Bougie Bougies Parfumées: Holiday Edition
As I mentioned in my candle smelling adventures post at the beginning of the month, I've become a bit of a candle lover over the past year. The love turned just a teensy bit manic over the holidays with all the sales. Somehow I ended up with a small candle army. I ain't complaining.
While part of me just wants to admire them from afar and leave them untouched, a larger part of me wants to bask in their burning glory 🙆 So here we are!
ALSO MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!
Size: 8.5 oz/ 240 g
Wax: Undisclosed
Burn time: 60 hours
Scent description: Top notes: Bulgarian rose. Middle notes: rose petals, geranium. Base notes: rose absolute.
They are not joking around when they say that Byredo candles burn slowly. The first time I burned this candle it took over 5 hours for it to create an even pool! So yes the candle is stupidly expensive, but it will last you forever and a year. The only downside of this, is that you have to burn it for long periods of time to make sure that there's a consistently even pool.
Scent wise, I think this smells like a beautiful blend of rose and geranium. It's not a smack you upside the head sorta scent but rather a gently coddle you in a sea of clouds sorta scent. The throw is really nice-- it filled up my bedroom and wandered into the hall. The most impressive part is how long the scent lingered around! I stopped burning it at around 11 PM and could still smell it the next morning.
It's housed in a weighty, semi-opaque, burgundy glass jar and comes with the signature Byredo label. The wax is also a deep red color to complement the jar. The combo looks absolutely stunning. The only downside of the semi-opaque jar is that you can see if you get a bit messy with the wax. I accidentally bumped my candle while it was still cooling down and got a splash of wax on the sides. But it's not a big deal cause I can easily clean it up with a cotton swab.
I do think it's a unique scent but if I'm being completely honest, I prefer the smell of their burning rose candle. I don't regret the purchase because I do enjoy the scent and love the limited edition red packaging, but I would recommend Burning Rose over Rose Water based purely on the scents alone.
Size: 7.8 oz/ 220 g
Wax: Rapeseed blend wax (they talk about the history + sustainability of the blend on their site)
Burn time: 60 hours
Scent description: Features the molecular distillation on Egyptian Grandiflorum Jasmine concrete. Floral, indolic, green, orange blossom note -- very close from the original Jasmine Sambac flower scent.
This candle smells like a sea of Jasmine flowers, even when it's not burning you can stand in the general vicinity of the candle and smell it.. The scent is very heady and strong. When you burn it, it amplifies the scent and unlike the Byredo, it's totally a scent that smacks you in the face. It also has a nice throw and can easily fill up a large room. One thing I did notice is that unlike the Byredo, the scent didn't linger around for that long. After you stop burning it, the scent fades away after an hour or two. Which is still impressive, but isn't as impressive as the Byredo.
Another thing I noticed is how relatively quickly it burned the first time. Similar to the Byredo and Diptyque candles, it has an approximate 60 hour burn time. But unlike the other two, this burned to an even pool in less than 2 hours! I don't know if that means the rest of the candle will burn just as quickly but it's something I'm going to keep my eye out for.
The instagramability of this candle is out of this world. As a stereotypical millennial, I'm obsessed with the nude/ pink shade. I had toyed with purchasing one of their limited edition holographic candles but I ultimately went with their classic pink candles and I couldn't have been happier (I talked about the cons of their holo candles in my previous candles post.)
I also like how the brand is focused on sustainability. On their site they talk about how they're concious of mass deforestation and making their products environemtnally friendly. While I don't have an exclusively cruelty-free beauty stash, I do appreciate brands that are steadfast with their ethics.
Size: 6.5 oz/ 190 g
Wax: Vegetable/ paraffin wax mix
Burn time: 60 hours
Scent description: Fir needles, Hinoki wood and mint mix intimately to compose the rare aromas of lush frosted forests.
Usually I'm not into piney holiday scents but I love the sweetness found in this candle. It's not overly woodsy and has a nice freshness to it. I burned it in the living room with the Christmas Tree and it flooded and filled the space. The scent also lingers for a few hours. It's truly the kind of scent that puts you in the holiday spirit. In fact I'm burning the candle as I'm writing this post!
I've burned this candle quite a few times and each time it's a nice, slow burn. It takes at least 3 hours to pool each time. In my photos it looks like there's some tunnelling but that's because I had to cut off my last burning session short 🙈 The next time I burned it, it corrected itself and created a beautiful, even pool.
