VIV Says: Blog

Design your own Lumnique custom candle; each comes with matches and a certificate.

Candles are versatile and seem to fit any occasion, so we habitually stockpile our favorite brands for last-minute presents. We love the idea that Lumnique allows you to personalize a candle by selecting the intention or occasion — from Christmas and Hanukkah to “Just Because” — then choose a color and fragrance for your unique creation. Each Lumnique soy candle ($30) arrives packaged with a box of matches and a certificate that includes the sentiment and a personalized message from the sender to the recipient — assuring family and friends that it wasn’t grabbed from the gift closet at the last minute!

The certificate also tells the recipient about the meaning of the candle’s color and fragrance. Sky, for instance, represents sentiments such as tranquility, healing and domestic harmony, while Wine symbolizes sophistication, abundance and richness. Fragrances are divided into three categories: Citrus/Fruit, Floral Aromatherapy and Nature/Spice/Cuisine, with 20–25 scents in each category for a wide array of possibilities — the invigorating and harmonious Green Tea Lemongrass to warm or the sugar aroma of Cookies for Santa. If all these choices leave you indecisive (or your mind is frazzled from holiday shopping), Lumnique also provides some suggestions, based on the recipient’s gender and the occasion. A New Beginnings present for a man warrants a Marine color and Rain scent, while Luck for a woman is Peach scent in a Dove color. Soy candles also are clean-burning and tend to last longer than paraffin wax. Each candle is custom mixed, poured and cured for each order, but orders can be shipped from the Los Angeles-based company the next day if ordered Monday through Friday. Holiday orders for regular shipping must be placed by Dec. 20. (There’s also an option for rush orders throughout the year.)

We love that there’s a way to custom-build a thoughtful gift that’s perfect for just about anyone! Plus, these candles can be shipped directly to the recipient, so it’s a great option for someone in your thoughts, but not in your ZIP code. What are some of your favorite last-minute or custom-crafted gifts?