I think candles are some of the most personal gifts you could give someone.
Scents evoke feelings and memories, and they have the ability to mentally transport you to another place. They also emphasize self-care and receiving one as a gift might remind you (or a friend) to take some time out of your busy days for just yourself. So, this Galentine’s Day, you and your friends could do a candle swap and remind each other about how important self-care actually is!
A candle swap is essentially like “Secret Santa” but with candles, where you’re assigned to someone and tasked with getting a candle as personal to them as possible. Keep in mind I’m not talking about those candles that smell so strongly that they give you a headache after a couple of whiffs (ahem, Yankee Candle I’m looking at you). I’m talking about those softer smells that gracefully fill up the room when you burn them and have a slower burn time.
What’s great about candles as a gift is that the opportunities are endless! You can try to get a scent that you know your friend really likes, showing them you know and care about their tastes and preferences. Understanding if they like florals, sweet or musky smells goes a long way, and a great place to start is by looking at what kinds of perfumes, deodorants or soaps they prefer.
You could also get a scent that is a mixture of what both of you like or one that elicits some memory you have together so that when they smell it, they are reminded of you and your friendship. For example, I got my hiking buddy an outdoorsy-scented candle that had hints of pine and cedar and almost had a crisp, fresh-air vibe to it.
Another option is the candle not even really being about the scent; sometimes even the name of the candle or what it is meant to represent can be just as important. Homesick candles have some really fun names if you want to do something like that. Whatever the reason for that specific candle may be, the important thing is you thought about it, and it is meaningful to the other person in some way.
Burning a candle is meant to be personal and relaxing, so you can wind down and not overthink. And with Galentine’s being a day celebrating women’s friendships, it’s the perfect time to remind your fellow girlbosses to slow down for a minute. At the end of the day, the only thing we want burning out is a candle wick.