Of course I can't talk about this candle and not mention the packaging. It's a gorgeous, heavy black glass jar with the art of Philippe Baudelocque on it. The intricate sea of constellations evoke a sense of dreaminess... or something like that. The gold 3D sticker of the unicorn is truly the icing on the top! And there's a surprise inside as the candlewax and inner walls of the jar are both a beautiful, vibrant green to really cement in that holiday feel.
Wax: Soy-based wax
Burn time: None specified but their full size 6.5 oz have a 60 hour burn time so through the magic of proportions, I would get this has around a 23 hour burn time
Scent description: Orris; Exquisite spices like pink pepper, coriander, and carrot seed are combined with the elegant tonality of orris to reveal a beautiful, fresh floral scent.
Book; An exciting mixture of spicy cucumber an torchwood with many unexpected twists and pleasantries.
Oolong; infused with honey, Asian inspired oolong tea, Egyptian basil, and warm tobacco notes convey a comforting, relaxing afternoon tea experience.
Considering how small these candles are, I was not expecting them to have such a strong throw! All of them are able to fill up my medium-ish sized bedroom easily with their lovely scents. They burn evenly, albeit a bit quickly. I've burned them each at least half a dozen times and I'm still not halfway down any of them, so I guess it really isn't that quick-- it's appropriate for their size. I appreciate the quick burn because I can burn them for an hour and snuff them. For the larger candles it becomes a time commitment to burn them, so if I'm running in and out of the house throughout the day it just isn't possible to enjoy them becuase hello, fire safety.
On the other hand, if I do want to burn these for 2 or 3 hours they will still burn beautifully. Sometimes an issue with burning candles for too long is that the jar will get too hot and the label starts peeling. I haven't had that issue with any of these.
The price on these candles cannot be beat. Or at least they cannot be beat if you are looking at luxury candles. A 3 pack of Diptyque candles of the same candles will run you $100, these are less than half the price. AND the set comes with three mini spray perfumes as well. I do wish they come out with more similar sets because I would buy them all.
I waver between Orris and Oolong as my favorites. All three of the scents in this set are unique. Even an amateur nose like mine can smell the complexity in them.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is how soft the wax is. It doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things but it is easy to knick the candles if you aren't careful. When I was taking Book out of the boxed set I accidentaly stuck my finger in the candle, that cause an unattractive dip in the wax. It's not a big deal beause after burning it, the candle evened itself-- but still I thought it was worth mentioning.
Size: 7.5 oz
Wax: Coconut oil base
Burn time: 50+ hours
Scent description: Purifying palo santo meets sweet frankincense and grounding patchouli in a fusion that transforms your home into a sanctuary.
Finally a fancy candle that comes with 👏 a 👏 freakin' 👏 lid 👏 And it's screw on! While the lid is plastic, the jar itself is a heavier stone/ glass type of material. I've only burned this once so far and it evenly pooled in about 3 hours. Even though it says it has a 50+ hour burn time, I wouldn't be surprised if it burned closer to 60 hours like the other full sized candles featured in this post.
One thing I thought was cool is that the candle contains a special crystal that is, and I quote, "charged in the light of the full moon with serene intenions." Actually all the products by the brand contain special crystals charged with various mystical things that I don't know the proper terminology for because I'm not a particularly spiritual person. I'm also not a crystals kinda gal, but I'm also not gonna say no to a candle blessed with good vibes ✌ I have nothing to lose by being a skeptical almost semi-believer.
Now all that said, while it is beautifully packaged and burned smoothly, the scent itself isn't my thing. I'm not big on smoky woodsy scents (I nearly gagged when I smelled a candle called "lump of coal" the other day) and dislike patchouli-scented candles 9 times out of 10, so I wasn't all that surprised that I didn't enjoy this. If you are a fan of smoky scents, you're probably a better fit for this candle than I am!
I hope you're all having a lovely Christmas day! And that you're healthy and happy! And that you get to eat yummy foods!
Hopefully I'll be sharing a fall favorites before the end of the year but if I don't, hope you have a happy new year as well!
While part of me just wants to admire them from afar and leave them untouched, a larger part of me wants to bask in their burning glory 🙆 So here we are!
ALSO MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!
