Yankee Candle Patchouli

I have a complicated relationship with patchouli. On one hand, I think it smells absolutely wonderful. On the other, it's entirely too strong for me most of the time. Now, I'm not sensitive to fragrances whatsoever, but I also don't like to be choking on an overpowering scent. I think my favorite incarnation of this classic fragrance is the Karma range from Lush – it perfects that spicy, heady scent without burning your nostrils. Will this candle do the same?

Remember this?

Yankee's description: "The spicy sweet aroma of exotic patchouli creates a perfectly mellow mood."

On cold sniff, Yankee Candle's Patchouli is a little bit strange. I smell the patchouli, sure, but the thing it reminds me of the most is the violet gum I used to get from the convenience store as a kid. Not sure how that happened... maybe the combination of the patchouli and the sweeter notes in this candle gives it that scent. As with yesterday's entry, this one is very nostalgic to me.

Unlike yesterday's entry, I really like how this smells when burning! It's a light, sweet take on patchouli which I appreciate. Yankee does list vanilla, cinnamon, and woody notes, which I think do a lot to soften the harshness of patchouli. It's sweet, it's spicy, it's a little bit incense-y, and it's absolutely wonderful. I've been burning this for roughly an hour and the scent is reaching me, but it isn't overpowering... it's juuust right. As stated above, I have a love-hate relationship with Patchouli, and I worried this might be too strong for me. But thankfully, that isn't the case! People complain about Yankee Candles not being strong enough for them, but I just don't agree. On most of my candles, I've found that the scent is present, but not overpowering, and that's what I like.

The beautiful label on my large jar of 
Patchouli.

Another thing I like about this candle is the wax color and the label. I would have expected a sort of brick color, as that's what most of the patchouli-scented products I've seen tend to go for, but this muted forest green is an unexpected and very pretty change. I also love the fact that because it's a "returning favorite", it's got a nice wide label reminiscent of the old style. It gives you a nice, full view of the cozy scene, featuring an ornate teapot and some very comfy looking pillows. I think it perfectly encapsulates the experience this candle provides – it's funky and exotic, yet mild enough to be relaxing. I think Yankee's description of this one is spot-on! 

What a perfect way to end the year. I started the year with one candle in my possession (small tumbler of Sugared Cinnamon Apple, you will be missed) and ended with ~20... funny how that works. I wonder how many I'll have by the end of next year! I'd like to think I'll keep myself in check, as one of my New Year's resolutions is to be more frugal, but I doubt it somehow...

And until next time... xx

Yankee Candle Water Garden

I have a confession to make... I only wanted to buy this candle for the label and the wax color. Seriously. The beautiful photo of pink water lilies on a tranquil pond, combined with the wonderful teal wax... I didn't really care what it smelled like, I just wanted it! Then I actually slowed down, used my brain, put some thought into it, and realized that dropping $30 on a candle I may not even like was not the smartest move. Instead, I opted to buy a small jar and test it out before making the plunge. Maybe my jar is not the prettiest, but hey, it was cheaper than buying a huge one.

 My heavily discolored small jar of Water
Garden, with its stunning label.

The elephant in the room: the wax looks nothing like it's supposed to. This wax would usually be a lovely shade of teal, but it's faded to a dull cream color. That's fine by me, though – after all, I am just trying this scent out.

On cold sniff, this smells absolutely lovely. It's fresh, but it's not your typical clean scent. It could be the power of suggestion, but I think I smell the water, the greenness, the florals... Here's Yankee's description, which I think fits perfectly:

"Soothing reflections ... pretty water flowers and lush green notes with hints of melon and musk"

It also reminds me a lot of my youth. I think there must have been an air freshener at one of my childhood friend's houses that smelled exactly like this, because that's immediately what this makes me think of – being a kid and going over to a friend's place for the day. That nostalgic element honestly makes me like this scent more. 

...Unfortunately, I don't like the smell of it burning. This could be a fluke – considering the discoloration of the wax, there's also a good chance that the fragrance oils have degraded as well. Still, it just smells kind of waxy and unpleasant. I guess I'm getting a sort of fresh whiff as well, but it's not nearly as strong as I'd have liked. Either this candle I've got is a dud, or Yankee majorly failed with this one... I'm hoping it's the former, because I find it hard to believe they'd put out such a gross scent. Blergh. I'm gonna let the wax reach the edges, put it out, and light my beloved Kitchen Spice to clear it out in here. 

Sigh... I wanted to love this one so badly. It sounds good in theory, and it smells great before burning. But once it's going... it just smells awful. I really do think this might be a problem with my jar in particular – as stated above, the fragrance oils may have degraded – but I can't be sure. Well, I sure am glad I didn't buy the large jar!

Oh, in other news, I'm waiting on some Paradise Spice votives in the mail. I was watching a video from Andy's Yankees (love that guy) and as he described the scent, I knew I needed this candle in my life. It smells of bananas, vanilla, and spices... um, HELLO!? Where have you been all my life! I'm a sucker for anything banana flavored/scented, and the combination with spices sounds downright divine. I probably would have snagged a large jar right from the get-go, but this scent is very rare, and large jars can go for $50+. I wanted to be extra sure about it before dropping all that cash! I was able to snag 3 votives for $9, which is good enough for me. Those should be here next week, and I'm super excited!

