I absolutely LOVE these candles. The scents last a long time while burning unlike those found in…read moremajor retail chain stores.

Verve candles is by far the best candles on the market right now!…read more Seriously. Not only do these candles burn slowly because they're made of the best stuff on earth soy, their heavenly, intoxicating fragrances illuminate every room of my house. Each room's aroma can uplift the mind and the senses. My favorite candles and diffusers are Frangipani, Spicy Orange and Belizian Breeze. They make great gifts too!

Decided to spend my birthday making a candle at District Candle Lab in Union Market. Keysha and…read moreBobbi were very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere was very inviting and allow for a stress-free fun activity. The overall candle making process only took about 30-45min depending on your mood to choose the candle scents. It will take 2 hours for the candle to cool down which allow me to go grab a quick lunch. The location also has a jewelry making place called Fawne that you can do while you wait! I will be back!

I made a reservation for my husband and I to make candles. We had a good time smelling and…read moreselecting our favorite scents. While we had a full hour, we were done in 30 minutes. A few things to be aware of: 1) Location - the site doesn't include directions. They are not IN the Union Market / food stall space but in the walkway behind it that has various shops. 2) Price - The $15 pp reservation fee goes towards the cost of the candle. You have a choice behind medium or large - the latter is $50 each - which I was a bit taken aback by since it wasn't listed on the site. 3) Time to pick up - We were told it would take 3 hours for our candles to be ready vs the 2 hours listed on the site. I had planned for us to walk around and have lunch but 3 hours was a bit too long so we opted to come back tomorrow.

Love this store for cute DC items, fun home goods, and bursts of inspiration. Their inventory is…read moreunique and well-priced and the staff are always kind. I've been a fan over many years, but felt compelled to write a review when I bought a hair clip that couldn't hold my thick hair and Jessica was super flexible in letting me exchange the item. I dig this neighborhood spot and always walk away with a little treasure!

Good place for locally made gifts. If you're looking for quirky stuff come here. Urban Dwell is a…read morepopular locally owned business in Adams Morgan. Prices aren't bad. The stuff is very high quality. Gift shops around here have cheap looking stuff but it's expensive. It's not like that here. There's lots of handcrafted items. Get something for pretty much everyone. There's jewelry and keychains among the smaller items. It has some bigger items including clothing and other accessories. These items are especially good for women. Lots of things for them here to try on. They can find a variety of stylish purses. As for the men there's funny T-shirts and novelty items. There's also the old school stuff like postcards. It overall is a cool place for gifts. Look for some of the offbeat items. There's something for all tastes.

I absolutely love this store. Ever since my sister…read moreintroduced me to it 2 years ago, I've been using their body lotions all the time. I have recently learned I'm no longer allergic or have any reaction to perfume! I didn't know one could recover from this issue on your own naturally without any medical intervention. I'm loving 3 particular perfumes here and I mix and match them together. You can find them in Bloomingdale's but I like their stand alone store, they're more knowledgeable and better selection! They're quite pricey but worth it. 3 medium size perfumes and a body lotion will cost you about $500, which will last about a year. Worth every penny! Highly recommend.

Overhyped or maybe I'm just not intrigued enough for the cologne world. The cologne doesn't last…read morelong. It's overselling the hype and luxury of it all. I'm not sure if I heard from other reviews right that they let you try everything out for an hour before making a final purchase. I'll say one good thing is that each spray doesn't use much, so it lasts but pricey. In store is not the best option for availability, to which I will not hold against as it is not under their control.

What a super fun place for girls this has everything that a girl would want for cute fun activities…read morecute things to add to your home and more! I booked the reservation online for charm bracelet making for my friend and I and when we arrived, we were shortly checked in and began bracelet making the instructor was super nice and she gave us the freedom to pick our charms and start putting them together as we wanted. Unfortunately, my bracelet did break a day later, but it didn't take away from the fun I had being in this place definitely will return plus they have other hands-on activity workshops monthly ** the need more silver charm options **

My group visited Relume to make charm bracelets one weekend and the space is really cute. They have…read moresome interesting and fun items through the store that can be purchased, and then an area on the other side for candle or charm bracelet making. We were told what to do and how to pick our charms and left to it, then helped again when it was time to put the charms on. This was a very DIY experience. Unfortunately, some of my group has said their charms came off and our custom charm completely bled and faded, but overall it was a good time.

Great food amazing service I can't wait to have it again my whole family enjoyed the meal and my…read morekids are some choosy eaters

Honey Made is a woman-owned gift shop along Barracks Row made famous when President Joe Biden…read moreshopped there, picking up a card for the First Lady. When you go inside, there's a sign that points out the President's choice of cards with photos of the owner on the wall with the President. The shop itself is a single room filled with local cards, fabrics, jewelry, household goods, candle, soaps, etc. Browse the aisles to find gifts for friends and family. The prices are on par with other local gift shops.

