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Candle Reviews, and Companies - Including Yankee and Many More

Updated on June 27, 2012

Reviews of favorite candle companies and candles

I have loved candles for a long time now. They bring such a warm glow to your living space, and fragrance. The ambience they create is just wonderful. Since one can spend a fair amount of money on a candle, I like to recall certain favorites, and share what works, and what doesn't really "work" for me. I have enjoyed reading on sites where others have shared their candle burning experiences. Here is what I have to offer, and I hope you find something that you may want to try, or share yourself. I will talk first of different companies I have had some business with, then go into particular favorites from those, and how share how they burned.

For some that are not familiar with the word "throw" I wanted to say that it simply means a "getting the fragrance into the air" in this context. Some candles have a much stronger "throw" than others. So I wanted to share that straight off.

Yankee Candle Company: Yankee Candle may be one of my all time favorite candle distributors. I go back to them again and again. I love the great fragrances, many of which are surprisingly true to life, in my opinion. For instance, you need to smell the fresh strawberry fragrance sometime, its so much like real strawberries, that it is uncanny. Same with the macintosh, an apple candle, and very popular. It smells just like a fresh apple. In general, they burn well, but you do need to trim the wicks down, to prevent soot build up, and smoking. I think the very large apothecary style jars, are the best value for your dollar. I have purchased many of these candles over time now, and have received them as gifts. I will go into more detail about particular fragrances later on. One more thing that is of particular interest to me, is that Yankee has a great Aromatherapy Spa Line of candles. You will want to look these up, they are lovely, the ones I have tried so far, like Tangerine Vanilla and more.

Partylite Candles: Partylite is a home based business, that sells candles and accessories. I was first invited to a partylite party that a friend was having, and I thought, "what, a candle party?" How interesting, I thought, and since I loved candles, had to attend. Since that time, I have purchased many of their candles and accessories for the home, as many friends has the candle parties. You can have a party with them, and through people's purchases earn some candles for free or at a discount. In general, I really liked their candles, though the strength wasn't very strong at times. I have a better throw with some other companies. Still, the partylite candles burn very beautifully. It's a very clear and clean burn. I also learned a lot about getting the most out of your candles, and candle and accessory care. Just the dimming of the lights, and watching a demonstration was fun to be a part of. Lots of "ooohing and ahhhhing" going on.

Mia Bella: Mia Bella Candles are rather new to me, but I have enjoyed what I have burned so far. I got a great sampling to try from Mia Bella candles right off the bat, when I won a basket full of them in a silent auction. Some high schoolers were raising money for a trip, and one of things to bid on was a basket of Mia Bella candles. Here are the fragrances that were included in that basket. They range in sized from 2.5 ounce votives, to 16 ounce glass jars. The other things were melts, kind of like candle tarts, to melt in a tart burner, and a bella beauty bar in mystic melon scent. The Mia Melts were Asian plum and buttercream frosting. Here were the rest of the candle fragrances I have begun to try, but haven't finished with them yet: Honey Bee Vanilla, Coconuts & Lime, Fresh laundry, Sicilian Lemon & Rosemary, French Lavender, Licorice & Grapeseed, Rain Forest, Cactus & White Peach, Ginger & Cedarwood, Forbidden Fruit, and Sandalwood. The first three were in the glass jars, and the rest were all the 2.5 oz votives. I have enjoyed them so far, they burn very clean, and are very easy to clean up evidently. Also, the throw into the room they are burning in is strong with the larger candles. I have not burned the votives yet, but I imagine they may be similar.

Virginia Candle Company: WoodWick candles have become another favorite, though the candles can be among the most pricey I have seen yet. They burn clean and pure, and don't smoke or give off soot if you keep the wooden wicks trimmed down. They have a special trimmer for the wicks, though your fingers can work just as well. I have tried the Rum Raisin, Frasier Fir, Lavender, and one that I believe was called Christmas cookie, which I didn't like as much. The rest though, were all very pleasant. The next ones to try for me from them are Fireside, Sheer Vanilla, and Applewood. The jars are beautiful and classy and make great gifts, like all the others. The thing that makes WoodWick candles really stand out is their sound, amazingly enough! They crackle like a wood burning fire as they burn! Many people that didn't know this, thought something may be wrong with the candle, but its doing exactly what it was meant to do. So the effect is nice, and something I have never seen in another candle. Its got an organic wooden wick, and I would highly recommend these to try at least once. They are made by Virginia Candle Company. They make other candles as well, though I have not tried those yet. I know you can find these candles in Cracker Barrel, as well as Hallmark stores and more. The 3.4 ounce candle runs right now for $9.99, and says it burns up to 40 hours. That is pretty impressive! The prices go up from there, as do the burn times. I have heard the reed diffusers are nice as well. I have not burned them myself though.

