Citronella Candles Galore

I never thought my growing arsenal against mosquitoes and dengue could look pretty.  The above are citronella candles which I bought shortly after I learned about the horrid health hazard that is mosquito coil.  (If you are new around here, you can learn about dengue here, about citronella oil here and about mosquito coils here.)

In my search for citronella candles, I found—to my delight--that a lot of them come in pretty packaging.  They do double duty as ornaments around the house.  How’s that for multitasking decors?  

I found my candles at Robinson’s Handyman store.  The one above is a tea light—the kind which you can use to lend a warm glow to your dinner table.  I liked that it is manufactured by a Filipino company known as Liwanag.  The pack contains 9 tea lights and sells for 68 pesos, which makes each cute candle worth around 7 pesos apiece.  The candle sits on a metal (I think aluminum) cup or tea light holder which makes it safe to use.  The cup also makes the candle last longer as it melts within the confines of the cup rather than spread itself out.  The cup eliminates mess as well.  You can place the candle inside a glass or cup for added safety from fire accidents. 

The candle does smell of authentic citronella and it is really effective.  I find that it does keep mosquitoes away.  What I particularly like is that I have absolute peace of mind in using it knowing that it is natural and safe—citronella is, in fact, a health-promoting essential oil which has long been used in aromatherapy.  I estimate each candle lasts for about 4 to 6 hours of uninterrupted burning.

Here’s another Liwanag brand of citronella candles I found in another store are.  This time, it comes in a box of two decorative glasses.  I like how the light flickers through the textured glass.  It could have been a lot prettier were it colored, for then it would give a stained-glass effect.  By the way, a tea light fits into the glass.  Each glass costs 70 pesos and the candle lasts for maybe 8 to 10 hours.  You can reuse the glass of course. (The boy in the background is my 4-year-old son.  He's starting to read now and trying to read everything in sight.)

See that translucent green votive with a handle?  That one is another pretty little thing.  It’s good to use for when you’re in a windy area, outdoor perhaps, or when you’re using electric fan.  The votive shields from wind so the candle stays burning.  It sells for 140 pesos, which is not cheap, but then you're paying for its pretty form.

Here are other charming citronella candles cum home accessories I found from the net.  Unfortunately, I’ve never seen candles of this class in the stores here.  So I just sigh.

This one's from discountcandleshop.com  Textured, colored glass and with a graceful shape.  Should glow beautifully.

These fun printed candles would lend a Mediterranean vibe to your place.  Would add pops of color to any console table or would make great centerpiece accessories. They're from kaboodle.com

These are my hands-down faves-- with a soft, ethereal glow about them.  They would make any room look romantic and calm.  They're from apartmenttherapy.com

I never thought shooing away mosquitoes could be this fun and pretty.