[Hi there, this is me editing from 3 months after posting this! I’ve since thrown this candle away, but on closer inspection, I have reason to believe that this may have been a fake. The neck of the jar is unusually long, which is a characteristic of many fake Yankee Candles. The quality of the scent also makes me question the legitimacy of this candle — even when discolored, a Yankee should not emit such a terrible waxy smell. Therefore, I think this may be a counterfeit candle. I really liked the fragrance cold and have heard good things about it, so I will be buying a large jar and posting a review of that in the future. Thank you!]

And until next time... xx

Yankee Candle Shea Butter

Okay, so it's really hard to find any information about this one on the internet. There are reviews saying that it "smells nice" or commenting on the throw, but nobody describes it beyond that. There are pictures of it, it's well-documented, but no one tries to analyze the scent. Even the description given by Yankee is vague: "Pure contentment… indulge yourself in this creamy smooth scent with hints of beautiful fruit blossoms." I had no idea what to expect, but I ordered it anyway as part of the semi-annual sale. And honestly... it is really hard to explain.

I definitely smell the shea butter (which, in and of itself, is a tough scent to express through words). I smell a little bit of coconut, maybe, some very slight fruitiness, but beyond that... I don't know what to say. As soon as I popped the top off, I immediately thought of the smell inside this combination tanning salon/beauty supply store that I stop at sometimes. So maybe the most accurate description would be... tanning oil? I'm not sure! Let's just say that it smells like ~treating yourself~ (as pretentious as that sounds). Whether that be with a nice lotion, or a trip to the tanning booth, or a spa visit... it just smells like a luxurious pampering experience.

A small wax pool forming in my medium jar of
Shea Butter.

As for the throw, this one lets off quite a light aroma. I think that's for the better, though – if it were more intense, I think it'd be too overpowering. I've had it going on top of my bookcase for about an hour now, and it's just barely reaching me at my desk across the room. Given another hour or two, I suspect this will fill the room with a gentle, soft scent. Perfect for when you want the glowing ambience of a candle, but don't want a super obvious fragrance. Also perfect for migraine sufferers or people otherwise bothered by strong scents – this is incredibly inoffensive! Even the fussiest fragrance hater would find this hard to critique...

[EDIT: 2 hours later and this thing actually has crazy throw! When you let it burn for a bit, it's a powerhouse. I'm just waiting for the wax to reach the edges, but it's taking a really long time. Not a problem in my eyes, or in my nose, I should say... I like this scent!]

One more note about this candle: this is from the European subsidiary of Yankee Candle! I released that there are both English and French on the label, and the weight is listed in grams rather than ounces. Lo and behold, the bottom label says Yankee Candle Europe! Why I received this version when I live in the US? No clue... very curious!

And thus concludes tonight's program. Thanks for tuning in! 

And until next time... xx

Yankee Candle Red Apple Wreath

Hey there! Thanks for checking out my brand new candle blog. I've found myself taken with the wonderful world of wax as of late, and since I love posting & writing about my other collecting passion (nail polish), I figured I'd like to do the same here. I've also decided that in addition to chatting about my candles, I'll also just talk about whatever's on my mind. I aim for this to be a more casual, laid-back space where I can talk not only about the scent that's filling my room, but the thoughts that fill my brain. Hope you'll enjoy!

The first candle I'll post about is a classic: Red Apple Wreath from good old Yankee Candle (aka, the only brand I own & intend on collecting in the future). This is the quintessential autumn/winter apple spice warming scent. As described by Yankee themselves:

"A happy holiday homecoming with the festive aroma of sweet apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and maple."

My Red Apple Wreath votive 
burning happily in its pink holder.

I definitely smell the apples and the cinnamon! Not so sure about

the walnuts or the maple... perhaps my nose is not nuanced enough to pick up those notes yet! Either way, I really adore this fragrance. It's also quite the thrower — though I'm only burning a votive, it's filling the room with the heavenly aroma of warm apples and spicy cinnamon... such a welcome scent on this cold winter's night.

Another great thing about this one — the scent lasts for a long time after it’s been put out. I was getting whiffs for hours after I snuffed it! The scent dissipates almost immediately after burning with most of my candles, but this one lasts and lasts... and to think that it’s only a votive! I can’t even imagine what a powerhouse the full-sized one is.

I can see this becoming one of my favorites. Thankfully I've also got one of the holiday 3-wick jars to satiate my craving for this wonderful scent! Once that's gone, though (which will surely be soon), I'll definitely be investing in a large jar. Though I'll probably be snagging it off eBay for the old-style label. My current collection all have new labels (though I've got a couple of old ones on the way), and while they're not bad, I definitely prefer the old style much better. Part of the fun is admiring the big picture plastered on the front! Oh well... 

Thanks so much for tuning into my first post! I'll be back soon with more candle-related content. 

And until next time... xx