Why Women Love Candles And Where We Can Find The Best Scents

It's not a farce, an old wives' tale or a common misconception. It's not something only six percent of people fall statistic to, nor is it one of those fabricated lies boys believe about women, like sexy pillow fights at slumber parties. It's not an anomoly, a mystery or one of the many secrets locked in womanhood.

It's just something that we're drawn to, like Paris in the spring or cozy sweaters when it rains. It's that soothing light in the distant corner, that fragrant smell of lavender and lilac, the beautiful glass jar that illuminates a dark room. It's no secret: Women love candles.

Why do we love them so much? What is it about candles that drives us to drop 30 dollars on wax and glass? What compels us about the idea of buying a product with a short-term benefit?

Like its flame, a candle is fleeting, usually lasting no more than a month, lest forgetting to blow it out after falling asleep to its rhythmic flickering. So why spend money on this short-lived, trivial object? What is so soothing about a candle that a woman cannot do without it?

I've concluded that women are creatures of fantasy. We wrap ourselves up in dreams, fairytales and illusions, imagining lives we only wish we could have.

We buy dresses for parties we have yet to be invited to and heels for a trip to Paris we have yet to plan. The candles are all part of the illusion, the fantasy. The presence of candles creates the magical, soft glow that transforms a fluorescent-lit room into one of mystique.

Women are also very in tune with their senses. We appreciate the sweet smells of lilac and rose petals. We bask in lavenders and vanillas. We understand the appeal of gingerbread and pine-scented holiday candles. There's a sense of nostalgia that comes with buying a candle, knowing it has the ability to transport you to a time and a place, to evoke memories of times past.

Few objects available on the corner store have that ability. A candle is able to recall so many dimensions of life that it becomes as necessary and comforting as the blanket you slept with as a child.

Candles also represent the future. A candle emits the scents you hope to remember 10 years from now. It's the home you want to make with the scents that people will associate with your presence. A candle represents the ambiance you seek to create and the feelings of comfort and magic in your own space.

Here are three main reasons we love candles, paired with a couple companies that dish out the best scents:

They're comforting.

Nothing will ever replace the soft glow of a candle in a dark space. There's no feeling in the world more comforting than a soft light that illuminates an entire room, soothing you to sleep.

A candle is like a supportive friend in the corner who doesn't need to speak (creepy?), but you know is there. It's the blanket you no longer sleep with and the night light you no longer need. There's no concrete explanation as to why candles are so comforting; it's just a feeling they evoke.

They add ambiance.

It's no secret that women are all about the ambiance of a room. Who wants to sit in a space, choking under fluorescent lighting, when it could be replaced by the flickering, soft glow of a few candles?

Atmosphere is everything, and women are born with a natural instinct to create a pleasant one. There's no reason to turn on seven lights when you could resort to one or two, complemented by the additional glow of a few candles. Not to mention, the glass jar hosting a candle is part of the charm.

The Pink Climbing Rose from AERIN candles is made from blossoming pink roses, blended with hints of mandarin orange, fruity touches of Asian lychee and sweet Anjou pear for not only a fresh scent, but also one of pure bliss. The glass of an AERIN candle is handblown, making it a statement piece and adding to the allure of the flickering flame.

They smell like home.

Scent is one of the strongest senses linked to nostalgia. We can make ourselves believe we are in the middle of a crisp autumn afternoon, or that we are sitting in our mother's kitchen with gingerbread cookies baking in the oven. Scent is as powerful as a song or a heavy dose of déjà vu, which is linked to memories, feelings and a past time you long for.

Visit Laura Thomas Linens for her signature lavender candle made with 100 percent soy wax. Scented with the essential oil of Lavendula Angustifolia, grown in the alpine mountains of the Nelson Lakes, New Zealand, and the relaxing fragrance of French Lavender, this Laura Thomas Linens candle will make you feel like you are living the Parisian dream.