Where to buy: Free Yourself, Amazon
Candles at their core should improve our well-being, help us unwind, and let us get lost in the scent. Free Yourself follows the principles of nature and emphasizes mindfulness, offering just four scents in candle and perfume form: Air (grapefruit, ginger, vetiver), Feu (cinnamon, neroli, cedarwood), Eau (pink pepper, blackcurrant, orange blossom), and Terre (saffron, davana, amber). Each fragrance is developed by master perfumers in Grasse, France. The Eau fragrance I tried is fresh and instantly transports me to a relaxed state.
Details are at the core of the experience. Free Yourself partnered with Farmhouse Pottery in Woodstock, Vermont, to create its hand-thrown ceramic vessels that can be repurposed into a cup or planter. The ceramics are offered in 12-ounce, 30-ounce, and 60-ounce sizes, while the smaller 4-ounce and 10-ounce are glass. Free Yourself is one of very few candle brands that shares the full ingredients list of its fragrances. The packaging is also splashed with habits and mindsets to free yourself from personal concerns like overanalyzing or envy, to larger societal issues like global warming or fascism — a reminder of the open mindset these candles aim to place you in.
The candles are not particularly affordable (the ceramic candles start at $95), but I feel that, with the brand’s attention to detail, if you’re looking for a splurge, it is well worth it. Also, 10% of profits go to initiatives supporting environmental stewardship, social well-being, education, and the arts.
Worth a look:
