Weapon of seduction number one: scented candles (okay, fine, so maybe it’s number two if you count lingerie). You ain’t gotta go all 9 1/2 Weeks with it and start dripping hot wax all over your boo’s body (although, if that’s your thing, go for it), but every gal knows that candles are key in setting the mood (as is music — be it Maxwell, Sade, Al Green, or Jill Scott). And sure, you can go and get some cheap tealight candles at your local drugstore, but do you really wanna half-step? That’s like doing a striptease with mismatched cotton underwear. Nah, if you wanna make sweet music in your boudoir, you gotta pull out all the stops.
Which brings me to Joya Candle’s new Perfume in Porcelain collection, designed by Sarah Cihat.These black candles come in three scents: Sandalwood Striker Lily, Gunpowder Green Tea (pictured above) and Absolute Narcissus. Each candle is hand-poured into a slip cast ceramic case, which is then emblazoned with a subversive image (in this case, a skull). Only 150 pieces are available for each design, and each is numbered and packaged in a luxurious, modern white-and-black box.The Gunpowder Green Tea candle fuses together essential oils and fine fragrances, yielding an earthy and slightly spicy aroma (a result of the clever mix of white mint, Sicilian lemon, calla lily and shiso tea leaves) that’s simply divine.
Now, if you’re looking for a bold statement piece to liven up your decor, I’d suggest investing in the Fragrance Diffuser Set, pictured here in the Quince and Heliotrope Petals scent. The set comes with this sculptural ceramic vessel, as well as the accompanying reed sticks and scented oil. All you have to do is pour some oil into the container, insert the reed sticks, and carefully flip them over so that the oil-soaked tips are exposed to the air. Your home will smell like a fresh garden/orchard (think iris powder, mango, mandarin orange and teakwood) and you’ll have a design accent that’s a straight-up conversation piece.
The Perfume in Porcelain collection is available at selected Barneys Co-op locations.
Joya Candle Perfume in Porcelain Gunpowder Green Tea candle, $48; visit Barneys.com. Quince & Heliotrope Petals Fragrance Diffuser Set, $76; visit Barneys.com. For more information on Joya Candle, visit JoyaCandle.com
