Consumer Corner: Is it worth paying more for an expensive candle? 

Can it be the case that the €5 candle will burn just as bright and long as the designer brand?

"It can be tempting to go for price over quality, but the question remains as to whether it’s worth paying a few bob more for better-quality products."

It’s tempting when queuing to pick up one of the €5 candles on display by the tills. It’s a thought that regularly does havoc with my mind. Are they as good as the expensive ones or would it be a waste of money? 

Surely, there would be some smell from them, but is it worth going to a more expensive store and paying five times the price for a nicer scent? The same could be said with perfumes. Are we paying for brands and packaging or do the expensive ones offer something more?

Are you really paying for what you get when you go for Jo Malone rather than Penney's?

It can be tempting to go for price over quality, but the question remains as to whether it’s worth paying a few bob more for better-quality products.

Also, in recent years there has been a rise in ‘dupes’. To dupe means to deceive and many stores will have ‘dupes’ of big brands: That is, similar products but not as expensive.

In recent years, too, the price of perfume and candles has increased. This has been attributed to the increase in the cost of the ingredients that go into perfumes and also to climate change, which is affecting the supply of items like lavender. You can add costs for brand recognition and packaging in to the final price of items like perfumes and candles.

However, it’s worth knowing what we are buying. Can it be the case that the €5 candle will burn just as brightly and for as long as the designer brand?

Also, with Christmas lurking around the corner, it is worth remembering that buying local could be a good option for such items.

Fiona Young is the founder of Milies candles in Waterford and she set up the business in March 2020. She worked as a nurse in cancer care for more than 20 years and when she found herself out of work with an injury, for around six weeks, she started making little vintage tea-cup candles for family and friends.

“I just loved the ritual of mixing oils and pouring wax.”

However, Fiona says that the more she researched, the more she discovered that many candles contain harmful ingredients.

“My house would always have a candle burning somewhere in the evening, so this really resonated with me. Getting to know the candle-making process better led me to seek out more natural alternatives and the idea for Milis was born.” Fiona uses 100% natural soy wax, and wicks made from cotton and paper. The scent is produced with a mix of essential oils and high-quality fragrance oils.

“You get a candle without soot and you’ll have it for longer,” Fiona says. “I also ensure the wicks are not only just paper and cotton, but they are dipped in soy wax, too, as many are dipped in paraffin, which is a byproduct of petroleum. You are effectively attaching a hose from the back of your car and feeding it into your home if the candle you choose to buy has paraffin wax in it.

“The oils I use are non-toxic and sourced from companies supporting their local communities. These oils again burn safely in your home, are vegan, so not tested on animals, and paraben-free. Parabens are chemicals that are used as preservatives and some can be harmful.”

Lucy Hagerty is the Founder of La Bougie, in Kinsale in Cork, and she says that mass-produced fragrances found on the high street are constrained by the cost of the ingredients and will typically use synthetic elements. She uses botanical aromatics in her perfumes.

“We use resins, precious woods, and sap, plus the absolutes of many florals, including rose otto and jasmine,” Lucy says.

“The integrity of a fragrance is equally important, which is why we travelled to the Atlas mountains in Morocco to take part in the annual rose harvest last year. A true fragrance lover will discover the difference in an instant.”

It comes down to what makes up the product and it seems to be the same with perfumes and candles. There will always be a market for designer items.

Perfume is a very personal choice and candles will always have a mark-up for name recognition. One of the most popular brands is Jo Malone and one of these large candles, weighing 2.5kg, will cost a whopping €425 in Brown Thomas.

There’s also a Tom Forde perfume in Brown Thomas that costs €770 for 250 ml.

There will always be a market for such items, but the best advice, as with most things, is to get tips and advice via word of mouth.

It still remains the most powerful form of advertising in this digital, influencer-led world.