Bath & Body Works Three Wick Candle Review- Banana Split Milkshake

All of the hype that surrounded Candle Day this year was definitely something else to say the least.  Since I was not willing to venture out into the store, I placed an online order that ended up being quite disappointing in the end.  At 12:15am I was able to check out with four of the twelve candles that I had put into my cart a few hours earlier.  A few minutes later, I received the email that they were going to be unable to send one of the scents because they had sold out.  So my Candle Day order went down to three candles and then it took almost two weeks for those three candles to arrive.  No big deal because I already knew that Bath and Body Works' shipping isn't exactly their best area of performance, but I think it's worth mentioning as part of my review.

This was one of the scents that I chose on Candle Day.  Without going into too much up front, I kinda dig it in an odd way and we'll get more into that here in a minute.

Lets get into the packaging first.

The lid on this particular candle is the generic Bath and Body Works lid.  It's gold tone with the name embossed on the top.  It is one of those polished lids so fingerprints and smudges are going to be impossible to avoid.  I am constantly finding myself wiping the lid off because the prints and smudges are always there.

The inside of the lid is fitted with the plastic ring liner.  My guess would be that the liner keeps the scent in and keeps the wax from drying out but of course I could be wrong.

The glass is a funky color to me.  It's not white, it's not yellow.  Maybe a dark shade of ivory?  It has the appearance of frosted glass and the flames create a nice glow when the candle is lit once it has burned down.

Now we'll get to the label.  Originally I was not a member of the fan club on the label, but something like that really is personal preference.  To me, the font has a "School House Rock" look to it.  80's kids will know exactly what I'm talking about with that.  Combined what I know is supposed to be sprinkles but looks like confetti to me in the background and yep.  They went there.  As my experience with this candle grew, I actually started to like the label.  In a nutshell, it grew on me.

I'm guessing that the white at the bottom is supposed to be whipped cream.

But... what about the really important parts?  How does this candle burn, what does it smell like and how well does the scent, if any, travel?  I'm sure that those are the things that really brought you here to check this out so let us get into that.

Since I purchased this candle online, giving it a whiff ahead of time wasn't possible.  So it went straight up to my nose the second I took it out of the delivery box.  Lid off.  Nose down in there and there it was.  A smell from my childhood that took me by surprise.

Once again I was in the way back machine.  I don't know who is going to remember this doll but it was part of the Strawberry Shortcake franchise.  Banana Twirl was her name.  She wasn't one of the most popular dolls but I had her because I have always loved the smell of fake banana.  To this day, some of my favorite candies are the banana flavored Runts and banana Laffy Taffy.  It's my jam and I love the stuff.

Banana Split Milkshake, on cold smell is dead on for Banana Twirl in my opinion.  It's plasticy.  It's an over ripe, sugary fake banana smell.  It isn't going to be for everyone but It was definitely hitting me in the nostalgia department.  I love the smell of this candle when it is cold.

For the first burn, I decided to go somewhere different.  The bookcase in the dining room.  The room is 12' by 14' and sits between the kitchen and the living room.  As a side note, my home is not open concept.  You have to pass through a doorway to go from room to room.

I allowed it to burn for 4 hours the first time and was actually quite pleased with the way the wicks performed and the pooling.  It did have a bit of a struggle in one very small spot with pooling but after a couple of hours the candle was fully pooled and burning nicely.
  

   

I do have to add that the wicks did mushroom after the candle was extinguished.  Not terribly bad or to the point where anything dropped into the wax but I did remove the tops before burning it again.

In my experience, this candle does have a decent throw.  I don't expect a Bath and Body Works candle to fill my entire house with scent, ever.  I have yet to find one that had that amount of umph behind it but this one did put out enough scent to meander into the entry way of the kitchen and the dining room.  I was really happy with the throw.

To elaborate on the throw a bit... it's not the life of the party but a definite participant that contributes to the conversation and is interactive with the other guests. 

The second and third burns were in my office because I wanted to thoroughly enjoy the scent that this candle offers.  It sat on a shelf about four feet away from my chair and the scent from this candle was consistent.  When I walked out of the room and back in, I could smell it in the hallway around the doorway.

So what does this candle smell like when it is burning?  Well, it's not what Bath and Body Works says about this Banana Split Milkshake candle.  At least not to my nose.

The Bath and Body works listed notes for this candle are: 

• Sweet Banana
• Chocolate Sauce
• Cherry on Top

Yes.  Nope.  Nope.  I've always said that when you read the notes it is possible that it can create a false sense of what the candle smells like to anyone burning it.  I did read the notes on this one when I ordered it and was really looking forward to the possible smell of banana, chocolate and cherry but this candle isn't even close to that.

When this candle is lit on fire, the banana is the top note but just like when it is cold it does have an artificial smell to it.  If you don't like fake banana flavoring, you won't like this candle either.

It's a very child like scent.  A birthday party that is filled with small voices and laughter.  Vanilla cake with banana cream icing and a hint of warm sugar as an after taste.  It's thick like a crowded room but has plenty of space to move around and it definitely does not drown you.  A banana vanilla milkshake but without the chill because the scent is very warm.

I really don't get a chocolate sauce and the cherry is definitely missing in action on this one.  Not even a hint of them anywhere to be found.

My Final Thoughts and Will I Buy this Candle Again?

This candle packed a huge surprise for me with the scent.  It literally sent me back to my childhood and sparked memories of things that I love.  That my friends really is personal bias because it hit a personal connection in the memory bank and the feels for me.  Of course not everyone is going to experience that with this candle but one thing to remember is that scent is a powerful thing in so many ways.  Perfumes, food smells and candle scents are just a few things in the world that can spark a memory.

