Scentsational

A lot can be said for the power of smell. Smell is attached to memory and emotion. To this day, there’s a certain oil that I won’t burn or a Plug-In fragrance I won’t use because it reminds me of a person or time I now don’t care to recall/remember. On the flip side, there are scents that definitely help me relax or spark my creativity. That being said, despite my slight fear of fire, I am a big scented oil and candle fan.

As I flipped through this month's issue of one of the many magazines multiplying in my house like rabbits, I came across some candles which, while I'm sure they smell lovely, were out of my price range. $25 for a 7 oz. candle. It gets worse. I've seen $38 for a 5.5 oz. $52 for a 7 oz. Come on! I might as well light $50 on fire and call it a day. No thank you! How about $15 for a 7 oz candle instead? I stumbled across Pacifica Candles – a more affordable and environmentally friendly option - at my local Borders Books & Music in the gift section. One whiff of their Brazilian Mango Grapefruit fragrance and I was hooked. On a particularly stressful day, I carry the travel tin with me to work and sniff it when my office mate is dancing on my last nerve.

Pacifica Candles are made of vegetable-based soy (or food-grade paraffin – your choice) and a cotton (versus lead) wick. Pacifica also excludes pthalates from their products – chemicals commonly used in candles that have been linked to respiratory problems.

And make no mistake, I have been known to return a candle for a barely there fragrance so trust me when I say that I love Pacifica Candles for more than the price and their environmental and health conscious efforts. Check them out. Your nose, lungs, and wallet will thank you.

P.S. - On the same page, I noticed a trio of aroma sticks (reed diffusers) for $78. In another magazine, I saw one reed diffuser tri0 for *gulp* $90. Yikes! How about three for $39 instead at Kohls? (I actually caught a sale and bought them for $8 each.) I gave some as gifts and they were a hit. Why spend $26 apiece when you can spend $13, and save the rest for clothes, a cute pair of shoes, or a night out even? I'm just saying, unless the oil is blessed, this frugal chick's not having that.