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.