Yes, I will purchase this one again.  It burned well and the throw was decent.  Not to mention that I really do like the scent.  It does have a bit of a plastic smell but Banana Twirl and all of the other Strawberry Shortcake dolls did or do too.  To me, this scent is part of my childhood and I love it.         

Bath & Body Works 3 Wick Candle Review - Chocolate Mint Latte

Cold smell on this candle sold me on it hook, line and sinker.

I guess that is one of the advantages of trekking to the store instead of ordering online.  You can maybe get an idea of how strong the candle will be, maybe.  Strong cold smell doesn't necessarily equate to strong or even pleasant smell when the candle is burning.  I've always found that interesting when it comes to candles.

So once again, let's start with the outside and work our way in with this one.  I LOVE the packaging on this candle.  The mint green label with the sweater pattern and whimsical drawing of what looks to me like a winter time coffee cup is just adorable.  Combine that with clear glass and a cute silver lid that features a raised metal snowflake and the outside of this

candle just screams cozy winter.

Wow, that was easy and quick!

So what does this candle smell like when it is cold?  In one word, very edible.  OK, that was two words.

The first thing that hits my nose when I smell this is a creamy white chocolate.  Not just regular white chocolate either.  It has the distinct aroma of white chocolate that is warm and melted.  It's not loud but you don't have to have your nose buried in the candle to smell it either.

Following closely behind is peppermint.  Not the loud candy cane like peppermint but to me it smells dead on like fresh peppermint that you gather out of the garden.  When you lightly run your hand across the leaves of the plant and bring it up to your nose.  It's fresh and minty.

I'm not sure why the word latte is in the name of this candle because any coffee smell is definitely MIA in this one.  Not a drop or hint anywhere on cold smell.

The wax is a really pretty and matching shade of light mint green.

The wicks looked good and only one mushroomed after the candle was extinguished.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I hate looking at listed candle notes because I'm pretty sure that it can create a placebo effect in your brain.  Good or bad, I have no idea but I like to experience my candles as they are without any influence on my brain.

The notes for this candle are listed as:

• Fresh Peppermint
• White Chocolate
• Whipped Milk

So... this time they actually nailed it.  Huh.

I was really looking forward to setting this candle on fire and getting the full experience of it burning.  I kept my fingers crossed that it was going to perform as well when lit as it smelled when it was cold.  I have to say that I certainly was not disappointed.

A word that comes to my mind with the scent while this candle is burning is happiness.  This is a very happy go lucky, give your best friend a hug kinda candle.

As it was burning on the usual bookcase in the center of the house, the scent started to spread.  It wasn't a stellar scent travel but it wasn't bad either.  It filled the hallway and drifted into the bathroom and I noticed it in the doorway of the last bedroom at the end of the hallway.  It poofed on occasion into the office but never made it into the kitchen.  In all fairness, I didn't open the living room door so I can't say if it would have made it in there.  Brain cramp.

The short version of that is that the throw is good.  It's not going to fill an entire house but I think it will fill a standard size room.

The scent profile while burning is practically the same as it is when it is cold.  You get that creamy, white melted chocolate with the fresh peppermint undertone.  It's very nice and just enough for me.  The scent doesn't scream at you and isn't obnoxious.  It's just there like it should be and I appreciate that.  I actually ended up letting this candle burn for a couple more hours and will continue to burn it this coming week because I do like it that much.




Final Thoughts and Will I Buy it Again?

The Bath & Body Works Chocolate Mint Latte candle can be described as a candle that performs well and that has a very nice creamy white chocolate mint scent.  It burns well, pools well and has a nice throw that will fill a regular size room with ease in about an hour after lighting.  I really do like this candle.

This one is a definite yes for me for purchasing again.  In fact, I have put it on my list of candles that I will purchase on this December's Candle Day.  In my opinion, it's good and definitely worth having a second one in my candle closet.

Have you experienced the Chocolate Mint Latte candle from Bath & Body Works?  If so, what are your thoughts on it?  Let me know in the comments.

Bath & Body Works Three Wick Candle Review- Campfire Donut

No one should ever say a candle that they are burning in their house smells like their dog, but this candle smells like Spudward.  Now don't get me wrong because Spudward does not smell like a dog and he doesn't stink.  The cold scent on this candle is far from icky or gross but when I first smelled it, the dog is what popped into my head.

Cory and I took a rare trip to one of our local Bath & Body Works stores.  I normally purchase candles online so a trip to the store where we could cold smell a lot of the candles was a lot of fun for us.  We were able to make a mental list of some of the candles that we want to try in the future and cross some off our list based on the cold smell.

They were having a sale and all of the 3 wick candles were $12.95 and we had a coupon for $10 off when you spend $30 in the store.  This was one of the three candles that we ultimately picked up.

So let's start at the outside and work our way in this time.

I'm not a real fan of the label on this candle but labels are really a personal preference so if you love it, then go with that.  To me, it just looks like a hardwood floor.  I've seen Campfire Donut with a different style label, I think it was from last year, and it was OK to me but not anything that I was really crazy about.

The lid for this candle is the same one as the Hot Cocoa & Cream.  The gold lid with a line of pines in front of the line of mountains.

The packaging for this candle is meh for me but that's not what really counts.  What really counts is the performance and the scent so let's dive head first into that.

I didn't pay any attention to the listed scent notes until I sat down to write this review.  I went off of the cold smell and it was interesting to say the least.  Like I touched on earlier, when this candle is cold it smells like my dog.  At first it was funny but the more I think about it, the more I think it may be a bit hard for me to get past that.