When in Old Town...stop by The Old Town Shop. Lots of fun souvenirs, cherry blossom-themed items,…read moreVA items, and plenty of patriotic doodads (psst - America's 250th birthday coming up). The staff was very friendly and welcoming to all.

This shop is so cute and surprisingly affordable! We recently stayed at Hotel Indigo, a block or…read moretwo down Union from the shop. The hotel partners with the shop, offering guests 10% off purchases, so we stopped in here every single day--even twice one day--to stock up on souvenirs and gifts. The selection of items was great! We found several things for everyone back home. Prices were SO reasonable, especially with the extra 10% off. Staff was nice and remembered us each time we came in, joking on the last day that we were their favorite customers since we had been there so many times LOL! Overall, this shop is great. Will absolutely be back next time I'm in Alexandria!

I love this place!! This is the closest metaphysical/botanica to me and i regularly visit this shop…read morewhen im low on supplies. Their Florida water runs out fast so be sure to be there earlier in the week to get the stock. There's a pretty good selection of items, and I'd say they're priced fairly!

I could not believe how much and how many products they packed into this medium size space! I was…read morenot prepared for such a huge selection of unique and hard to find things as well as More day today items. The prices seem to be reasonable as well. , I would only hesitate to get five stars because many items did not have marked prices like the votive candles. And even though my friend and I were the only people in the store, no one ever greeted us or asked if we needed any help. And there were two people behind the counter. Not a huge deal and I enjoyed my visit nonetheless!

A wonderful shop that will be missed. Their website has been shut down, and on Facebook they're…read moreshowing photos of store fixtures they're selling "to pay our last month's rent." (Last date for a sale was February 18, I don't know if there will be more.) A real loss that leaves VERY few choices nearby.

Inviting & cozy atmosphere. Informative, knowledgeable…read moreservice provided. Great choice selection of crystals & incense!

Halloween evening I planned a romantic date night with my SO at National Harbor in Maryland…read more While waiting for their arrival, I walked through the retail district, familiarizing myself with the types of shops, and their offerings. A subtle hint had been dropped before that a couple's event, like painting and wine tasting, was of interest. There was a shop offering that experience, along with one that appeared to pair photography with alcohol?!? After further investigation however, I found 'the one's, Wigenton Candle Co. The experience they offered was much more intimate; creating a candle together. Said candle, would of course be used in the future, and each time memories of its creation would come flooding back. I ducked into the shop for an overview and spoke to the owner, Stephanie. After confirming that it was ideal, I made a reservation for a bit later that evening. Come 7:00, my SO and I arrived for our candle-making session. Being Halloween, most people were interested in far different activities, thus we were the only partipants. Stephanie explained the process to us, then had us sit at a crafting station, which had the ingredients we'd need laid out already. Stephanie provided a thorough explanation of each potential fragrance, including its benefits, and popular fragrance combinations. After testing different fragrances, and combinations, we now had all the ingredients necessary to make 'OUR' candle. Stephanie led us through the process of assembling the candle, and explained that it would need to cook for a number of hours before it could be moved. She also recommended that it not be burned for at least 3 days. As we wrapped up, Stephanie shared candle burning tips including making them last, their optimum placement within a room, etc. I asked what the inspiration was for the store. Come to find out Stephanie suffered the ill-effects that many so when burning commercially manufactured candles. They often include harmful ingredients which can negatively effect one's health (short and long-term), and exacerbate asthmatic symptoms. Needless to say, the candles you make in the store, as well as the pre-made candles and other items, such as diffuser oils, contain none of the 'bad stuff'. As we made our way out the door we learned that it's possible to bring one's own food and drink to a couple's session, adding another layer of intimacy. The reaction to the experience from both me and my SO was outstanding. It blew away all the other couple experience options available at the National Harbor, and left us both looking forward to the day (more likely night) that we would first light 'OUR' candle. We can't recommend Wigenton Candle, and Stephanie highly enough. Get there!!! 'Uncle Mike'

I had such a fantastic experience at Wigenton Candle Co. in National Harbor! The workshop was…read morewell-organized, beautifully set up, and the owner was both knowledgeable and welcoming. She walked us through the process of blending scents, why these candles and oils are health conscious, and pouring our own custom candles. The space itself is bright and inviting, with shelves full of gorgeous candles and décor--it feels like a boutique and creative studio rolled into one. Perfect for a group activity, date night, or even something fun to do on your own. They have multiple items at different price point if you just want to shop!! What really stood out: * Variety of curated scents to choose from (so many amazing combinations!) * Guided experience that's beginner-friendly but still creative * Black-owned business rooted in community and craftsmanship * You leave with a candle that feels personal and luxe and is healthy to burn. Highly recommend booking a session here if you're in the area. I'll definitely be back so worth it!!!