Carrière Frères Scented Candle

Carrière Frères began in 1884, when the Carrière brothers bought the royal wax works now known as Trudon. Their idea was to take candles beyond religious use and make them decorative objects for the dinner table. That idea won them a gold medal at the 1889 Universal Exhibition. The candles are still made by hand at the Trudon factory in Normandy. That shared history is why the two brands sit side by side on our floor.

The collection reads like a botanist's field journal. Every candle is named for one plant, and the label gives its Latin name and the story of the species. That's how Cedrus Atlantica, Lavandula Angustifolia and Lycopersicon Esculentum end up on the same shelf. Yes, that last one is tomato, and it smells like the vine. The wax is 100% plant-based, made from organic European rapeseed, and the boxes are 100% recycled FSC-certified cardboard. When the candle is done, the recycled-glass jar rinses clean and works as a bud vase or a catch-all for your desk.

For places a candle can't go, there are Botanical Palets. These are octagonal scented wax tablets, each with a green cotton ribbon for hanging and a real botanical pressed into the wax. Hang one in a closet or on a door handle, or tuck it into a drawer. Each box holds two tablets in the same scent, and the fragrance lasts about six months. You'll find both on our floor on Reading Road, with testers out so you can smell a scent before you take it home.