Before she appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, I had heard of Kathy Hilton — I mean, the last name alone should ring a bell for most of us. But after watching her on seasons 11 and 12 of the Bravo franchise, viewers got an inside look at her home and her hosting abilities. Everything is over the top and luxurious, no detail amiss (thanks in part to her fastidious butler, Patrick). That’s why I was surprised to learn that her candle of choice is actually affordable: Voluspa’s California Summers.
Voluspa
This fresh, aquatic-scented single-wick candle has a burn time of 50 hours. If you love it and want more, the large version has a burn time of 100 hours and costs just $34.
The scent features notes of sea salt, vanilla and teakwood. “It’s the perfect fresh scent for summer. It’s my new favorite,” Hilton told The Strategist, adding that she’s a “candle lover.”
Hilton shared that she first discovered Voluspa candles when the brand released a candy cane scent for the holidays. (Kathy is known for her holiday parties and decor, according to her sister, Kyle Richards.) She even gifted them to other party hosts.
“Everybody would walk into my house during December and love it. It smelled like candy cane, but not too sweet,” she recalled. “I ordered a dozen of them, and those were my gifts when I would go to people’s homes for holiday parties.”
Voluspa candles are available at Amazon, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Sephora and a range of other retailers. However, the California Summers scent is exclusively sold on the brand’s website, and it starts at $14 for a mini tin or $22 for the standard one-wick glass jar. Bigger sizes are available too (the largest, a five-wick 123-ounce mega candle, is available for a casual $225).
Prefer to use your Prime membership to get your candle ASAP? A similar Voluspa scent called Casa Pacifica is available at Amazon, and it features notes of driftwood, sea salt and shore brush.
Amazon
This quicker-to-ship pick comes in a similar light blue glass jar.
Voluspa describes both candles as fresh and aquatic. Hey, maybe we’ll even see Hilton burning her California Summers candle on the next season of Housewives, and its serene, seaside notes will keep everyone chill and courteous. (Yeah, right.)
Hilton isn’t the only celebrity fan of Voluspa. Selena Gomez also loves the brand — and candles in general. “I want them to be lit every night because it just feels so good — I’ll light them in the piano room where we always have jam sessions or even during the daytime when I’m doing my makeup,” Gomez told Into The Gloss. “My favorite scents are Voluspa Mokara and Voluspa Saijo Persimmon; neither of them are too expensive.”
Amazon
Not into coastal scents? Try this floral option, which blends notes of Mokara orchid, white lily and moss.
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