In praise of NEST and Votivo

For a number of reasons–travel, a busy semester, and more–I have not done any individual reviews lately. I have also decided to revisit how I write the individuals reviews, so instead what I’m going to do here is offer my comments on two of my favorite sub-$50 lines.

NEST might be my current favorite line no matter what the price point, and while this line is a little more expensive than Votivo (or Voluspa or Thymes or Archipelago), I think that it is still a good value and that NEST candles perform more like $50+ candles than like $25-$35 candles.  In fact, the NEST votives, which run for $12-15, might be some of the best candle bargains available.  They are crafted with the same care as the larger  NEST candles and have incredible scent strength.  I have burned full-sized NEST candles before, but I find that one NEST votive is sufficient to scent my office or the open spaces in my apartment.   NEST candles come in smart packaging and the candle vessels are ‘quiet quality’–frosted glass with a subtle logo design.  The candles burn evenly and do not have problems with wick-splitting or smoke sputtering.  Furthermore, NEST offers individual scents that, in my opinion, are slightly more original than their ‘competitor’ candle lines.  Certainly they have some very standard scents, like Moroccan Amber, but then they have scents like Wild Oats and Bourbon.  For their combination of reliability, strength, aesthetic appeal, originality and value, I happily recommend NEST.

When it comes to the ‘Battle of the Vs,’ I prefer Votivo.  I imagine that some people might disagree pretty strongly with me here, as Voluspa has a lot of dedicated fans.  I also consider myself a fan of Voluspa–I burn a lot of their candles–but I privilege scent strength, and, in my experience, Votivo has a meaningful edge over Volsupa in this category.  A number of the new/repackaged Voluspas disappointed me in terms of their scent intensity and clarity.  It has been my experience that Votivo candles have a longer-lasting scent, and their scent blends like Mosaic or Smoke on the Water are more distinctive and show off the components and complexity of the scent blend more reliably.  Votivo does have a lot of very “standard” types of scents though, and while the minimalist in me likes the glass vessel/seal packaging, I give the edge to NEST right now in both packaging and originality.  Still, if the price of full-sized NEST candles makes you balk, the full-sized Votivo candles are a good buy for your home.  (I can only recommend the travel tins sizes for sampling or for actual travel–the packaging for those candles is not as impressive.)

Other candle lines in this general price range that I would recommend include Voluspa and Archipelago Botanicals (though I have been less impressed with other Archipelago candles).  People who like more elaborate candle packaging should check out the Voluspa tins.

Companies in this general price range that I’m more hesitant about include WoodWick and Thymes.  While these candles are ALL made with care and have interesting ideas behind them, I’m just not sure that the execution of the product is quite where NEST, Votivo, etc. are right now.  WoodWick discontinued their Urban Loft candles, which is a real shame–I have never received more compliments on one of my candles than I did on my Urban Loft candle (they were discontinued right after I finished burning them, which is why I’ve never posted a full review).  I haven’t been as impressed with the other WoodWick candles that I’ve tried.  While these candles are slightly cheaper than the other types of candles I list here, I think that you do get what you pay for.  As for Thymes–I want to love Thymes so much, but I’ve had performance issues with these candles (because they are SO big).  As of right now I would be inclined to put Trapp in this group as well, but I’ve only burned one of their full-sized candles, and I feel that I need to burn at least a couple of more before I can render a final judgment.

Eventually I’ll do a post like this for candle lines with average prices over $50!

Candle Review: Akeewakee Chicago Mint Noir (White Medallion Collection)

Akeewakee is a candle company based out of New Orleans.  Their stuff is not exactly easy to find online (in fact, all I can find are clearance sales, which makes me wonder if this company is still making candles), which is a shame, because I liked this candle very much.  I picked it up on the same day that I took the plunge with my Diptyque candle.  Something about black-and-white design must have drawn me in that day, because this candle’s packaging and vessel echo Diptyque in that respect.   The white box has a black and while toile-like pattern with a tassel on top, and the vessel is white with a small black toile-like pattern in place of a brand label.  The vessel is a little more squat than I usually like, but it has a rounded top that makes it look very elegant and sleek.  As with many colored vessels, this one looked particularly attractive once the candle had reached the point where the flame was totally contained in the vessel and just reflected off the vessel.

