It’s a Sunday evening, and you have just completed all chores and work for the week. You are winding down in the coziest spot in your home, but something seems to be missing. To me, the final part to make this the perfect end to the day would be a freshly lit candle with my favorite scents filling the room. In an effort to find candles that evoke this warm feeling, I explored the Lafayette area to find local candle shops that are all unique in their own way but offer a variety of scents for everyone.
Here are the local candle shops I visited:
Hoosier Candle Company
Situated in a tiny town named Dayton, just 15 minutes from Lafayette, Hoosier Candle Company is a small shop that has a mighty variety of candles. When I walked into the building, I was greeted with a wave of delicious smells and rustic shelved walls with dozens of candles.
Owner Traci Bratton shared that there are over 130 scents available in their candles and wax melts, which are all homemade. They also offer layered candles, which are made of layers of different colored waxes and scents.
Throughout the shop, some of the smells that stood out to me were coffee, vanilla, cinnamon and pumpkin scents. Hoosier Candle Company offers many fall and winter-themed candles. This shop is the perfect destination for anybody who is looking for traditional scents.
Flora Candle Company
Located on Main Street in downtown Lafayette, Flora Candle Company had many scents that I would never think could be put into candle form. Their variety of scents have many different inspirations, including the Wabash River, the Midwest, and even Taylor Swift songs.
Co-owner Troy Weber spoke about the eco-friendly drive behind all of their candles, which is a large part of their mission as a business. He shared that all of their supplies for creating the candles come from Illinois, which helps reduce carbon emissions due to being a close distance to Lafayette. They also have a box recycling program, another part of their eco-conscious initiative.
The candles that stuck out to me the most while I was at this shop were the many different Taylor Swift-themed scents, based on her different eras and songs. Flora Candle Company’s “Champagne Problems” candle, with champagne, vanilla, and passion fruit notes, is meant to relate with the sentimental lyrics of the Swift song of the same name. With 13 pop star-inspired candles for sale, this is one of the unique aspects of Flora Candle Company.
Flora Candle Company has many notes in all of its candles, including floral, fruity, clean and earthy scents. If you are looking for a fresh-smelling candle with an eco-friendly initiative behind it, Flora Candle Company has the best selection for you.
Rose and Wick
My final stop was Rose and Wick, which is also on Main Street in downtown Lafayette. Rose and Wick is a candle shop that has pre-filled candles available for purchase but also allows you to create your own custom candles. Upon entering, there is a wall with shelves that are filled with dozens of unique scents.
Manager Shae Tocco said they carry 80 different scents, which creates endless options for personalizing your own candle. As I was looking around, I found some intriguing ones, like bacon, champagne and cucumber. There are also more traditional scents like sweet, fruity or herbal options.
Along with being able to personalize the scents in your candle, you can also pick out different color options for your wax. Rose and Wick would be great for somebody looking to create their own perfectly customized candle.
Whether you’re in search of traditionally scented candles, or an eco-friendly option, or if you want to create your own candle, these local shops have what you’re looking for. For more local businesses to shop at in Greater Lafayette, check out Home of Purdue.
Purdue University Student, Mackenzie Todd, shares this blog. This blog is part of a series of articles submitted to Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette through a cooperation with a 400-level travel writing class at Purdue University.
