If you’ve been here a while, you’d know I’m really into scented candles. Like, REALLY into it. The last time I went to Australia, I returned with a suitcase full of candles and little else. They truly are my guilty pleasure.
But often, good quality soy candles that don’t smell horribly chemical, don’t come cheap. If you want something high quality, especially when it involves scent, it usually comes at a price.
Until now.
Ladies and gents, let me introduce you to Sanctuary, an affordable local brand of soy candles that burn beautifully, smell amazing and importantly, does not make you feel like you’re burning money! :D
I love it when I find a local brand that lives up to my ideals. There aren’t many, but the few I’ve come across are gems.
I discovered these candles one day while I was browing a handicraft bazaar. I don’t usually visit these bazaars (my taste doesn’t quite run in that direction) but I came across this one (I can’t remember which anymore) and as I walked past, there was a lovely soothing scent in the air. So, like a sniffer dog, there I was, standing in the middle of the bazaar, sniffing the air, trying to get a lock on the stall where it originated from.
That was when I came across the Sanctuary candles. They are made locally by a local artist, Jasmine Gan, who happened to be manning the stall when I was there. We got to chatting about candles and scents and she was lovely and not pushy at all, and informative. She was quite happy to walk me through her Sanctuary candles selection, and talk me through her brand and her love for scent.
I enjoyed our little chat, and I loved how her candles smelled. There are a few different scent combinations that are sweet, refreshing or uplifting. Best of all, they were all soy candles and they didn’t cost me an arm and a leg!
Each 6oz candle retails at RM45 and has a burn time of 30-35 hours. To give you an idea of how that translates, a large sized Diptyque candle that’s slightly larger at 6.5oz retails here at RM249. I could buy 6 Sanctuary Candles!
During the bazaar, there was a promotion where they were selling for RM40 if you buy 2 and above, so naturally, I had to buy 2. Who am I to pass on a deal? ;)
I picked Green Tea & Lemongrass and Lime Basil & Mandarin. I personally highly recommend Green Tea & Lemongrass because it smells so refreshing. If you can imagine the fresh green scent of crushed green tea, tempered with the sharp, cleansing notes of lemongrass. This smells like a balinese spa in a jar!
I love burning this in my living room, and the scent throw is very good, so within a few minutes of it being lit, I can smell it from every corner of my apartment. It makes the house smell refreshing and clean and relaxing, and truly turns it into a Sanctuary. What is even better is that after about an hour, blow out the flame and let the scent linger as the soy candle solidifies. I find that leaving the candle uncovered gives a lovely piquant scent to the air. Not strong, but a freshness that’s very relaxing.
Another good thing about the Green Tea & Lemongrass candle is that it masks the smell of cooking. I cook fairly often so I find that burning this candle after I’m done refreshes the air and removes the stale scent of food.
Lime Basil & Mandarin reminds me of a scent from Jo Malone. It has that fresh zest to it that is energizing and refreshing. I don’t burn it as often, but it is just as impressive as Green Tea & Lemongrass. This is especially so when you consider the price of RM45 each (just a little over US$10 per candle). It isn’t often I get anything of quality at that price point, so these candles are truly one to have.
Being soy candles, I find that they melt quite quickly from the heat, but they burn very evenly. Jasmine also provides you with some tips for candle care, to ensure that you get the most out of your candle.
So, if you want to get into candles, but aren’t into the strong artificial scents like those by Yankee Candles or Bath and Body Works (no offence if you like these, I don’t sorry!) get these from Sanctuary instead. You’re buying local, you get a good quality product, and you don’t have to sell a kidney for them. I’d say that’s worth it :)
IN A NUTSHELL
Sanctuary is a local (Malaysian) brand of handmade soy candles that come in various scent combinations. I found them by chance during a bazaar in the city. The scents I chose were refreshing and scented the air beautifully. The candle throw was good, and I find that it scents my living room very easily, unlike some other more expensive candles I own. The scents don’t smell artificial nor are they cloying. Being soy candles, they last longer, and they burn very evenly and well. I have absolutely no complaints!
PROS: Soy candles that burn evenly and well, Lovely scent combinations to suit most tastes, Smells natural without being artificial and crass, Good throw of scent, Long lasting, Affordable
CONS: Not easy to find although they are available online
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who loves a good quality soy candle
PRICE: RM45 for 6oz jars (30-35 hour burn time)
AVAILABILITY: Online at Jasmine Gan or at their selected stockists
I see that there is a new range out now, Sanctuary Voyage, that costs more. Not having smelled them, I’m not sure if I’ll get them for now. Maybe if I stumble across their stall at a bazaar in future, I’ll check them out :)
Have you come across these Sanctuary candles before? Do you know of other good local candle brands?