This candle had very, very nice performance.  The wax was thick and quality, which meant that I got lovely long burn times out of the candle.  The wick was also very substantial, which made it easy to trim and maintain.  There was no sputtering and very little soot.  I also really liked the smell of the candle–it was very spot on with the scent name.  This smells exactly–exactly–like my Teavana Chocolate Mint tea.  If that’s not evocative enough for you, just think of a mint chocolate cookie, add a little more vanilla creaminess, and you’ll have this candle.  It’s marketed as a holiday candle, and it does have a minty winter feel, but I think the vanilla is creamy and clean enough that you can burn this at any point during the year.  It has good throw and was generally a pleasure to burn.

4/5

Candle Reviews: Trapp Sexy Cinnamon (No. 39)

This is the first full sized Trapp candle I’ve reviewed; I did not have good experiences, by and large, with a number of their votives.  I am happy to say that the major problem I had with the votive candles–lack of throw–was not a problem with the larger candle.  I’m still not sure I buy the whole “a bottle of perfume in every bottle” schtick, but there’s no doubt that the candle had a very good throw in both larger and smaller spaces.  However, I still can’t get really excited about the Trapp line (but I’m obviously in a minority here, as I know these candles are big sellers at Scents n’Sprays, etc.).  The Trapp line is competing at a price point with most of the candles from Archipelago Botanicals, Voluspa and Votivo, and I think that the other three lines just crush Trapp when it comes to general aesthetics.  Note I said aesthetics generally, and not packaging–even though I think the famous Trapp “birdhouse box” (for those who don’t know, Trapp candles come in a box with a roof, as seen here) is a little kitschy, well, when you display the candle you don’t keep it in its box.  It’s the vessel itself that I have real problems with: it’s a little more short and squat that the glass jars that Archipelago and Voluspa use, and I prefer the taller shape.  Furthermore, as you can see in the picture linked above, the vessel is clearly stamped with both the company name and scent name.  I hate this, especially when the scent name is kinda dumb, like, well, “sexy cinnamon” (and here we have the reason why you will never see any A Scent of Scandal candles reviewed here–obviously that works for some people, but I am not one of them).  I vastly, vastly prefer the Voluspa tins (which have the scent name on top–but the top never goes on display) and the glass jars from the other companies.  Obviously, you, dear Reader, might disagree.

Say you do disagree and like the look of the candle–what of the scent and performance?  As I said, the candle does have a very good throw and is a true representation of cinnamon.  It’s not a particularly radical take on the note, but that’s not what one is looking for when one buys this candle.  There’s a hint of “general spice” and vanilla to provide a little grounding and depth here.  This is about as warm as a cinnamon scent can get while still remaining in the “classic cinnamon stick” area of the general cinnamon family (the next step over would be the “baking cinnamon” area).  I’m sure that will have a major appeal for a lot of people, especially those who might find the Archipelago Botanicals Cinnamon Spice candle to still be a little too cool.   Performance-wise, the candle is fine; I had some minor pitting issues, but those were due to the fact that I was burning the candle in my office and so there were times when I had to extinguish it before the ‘proper’ time.

I vastly prefer the look of comparable lines like Archipelago Botanicals Signature and Voluspa, but if you like the Trapp look, this candle is a good performer and a solid bet.  Still, for me personally it gets…

2.5/5

Candle Reviews: Aquiesse Frankincense and Myrrh

‘Tis (almost) the Christmas season, so I figure that it makes sense to begin reviewing some holiday-appropriate candles.  Last year I reviewed the Cinnamon Tabac candle from Aquiesse and this year I am reviewing their Frankincense and Myrrh candle.   In terms of packaging, presentation and performance this one is very similar.  The box is gorgeous, the glass vessel is nice and heavy with a thick wick, and the candle itself is a little larger than I would like (be sure that you have a good three-four hours to burn this candle the first time or it won’t get to the rim and that can lead to performance issues later on).    This is another restrained holiday offering, which I’m sure has appeal to those who are tired of over-the-top sugar/cake candles, sharp peppermints, super-strong currant/spice candles, etc. serving as the “holiday” selection for most candle companies.  This might not be for those who don’t have at least a positive childhood association between Christmas Mass and the holidays, as the resin here is very, very churchy.  The frankincense is much stronger than the myrrh and so the candle provides not just a pleasant fragrance, but the ability to mask odors as well (I burn it in my office on weekends to help clear out any food/student odors that have build up over the week).  However, it is a fairly straightforward scent; I don’t pick up much myrrh, and there’s no real twist on the resin formula.  However, this is an attractively-packaged and evocative candle appropriate to the season (or beyond, if you just like frankincense).

