I love burning scented candles. I love their flickering light; their smell. I use them when I bathe, I have one by my bed and my biggest luxury of all – I like one burning when I’m writing.

The thing is, they are usually so darned expensive out here in Singapore that I find myself saving them up – and invariably only lighting them now and again which is the worst, most inefficient way to do it. Well, now no more.

Hello, ‘To Be Calm’. A little oasis in the sea of turmoil that is Pasarbella in Turf Shitty. Sorry, City. Easy to find, it sits right by the entrance to PB (near Giant), on the left. Or if you can’t be bothered, order online and they will deliver to you for free, with no minimum spend.

Their candles are beautifully packaged and have a lovely lid – included in the price – that serves as a candle stand when they’re in use:

They aren’t made from 100% essential oils but they do all contain some, albeit different quantities.

I sampled their Driftwood which was subtly scented – good if you’re eating as I hate it when the sent overpowers the food – but their best seller is Travellers Journey (which I think should have an apostrophe ‘s’ that has somehow escaped them; I suppose I can just about live with it). It is a mix of white tea and ginger and has a lovely light, lingering scent that would be perfect in a bedroom.

A big tick on the boxes (very Jo Malone) and an even bigger tick on the price front ($49.95 each).

If you have small people, they showcase a genius contraption that looks great too (it’s made by the glass gurus over at LSA and is available for sale):

If you find yourself in Singapore this December and are in need of a bit of Christmas cheer, I loved their Native Flora & Cirtus Spice which is just the right amount of Christmasiness and comes in a festive, red glass jar.

To Be Calm
200 Turf Club Road
Passarbella #02-K62.

PS: Turf City, or Grandstand as it is now called, have a lovely emporium ‘Chillax’ just up the stairs from Omakase Burger. It’s been open for a while but I have been hopelessly backed up and haven’t given it a mention before now:

It has lots of stalls from homeware to fashion, collated from far flung places like South Africa and Spain, as well as closer to home. There is also a small café, squirrelled away on the top floor, an art gallery and a hairdressers. Brands currently on sale there (to rotate and change every six months) that I liked included wedges from Ria and beach coverups from Baliza; it’s nice to have something other than food and kid-based activities here. Emily Cheetham’s bags that went to Paris Fashion Week will also be landing here soon. Read about them here.