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What comes to mind when you think of Lahore? For Charm Natural, it’s the heady scent of flowers.

When we received a package from Charm Natural, I wasn’t sure what to expect. They sent us a candle and reed diffuser from their Soul of Lahore series and I wasn’t so sure I would like it, given that I’m a Karachi girl through and through. What would I or any of my Karachi-based colleagues know about the soul of Lahore? That’s why I was so surprised when everyone who entered the Images office asked about the great smell after we lit their Lahore Botanicals candle.

In fact, one of our colleagues who will not be named even tried to sneakily make away with the candle to use it in his own less than fragrant office. A small scuffle ensued but, as always, Images won and we were able to retrieve our stolen goods.

You may be wondering what is it about this candle that is worth petty theft. When I first took a whiff of it, I wasn’t sold. It smelt too much like roses — something I abhor the smell of. But once we lit it and let it settle in, the scent changed.

The candle has top notes of clementine, citron, green notes, rose, middle notes of orange blossom, jasmine, lotus and base notes of lilac, orris, vetiver, musk. The mix transports you to a flower shop where you’re standing rather near the jasmine and roses and further away from everything else. Lahore Botanicals might not be to everyone’s taste — it does remind me strongly of a wedding — but it eventually settles in and becomes more flower shop than wedding.

The scent is incredibly strong — our room smelt like flowers hours after we extinguished the candle and set it aside, which to my mind is a major plus point. The office was in agreement that this would be a great candle to light during a dinner or party — it’ll overpower the smell of food and keep the room smelling good throughout the night.

Another major plus is how cute the candle is. It features a map of Lahore and includes the Charm Natural office! I always love it when brands put thought into their products and the map elevates this from a merely nice product to a really thoughtful one.

The candle is currently on sale for Rs2,400 on the Charm Natural website, which I think is quite a good deal. Its original price is Rs3,300, which is at par with its competitors. It’s rated a solid four stars.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

This article is part of an ongoing series on supporting local products. All the products are independently evaluated and reviewed by a member of the Images team and reflect their personal opinions. If you’re a local business and would like to be featured, reach out to us at imagesdawndotcom@gmail.com.