Green your Christmas: candles

Besides Christmas marking the return of the light and all that jazz, candles are simply the epitome of cosiness at Yuletide. We don't know anyone who wouldn't appreciate a candle -- especially if it's one from Neom Luxury Organics by Natural Magic (see picture below), which stocks a good selection of high-end 100 per cent organic candles scented with essential oils.

For £35 you get a whole kilogram of pure luxury candle with calming properties and a 55 hour burn time, which doesn't quite beat the LED lights but then again, you don't get the same amount of calmness and cosiness from LEDs.

We also quite like the look of Pharmacopia's organic soy wax candles with a mix of essential oils, and Timothy Han's GM-free and ethically sourced soy candles from 'how on earth' (main image), but at £28 each, they're definitely not cheap pressie options either.

If you're looking for something cheaper, Daylesford Organics also sells organic candles starting at £10. Scented with things like vine tomato and ivy, they're a bit out of the ordinary, and the fact they come in lovely reusable glass jars only places them higher on our wish-list.

Here at SmartPlanet, we're also getting quite into beeswax candles. They smell lovely and are completely natural. The nicest ones, we've found are from Toast and cost between £6 and £16.

Alternatively, if you're a bit crafty, spend between £10 and £15 on a beeswax candle-making kit and make your own presents. We're not keen on the rolled beeswax candles, but love melting it and pouring it into small glasses -- it makes the candles look slightly more posh..

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