Fall finds, all aglow

ANYONE who scrambled for candles during the power outages last week found an early bounty in stores: autumnal tea lights, pillars and wax bowls poised to light the way into a new season.

New candles this fall are noteworthy for more than their warm color palette. Shapes and finishes are more refined. New apple floaters from Illuminations and pumpkins from Pottery Barn are remarkably lifelike.

Burn times are getting longer too. At Colcha in Venice, $55 may seem steep for a candle no larger than a coffee mug, but, then again, these pieces -- part of the Burn line by Studio USA -- last for 100 hours. Scents are more sophisticated. The Burn collection includes Himalayan pomegranate and flowering quince, Marumi kumquat and sparkling grenadine (though we’ve included a fair number of fragrance-free options below for the scentophobes among us).

By night, these charmers will have you covered in case another blackout strikes. By day, they will be standing by, warming a shelf or tabletop in fine style.

--Lisa Boone and Reuben Muñoz