Votivo Dalian Collection Red Currant Candle
Formally established in 1898, Dalian is the second largest city in the Lianoning provice, located in Dongbei, China. A quick tour of Dalian’s architectural sites will reveal countless hotels and skyscrapers featuring reflective insulated glass, creating clusters of monumental, mirror-like structures — from the China Merchants’ Bank to the Grand Hyatt Dalian and the Jinan Wanda Hotel. Inspired by the city’s expertise in glass-making, Votivo created the Dalian Collection, consisting of soy-blend wax candles encased in cylindrical, black glass containers with faceted, diamond-like, elongated hexagonal shapes throughout the encasing. The opaque casing looks modern but imperial — Art Deco design meets Han Dynasty-era crafts. And since the glass is such an intense black hue, if you’re in a dark room, the candle’s flame will almost seem to dance in the air, unattached to any surface (though you might see the occasional glimmer when a shred of light hits one of the faceted areas of the casing).
The Votivo Dalian collection consists of four scents: Red Currant, which blends red currant, vanilla, and raspberry notes; Mosaic, which features herbal musk, sandalwood, cedar, rosemary, and toasted nutmeg note; Glorioso, which mixes lime, lemon peel, celery root, violet mist, muguet, and amber notes; and Clean Crisp White, which recalls the scent of freshly washed laundry drying in the sun.
I had the chance to check out the Votivo Dalian Red Currant candle, and I adored the fruity but spicy scent. There’s a scene in The Tudors where Henry VIII takes a zealous bite of a pomegranate fruit, its juices flooding into his mouth — there’s an indulgent sensory element to the act that gives the scene a profoundly sensual feel. That’s what smelling the Votivo Dalian Red Currant candle feels like — making it an experience worthy of royalty. I also love that, while the soy-blend wax isn’t overwhelmingly fragrant in its solid state, once it starts to melt, its scent can quickly permeate a room, creating a sultry ambiance.
Votivo Dalian Red Currant Candle, $40. Available at CandleLuxury.com