Cold smell to me with this candle is an odd combination of cold, burned fireplace and sugar.  I have two wood burning fireplaces in my house so I know the scents of a wood burning fireplace quite well.  It's late fall and cold outside, so guess who has been burning wood in the fireplaces?

It's not an unpleasant scent at all.  I just didn't really expect it in a candle and I
certainly didn't expect it to remind me of one of my dogs.

 The scent notes listed for this candle are:

• Cedarwood Essential Oils
• Powdered Sugar
• Glazed Donut

I'm wondering if that cold wood smell that I'm getting is supposed to be the cedarwood?

The candle was lit on the usual bookcase in the middle of the house so we can see how well it performs burn wise and how much scent we get.

Campfire Donut burns very well.  One of the things that really surprised me about this candle is that the wicks did not mushroom like many of the Bath & Body Works candles that I have recently reviewed.  That pleased me.

The scent after the candle warms up was interesting to me.  I don't hate it but I'm not a member of the Bath & Body Works Campfire Donut candle fan club either.  I really wanted to love this candle.

Others have said that they get a yeasty, bread smell out of this one.  That would put me in heaven because who doesn't love the smell of bread baking in the oven?  That is one smell that I unfortunately did not get out of this candle while it was burning.

For me, I smelled burning wood and thick sugar glaze.  A small touch of vanilla in the after taste but the sugar glaze is SO thick in this candle.  Super thick.  I envision the scent as a sugary donut sitting on a freshly extinguished fire log with a gallon of melted sugar glaze poured over the top dripping and running everywhere.  Sticky, wet and just gross.  Unfortunately for me that picture in my head is not good or something that I want to dig into. 

The throw is decent.  I would say it's middle of the road.  The area of the hallway where the candle burned was scented and I occasionally got a whiff of it in the office but it didn't spread to the rest of the house.  Then again, I think it's important to tell you that I didn't allow this candle to burn any longer than the couple of hours that I needed it to for the review because of the smell.

I just can't with this one.  I want to but it's just not in the cards for me.  It's the scent.  It's hard to explain but I felt like I was drowning in syrupy sugar glaze whenever I walked into the hallway.  Like someone walked up behind me with a Krispy Kreme donut that had been smashed into a washcloth and was pressing it onto my face.

But it did burn beautifully...

Final Thoughts and Will I Buy it Again?

This candle really surprised me in more ways than one.  I like that the wicks didn't mushroom.  I thought that while the throw wasn't over the top that it was adequate, or middle of the road.  What I really didn't like was the scent.  What started out as humorous quickly turned into too much sugar and I just really didn't care for it at all.

No.  I would not purchase the Bath & Body Works Campfire Donut candle again.  In fact, I won't be lighting this one again.  It will probably be going WAY into the back of the candle closet to be discovered again in 20 years.

It just unfortunately didn't work for me.

Do you have this candle in your collection?  If so, what are your thoughts on it and did it work out better for you than it did for me?

Bath & Body Works 3 Wick Candle Review- Hot Cocoa & Cream

Let me start by saying that if you love creamy, dreamy chocolate then this is the candle for you.   

Your suspicions are correct.  In the first sentence of this review it should be obvious that I am a fan of this candle.

I have multiples of this one and plan on purchasing it again before I run out.  In my book, back ups of this one are a necessity in my candle stash.

So let's dive right in and talk about every square millimeter of this Bath & Body Works Hot Cocoa & Cream.

Starting on the outside with the container.  It is a fitting frosty dark brown amber glass.  When the candle is burning, the glass is just transparent enough to give it a beautiful, soft ambient glow.

The label on this candle is quite cute and whimsical.  It's simple and expresses the scent of the candle perfectly.  A cup of what I imagine is hot cocoa sitting on a log or tree stump in front of a line of evergreens and mountains.  This label fits the feeling of fall and winter.

The label does practically  disappear if the lights are off when the candle is burning.  My guess would be that the brown glass combined with the label are the cause of that but it's not necessarily a bad thing.  Does not being able to read the label when the candle is burning in the dark equate to a deal breaker?  That's personal preference and something that really doesn't matter to me.

The lid is a perfect match to the label.  It is the usual gold color but also features a line of evergreens set in front of a mountain range.  

As usual for my candle reviews, I burned the Hot Cocoa & Cream for this review on that bookcase in the center of my house.  The burn wasn't really necessary for me to review the candle because this is another one that I have experienced multiple times, but for the sake of capturing the burn video and testing to make sure that my past experiences were still valid with this candle, I decided to light it and go.

Eventually I might stop saying this but I think it is always important to mention when talking about the listed scent notes on a candle vs. what it actually smells like.  If you smell the candle first, at least for me, most of the time the listed notes are off kilter.  If you smell the candle after reading the scent notes I think there can be a placebo effect.  Reading the notes tells your brain what you are supposed to smell, so that's what you pick up when you experience the candle.  I like to go into a candle without reading the notes first that way I get the true experience of what the candle really is and not what the manufacturer says it is.  Hopefully that makes sense.

The notes listed on this candle are:

•  Nutmeg
• Sandalwood
• Milk Chocolate
• Steamed Milk

Wait, what?  Sandalwood?  That one came completely out of left field for me.  Who adds sandalwood to a sweet, chocolate candle?  Well... on both cold smell and when the candle is burning I get zero sandalwood and I'm thankful for that.  Bath & Body Works thought that the combination was a good idea and maybe it really is, but the sandalwood is missing in action in this candle for me.  It just seems like mixing those scents would be the equivalent of drinking orange juice immediately after brushing your teeth and we all know the result of that tragic mistake.

