{"id":9137,"date":"2023-01-16T21:03:08","date_gmt":"2023-01-16T20:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=9137"},"modified":"2025-09-07T00:33:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T22:33:52","slug":"duftkerzen-fuer-bibliophile-vielleser-mit-dem-feinen-aroma-alter-buecher-und-antiker-bibliotheken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2023\/01\/scented-candles-for-bibliophile-prolific-readers-with-the-fine-aroma-old-books-and-antiques-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Scented candles for bibliophile frequent readers with the fine aroma of old books and antique libraries"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

I am always on the lookout for beautiful bibliophilic accessories and, admittedly, there aren\u2019t that many of them. A few years ago, I came across scented candles that were said to capture the delicate fragrance of old books, small antique bookshops, and libraries filled with vintage tomes. Back then, they were only available in the U.S., and with the high shipping and customs costs, it was never really worth testing them. However, I kept checking, and now I finally discovered the online shop indigofoxcandles.de<\/a> here in Germany, which offers candles in the scents \u201cVintage Bookshop\u201d and \u201cOld Books.\u201d So, I picked up both candles and would like to share my experience with you\u2014knowing that quite a few bibliophilic book lovers read along here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Of course, I love sitting on the couch in the evening, the well-stocked bookshelf behind me, a cup of something hot in hand, and a record of pleasant orchestral music playing as I pick up a book to read. The sensory component of scent hadn\u2019t really been on my radar for a long time\u2014until some time ago, when I occasionally started lighting incense sticks. But those can be quite strong, and a scented candle as a more subtle alternative perfectly rounds off an evening of reading. Naturally, it also has to be the right kind of candle. I filtered my search on Etsy to show only sellers based in Germany and found the shop indigofoxcandles.de<\/a>, pleasantly surprised to finally find a domestic source for exactly these kinds of bibliophile candles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The first time I encountered scented candles with the fragrances \u201cBookstore,\u201d \u201cOld Books,\u201d and \u201cOxford Library\u201d from Frostbeard Studio was back in 2018. However, the shipping from the U.S. was so expensive that it just wasn\u2019t an option. The candles from INDIGOFOXCandles<\/a> also promise the fine aroma of old books and an antique bookshop. The question is: what exactly creates the scent of old books? How do old books or an antiquarian bookstore filled with aged, leather-bound, and yellowed volumes actually smell? If someone asked me to describe it, I wouldn\u2019t immediately have a specific aroma in mind.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I then browsed through my bookshelf. First, I pulled out a book from the Lone Wolf<\/em> series from the 1980s and gave it a sniff. The scent immediately brought back childhood memories\u2014because those pages carry that faint aroma I already noticed back then. A bit musty, but with a fresh note typical of paper. Next, I picked up a book from the 1960s, Rebecca<\/em> by Daphne du Maurier. That one had a stronger smell\u2014the kind that hits you when you open one of those book-exchange telephone booths. A bit more musty, slightly sweet, and earthy. Then I took a book from the 17th century with a thick leather cover. You can definitely detect a hint of old leather and something slightly bitter. None of the books had a particularly strong scent, perhaps because the air in our living room circulates quite well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A few years ago, I bought an old edition of a book by Jack London, and it had an awful smell\u2014so strong and unpleasant that it made reading difficult. I sealed the book with some coffee grounds in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for a few days. That worked surprisingly well to neutralize the overpowering odor. Now the book hardly smells at all. Of course, such an unpleasant stench is not the kind of \u201cbook scent\u201d one would want from a candle!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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One evening, I settled down with my current read and lit the first candle, \u201cOld Books<\/a>.