3/5

 

Candle Reviews: Diptyque Opoponax

I was at an academic conference and trying to avoid someone who was looking for me, so I ducked into one of the hotel shops.  I found myself confronted by walls of candles.  There were lots of Archipelago, some LAFCO…and tons of Diptyque candles.  Diptyque was a line that I’d never had much interest in: the candles don’t look that interesting online and they’re a bit more expensive than the candles I usually buy.  However, I wasn’t interested in trying any of the Archipelagos, the LAFCOs are enormous, and I don’t really like enormous candles…and I was really much more charmed by the appearance of the Diptyque candles when I saw them in person.  So, I grabbed the Opoponax candle–and I’m glad I did.

The black and white box and label on the candle really are elegant, and I was surprised by how much I liked the look of the candle.  Drawing attention to the name of the scent instead of the name of the company on the label is a choice that I like and it makes me more comfortable about having the candle on display (I hate labels and vessels that loudly trump the label).  The candle performed well and required very little maintenance.  The wax is smooth and appealing, and the wick has a good thickness to it that makes it easy to trim, etc.  This candle also has a LOT of throw.  There is a ton of scent in the candle; you can see little rivulets of scent flowing the wax when you burn the candle and then let it cool.   As for the scent, this is lovely.  Opoponax is a resinous note, like frankincense and myrrh, but it almost never smells churchy.  Opoponax smells more like thick smoke, and this candle can really create a resinous, smoky-smelling fog sensation (not an actual fog or actual smoke, of course) in a small space.  There’s something else here to warm up the opoponax just a little bit more (myrrh?) and that makes this a great fall/autumn candle.

Despite all the things I like about this candle, I can’t put it in my upper echelons for two reasons: first, it has a lovely scent profile, but not a really complex one.  Second, even though the candle ended up being a better value than I suspected it would be at first, I still think it’s a little expensive for what you get.  However, if money is not really an object, go ahead and fill up on Diptyque to your heart’s content!

3.5/5

Candle Reviews: Votivo Lavender Chamomile Pear (No. 10tr) and Votivo Black Ginger (No. 35tr)

I am reviewing both of these Votivo candles in one post because they are both in the same smaller travel-tin size. I like the travel tins; I think that they’re a great size for sampling because they burn more quickly than a standard Votivo candle but are large enough that you can get a really good sense of the candle’s scent and throw. The silvery tins are a little thin/disposable, but the classic Votivo box labels are a good touch.

I actually had a little pitting with my Lavender Chamomile Pear candle, but that was more my mismanagement (the first two times I burned the candle I didn’t let it go long enough). There were no performance issues beyond this. As for the scent, those who are into aromatherapy know that lavender and chamomile are both used to help people sleep (the Sleepytime tea I used to buy at the grocery store was a chamomile blend). I didn’t burn the candle at night (safety thing–I don’t want to even risk falling asleep), but this candle certain does create a quiet, cozy atmosphere. I think that people who like aromatherapy might consider this candle, so long as they light it while getting ready to sleep and then put out the flame before going to bed. Lavender is the strongest note in the candle; the chamomile proves a background fuzziness (the Votivo scent description says that this is a sharper chamomile note, but I don’t think it’s all that different–this really does smell a lot like my chamomile tea). Maybe that slightly sharper chamomile is what gives the candle a slight lemony smell. I don’t pick up on the pear much at all, but pear’s not really a super-strong fruity note anyway. This is another solid entry from Votivo.

3.5/5

I was very impressed with the Black Ginger candle–great performance in the tin and fantastic throw.  The base of this candle is warm leather–if I could see this leather it would be a camel/tan saddle that always smelled a little of saddle soap.  As a former competitive horseback rider, this is a comfort scent!  The middle of this scent is an ambient spicy blend and the ginger–lovely and fresh–comes out on top.  The ginger has great carry–when I am in the other room that is the note that is easiest to smell; the leather is more prominent up close, but in general the two layers blend together nicely and every now and again I pick up a bit of undifferentiated spice.  This is a great, neutral utility candle and I would recommend it highly for those who are looking for a clean leather scented candle.