The nutmeg is also missing in action for me on this candle but the chocolate is present with a vengeance.  The scent is vicious, but in a good way.  The longer this candle burns, the further the chocolate smell creeps through my house.  At about the four hour mark, the entire floor of the house is scented and I'm in chocolate heaven.

I also have to tell you that it's not a hard chocolate smell either.  I think the milk comes into play with this candle and not as a scent because as far as I'm aware, milk really doesn't have a scent per say, but a whole milk or raw milk has a very smooth and creamy texture to it and that does show up in this candle.  It's going to be a bit hard to explain but of course I'm going to try.

The chocolate doesn't have a powdery or flaky scent.  It takes on the scent texture of the creaminess of milk.  I don't think that steamed milk is quite accurate for me on this one because to me, the texture of steamed milk is still too rough to describe the creaminess of this scent.  This type of creamy chocolate permeates the nose smoothly.  It's not grabby at all... it's just really smooth with a nice, buttery textured flow and has a surprising vanilla tone mixed in.

The scent isn't "in your face" but it does have some volume to it.  You will definitely notice it when the candle is burning and the scent is spreading through your space.  I would say that the volume or throw of this candle's scent is higher than many Bath & Body Works candles that I have experienced in the past.

I'll sum it up by saying if this candle were a person at your party, they would be the life of it.  In the center of the room, drink in hand, the center of a cheery conversation with a large, boisterous laugh that rolls out into the room.  This is not someone that is overlooked or ignored simply because they are a true pleasure to be around.

The first one of these that I purchased burned smoothly and evenly, but as you may notice in my burn video, the second one didn't burn quite as smoothly.  It wasn't a bad burn at all but an area of the wax didn't pool as quickly as the rest of the candle.  After a little time, about 90 minutes, that spot started to fall in line with the rest of the candle and it pooled out evenly.

The wicks on this candle are solid, but for some reason this candle does mushroom quite badly.  If mushroomed wicks burning off into the wax bothers you then you'll either want to trim them off before burning each time or avoid this candle all together.  I don't mind mushrooming but I know that some people really dislike it so I thought I'd mention that.

Final Thoughts and Will I Buy it Again?

As I mentioned earlier, this is one of my favorites in the Bath & Body Works three wick candle line.  The smell is so tasty on this candle that it can trigger a craving for a cup of homemade hot cocoa.  I jokingly say that this candle reminds me of the Pavlov's dog experiment, and I'm the dog.  I have to fight the urge to make cocoa to enjoy with this candle.

I will most definitely buy this one again.  The smoothness of the burn, the scent and the fact that I like the packaging just wraps this up as an all around winner for me.  I will say that there's no way I'd pay the regular price of $24.50 for it unless I was seriously desperate and my life was in jeopardy but thankfully Bath & Body Works runs candle sales on a regular basis so I don't have to.

Have you ever experienced this candle?  If so, definitely let me know your thoughts on it.  I'm curious if there are any more souls out there that are as hooked on this candle as I am.

Bath & Body Works 3 Wick Butter Rum Eggnog Candle Review

The excitement was real folks when I saw this candle on the website.  It's new and I am a lover of eggnog... with our without the rum.  Now that we have an eggnog candle, all we need is a fruit cake candle and my life will be complete.

I'm not sure if these were in the stores yet when I purchased 2 of these online.  They were on sale and I had a 20% off any online order one time use coupon code that I was able to use which made this candle $10.36 when I purchased it.

My order was 2 of this candle, one Toasted Vanilla Chai (which I have already reviewed here) and one Hot Cocoa and Cream.

We will start from the outside and work our way in.  First, the lid on this candle.  It is shiny (it was hard to get the shine in the photos) and reminds me of the Homeworx shine that a fly could leave fingerprints on.  That's not a complaint by any means.  It's an observation that people with OCD when it comes to fingerprints and smudges on shiny stuff, like me, might want to be aware of.

The lid is decorated with a nice, straight to the point Christmas tree.  Nothing too fancy but not hokey either.  I think the lid fits the candle's theme nicely.

 

The glass is clear on this one, the wax is creamy white and the label is just adorable.  A bit whimsical and cute if you ask me.   Some may say it's busy or cartoonish.

Starting from the left there are a line of Christmas trees inside a snow globe sitting on a wood table.  As you work your way around the label, it turns into a cozy indoor scene when you get to the right of the candle name.  A fire blazing in the fireplace with stockings hung for Santa.  On one of the ottomans in the room of course there are two glasses of what appears to be eggnog waiting to be enjoyed.  I like the label on this one.  It's cute.

Now we'll move to the inside.

As I always say, the scent notes listed and what each person actually smells can be completely different.  I don't pay any real attention to the listed scent notes for my reviews but the website does list the notes on this one as:

• Spiced Eggnog
• Vanilla Burbon
• Rich Buttercream
• Shaved Nutmeg

And, it seems to be a pretty popular candle because as of today, Cyber Monday, it is completely sold out on the website.

On cold smell, this candle is rich.  Like sugary rich.  It is 100% bakery to the nines.  I smelled butter, sugar and vanilla.  It was like diving head first into a sweet iced sugar cookie.  The after scent does have the eggnog in it but it's definitely not the top scent on cold smell.  The eggnog scent was a little late to the party, but it did show up.

Butter Rum Eggnog made me want to grab a spoon and dig in.

What about when the candle is lit?  Well... that changes things a bit with this one.