\u201d It took a little while for the scent to unfold\u2014which is quite normal for scented candles. Once lit, the fragrance starts subtly and intensifies over time. Indeed, a slightly sweet, earthy, and woody aroma fills the room, one that you could easily associate with old books. It\u2019s easy to imagine a paneled room lined with antique books exuding just this kind of scent. While it doesn\u2019t exactly match the smell of the old books from my shelves\u2014its aroma being more balanced and pleasant\u2014that\u2019s understandable, since a candle should smell inviting, which this one certainly does. Especially noticeable is the moment you leave the room and return later: the fragrance greets you distinctly, and I could well imagine an old library smelling like this. However, I also noticed there isn\u2019t much of a strong recognition factor. Everyone has an idea of what old books smell like, but since we rarely encounter it, the association isn\u2019t vivid enough to identify it instantly. So if you expect your guests to be immediately struck by a \u201cwow, old books!\u201d reaction, you might be disappointed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The candles are made from soy wax and contain teakwood, oak, and sandalwood. I also detect something slightly sweet\u2014perhaps a touch of vanilla\u2014and maybe something smoky or tobacco-like for the earthy notes. If you look online for book-scented candles, this composition appears almost everywhere. Understandably so\u2014it comes very close to that bookish aroma and is probably the best combination to recreate it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The second candle, \u201cVintage Bookshop<\/a>,\u201d I tested the following evening. I couldn\u2019t detect any difference in scent compared to the larger \u201cOld Books\u201d candle\u2014except that it was less intense, which makes sense since the \u201cOld Books\u201d candle has two wicks. But that\u2019s no surprise, as the listed ingredients are identical. My sense of smell isn\u2019t particularly sharp, so I can\u2019t rule out that there might be subtle differences I simply didn\u2019t notice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I find the INDIGOFOXCandles<\/a> designs quite beautiful. \u201cVintage Bookshop\u201d comes in a classically shaped glass with a simple yet elegant label. \u201cOld Books\u201d has a larger black glass container with a wooden lid and two wicks, ensuring even burning and a noticeably stronger scent. They look stylish in their understated design and make a fine addition to a living room table or shelf. I really like them\u2014and they\u2019re reasonably priced. During my research, I was honestly surprised at how expensive some scented candles (of all kinds) can be. Some prices rival perfumes, which isn\u2019t too surprising given the overlap in fragrance crafting. In that sense, the candles from INDIGOFOXCandles<\/a> are very fairly priced. The larger \u201cOld Books\u201d candle is said to burn for 50 hours, while the smaller \u201cVintage Bookshop\u201d lasts for about 30. That sounds like a lot, but in practice, an evening\u2019s burn time adds up quickly\u2014if you don\u2019t let them burn long enough, the scent remains too faint. So yes, it\u2019s a little luxury, but a delightful one.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Conclusion:<\/strong> I really like the scented candles from INDIGOFOXCandles<\/a>. Especially \u201cOld Books\u201d has a very pleasant fragrance that truly evokes old books or a library filled with leather-bound antiquarian volumes. For an enjoyable reading evening, these candles add a perceptible touch of atmosphere. I also think they make excellent gifts for avid readers\u2014it\u2019s such a creative idea. Of course, it\u2019s a luxury, but a stylish one, and these candles definitely strike a chord with me. I\u2019ve also noticed there\u2019s another scent called \u201cA Night at the Library,\u201d which seems to emphasize the sweeter notes, given the inclusion of \u201csmoked vanilla.\u201d When my two candles are used up, I\u2019ll certainly order more. A wonderful idea that absolutely hits the mark for a bibliophile bookworm like me. These candles are definitely a clear recommendation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am always on the lookout for beautiful bibliophilic accessories and, admittedly, there aren\u2019t that many of them. A few years ago, I came across scented candles that were said to capture the delicate fragrance of old books, small antique bookshops, and libraries filled with vintage tomes. Back then, they were only available in the … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Scented candles for bibliophile frequent readers with the fine aroma of old books and antique libraries”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Duftkerzen f\u00fcr bibliophile Vielleser mit dem feinen Aroma alter B\u00fccher und antiker Bibliotheken - lesestunden","description":"Ich bin immer auf der Suche nach sch\u00f6nen bibliophilen Accessoires und zugegeben, es gibt nicht so viele davon. Vor einigen Jahren bin ich schon auf Duftkerzen g"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/duftkerzen_beitrag.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}