Aura Candles

Aura was founded by Jasmine Parks and Chelsea Wilson of California. They set out to create a high-end candle that was also affordable. This fun and slightly edgy candle line is simple, yet detailed, and always down to earth.

Aura mastered the 4 key elements to a successful product:

• Product: In this case I'm calling the fragrance the product. The fragrances for Aura are fantastic. Aura candles provide a great cold throw (they smell so great on the shelf you want to buy them) and in warm throw (they smell so great burning you want to buy more).
• Packaging: The packaging is professional, appropriate and colorful. Packaging needs to be eye catching so you want to pick up the product and give it a sniff and Aura candles come through with color and simplicity. Aura packaging would work well in a variety of stores and definitely draws your eye to investigate. The packaging is also simple enough to not add excessively to the price or be a burden on the environment. Beautiful, excessive packaging might get you to buy initially, but if you aren't happy with the performance, you won't return for more. Aura does not fall into this trap. The Aura candle names are vague but the fragrance notes on the front of the product work well to guide you in the right direction. I'm a sucker for cheat sheets.
• Price: The price is perfect for the offering. At $24 they are a great value and they are right at a sweet spot in this economy - affordable but not cheap in quality - exactly where you want to be right now.
• Performance: The candles burn beautifully - cleanly and easily. I'm so impressed with the way Aura candles burn, and so excited about the fragrances, that they will absolutely be a staple in our home. There's nothing like investing in a product that wants you to not only return to get more for yourself, but more for others as a gift to share your new-found love.

Aura offers 9 fragrances including:

Cosmic: limitless; grandiose. A creamy and scrumptious blend of blood orange, vanilla bean, vanilla orchid & amber. Cosmic is a delicious blend and a great place to start with Aura candles.

Clairvoyant: quick, intuitive knowledge of people and things. A tangy citrus scent with a hint of floral including yuzu grapefruit, cassis, orange and rose geranium. Clairvoyant is clean and fresh - great for creating an invigorating environment or clearing the air.

Karma: fate; destiny. A soft and sweet scent with a hint of spice including notes of Tahitian vanilla, pink grapefruit, agave nectar, cardamom, cayenne and sea salt. Karma is a great soothing scent. If you like vanilla, start here with Aura.

Luscious: highly pleasing in taste or smell. A warm and exotic blend of tangerine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk and amber. I'm crazy about Luscious. It's like a big bear hug letting you know everything is ok no matter how bad it seems.

Obscure: vague; inconspicuous. An exotic and botanical spicy blend of black ginger, musk and white pepper. Obscure is a curious floral. It smells peppery to start, but turns floral as it burns. The black ginger is the flower that blooms from the ginger root. If you like unusual florals - this is for you.

Sublime: supreme or outstanding. An earthy and sensual blend of pomegranate, patchouli, pink pepper, plum and Italian bergamot. Sublime is not too fruity or too earthy. It's a perfect blend between pomegranate and patchouli. When burning, the peppery notes really make the fragrance pop and the bergamot keeps everything from getting too heavy.

I love the way Aura candles burn. So clean and easy. While I could never get the wax completely level, it didn't come close to tunneling. It's rare for a candle wax to come so clean off the glass, but these candles do. That's a feat that's tough to accomplish and Aura handles it with ease - as if there's no other way.

Aura 10 oz candles are made with a soy wax blend and cotton wick and last approximately 60 hours.