I was really disappointed with the first burn on this candle, but the second burn the next day was so much better.  I'm glad I gave it a second shot before doing the review.

This candle burned for 2 hours on first burn.  I do have to say that the pooling time and pooling in general was excellent but the scent was struggling so hard.  The air in the room was tinged with sweetness but nothing to really write home about.  This candle oddly enough gave me the impression that it could do better so I gave it a second burn the next day and it performed much better.

The second burn took place in the usual spot, the bookcase in the hallway in the center of the house.

You'll notice in my burn video that I did trim the wicks before starting the second burn.  The wicks had mushroomed terribly during the first burn so I decided to go ahead and trim to hopefully keep a clean, white wax in the candle.

I can say without a doubt that the Bath & Body Works Butter Rum Eggnog candle burns much better the second time around.  The scent wasn't as intense as it is on cold smell but after about 30 minutes, I noticed that sugary, buttery, vanilla eggnog scent drifting through the house.  It's NOT sickening strong, but it does travel.  The best way that I can describe it is that the scent is like a whisper in the background.  It's soft but it's definitely there and it drifted into the surrounding rooms.

So in a nutshell, the scent is soft but there's enough of it that it does travel.  I was very pleased with the second chance burn.  The throw improved and the candle smelled delicious.

Finally, let's talk about the wicks really quick before we go.  They mushroom.  Badly.  Like portabella big enough for a sandwich bad.  I trimmed them before starting this burn and they mushroomed bad enough the second time that two lost their tops into the wax.  That doesn't bother me but I know something like that could really annoy some people so I wanted to make sure I mentioned it.

Just like all Bath & Body Works candle wicks, they are sturdy.  They don't move around once the wax pools and the candle is in full blown burn.  The mushrooming is really the only issue that I can see with them and I have no idea why they would do that so badly in this candle.

Final Thoughts and Will I Buy it Again?

I really like this candle very much.  I love the scent and I do love the subtleness of it.  It isn't "in your face" like some candles that have the same type of sweet scent.  It's like walking into a kitchen when there is a batch of sugar cookies in the oven.  It's quite pleasant to say the least.

I will definitely buy this one again.  I purchased two the first time around but will also be adding this one to my list for a repeat purchase in the near future.

There will be a full video review for this candle so be watching for it!

Do you have the Bath & Body Works Butter Rum Eggnog candle in your stash?  Or are you planning on buying it soon?  Let me know your thoughts below!  

Yankee Candle Blue Twilight Storm Candle Review

Blue Twilight Storm has been available on the Yankee Candle website at a price point of $10 with any purchase for a while now.  I have to say that since I'm lazy, I do the majority of my candle purchases online so if I'm ordering a new scent that I'm not familiar with, it can either be described as "it's like Christmas" or "I'm playing Russian Roulette."

I have to admit that I've heard a few other people's opinions on this candle and it is VERY mixed.  This one seems to be one that people either love it or hate it with no in between.  The review score on Yankee's website currently sits at 3.1 stars which isn't great but not terrible either.  These mixed reviews and love it or hate it could be the reason why it has been on special for so long?  I don't know for sure so that's just my two cents on it.

First let's talk about that label and jar.  This is not a negative, it's just an observation and opinion but I've never really been crazy about Yankee Candle's labels.  With the exception of Witches Brew, over the years they have always seemed to scream 1980 to me.  they may have changed the labels but to me, they didn't go hard enough.  While it does bring a sense of nostalgia, sometimes that classic jar shape combined with some of those labels just looks hokey to me.  This one doesn't though.

If that label print was available as a piece of artwork, I'd buy it.  As an painter, I can appreciate the esthetic of that label.  The way the sky is colored with those red, blue and orange hues coming through the clouds... as they really can look right as a storm is rolling in combined with the pumpkins laying in a vast, wide open patch waiting to be collected, this label is very well done.  Gazing at the label can definitely take you there.

I'm not going to go too deep into the large jar candles glass jar shapes because... yeah... hello 1980.

Cold smell on this candle had me a bit worried.  The notes on this candle are listed as a cologne like mix of:

• black sesame
• patchouli
• balsam

I've said it a few times before and maybe eventually I'll stop repeating myself in every review but my opinion on notes is that I think they can create a placebo effect in the brain.  Read the notes and sniff the candle and it will smell differently than it would if you just sniff the candle.

The cold smell isn't very strong on this candle but it does have what I can only describe as a bit of a nose bite to it.  It's a very sharp, very cologne scent that has the after flavor of piney balsam.

Here's where my confusion comes in.  I do not understand why this candle is named Blue Twilight Storm because the scent has absolutely nothing to do with a storm.  If I were to name this candle based on the scent, it would have been named something along the line of "bad boy leather jacket left on the floor."  Cold sniff for me was a mix of leather, stale smoke and that darn balsam.  Nothing about it said evening storm to me.  It's like they had a really cool label and name and needed a candle to stick it on and here we are.

So let's light it up and see what happens with it because cold smell and hot flame smell can be completely different in not just Yankee candles but any other candle brand out there.

First, the wick.  This is a one wick candle so in order to burn well, the wick has to perform well.  At first glance before lighting, the wick on this candle looks great.  It appears to have a nice thickness to it that will handle the job of warming up the wax for what will hopefully be a good if not great scented candle experience.

By the way, the wick did mushroom, but only a little bit after being burned.

This one ended up requiring a three hour burn time vs. my normal two hours for review.  I just finished filming the two hour mark of the burn video, and as you'll see in the burn video below, it hadn't completely pooled at the two hour mark.  There was still about 1/4" of unmelted wax around the edge so I decided to let it go longer so there's no chance of it deciding to tunnel on the second burn.  That would really suck.

