Much unlike many a magazine editor who recommends you buy all sorts of crap that they most likely got for free, your Jezebel staff doesn't get jack shit (other than books, unsolicited). And that's how it should be. But on our own time, in our personal lives, we still buy stuff. So this is Worth It, our recommendation of random things that we've actually spent our own money on. These are the things we buy regularly or really like, things we'd actually tell our friends about. And now we're telling you.
I cannot stand the scents of Febreze or any other artificial air freshener. Spray them and all I smell is that horrible perfume-y scent settled on top of whatever you were tying out to cover up to begin with. I gag, I get a headache, I become a real ol' drama queen that no one wants to be around. That said, I like rooms to smell nice and sometimes a simple cleaning doesn't do the trick. Luckily, Mrs. Meyer's Soy Candles have come to my olfactory rescue.
Mrs. Meyer's Soy Candles come in a variety of clean-smelling scents, from geranium to basil (my personal favorite is lavender, but different strokes for different folks), and none of them give off that cough-inducing, artificial odor. The natural aroma is delicate, but useful— I once worked in a restaurant that kept two lit in the restroom at all times, keeping it smelling consistently nice. At home, I keep one in my bedroom, one in my bathroom and one in the living room. I only light them when my apartment is feeling particularly stuffy and, even then, I only leave them lit for about 20 minutes, but that's all the time the candle needs to get the job done without leaving your house smelling like a Bath & Body Works.
Mrs. Meyer's Scented Soy Candles, $9.99 at Mrs. Meyer's.