Suitcase packed? Check. ID and tickets ready? Check. Iron unplugged? Check. Hostess gift acquired and wrapped? That’s where our travel plans tend to hit a snag. To avoid this last-minute complication, we’re investing in a cache of designer Loree Rodkin’s range of candles. Packaged in elegant brown faux crocodile, they look so tasteful that they don’t even need wrapping paper.

Suitcase packed? Check. ID and tickets ready? Check. Iron unplugged? Check. Hostess gift acquired and wrapped? That’s where our travel plans tend to hit a snag. To avoid this last-minute complication, we’re investing in a cache of designer Loree Rodkin’s range of candles. Packaged in elegant brown faux crocodile, they look so tasteful that they don’t even need wrapping paper.

This attention to luxe details comes as no surprise, however, as Rodkin is an acclaimed jewelry designer whose exquisitely handcrafted pieces grace style icons like Madonna and Michelle Obama (she created the First Lady’s inauguration jewelry).

And her foray into fragrance is just as beautiful. The candles smell fantastic—rich and exotic but not overly so. The large candle, which burns for 60 hours, comes in Rodkin’s signature Gothic I scent, a heady blend of vanilla laced with just the right amount of patchouli. And to complete the thoughtful packaging, below the candle is a tiny drawer that pulls open to reveal a box of matches.

The sampler pack includes six small candles, each with a burn time of 15 hours. Along with Gothic I, it features Gothic II, a slightly darker, more patchouli- and incense-heavy scent; Gothic III, a fresh gardenia; Gothic IV, a geranium base with patchouli undertones; Gothic V, a mix of heady eastern temple incenses; Gothic VI, a Zen blend of herbs and spa notes; and Gothic VII, a deep patchouli.

Ideal as a hostess—or, thanks to its gender-neutral packaging, host—gift, these candles are worth stocking up on. And if you don’t get invited anywhere this summer, your own house will smell so good that you won’t care.