I placed this candle on the bookcase that is in the hallway in the center of the house.  I think that has become my new favorite place to burn candles for these reviews because if the scent throw is strong, my entire house will easily fill with the scent.

At the two hour mark, this one is being a bit disappointing on the scent traveling through the house.  In fact, it isn't.  Right now I can smell the candle here and there if I'm within five feet of it but that's as far as it is going and that's quite disappointing.

The scent also does change after the candle is lit.  It seems more smooth or fluffy now than sharp.  I still get the balsam but it has come more to the front.  The patchouli and leather are still there but there's surprisingly something new in the mix for me with this one that I didn't expect.  Roses.  To me, when this candle is burning it has the slight hint of rose to it that falls somewhere in the middle.  It's an intriguing, very pleasing combination scent.  I just really wish there was more of it.

After the three hour burn mark, we weren't looking at much of an improvement in the amount of scent in the air or wax pooling.  *sigh*  I have a feeling that this candle is going to be destined to tunnel but we'll see when we light it again for the YouTube review.

The Burn Video

 

Final Thoughts and Will I Buy it Again?

I love the label and the scent on this candle even though, and this is just my opinion of course, I don't think they match well at all.

The scent is so nice on this candle but unfortunately it is so weak that you have to be within 5 feet of it to even occasionally catch a glimpse of it. 

Now I am more of a bakery scent lady than a floral or woody scent but every once in a while I have stepped out of my comfort zone with candle scents and been quite surprised.  I absolutely LOVE Midsummer Night and have since the first time I smelled it shortly after it was released years ago.  Blue Twilight Storm isn't THAT good but I'd say it's not hideous either.  I have no idea if constantly having Blue Twilight Storm scent in the air would make me sneeze or give me a headache because unfortunately the candle is so weak in the scent throw department that I'll have to chalk it up as a mystery that will never be solved for me.

For me, buying this one again would be a no.  I'm not irritated that I spent $10 on it because I knew when I purchased it that I was... in this case... playing a game of Russian Roulette.  Unfortunately it just isn't going to be staying on my radar to purchase again and it will probably go back onto the shelf in the closet to be burned again at some point in my lifetime.  Just not now.

If by chance you think this candle is up your scent and performance alley, you can get it on Amazon here or directly from Yankee Candle here.  By the way, if you purchase from Yankee on a regular basis, you might consider joining their fan club.  For every 10,000 points (equivalent of $100.00) that you spend, you'll receive a $5 Yankee Candle gift card.  I know it doesn't sound like a lot but if you are spending the money anyway, you might as well get something back in return.

Do you have this candle in your collection?  If so, what are your thoughts on it?  Let us know in the comments here on in the comments of the YouTube review once it goes live on my channel.

Homeworx by Harry Slatkin Candy Cane Martini Cocktail Candle Review

It would appear that I'm on a Homeworx kick at the moment but the Martini candles were recently released so I thought it would be a good idea to bump them up to the front of the review line here on the website.  The YouTube review will be out sometime in the next week or two because there are a couple of other candles that I want to film first.

Today we are going to be talking about Candy Cane Martini.  This is a four wick candle that was released by Homeworx, I think the first week of November.  I of course ordered one set of each of the scents from QVC as soon as they were available.  I paid $39.90 plus $5.47 shipping for each set which means for each candle I paid $22.69.  In my opinion, that's a bit steep for a candle so I'm hoping that these really perform nicely but we shall see.

One thing that I mentioned in my YouTube review of the Truffle Candles is that in my opinion, reading the notes before experiencing the candle can have an effect on what you smell.  I still stand by that and probably always will.  Why?  Because the majority of people that buy candles want to know three things when it is all said and done.  What the candle really smells like, how well it burns and how much scent it puts into the air once it is lit.

When I look at the scent notes that are listed for this candle, I'm told that the scent profile consists of:

• Sweet Peppermint
• Frozen Vanilla
• Vanilla Orchid

Have you ever smelled frozen vanilla to know what frozen vanilla actually smells like?  I haven't.  This is one of my peeves with scent notes.  If it's something as off the wall and not very common, like frozen vanilla, what does that even smell like?  Vanilla orchid is the plant that vanilla extract is made from so we all know what that actually smells like.  Sweet peppermint is a bit self explanatory because it's really common.

So, in a nutshell, after you break it down, the scent profile of this candle is peppermint and vanilla.  That's it.  Peppermint and vanilla.

On cold smell I was definitely worried about the amount of scent that this candle would release.  The peppermint and vanilla scent is there before the candle is lit but it's not very loud at all.  I had to root my nose in to where it almost touched the wax in order to catch the scent.  Cold smells can be completely off after you light it and I'm glad that this one is proof of that.

Let's skip over to the packaging for a second because I LOVE the container that this candle is in.  It is the signature Homeworx very substantial, very thick and very heavy glass.  This particular candle has a clear background with cute red polka dots.  With the clear background it will be very easy to see the candle burning down inside and that's 100% ambiance which I personally like.

One cute touch with the red polka dots is that they aren't your regular run of the mill stickers just to decorate a candle container.  When you look at them from the outside of the container they are a glittery, almost holographic red.  When you look at them from the inside of the container as the candle burns down the circles aren't red.  They are a really pretty and sparkling silver that glimmers and somewhat reflects the candle light.  I don't know if that was accidental or on purpose but it definitely works.

