NEWS | Stories Parfums Launches Candles

STORIES Parfums, Northern Ireland’s very first luxury, niche perfume house, has extended its covetable fragrance collection with the launch of candles.

Cire Trudon Introduces Six

Creating the perfect candle is an art form, and no brand does it better than Cire Trudon. Cire Trudon is the oldest candlemaker in the world and once provided candles to the royal court of Louis XIV, ooh la la...

The Christmas Candle Edit

Picking the perfect home scent for the Christmas season should be a top priority! After all, do you not want your home to smell like a winter wonderland!?

Being a candle freak, I've been on the hunt for this season's best scent and - to save your ass the trouble of trawling through shops and safari - I'm going to share my favourites...

Review: Petits Rituels Sensual Healing Candle

The Price: £35.00 200g

The Stockist: petitsrituels.com

The Review: Petits Rituels is the brainchild of Nathalie Allard, an ex-Parisian with a passion for organic products, essential oils and candle making. Her dream was to create a range of candles that each provide an aromatic experience, evoking feelings of wellbeing, comfort and happiness. The result of Nathalie's dream was six beautifully scented candles and six wax melts.

Weekly Worship: Prismologie Indigo Interlude Massage Candle

Price: £55.00 200g

Stockists: Space NK

When it came to massage candles, I couldn't have been more inexperienced in using them. I'm the girl who, up until recently, wasn't sure how they even worked. I was confused as to how you massage the melted liquid onto the skin, without burning it or covering it in a crumbly, waxy mess. So, I thought it was about time I lost my massage candle virginity. A few weeks ago, I picked up the Indigo Interlude Massage Candle from Prismologie; a natural soy and beeswax candle that melts into a warm massage oil. It is created with an aromatic oud that smells absolutely gorgeous and evokes feelings of calmness and serenity - a must when massaging.

Weekly Worship: Cire Trudon Joséphine Candle

Price: £75.00 270g

Stockists: Harrods

If there is one brand in the world that is guaranteed to create a good candle, it's Cire Trudon. Cire Trudon is the oldest candle brand in the world and once provided candles to the royal court of Louis XIV. Cire Trudon consider candle making an art form, blending unique and often surprising ingredients together to create one-of-a-kind scents.

My latest - and now favourite - Cire Trudon candle is Joséphine, a fitting tribute to Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife and true love of Napoleon. Empress Josephine was famous - amongst other things - for creating an impressive botanical collection in the gardens of Malmaison, full of rare and interesting plants, brought back by Napoleon's war ships during the great age of exploration.

A Mum's Guide to Mother's Day Gifting

If you're anything like me, your mum is one of your best friends. However, as close as you may be to your mum, finding a good Mother's Day gift can sometimes be a little challenging. Mums have different tastes and daughters have various budgets, so there are a thousand different treats you can gift your mum.

To give you a little inspiration, my own mum has put together a Mother's Day gift guide because, well, who knows what to get a mum for Mother's Day better than a mum? So, over to Bridget...

The first recommendation is makeup or nail polish, as both are great for daughters on a budget. A single makeup product or nail polish won't cost the earth but it will gets us mums excited. There is nothing like a new lippie or gorgeous nail colour to cheer us up! I love the Colour Intense Lipstick in Tango (£24.00 delilahcosmetics.com) from new British beauty brand Delilah. The Colour Blush in Clementine (£26.00 delilahcosmetics.com) is also gorgeous and would look lovely on just about any skintone.

The Gift Edit: Candles

I have a slight addiction to candles and consider them to be a perfect gift for just about any gal. Candles look great in all rooms, fill living spaces with beautiful, mood altering scents and are essential to any quality pampering session.

The first candle I've selected for gifting this festive season is the Fornasetti Flora Ortensia Scented Candle (£99.00 Selfridges / $158.00 amara.com). No brand on earth creates beautiful candles to the level of Fornasetti. This Italian masterpiece features Fornasetti's iconic design of the mythical fertility goddess 'Flora'. Gorgeous isn't she? Now, if you think this candle is more style over substance, you couldn't be more wrong. All Fornasetti candles smell amazing - thanks to an eclectic mix of quality oils - and burn for 50-60 hours. At almost £100, this candle is on the expensive side, however the stunning jar can be used even after the candle comes to an end. The scent is feminine and floral with notes of lily of the valley, white rose, jasmine, orange blossom and sandalwood, to name but a few.

