In today’s economy, an expensive-smelling candle with a fragrance that fills the room – let alone half my flat – and costs under £30 is a rare find (and, believe me, I have burnt a lot of scented candles in my time). But Space NK’s Shimmering Spice Candle ticks both of those boxes.
If you’ve stepped into any Space NK store before, you’ll know that it’s a beauty enthusiast’s dream. A treasure trove for things like the best luxury candles, foundations and one of the best ranges of travel minis you’ll find in a shop, it remains one of my favourite destinations for all things beauty. It’s where I first tried brands like Kevyn Aucoin, Oribe and Sunday Riley and I have more of their zip-around beauty bags than I care to admit.
Something that beauty editors regularly whisper about, however, is Space NK’s lesser discussed winter candle offering. A longstanding favourite amongst beauty editors and insiders, the Shimmering Spice Candle, has been part of the Space NK festive furniture for more than a decade. Designs of the vessel have varied over the years, with previous editions including orange and fuchsia swirls, geometric diamonds and even metallic baubles, but the scent has remained the same. This year’s design, however, feels particularly festive—and I’m struggling not to burn it to the base before the end of November.
Arriving in a very festive-looking green and gold box, this year’s Shimmering Spice Candle is housed in a clear glass adorned with a gold pattern that, when lit, really amplifies the candlelight. I’m all for a minimalistic design, but I like that this will double as a tasteful Christmas decoration for me. I do clean out pretty candle jars to reuse them, so I think this would make a lovely pot for pens or make-up brushes.
The first time I lit it, the 190g Shimmering Spice Candle took a bit less than three hours to melt the surface of the wax (which is crucial if you want to look after your candles and avoid tunnelling). As for that festive-sounding cinnamon and all-spice fragrance? You get just the right amount of warmth from those notes, with a little orange and woody cedar for a gorgeous wintery candle.
(Image credit: Lucy Abbersteen)
And, thankfully, this isn’t a scented candle you need to sit close to in order to get a whiff of its fragrance. The projection is great—not only does it fill my living room, you easily can smell it through most of my flat once it’s been burning for 30-60 minutes. Better still, the scent slowly fades but is still detectable for around an hour after you’ve blown it out.
The single wick edition comes with a burn time of 40 hours—at this rate, I’ll need to order in the three wick version (£42) if I want to scent my home through to January. If you’re in need of an easy win for a gift for a loved one over the holidays and have set a £30 limit, this would make a lovely gift. I may whack the diffuser onto my own Christmas wish list, too, actually.