3.5/5

Candle Reviews: Voluspa Floraison Gift Set

The Voluspa Floraison gift set contains six small candles in a variety of scents that span from lighter takes on tobacco and cocoa to variations on floral themes. The six candles come in a handsome and sturdy gold box that can easily be used to store knick-knacks, etc. All six candles are housed in attractive glass jars that are taller and slimmer than the normal Voluspa votive jar and a colored label with the “Voluspa” brand name and fragrance name in gold type. I will cover 5/6 scents in this review; I burned Linden Blond Tabac before taking a very long trip and could not find the notes I’d take on the candle when I returned.  Alas.

Floraison No. 17–Cocoa Tamarind (brown label and brown wax)
Floraison No. 21–Enfleurage (purple label and purple wax)
Floraison No. 26–Jasmine Brown Sugar (hot pink label and rose pink wax)
Floraison No. 32–Mignonette (magenta label and magenta wax)
Floraison No. 69–Mimosa Martini (peach label and peach wax)

Floraison No. 69: The Mimosa Martini scent, unfortunately, does not have a particularly strong throw and is not a particularly effective candle.  There is not a lot of distance throw and when one tries to get a close sniff there’s more burning flame than scented candle.  When I am able to smell the candle there is a pleasant peachy scent.  Toward the very end of this candle’s life I was able to pick up a slight boozy edge to go along with the peach.  These moments were nice, but overall the candle was a bit of a disappointment.

Floraison No. 17: The Cocoa Tamarind candle was much stronger and I was quite fond of this candle.  It packs an effective punch (I could smell it all the way in the back room of my apartment) and the cocoa is not an overbearing vanilla-baking cocoa.  (There’s a time and a place for that sort of cocoa, but I like the fact that this is different).  This is a dark, sinuous chocolate that is given a pleasantly bitter–hah, what a notion!–bite from the tamarind.  The cocoa is certainly the strongest scent in this candle and it’s the one that you can really smell from a distance, but the tamarind is also present as a distinct element when you get closer.  I think there may be some sort of deep floral (but I can’t tell which one) in this as well; there’s a “silkiness” to the scent that evokes velvety petals.  I wish this came in a bigger candle size.

Floraison No. 21: Enfleurage is a very floral scent (shocking, I know) and it operates on two levels.  There is a deeper floral base here that actually smells a lot like the Cocoa Tamarind candle, but there is a more classic floral top-note that is easily picked up at great distances.  This little candle packs a good punch–the best of the first four I burned (I can’t remember enough specifics from Linen Blond Tabac, but I do remember that it was on the weaker side, like Mimosa Martini).  It gets lovely distance and I can smell it all over my apartment.  I’m still not great at picking up specific florals–with obvious exceptions like jasmine and lilac–but there smells like there is something rosy here.  Upon a check of the notes, I see that there is indeed white rose here.  I think the vanilla/magnolia/lavender might be what I’m smelling at the base, although the lavender pokes through gently at both levels.  I don’t pick up much on the heliotrope, honestly.

Floraison No. 32: Mignonette does not have a lot of strength and it was very difficult for me to smell.  I finally got a good sense of it when I accidentally got some wax on my thumb!  Again, I noted a strong base similarity to the other Floraison scents.  There was very little definition in the scent and I had to check the notes.  I did not really smell any of the particular florals listed, and upon a really close examination I was able to discern some vague almond scent and maybe of some vanilla.  However, I couldn’t discern any of this when I was a decent distance away from the candle.  I was not a real fan of this scent.

Floraison No. 26: Jasmine Brown Sugar is stronger than some of the other scents in this collection, but it still doesn’t have the scent originality that I’d like to see.  Once again, the same base of cocoa/sugar/some floral is present.  Once again, this smells a lot like Cocoa Tamarind.  There’s a little hint of jasmine here, but it’s really not that noticeable, either up close or far away.

Honestly, the Floraison set was a bit of a disappointment.  It looks great and I like the base smell, but some of these scents are not very strong and there’s too much similarity across the collection for me to give this a high recommendation.

