Kudzi Chikumbu estimates that he’s smelled over two thousand candles. As “Sir Candle Man” on Instagram and TikTok, Chikumbu reviews candles and fragrances for hundreds of thousands of followers. He’s spent the past five years educating his loyal audience about everything candle-related, from choosing the right scent to candle care to gift-giving.
Chikumbu has completely immersed himself in the world of candles, even writing a book—“Let It Burn: Illuminate Your Life with Candles and Fragrance”—and collaborated on his own candle with LAFCO. All while working as global head of creator marketing at TikTok (he left his day job last summer).
In honor of ELLE Decor’s WICKipedia, we decided to ask Chikumbu a few of our most pressing candle related questions.
What do you think makes a candle “good”?
Scent, style, and strength. It needs to have a unique but almost universally lovable scent. It has to be able to double as home decor. And then number three would be strength. I like a medium to strong throw.
A throw is how much scent a candle gives off. Tell me a little about the «cold throw»—the scent a candle emits without being lit. Why do some candles have stronger cold throws than others?
It all just depends on how much fragrance there is in the candle. The more fragrance, the more likely you are to smell it. And then some notes are just a little bit more diffusive than others. It’s a real thing, but you need quite a lot to fill a room, or otherwise you need to be close to the candle.
I don’t like it too strong where it’s engulfing. I want it to waft and feel like seamless integration into my life, not like being punched with fragrance.
What are your favorite candles to pair together?
It depends on the vibes. I like a really resiny vanilla—like Benzoin Siam from LAFCO. And then I like to add on a floral or a stone fruit, [like] plum. Something juicy. But most people love a classic combo: A sandalwood and rose, or an oud and rose, or woody with citrus.
What’s a popular candle that deserves the fame?
Diptyque Baies. I know some may say it’s over-exposed, but it’s amazing. It’s an airy berry. Typically when you go berry, it’s a little too juicy or saccharine syrupy and this one is a great combination of the berry chord, but it’s not overwhelming. A lot of scents, once they get into berryland, they can take a turn.
What scent do you think is over-hyped?
A specific kind of woody-leather combo. When people say “I want a masculine candle,” to me that’s so boring, there are thousands of those. There’s nothing special about them.
What’s the most unique candle you’ve encountered?
They don’t make it anymore but P.F. Candle Co. had this ghost pepper candle—it smells like spice in the air. Like when you take a whiff of something really peppery and then it’s in your nostrils, but warm. I’d never smelled anything like that before.
What’s the best candle for a dinner party?
Boozy fruity with a little bit of woody notes—something that feels jovial. This is not the time for the herbal, eucalyptus-y, rosemary, thymes. If it’s a more grown up, serious party, you can go with dry cedarwood with fruity tones, so it feels like a really elegant boutique.
Kudzi Chikumbu with candles.
Can a candle actually ward off bugs?
Citronella is known for getting rid of mosquitoes—Diptyque has a really nice citronella candle. But generally I think, no. Unless you had a really smokey candle because some bugs hate smoke. But the only reason that would happen is if you didn’t trim your wick, which you should do.
What’s something most people don’t know about candles that you think they should?
Actually burn your candles. I know a lot of people buy nice candles and they don’t burn them because they’re saving them for a special occasion. Because most people store them out and about, they most likely start to evaporate over time. You’re better off burning your candle to get the full use than saving it, because if you save it for too long, there’ll be no fragrance left.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Annie Goldsmith is the senior editor and digital lead at ELLE Decor, where she covers design, culture, style, and trends. She previously held positions at The Information, covering technology and culture, and Town & Country, writing about news, entertainment, and fashion. Her work has also appeared in Vogue, Rolling Stone, and the SF Standard.
