As the longest night of the year approaches, we find that we’re lighting a lot of candles, both for practical purposes—candlelight is way more flattering than even the kindest of bulbs—and because the ritualistic aspect of tending a flame, especially as the year draws to an end and the weather turns colder, is so comforting. But, being the style-conscious design lovers that we are, these are not just any old candles. Our chandler of choice these days is Lisa Carrier, an interior designer and artist who was prompted to start her line after Cher (yes, Cher!) loved a candle she’d made for her as a gift and ordered a slew for her friends.

Using hand painted Italian lace, rhinestones, Swarovski crystals and silver studs, Carrier has created three striking paraffin pillar candles that smell as good as they look: A 6"/15cm crème gardenia-and-jasmine scented Judaica Star of David—just in time for Hanukkah and perfect for gift-giving—a 6"/15cm crème gardenia-and-jasmine scented Old World Rocker Cross that’s already earmarked for several people on our Christmas list, and a 10"/25 cm Luxe Crystal Skull that’s available in either merlot (which smells like juniper berries and pinecones) or black (not shown, which smells like a blend of vanilla, amber and black incense) that we’re definitely getting for ourselves. Now all we have to do is track down some cool matches.