Byredo Saints Rose Water
Price: $80.00 available via Byredo, Net-A-Porter, & Barney's but pretty much sold out everywhereSize: 8.5 oz/ 240 g
Wax: Undisclosed
Burn time: 60 hours
Scent description: Top notes: Bulgarian rose. Middle notes: rose petals, geranium. Base notes: rose absolute.
They are not joking around when they say that Byredo candles burn slowly. The first time I burned this candle it took over 5 hours for it to create an even pool! So yes the candle is stupidly expensive, but it will last you forever and a year. The only downside of this, is that you have to burn it for long periods of time to make sure that there's a consistently even pool.
Scent wise, I think this smells like a beautiful blend of rose and geranium. It's not a smack you upside the head sorta scent but rather a gently coddle you in a sea of clouds sorta scent. The throw is really nice-- it filled up my bedroom and wandered into the hall. The most impressive part is how long the scent lingered around! I stopped burning it at around 11 PM and could still smell it the next morning.
It's housed in a weighty, semi-opaque, burgundy glass jar and comes with the signature Byredo label. The wax is also a deep red color to complement the jar. The combo looks absolutely stunning. The only downside of the semi-opaque jar is that you can see if you get a bit messy with the wax. I accidentally bumped my candle while it was still cooling down and got a splash of wax on the sides. But it's not a big deal cause I can easily clean it up with a cotton swab.
I do think it's a unique scent but if I'm being completely honest, I prefer the smell of their burning rose candle. I don't regret the purchase because I do enjoy the scent and love the limited edition red packaging, but I would recommend Burning Rose over Rose Water based purely on the scents alone.
Overose Indasmin Candle (but now it's called Ultraflora!)
Price: $58.00 USD available via Overose, the Stell, Anomie, Midland; Vincent Park if you're in Canada; Blos Shop if you're in Europe (the candles are on sale there atm); Superette if you're in NZ/ USSize: 7.8 oz/ 220 g
Wax: Rapeseed blend wax (they talk about the history + sustainability of the blend on their site)
Burn time: 60 hours
Scent description: Features the molecular distillation on Egyptian Grandiflorum Jasmine concrete. Floral, indolic, green, orange blossom note -- very close from the original Jasmine Sambac flower scent.
This candle smells like a sea of Jasmine flowers, even when it's not burning you can stand in the general vicinity of the candle and smell it.. The scent is very heady and strong. When you burn it, it amplifies the scent and unlike the Byredo, it's totally a scent that smacks you in the face. It also has a nice throw and can easily fill up a large room. One thing I did notice is that unlike the Byredo, the scent didn't linger around for that long. After you stop burning it, the scent fades away after an hour or two. Which is still impressive, but isn't as impressive as the Byredo.
Another thing I noticed is how relatively quickly it burned the first time. Similar to the Byredo and Diptyque candles, it has an approximate 60 hour burn time. But unlike the other two, this burned to an even pool in less than 2 hours! I don't know if that means the rest of the candle will burn just as quickly but it's something I'm going to keep my eye out for.
The instagramability of this candle is out of this world. As a stereotypical millennial, I'm obsessed with the nude/ pink shade. I had toyed with purchasing one of their limited edition holographic candles but I ultimately went with their classic pink candles and I couldn't have been happier (I talked about the cons of their holo candles in my previous candles post.)
I also like how the brand is focused on sustainability. On their site they talk about how they're concious of mass deforestation and making their products environemtnally friendly. While I don't have an exclusively cruelty-free beauty stash, I do appreciate brands that are steadfast with their ethics.
Diptyque Forét Givrée (Frosted Forest) Unicorn Candle
Price: $70.00 available via Diptyque, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Blue Mercury, Net-A-Porter, & Space.NK (also available in a smaller size for $35.00)Size: 6.5 oz/ 190 g
Wax: Vegetable/ paraffin wax mix
Burn time: 60 hours
Scent description: Fir needles, Hinoki wood and mint mix intimately to compose the rare aromas of lush frosted forests.
Usually I'm not into piney holiday scents but I love the sweetness found in this candle. It's not overly woodsy and has a nice freshness to it. I burned it in the living room with the Christmas Tree and it flooded and filled the space. The scent also lingers for a few hours. It's truly the kind of scent that puts you in the holiday spirit. In fact I'm burning the candle as I'm writing this post!
I've burned this candle quite a few times and each time it's a nice, slow burn. It takes at least 3 hours to pool each time. In my photos it looks like there's some tunnelling but that's because I had to cut off my last burning session short 🙈 The next time I burned it, it corrected itself and created a beautiful, even pool.