The lids are a beautiful silver toned metal.  The only negative that I can say about the lids on Candy Cane Martini is that they are so shiny that they will fingerprint and smudge up easily.  They are edged with a really nice brushed silver that is light reflecting and sparkles quite nicely.  A nice finishing touch to an otherwise classic signature Homeworx lid.

Now on to the more important parts of the review.  Setting the candle on fire!

I decided to burn this one in the hallway but a different area than I did the Truffle Candles.  This time I burned on the bookcase that is in dead center of the house.  I did this hoping that even though the cold smell was a faint whisper of the peppermint smell that once it was burning, it would scream its presence thought out the house.

If you watch the burn video and then eventually the YouTube review that is on this candle, you'll see just how well this candle actually burns.

The wicks on this one have quite a bit of thickness to them so when first lighting each one, it took a few seconds for them to catch.  The wicks are nice and strong in this one and don't move around in the melted wax but they do mushroom and they mushroom pretty large.

Five minutes into the burn I was still a bit concerned about the throw.  Couldn't smell anything yet but the wax was melting nicely.

Fast forward about 30 minutes and that was the start of the magic moment.  An hour in and we had a full blown invisible peppermint vanilla scent draping its way throughout the house.  It spread through the hallway, into the bedroom, bathroom and in the opposite direction made its way into the office and kitchen to hang out for a while.  My worries about the scent traveling were no longer necessary because this candle delivers and it delivers nicely.

Will I Purchase this Candle Again?

This one is a definite YES for me.  I love the peppermint vanilla smell that this candle gives off while burning and it gives off a LOT.  Yes, they are a bit pricey but for the amount of throw with this one I think it is worth it.  The peppermint and vanilla scent is very sugary and sweet but not sickening sweet.  It is a great holiday candle that has the ability to completely scent large areas with it's goodness. 

And finally, I leave you with the burn video.  You'll be able to see exactly how smooth and well this candle burns and the ambiance that it gives off.  The only thing that could make it any better here is if the internet had scratch n' sniff. 

 
Until next time my friends...
 

HomeWorx by Harry Slatkin Sparkling Pink Truffle Candle Review

The sheer wonderment when opening a package that contains candles that you are truly excited to get has finally ended and the conclusion is simple.  These candles make me happy.  They make me happy because for a while this house is going to be full of sweet smells that I don't have to slave in the kitchen to acquire and ambiance.

Like I mentioned in my reviews on the other two scents in the HomeWorx Truffle candles trio, these containers are just fabulous.  The plaid labels that they put around appear to be opaque when in reality they aren't.  What does that mean?  When the candles inside are lit and burning there is a beautiful glow emitting from the candle.  It's ambiance and to me it is stunning.

HomeWorx Sparkling Pink Truffle is no exception.  In fact, in my opinion, this candle exceeds the usual visual appeal with the label design and of course it is all about the color.

Pinks and browns wrap this candle up in warm and cheery look that I personally love.  It's feminine without being frilly and froo froo.  When I look at this container design I see white poodles in designer sweaters and colorful, falling leaves.  Walking your dog in the park on a cool autumn afternoon.  I was initially surprised by that but when side by side with the rest of the trio, it simply makes sense.

The cold smell on Sparkling Pink Truffle resulted in a smile for me.  I've smelled this before but with the listed scent notes, I'm a bit perplexed.  The scent notes for this candle are described as sparkling wine, sugared ginger, white chocolate and raspberry liquor.  On cold smell to me it smells like sugary bubblegum.  The old HubbaBubba gum blocks from childhood to be exact.  I get the same notes in my nose from the candle that I did from the gum when I was a child.  Funny thing is that those scent notes in the gum was the main reason that I loved it so much and I guarantee there was no wine or liquor in it.

Size and weight wise this candle is the same as the other two in the set.  It is in that wonderful, heavy, thick glass that I love.  Burn time is also 30 to 55 hours.


The wicks are the same.  Stout and good.  Again this candle does mushroom when burnt but to me, that's really not that big of a deal but I know to some other candle lovers, mushrooming is something they want to avoid.

So, what about the throw and how does it burn?  Those are of course two of the most important things that we need to know.

This candle was placed in the usual spot for the review burn.  The bookcase at the end of the hallway.  After I lit the wicks, I expected to smell the intense throw that Chocolate Espresso gifted to me earlier but unfortunately, that didn't happen.  The throw on this candle can be described as not as much as I expected.  I hate to say it but when I burn this one in the future it will have to be in a small space for this one to even have a chance at completely permeating the air.

On this burn I got puffs of scent on occasion. 

What scent is there doesn't change much either.  I was in the office getting some work done when the first cloud of scent wandered into the room and said hello to me.  It's still that sugary sweet bubblegum and I love it.  I just wish that it would accept my invitation to hover in the room for the entire duration of burning but unfortunately those scent clouds are inclined to keep moving away from me.

The burn was beautiful.  The pink wax pools perfectly

Take a peek at the burn video for this candle and you'll see what I mean...

Final Thoughts and Will I Buy it Again?

My conclusion after burning the final of the three candles in this HomeWorx candle set is that I do like them.  Granted two of them are not as strong in scent as I would really like, that Chocolate Espresso sealed the deal for me because it makes the entire house smell so delicious.

The set is available exclusively on QVC for what seems to recently be a consistent price of $49.90 plus $7.00 for shipping and handling.  I don't understand WHY anywhere charges shipping anymore let alone handling but OK we can be stuck in a 1990's infomercial if they want to.  So, to rephrase that more accurately, the trio of HomeWorx Truffle Candles will set you back $56.90.

