the other day, i was strolling through a favorite home boutique with a friend and came across a line of candles so amazing, it made my normal “that candle is HOW MUCH?!” shriek go right out the window.

the line was cire trudon, a centuries-old candlemaker based in france.  they were the official supplier of candles to napoleon’s court, for heaven’s sake!  but it’s not the wax that made me swoon.  the scents are completely and utterly unlike any i’ve ever experienced…and my friends, i’ve smelled some serious candles in my day, so that’s saying something.

each fragrance is named not for a scent, but for a place or person.  take my favorite, abd el kader.  it’s named for a famous algerian war hero, which couldn’t be more appropriate.  with notes of mint, ginger, and a touch of tobacco, you can practically see the north african coast when you light this.

la marquise, named for louis xiv’s mistress, madame de pompadour, is an amazing concoction of verbena and lemon, with notes of rose and a bit of cedar, and you can’t help but think those light notes are being grounded by the heavier wood just to keep it from being too easily dismissed.  and the one i can’t get out of my head is dada, which is every bit as confusing to the mind as the movement for which it’s named.  it’s a crazy blend of black tea, eucalyptus, mint and chamomile – just as you think you’ve decided what it smells like, the scent changes entirely, and you’re baffled.

these little gems are definitely pricey luxuries, at about $75 each. but i will say they burn much slower than most i’ve tried, and have a fantastic way of lingering long after the candle’s snuffed out.  once you take the plunge, you’ll find yourself taking any excuse to light these…and really, don’t we deserve a little luxury after all of the practical, recession-y cutbacks we’ve been enduring?

i found them at cielo home, here in portland, and they seem to have the best prices around (and the added advantage of not needing to charge sales tax).  every little bit helps, right?