle options from other manufacturers. However, we’ve attempted to capture some of our favourites. We may add to this article in future if our options change, so watch this space.

If you want to share your favourite travel candle, let us know in the comments section below.

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About Author

The co-founder of Short Motivation, Chris originates from a technology background, initially developing software and then migrating to the international magazine industry for the last 15 years. The idea for Short Motivation came from travelling through 2011 and eventually became reality six years later, in 2017.