I would buy them again and probably will pick up a third set but I'll wait until the price drops a bit before I do.  I definitely think they are worth the money, you just have to know exactly what you are buying.  With this set you are getting one candle that scent up a cathedral, one that could scent up the average size apartment living room and one that will work in a 10' by 10' bedroom or bathroom.

All of the scents are very pleasant in my opinion but then again, you have to remember that I personally adore bakery type scents when it comes to my candles.  That Chocolate Espresso is the BOMB.

Well, that's really all I have to say about this candle trio.  If you have any questions about this set, let me know!  Do you have these candles?  If you do, share your thoughts on the Sparkling Pink Truffle scent below.

      

HomeWorx by Harry Slatkin Chocolate Mint Truffle Candle Review

What do you do when you start to review a candle trio and the first one out of the gate is so fantastic that it sets the bar high for the two that follow?  Well if you are me, you kinda accidentally set yourself up for a tinge of disappointment.  Not crushed.  Not heartbroken but a bit disappointed none the less.

That's where I'm at right now with the second candle in the three candle HomeWorx Chocolate Truffle candles.

Allow me to introduce you to Chocolate Mint Truffle.

This candle, just like the other two, is visibly stunning.  It has the brown metal lid with the imprinted bow.  It is an 18 ounce candle with a burn time of 30 to 55 hours.  The wax is a very pleasing shade of pastel, minty green.   

The scent notes on Chocolate Mint Truffle are chocolate, cocao, cool peppermint and pistachio.  On cold smell this candle smells dead on like chocolate mint ice cream.  That scent is embedded into my brain because it is my all time favorite ice cream flavor.  This candle is a dead ringer on cold smell.

In other words, I didn't catch any pistachio but that's OK.  Candles don't always smell the same after they are lit and burning.

Once again, I love the label design on this candle.  The mint green and brown plaid is just adorable.  Topped off with that brown lid and it looks like a well put together outfit that someone would wear on a day out at the park or shopping.  Very nice indeed.

Just like the other candles in the set and candles of this type made by HomeWorx, this candle is in that nice, heavy duty glass container.  I've loved these containers since the first time I held one in my hands because they are a meaty glass thickness that doesn't feel fragile at all, because it isn't.  Obviously you don't want to drop it because it is glass but you don't have to treat it with kid gloves like you do some types of glass container candles either.

The wicks on Chocolate Mint Truffle are the same as the other two candles.  Nice length, healthy looking wicks.  I can tell you that they did mushroom a bit on this candle just like they did on Chocolate Espresso.  Wick mushrooming doesn't bother me as long as it isn't HUGE and these aren't.  I'll just remove the tops after the candle is cooled, before I light it up again.

The visual aesthetic of a candle is always important but how a candle burns is even more important.  This candle burned very nicely and evenly.  The wicks stayed in place and the flames were consistent.  I don't think there is anything to complain about when it comes to the way this candle burns.

So let's talk about the throw because with this one I was a bit confused.

The candle was burned on a bookcase in the hallway in the same location that Espresso Chocolate Truffle was yesterday.  Espresso Chocolate Truffle succeeded in filling the house up with a very tasty scent.  Chocolate Mint Truffle struggled at best and only gave me a few whiffs of that sweet minty smell while I was working in my office.

Walking in the hallway, the scent just wasn't there until you got about 5 feet away from the candle.  It was as if there were little invisible clouds of scent occasionally drifting into the office from the hallway to tease me.  Like Lassie had come to tell me that Timmy had fallen into the well and I needed to follow.  "Follow me!"

The scent that does drift into the air is slightly chocolatey and minty.  I still get none of the pistachio.  It's all chocolate and mint and it hovers close to the candle.  This isn't necessarily a horrible thing though because you have to remember, the candle is burning in a spot where scent can easily travel and it does give off a delicious smell, just not as much as Espresso Chocolate Truffle does.

What I'm saying is that if this candle is burning in a smaller space like a bedroom or single rooms for example, the throw would be better and the scent more pronounced.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing folks.  It's just a candle for those of us that like a more subtle throw.  A scent that isn't thick.  That's transparent and is occasionally whispering in your ear so you notice it.  It is a beautiful scent, just not intense at all.

Of course I have included my usual burn video of this candle for your viewing pleasure!

    

My Final Thoughts and Will I Buy it Again?

After reviewing Espresso Chocolate Truffle and the strong hefty amount of scent that it threw out into the world when burning, Chocolate Mint Truffle was a bit of a change.  It is a subtle, very quiet candle that just kinda hangs out when it wants to that is better suited for smaller spaces like a bedroom.  This candle simply doesn't have the strength to fill a whole house with scent.

It's not disappointing because the subtle scent is pleasing.  It's just... different from the other two.  I lit the third candle, Sparkling Pink Truffle, about 30 minutes ago and can say the scent has already made its way into the office from the hallway so Chocolate Mint Truffle can be compared to, and I hate to say it this way but it's all that comes to mind, the runt of the litter.

Yes.  I will buy it again.  I'll either burn this one in combination with the other two all at the same time or I will burn it as a single in the bedroom.  The power of the other two candles in the trio are satisfying enough for me to take the plunge and purchase the third set that I've been wanting ever since I opened the package and the beautiful smell of deliciousness and sweetness heaven hit me in the face when they arrived.  It won't be long until I'm back over on QVC making the purchase and waiting patiently for delivery.

What are your thoughts on this candle and the HomeWorx Chocolate Truffle Collection?  Since I'm getting ready to start the review on the third one, I'm curious!  Share them with me in the comments section below.