On any given day when someone walks into my home, it is music to my ears when someone asks me “what is in here that smells so good?”. Literally, it is my favorite compliment of all time.

To me, scent is magical, it’s memorable and it makes an everyday experience transform into something that lingers in your mind. So, naturally I am a collector of candles, perfumes, diffusers, essential oils, linen sprays, you name it. I love it all.

When I moved into my home, I wanted to create a signature scent. Something that people would remember. It was important to me that it be something different and memorable. Something that would make people ask “what is that beautiful smell?”.

When I was growing up, my grandparents home had that feeling. My grandmother always had a beautiful candle burning in the entryway just incase guests decided to pop over. She also always had potpourri in her guest bathroom. But as much as I adore burning candles, I can’t always be burning candles throughout every room in my home. And to be completely honest, I’m not really a potpourri kind of girl.

I also wanted something that would last ALL day without me having to light, burn or do anything. Simple yet effective.

Enter Wallflowers plug ins.

Now, I know what a lot of people are going to say… plug ins are so basic AND full of chemicals, blah, blah, blah. But look, you do you and let me do me.

I am a fan.

I always try to be as clean as possible with the things I use in my home, but I looooooove me some Wallflowers. I am also extremely specific in the ones that I use so I will explain to you my concoction.

In my entryway bathroom (which lingers into the entry/hallway) I use the fragrance Patchouli + Vanilla. It has a very warm and comforting scent that fills up the entryway and guest bath. Here’s the best part, it is one of those scents that mixes well with any candle I end up burning or diffuser I use, so it just enhances any other smell, which I love. I’m the same with my personal perfumes, I always layer my scents for a signature smell. This one just provides the most cozy scent experience and everyone literally comments on it.

Then upstairs in my bedroom, I use Japanese Cherry Blossom. It is a brighter and uplifting scent with the base note of sandalwood and I am telling you, EVERYONE raves over the scent. It just makes the entire area smell like a dream and again, I can layer with almost any candle and it smells divine. I just love love love this scent.

You can grab the Wallflower plug in base that matches perfectly to your decor. I like to match them to the decor in the room so they don’t become an eye sore. In my powder bath, I use a gold one but im thinking of switching to the beautiful matte black. You can barely even see it in here.

Anyway, I hope this post inspires you to create your own signature scent for your home. Let me know in the comments if you have something I should check out.

Love you.

*see more of my home & follow me @ashlinakaposta on instagram*

This post is all about why you need to STOP burning cheap candles, what to look out for and some alternatives you can use.

Omg. I can’t even believe I am actually writing about this right now. You guys, for those of you who have been following me forever, you know my weakness and love for candles. So, you can imagine when I moved in with my love and learned that he has an allergy to pretty much every candle I love. I even had been dreaming of creating a line of candles but let that dream sit on the back burner because it wasn’t my reality.

Fast forward a few months after we moved in together and I discovered my friend Yeney, the most adorable mom boss and candle maker at 1111 Candle Company. I love ANY mom working hard to build a business and a legacy for her children. Just yesterday, we announced & released our candle collaboration, the Bliss Candle.

This candle is literally my dream come true. Let’s start off with the milky, iridescent white vessel it sits in. It is the most heavenly, warm, cozy smell. Notes of amber, vertiver, moss, lavender, patchouli and citrus. It is EXACTLY the smell I have always dreamed of having as a signature scent. I am so in love with this candle.

PLUS, its all natural. Made from a custom coconut & soy wax blend. 100% cotton wicks. No lead, no harmful chemicals, no additives.

Why I stopped burning cheap candles:

When I discovered that my love actually liked when I burned her candles, I did a little digging. I began to understand a little bit more about why you don’t need to be burning cheap ingredient candles anyway. (Even though I am a total sucker for a HomeGoods candle, Diptyque, Yankee Candles, Cide Trudon, Le Labo, Voluspa, Jo Malone, etc.) Now, I am not saying all of these candles have cheap ingredients but I will say, you would probably be surprised by what is burning in your home.

Most of the waxes in candles have chemicals in them that are extremely harmful to your health.

A few of the chemicals found in most candles :

-Parrafin wax is a type of wax that is derived from petroleum, coal, or shale oil. It is extremely common in candles and is also very cheap, which is why some candle makers prefer to use it. However, it is totally toxic! In 2009, South Carolina State University conducted a study that found that burning candles made from parrafin wax gives off two harmful fumes, toluene and benzene. These fumes being released into the air you are breathing can cause asthma and lung cancer. In some extreme cases, it can also cause skin irritation and irritation of the respiratory tract. It may take years for you to see any kind of effect from this, but that doesn't mean your body isn't slowly suffering or affecting you.

-Stearic acid has been a favorite in the candle-making community. Basically, it is a powdered chemical that is dissolved and added to a candle to make it more fragrant and long lasting. However, it can cause extreme irritation in your respiratory tract.

-Color block dye. You know those really pretty colors that some of your favorite candles have? That bright pink or the really cool black candles that are out on the market now? Those are made with drops or color blocks to dye the wax. When burning these candles, the chemicals from the dyes are also burned into the air and can seep into your lunge. The toxic burned particles are released into the air in our homes and cause lung issues, cardiac problems, cancer, autoimmune diseases and allergies.

The wick in your candle is also important. Some candle companies have wicks that are braided cotton surrounding a super thin metal core. This helps the wick to stay upright when burning. Sometimes they are made from zinc, tin or lead. Burning candles with any kind of metal in the wick in especially dangerous for our homes and our bodies. Burning metals has been known to cause lead poisoning and other respiratory issues.

I mean…wow.

Again, the purpose of this post isn’t to have you throwing out your favorite candles. As always, I just strive to educate so that you can be mindful about what you are burning in your home. Be sure to do your research when you bring things in through your front door. You know how I feel about Feng Shui and the energy of your home.

This is why I was beyond thrilled to partner with 1111 Candle Co, a small biz with a mom boss who makes clean candles AND candles that smell incredible. I know these are made with intention from the kitchen of a mom of 2. Her little boy has asthma which is why she researched the entire candle making process so that she could create something that wouldn’t harm her home and family.

And I got to fulfill my dream of a SUPER CLEAN CANDLE for my love and my home. He loves this candle by the way and he is hard to please when it comes to scents. Go grab your Bliss candle now!

p.s. there is nothing I love more than supporting a strong small business. Women in business for themselves always inspire me. If you are interesting in building your own brand and small business, download this FREE ebook I created just for you….The Passionista Playbook : a step by step guide for creating, building and growing your personal brand.