I’m glad I came across these. They last a surprisingly long time and I’m not even halfway through my candles yet. Seriously, for this value, it can’t be beat! :)
Paris B
Oooh, I’ve seen these at a bazaar before but didn’t realise they were local. I’m gonna try them out and order a couple too! Thanks for the recommendation. I’m a candle-addict myself and have a precious stash to burn through :-)
It’ll be lovely in your new home! See if you can catch them at a bazaar, I think they do special prices then ;)
Thanks for the recommendation, will try them. I was looking for something similar to Mrs. Meyer’s soy candles locally – this might be the one.
Ooh yes yes and if I may say so, these smell better than Mrs Meyers! :D Hope you’ll like them!
Hi Miss P,
which bazaar you went?
i am Interested of getting it too..
Hi Shija, I don’t remember it now but it was in Bangsar Shopping Centre many months ago. But you can get her candles online here!
Green Tea and Lemongrass! <3 I looove the sound of that! I love my green tea so I will have to look into shipping options to Aus :)
I'm having a lot of fun finding niche/small candle businesses actually!
That one’s my favourite! I have a suspicion it might be expensive to ship to Australia because it’s in a glass jar, but I suppose there’s no harm asking :D For candles, I like looking into niche/local brands too – it’s too expensive to buy indie ones from overseas anyway due to the weight!
The prices of the candles increased to 90MYR on the website. Wow, that’s a fast and huge increase.
Hi Hazel, they’re still showing up as RM45 each for me. Did you go to this link? There is another range Sanctuary Voyage, which is RM85 but I haven’t tried that one. I don’t see a RM90 candle though.
same as the person above – I was very interested and checked it out only to find it at RM 90!!!
Hey Michelle, that’s really strange. Did you go to the site here? It still shows up as RM45 per candle for me. There is another range called Sanctuary Voyage with 2 scents that are RM85 each but I haven’t tried those and they aren’t the ones I’ve featured here. Hope the right price shows up for you :)
Hi, I tried your link and it still shows rm90. So strange! I’m clicking in from Singapore though… Hmm…
Hi Hazel ooh that might be it! I’ll I didn’t know the prices are different from/to Singapore. Perhaps if you have an address in Malaysia you can get it shipped here or try emailing them and ask? I don’t know if it’ll help but see if mentioning you were referred from my blog might help get you any discount?
Oooh these sound right up my alley! And what a good price for the candles! I must remember to get 1-2 when I’m in Malaysia next. :D
After conversion to AUD, even cheaper :D
Thanks for the info. These would make great gifts! I’m in Malaysia and the price shows up as RM45.
Absolutely! I think the raised price shows up if visiting from outside Malaysia. Not sure why, but not so cool eh? Still, I reckon it’ll be cheap
Hey Paris B, there’s also another local soy candle brand in Malaysia that you might find interesting, check them out at instagram/facebook @lilinandco
Thanks for the info! I don’t usually like shopping off Facebook/IG because it is usually a little haphazard and gives me a feeling of impermanence, but I’ll take a look anyway! Maybe I’ll spot them at a bazaar somewhere some day :)
Thanks for the info, immediately i bought from online Coconut & Lime and Lemongrass & Frangipani :-)
I bought Karma Kamet and BSaB candles during my recent BKK trip, both smells lovely with no typical waxy kind of chemical smell. But price wise it’s more expensive than Sanctuary.
Ooh I hope you like the scents you bought! I can’t remember how they smell except that I think coocnut & lime smelled quite coconuty. I loved the Karmakamet store! Such a feast for the senses. I bought a little bottle of essential oil when I was there but no candles haha
Her candles are also available at Loka Malaysia in NU Sentral. I’m a big fan and have several scattered at home and in the office :)
I balked at the price of the Voyage range at first but took a deep sniff of Amalfi Coast and threw my money at the cashier a few short minutes after.
Thanks for the heads up on its availability! It’s always nice to be able to smell it in person before buying. And now, I just have to go sniff the Voyage series don’t I?! Tsk! :P
I decided I wanted to support Malaysian made candles and what a hugeee disappointment it was! After reading this, I decided to give Sanctuary candles I try. I bought the Voyage Series: Barcelona and Tokyo. Apparently, their “luxury” line. Both smelled like overpriced deodorant of teenage boys. Smell so cheap yet it is advertised as “reminding you of Barcelona”/Tokyo”. The wick used is a cheap wick, which burns faster than the soy would evaporate. I got a massive headache after buying those candles and vow not to buy anymore from this brand.
If you are reading this, please stay away from the two candles that I have mentioned. If you choose not to believe me, you can try it out yourself as well. Maybe the ones the writer try is good but there is no way I am spending any more money on Sanctuary. And Malaysian products are such let-downs. All the time.
Thanks for sharing! I was contemplating the 2 in the Voyage series that you bought, and I’m now thankful I didn’t. So sorry that you had a bad experience. I still enjoy using the few I have, but they are the regular ones and to me, are fine. Perhaps, for the price of those, I don’t mind as much, because I can’t handle the scents in other affordable candle brands like Bath & Body Works etc :)