Time and again Simmering Waffle Bar, by Ganz is also very very nice. Their fragrances are outstanding, like Roasted Chestnut and the Chocolate Truffle scents. You can mix and match these in a warmer and have an amazing scent in your home. The throw is pretty powerful from these. You need to try them sometime.

I will continue to share my experiences with candles and tarts and melts, as I have them. Thank you for stopping by my hub and reading. Let me know if you have any favorites of your own, that I need to try. Some people call themselves a candle addict, and surely there are worse things to be addicted to. I don't know if i am guilty of having a candle addiction or not, but I certainly do enjoy them very much. Its a great way to relax after a long day, and bring a happy and festive mood around if that is what you are going for.

Review for Wood wick's Frasier Fir Scent- While this fragrance is listed among the Ww Holiday fragrances, one need not burn it only that time of the year. I have never tried this one before, and for as strong as it is, I truly love it. "This fragrance truly captures the essence of freshly-cut Frasier fir on a crisp winter morning", says one description of it. I would totally agree, and its just a very handsome scent. Its strong, but just like how a pine tree, freshly cut is very strong. The smell is genuine, not done up. Of course, its lovely as an accent to your Christmas tree area in the house, and especially if you have an artificial tree. Don't limit yourself to that time of year would be my advice. If you are looking for a scent to add to that pine tree smell that comes with Christmas you cannot go wrong. I would go for this first of all the scents I have ever tried in that regard. It burns clean and beautiful, is a very dark handsome green, and has the crackling sound and ambience that one comes to expect from a Wood Wick candle.

Review for Wood Wick's Rum Raisin. I love this candle, and I have not grown tired of the scent of it as I have burned it. I have been burning the large jar for several weeks now. First point, is that it burns for a long time, and is a clean burning candle. Keeping the wick trimmed down, by simply breaking off the little bits of the upper wick seems to help. As I was burning the candle down, it seemed to grow larger, and want to give off some black smoke, but it was easily dealt with by trimming. The fragrance is one I will come back to again and again, as its a comforting and very yummy fragrance! I kid you not, this one surprised me, and if it weren't for the fact there are so many great wood wick candle fragrances out there, I would get this one again and again. I still probably will, but I want to try more of the ones I still have yet to try, that also smell VERY yummy. This is hard to describe what the smell reminds me of, I just know that it is very rich, and smells like something that would taste just heavenly. I would highly recommend it, and give it an A++

Island Spa by Yankee Candle

This candle, Island Spa by Yankee is one that I have wanted to try for some time.  Its a beautiful candle, and the picture on the jar is heavenly.  It looks like it is straight off a beautiful Island in the Bahamas somewhere. 

This candle has better "throw" in a smaller room, without a jar topper.  Even in the larger room, it smells nice, and almost like a citrus crossed with an ocean breeze.  If you have ever used lemon Pledge, the furniture cleaner, and like that smell, this reminds me of that!  I like it, but I may like other ocean fragrances as much or more. 

So it gets an "A", but not an A+, in my book.  I am really enjoying it, and may buy it again.  Not before I try some others though. 

Berry Tangerine by Yankee Candle Company

Berry Tangerine is a surprisingly wonderful candle! I love the fragrance, and its pretty straightforward. Its sweet and tart, and seems to me to smell like exactly what ripe berries and tangerines would smell like together. I burned it during the summer, with a "lamp shade cover" that has butterflies on it. This was also a Yankee candle product. They have little glass toppers that can be put on the candles, and it makes it look like a little lamp. They have various decorations on it, etched glass designs, painted designs etc.

I burned the 22 ounce jar, which is my favorite for "value reasons". I think you get more "burn for your buck" in the large jars. The only thing is occasional maintenance like wiping out any black soot which is minimized with a topper of some kind. It keeps the wick burning evenly thus less smoking involved. The color is nice, like a ripe cherry color or orange rec color. Try this for some summertime fragrance that doesn't have too much "throw", a lighter fragrance but that you can definitely smell even in a large room.

Amber Woods, by Woodwick

There has to come a time when you may meet up with your favorite candle ever.  I think this candle may be just that, or at least in the top 3.  (Keep in mind, I love hundreds of candles, so this is saying something!) 

Amber woods, was first introduced to me by a friend that said it was her favorite.  I thought hey, I need to smell this candle.  It was just wonderful.  A little bit sweet, but woodsy too in fragrance.  It may sound odd at first but it is truly amazing.  I ended up getting the large jar that burns around 180 hours or so, because it is the best value.  Now that I have burned it, I am liking it just as much if not more than when it isn't burning.  My only downside with this candle, is that the glass is too fragile.  Of all the candles, this one broke like a couple others with jagged glass left at the top.  I hope in time that Woodwick can correct this problem as it has happened two times to me, and once to a friend on Christmas morning.  That said, I still love Woodwick and will probably always love them.  I would very highly recommend getting this candle, and just double check there are no cracks in the glass that could cause breakage.  I will definitely be buying this candle again.  Its just that yummy, and the throw is pretty nice as well.  The color is pleasant and relaxing...like an amber orange color, but light not intense.