2.5/5

(Quick) Candle Reviews: Archipelago Botanicals Signature Collection White Peach

I’m a big, big fan of the Signature Collection because I think it offers solid performance, packaging and scent throw. The smaller candle is still presented in a nice glass jar with good weight and the simple colored label (a stripe of color slightly wider than a piece of scotch tape centered on one side of the jar) that has the scent name on it. I think this is a nice compromise between an unmarked jar and something that’s overly busy. The White Peach scent is a true one and does not smell too sugary or sharp or artificial. The candle performed very well–if I have a complaint it would only be that the candle burned through a little more quickly than I was hoping. It’s a little hard for me to judge the scent throw on this candle because of the smaller jar, but I was pleasantly surprised by the distance of the throw. My one major qualm with the candle is that it’s a pretty one-note scent; I don’t pick up on much else besides the peach. For that reason I’m going to put this one on the lower end of “worth your consideration.”

3/5

Some Odds and Ends

I’ve noticed that both my new traffic and repeat traffic numbers have started to increase.  Thanks for stopping by and checking out my reviews; I appreciate your readership.  I am especially grateful to my repeat readers.  Please feel free to leave comments on the reviews!  I have a couple of announcements:

1.  I just returned from a long out-of-town trip; I will be posting a number of reviews (mostly of spring/summer candles) over the next couple of weeks.  I plan to start featuring winter/holiday candles in October.  I will create a special “Holiday” section.
2.  A few folks have contacted me with an offer of free samples.  I’m quite flattered, but for right now I think I’m going to stick to buying everything I review myself (with the help of good sales, of course!).  However, if you’d like to draw my attention to your candle line/company, please feel free to contact me (see sidebar on main page for ways to contact me).

Thanks again!

Candle Reviews: Altru Wellness

Unfortunately my experience with the Altru Wellness candle may be the most disappointing candle experience I’ve had since I burned Salem.  I’m in the process of burning a different Altru candle and am having a more positive experience there, which is good, but I will have to devote this particular review to the problems I had with this candle.

It looks beautiful–but don’t they all?  Each Altru candle comes in a lovely, sturdy box and each box has a different print on it.  I’m using the box that this candle came in as a pencil holder!  Altru uses a copper vessel instead of a glass jar to contain the candle, and the brushed copper is truly lovely.  I think the Altru packaging might be my favorite packaging of any line I’ve tried so far, period.

Unfortunately, the performance of this candle was just problematic from the start.  I could not get the candle to burn evenly; not even when I gave it a nice long (but not too long) burn time at the start.  The rim of the wax just would not burn and I had absolutely awful pitting, which led to me having to pour out wax to avoid drowning the wick.  This, of course, meant that the wick was uncovered and it became difficult to maintain.  The candle wax also left a green ring stain on the interior of the copper jar.  I should note that I have not had either of these problems with my other Altru candle so far, but I feel that I must report on what I experienced with this candle (I will try at least one more Altru candle to help me figure out how I feel about the line).  I also understand that copper reacts to things and the green ring may be inevitable with some candles.  I’m fine with that, but I also wanted to make note of it in my review.

Throw was not too bad–the candle wasn’t fragrant enough to overcome my irritations with the performance, but it wasn’t so weak as to make me further ill-disposed.  However, I did not care for the smell of this candle; it’s the first candle I’ve bought for myself where I really found the smell unappealing.  I think I am allergic to something in this candle because I sneezed constantly whenever it was being burned.  I got about 2/3rds of the way through the candle and stopped burning it.  My sneezing stopped too.  This candle’s two main notes are clove and ginger, but there is also a tea or bamboo note (check of an official scent description confirms tea) that is very, very watery and makes the other two notes come off as a little sour.  From some distances the candle smelled like water that had had ginger soaking in it, combined with a dash of clove.  I did not like it at all.

I never like to have to give an unfavorable review–all the candles that I’ve reviewed so far are created by companies that obviously take time to consider their product from every angle and I appreciate that.  However, despite that, sometimes the candles just don’t work for me.  As I said, I hope to have another Altru review (it takes a long time to get through one of these candles!) up fairly soon, and that one will certainly be more favorable.

2/5 (on the strength of overall aesthetic/packaging and decent scent throw)