Of course I can't talk about this candle and not mention the packaging. It's a gorgeous, heavy black glass jar with the art of Philippe Baudelocque on it. The intricate sea of constellations evoke a sense of dreaminess... or something like that. The gold 3D sticker of the unicorn is truly the icing on the top! And there's a surprise inside as the candlewax and inner walls of the jar are both a beautiful, vibrant green to really cement in that holiday feel.
Commodity Oolong, Book, & Orris Candles
Size: 2.5 oz/ 70 g eachWax: Soy-based wax
Burn time: None specified but their full size 6.5 oz have a 60 hour burn time so through the magic of proportions, I would get this has around a 23 hour burn time
Scent description: Orris; Exquisite spices like pink pepper, coriander, and carrot seed are combined with the elegant tonality of orris to reveal a beautiful, fresh floral scent.
Book; An exciting mixture of spicy cucumber an torchwood with many unexpected twists and pleasantries.
Oolong; infused with honey, Asian inspired oolong tea, Egyptian basil, and warm tobacco notes convey a comforting, relaxing afternoon tea experience.
Considering how small these candles are, I was not expecting them to have such a strong throw! All of them are able to fill up my medium-ish sized bedroom easily with their lovely scents. They burn evenly, albeit a bit quickly. I've burned them each at least half a dozen times and I'm still not halfway down any of them, so I guess it really isn't that quick-- it's appropriate for their size. I appreciate the quick burn because I can burn them for an hour and snuff them. For the larger candles it becomes a time commitment to burn them, so if I'm running in and out of the house throughout the day it just isn't possible to enjoy them becuase hello, fire safety.
On the other hand, if I do want to burn these for 2 or 3 hours they will still burn beautifully. Sometimes an issue with burning candles for too long is that the jar will get too hot and the label starts peeling. I haven't had that issue with any of these.
The price on these candles cannot be beat. Or at least they cannot be beat if you are looking at luxury candles. A 3 pack of Diptyque candles of the same candles will run you $100, these are less than half the price. AND the set comes with three mini spray perfumes as well. I do wish they come out with more similar sets because I would buy them all.
I waver between Orris and Oolong as my favorites. All three of the scents in this set are unique. Even an amateur nose like mine can smell the complexity in them.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is how soft the wax is. It doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things but it is easy to knick the candles if you aren't careful. When I was taking Book out of the boxed set I accidentaly stuck my finger in the candle, that cause an unattractive dip in the wax. It's not a big deal beause after burning it, the candle evened itself-- but still I thought it was worth mentioning.
Sandoval Peace Candle (PR Gift)
Price: $60.00 available via Studio SandovalSize: 7.5 oz
Wax: Coconut oil base
Burn time: 50+ hours
Scent description: Purifying palo santo meets sweet frankincense and grounding patchouli in a fusion that transforms your home into a sanctuary.
Finally a fancy candle that comes with 👏 a 👏 freakin' 👏 lid 👏 And it's screw on! While the lid is plastic, the jar itself is a heavier stone/ glass type of material. I've only burned this once so far and it evenly pooled in about 3 hours. Even though it says it has a 50+ hour burn time, I wouldn't be surprised if it burned closer to 60 hours like the other full sized candles featured in this post.
One thing I thought was cool is that the candle contains a special crystal that is, and I quote, "charged in the light of the full moon with serene intenions." Actually all the products by the brand contain special crystals charged with various mystical things that I don't know the proper terminology for because I'm not a particularly spiritual person. I'm also not a crystals kinda gal, but I'm also not gonna say no to a candle blessed with good vibes ✌ I have nothing to lose by being a skeptical almost semi-believer.
Now all that said, while it is beautifully packaged and burned smoothly, the scent itself isn't my thing. I'm not big on smoky woodsy scents (I nearly gagged when I smelled a candle called "lump of coal" the other day) and dislike patchouli-scented candles 9 times out of 10, so I wasn't all that surprised that I didn't enjoy this. If you are a fan of smoky scents, you're probably a better fit for this candle than I am!
HO HO HO
And that's my last candle post of the year (...not that there were many to begin with.)I hope you're all having a lovely Christmas day! And that you're healthy and happy! And that you get to eat yummy foods!
Hopefully I'll be sharing a fall favorites before the end of the year but if I don't, hope you have a happy new year as well!
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