My next recommendation goes to renowned candle brand, Cire Trudon. Cire Trudon is the oldest candle brand in the world and once provided candles to the royal court of Louis XIV. Cire Trudon consider candle making an art form, blending unique and often surprising ingredients together to create one-of-a-kind scents. I've been enjoying the Bryon Scented Candle (£60.00 John Lewis / £96.00 amara.com), a candle that sticks a middle finger up at the idea that candles are just for women. The candle, inspired by the famous British poet, features notes of black pepper, mugwort, brandy, patchouli, vetiver, leather and opopanax, which create a heavy, masculine scent that it unbelievable enticing. So if you are looking for something to get a stylish, modern man, I couldn't recommend this more.

The final candle in my edit comes from NEOM, a Brit brand I've loved for some time. NEOM only use natural and ethically sourced ingredients in its candles, resulting in a clean and even burn. Every NEOM candle smells divine, with the scent remaining in a room long after the candle has been blown out. The brand has launched two festive candles this year, Prefect Peace and Christmas Wish. I would recommend Christmas Wish (£45.00 neomorganics.com / $72.00 beautyhabit.com) as the scent - which combines notes of mandarin, tonka bean and cinnamon - smells absolutely divine. The candle itself comes in a beautiful, gold-washed glass jar that will look gorgeous in just about any living space. If you would rather move away from the festive theme and gift a candle that would suit all seasons, check out the NEOM website. There you will find an extensive range of candles that suit just about every mood.

Weekly Worship: Rituals, Shu Uemura and MasqueBar

Price: £19.50 / $29.00

Stockist: House of Fraser / us.rituals.com

The Rituals Hammam Secret Candle has quickly snatched the starring role in my weekday evenings routine - I light this little piece of heaven the second I get home. It combines refreshing eucalyptus with rosemary, which creates a relaxing and warming atmosphere. Oh, and the scent? Absolutely gorgeous!

The candle burns for 50 hours and the scent it produces is pretty powerful, filling the room long after it's been put out. The sooner Rituals make a three wick version of this the better!

Price: £20.00 / $20.00

Stockist: Selfridges / shuuemura-usa.com

Shu Uemura is the brand behind the world's most loved eyelash curler. Known simply as the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, this multi-award winning beauty tool takes lashes from flat to flutteringly fabulous in a matter of seconds.

Shu Uemura recently launched a limited edition version of the curler for Shupette, the brand's 2014 holiday collection. This new, limited edition curler is exactly the same as its predecessor, however it comes equipped with a cute Choupette charm - hello collector's item!

Now I cannot stress this enough, the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler is just  amazing. It is super easy to use, grabs on to all of your lashes in one go and, unlike some curlers out there, does not pinch the skin or damage the lashes in any way.

Price: £9.99 / $9.99

Stockist: Boots / Target

MasqueBar is a Korean face mask brand that recently launched in the UK. I've been trying (and loving!) the Anti-Wrinkle Sheet Mask, which comes in a pack of three. It is almost identical to those luxury face mask sheets sold by the likes of SK-II, however this one is much  more affordable.

The mask feels cold on the skin when first applied, which provides a lovely refreshing sensation. It stays on the face relatively well and even when it's removed, a lot of product remains on skin. I always rub this excess in for added omph!

Now speaking honestly, this mask doesn't work anti-ageing miracles. However it does deeply hydrate the skin, leaving it plump and free of some fine lines. Whether it is a serious anti-ageing product or not, I really love it. It feels amazing on the skin, it's affordable and it deeply hydrates the skin. What's not to love?

Weekly Worship: NEOM's New Look

I have been a fan of NEOM candles for a while now. They last like no other, smell like no other and burn perfectly.

I've become even more obsessed with NEOM since it re-branded a few month's ago. Products were great before, however they now look even cuter in the home. I recently got my hands on the Moroccan Blush Rose, Lime & Black Pepper Candle and can't stop lighting it. Like the other candles in the NEOM range, this beauty gives off a powerful, long lasting scent that smells absolutely divine.

It contains 100% natural ingredients and is formulated 16 essential oils that work together to de-stress and uplift. I'm obsessed beyond measure.