Raspberry Tart, by Yankee Candle Company

This raspberry tart did not disappoint!  I melted it in my electric tart warmer, and even before I did that, I was loving the fragrance that it put off.  The color is a deep rich raspberry, and smelled wonderful like a sweet raspberry cobbler or pie.  The fragrance it puts out is one of those that you wonder, what is that smell that smells so good?  Then you realize it is that new candle fragrance I just put out!  This one comes highly recommended.  Would make a nice gift as well.

Review for Christmas Cookie by Yankee Candle

I have heard others talk about the Christmas Cookie Candle and smelled it many times before I ever purchased it and smelled it when it was burning.  I loved how it smelled from the jar of course, because I like those kinds of smells, but now that I am burning it I really enjoyed it in my house.  I got the 22 ounce jar when it was on sale at the Yankee Candle Store in Missouri at the Meadows Shopping Center in Lake Saint Louis.  Others love this candle too.  I would say that you can't go wrong, unless you are turned off by the scent initially for some reason.

It has a good "throw" in the room, so it smells wonderful throughout, without overpowering at all or getting too much attention.  I mean, the kind of attention where you can't help but notice a very strong smell, like someone is trying hard to create a new fragrance in the room.  This is subtle and nice, in my opinion.  I will be buying these again in the future.  They are light and bright burning too.  I just had to keep trimming the wick so black smoke didn't blacken the jar. 

Forbidden Fruit by Mia Bella Candles

I am currently burning a votive sized candle in the Mia Bella Line called Forbidden Fruit. First, I love the color of this wonderful candle! Its a pink or melon color or you could call it coral colored. I think its a lovely sent to burn any time of the year. Its a very pleasant, somewhat sweet fragrance that is highly enjoyable and not overbearing at all. The scent is slight, somewhat, but in all honesty that could be because I meant to burn it long ago. I know fragrances can fade over time, so that this is still putting out fragrance like it is in a small room is pretty impressive. I would buy this candle again, very likely as the color is something I am drawn to, and the fragrance. It burns beautifully, and gives off an extra warm glow, if that is possible. High recommended.

Noel Fragrance, by Wood Wick

In the Wood Wick Holiday line, is a very lovely fragrance called Noel. It is a gorgeous deep red color. I bought the large jar, and of course the classic container is very beautiful and sleek in its design. From the minute I began to burn this one, I loved the even burning and how I haven't needed to keep trimming the wick. That is a plus to me. The glass has remained in tact as well.  This candle makes the claim to burn one hundred and eighty hours!  Something to consider when calculating costs.

The fragrance itself has a good release and can be smelled throughout the room without it being overpowering. I like the spicy, kind of cinnamon fragrance, but it is so much more than that as well. I would highly recommend this lovely Noel fragrance that will remind you of treats at Christmas time very likely. I will very likely buy this again.

Fresh Laundry by Mia Bella Candle Company

I didn't burn this jar candle right away. Because of that, I realized just how strong and concentrated the wax can be for Mia Bella Candles. This fragrance smells like fresh laundry, and then some! I mean that in a good way. The "throw" is excellent, and you probably can't get a stronger smelling candle to burn that will fragrance your house than this one. It may be too much even for some people. I know of some people that get headaches if the fragrance is too strong. Therefore, you want this in a ventilated area, or let it sit out without the lid for some time, to let the fragrance oils dissipate some. In a large room or area is great, and in a small room, WOW. I am glad to have tried it, and may buy it in the future.

New Reviews and Candles coming soon!

I am excited to share that I have some new candles from Yankee that I will be burning soon. I will share the results here with you all.

This one bunch of fragrances are a real treat even in their wrappers! Watch for coupons on line like I do, as I got all of these half off their regular price. Here are the candle "flavors" or fragrances. Spiced Orange, Apple Pie, Maple Pancakes, Cinnamon Roll, Creamy Caramel, Apple Cider, Cranberry Orange, and Mountain Lodge. These are their brand new fragrances, never seen before. I got one votive in all of the above, and in the tarts you burn, I also got a Spiced Orange, and Mountain Lodge to try those that way.

**Update of the latest candles from Yankee! Natures Paintbrush, Kitchen Spice, Over the River, Pumpkin Buttercream, and Vanilla Satin. I was my local Yankee Store today and spoke with the man there. He said the most popular so far is the Over the River, and Pumpkin Buttercream. The Kitchen Spice is good too if you like Spicy. Try those ones out too!

If how they smell in their wrappers is any indication, I am going to love these. They are trying to outdo themselves. Check back to see about each specifically, and if you have any candles you really enjoy, I would love to hear about those as well. Thank you!

Please vote in my candle poll

Do you like to burn candles in your home?

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