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Why It's Good:
Everything's better by candlelight: dinners, baths, holidays, anniversaries—or just curling up with a good book. A favorite of the celeb-and-fashion set, Joya candles are luxuriously fragrant and come in ultra-stylish designs. The new Perfume in Porcelain collection has six creative scents, among them (our favorites): ripe Himalayan goji berries, fresh blue lotus & grass, quince & heliotrope, orange blossom & pale musk.
Why It's Green:
Most candles are paraffin, which starts off as petroleum, or crude oil—a limited, precious natural resource. Joya candles are handmade locally from a blend of essential oils, soy, and beeswax—natural, renewable resources that are largely biodegradable. Some studies indicate that soy and beeswax burn cleaner (less soot) than paraffin, and soy burns cooler so it lasts longer. Joya also uses 100% cotton wicks; in the US, the use of toxin-releasing lead wicks has been banned but they can still be found in some candles (mainly imports), so if in doubt, be sure to ask!
Where To Get It:
Available at select Barney's Co-Op locations, $48. Check this list of store locations for availability at a store near you. Candles available as of November 1, 2007.
Can't Hold a Candle to You (or This)!
Fast-forward to the holidays. The organic turkey is trussed, the cocktails are prepped, and the gang's about to arrive. Nothing says "welcome and enjoy" more than a fresh, delicious scent and the warm fuzzy glow of candlelight. In decorating your holiday mantle this year, ditch the ratty cornucopia and tangled twigs and berries in favor of these minimalist, yet subtly glam, porcelain vessels designed by Rehabilitated Dishware innovator Sarah Cihat with Joya founder Frederick Bouchardy. Made of high-quality black or white porcelain that withstands heat and cracks, the treasure-box keys, squiggly octopus, dandelion puff and Jolly Roger are designed to outlast any trend—you won't see these ending up in landfills. Long after the candle has burned down (which takes 75 hours) and the dreamy scent has faded, the vessel can be repurposed into a soy tea light holder, a desktop catch-all or a tiny bud vase.—Elizabeth McMullen