Ask TBI: Mother's Day Gift For The Mother-In-Law

Question: My husband and I got married a couple of months ago, so this year will be the first Mother's Day I share with my mother-in-law. My husband's mum has really supported us throughout the last few years, so I want to get her something special. She is obsessed with all things beauty but, as there are so many products out there, I am unsure what to buy her! What would you recommend? - Christina, Surrey.

Answer: Congratulations on getting married! Now, when it comes to gifts, there are a variety of different products you can get your mother-in-law. I am unsure of the budget you are working with, however I will give you a variety of different options which I hope will help!

Now, if you don't mind splashing out, I would recommend a luxury diffuser or candle. The Fornasetti ‘Flora di Fornasetti’ (£99.00 Selfridges / $135.00 Barneys) is a personal favourite. It smells amazing - it is made up of floral, green and woody notes - and the candle case features one of Piero Fornasetti's iconic designs, so it looks absolutely gorgeous in the home!

Staying on the expensive side, I would also recommend getting her a fragrance because, well, what woman doesn't want to smell wonderful? Elizabeth Arden has just released a new dimension of its UNTOLD fragrance that you can't go wrong with. The new fragrance, UNTOLD Eau Légère 100ml (£63.00 Debenhams), combines ingredients such as sparkling green apple, pink pepper, blackcurrant, grapefruit and purple freesia, to create a feminine and sensual scent.

If she is skincare obsessed, I would recommend a travel kit or starter kit - that way your mother-in-law can have a variety of new and interesting products to try, as well as some mini must-haves to take on holiday - perfect for the upcoming summer months. Dermalogica has an AGE Smart® Skin Kit (£42.50 dermalogica.co.uk / $52.00 ULTA), which is made up of six products from the hero anti-ageing range.

Another skincare option is the Elemis Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules Limited Edition Collection ( £79.50 feelunique.com / $154.00 timetospa.com). To celebrate the capsules 10th birthday, the brand has launched a limited edition duo set, containing two super-sized jars of the day capsules and night capsules. The set only cost £79.50 (saving you £45.00) and £15,000 worth of sales from this gorgeous set will be donated to the Wellbeing of Women charity - it really is a gift that keeps on giving!

Failing all of the above, you could gift her something bespoke by putting together a custom filled hamper containing a variety of affordable beauty bits. You could fill it with things like OLAY Skincare, e.l.f makeup palettes, Maybelline nail polishes, L'Oreal haircare and some adorable pampering products from Lush.

Lush The Mum Bubble Bar (£5.25), Olay Beauty Fluid (£4.99 / $6.94) and e.l.f California Baked Eyeshadow Palette (£10.00 / $10.00)

Whatever you do, try not to stress over what to buy as I am sure your mother-in-law will love and appreciate whatever you give her - after all, it's the thought that counts!

Weekly Worship: NEOM Sensuous Candle

Price: £39.50 / $65.00 380g

Stockist: John Lewis / neomorganics.com

The NEOM Sensuous Candle is deserving of all of this week's worship. It is a Ylang Ylang, Frankincense & Patchouli scented candle that smells absolutely amazing - romantic and very relaxing. It contains 100% natural wax and pure essential oils, so when it burns you don't need to worry about inhaling any toxic fumes.

What makes this beautiful candle even better, is that it lasts a long time - it has three wicks and burns for up to 50 hours. Also, the glass container it comes in is absolutely gorgeous and makes a stylish addition to my dressing table. I am well and truly in love.

Tip: Leaving the candle to burn for at least two hours will ensure that the wax sets evenly when it cools.

Weekly Worship: Diptyque 50th Anniversary Candle Set

Price: £55.00 / $75.00

Stockists: diptyqueparis.co.uk / aedes.com

Diptyque create the most beautiful scented candles and have been doing so for over 50 years. I am a huge fan of the brand and was close to squealing when I stumbled across the 50th Anniversary Candle Set online.

The set includes 5 mini versions (35g each) of the brand's most loved candles - Thé, Jasmin, Baies, Figuier and Ambre. Also included is a sweet leaflet, packed full of interesting information about the brand.

The mini candles look absolutely adorable and, as always, the scents are enchanting, powerful and long-lasting. The set is expensive but the candles have a 20 hour burn time, which is amazing considering their size.

The only downside? It's impossible to know which candle to burn first!