A lit version.

by Mollie Chen

My desk smells like the ocean...Palm Beach, to be more precise. Ever since I nearly set off a smoke alarm while working late one night, I have refrained from burning scented candles at my desk. (I steer clear of desk diffusers: Clumsy girl + scented oil = broken keyboard.) But I've discovered that when left unlit, candles give off just the right amount of scent for a workstation (enough to banish stale office air but not enough to offend nearby sensitive noses). I adore Diptyque, but at $55 each, their candles are a bit out of my price range. After hearing our video and photo guru Damian rave about the well-priced and subtle Votivo candles, I decided to give the company's newest one, "Palm Beach Breeze," a test run. The scent was created specifically for the Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, which is how I found out about it. I wasn't sold on the idea of a hotel-branded candle at first, but the packaging is simple with minimal logo-age, and the candle itself is encased in plain glass. It doesn't quite smell like the ocean--more like what you'd imagine the air would be like at a beachfront café at dusk. All in all, not a bad way to fend off the workday blahs.