Illume - Hits & Misses

Illume has four new scents this season; two I really liked, and two I really didn't. Let's get the misses out of the way:

Saffron Lavender This candle looks great, but then all of Illume's candles do, in my opinion. However, I was expecting more of a lavender scent and found this to smell more like soaps at a Howard Johnson's. It wasn't horrible or anything, it was just not my taste and definitely a tad too strong.

Linden Leaf I didn't know what to expect with this one, but one whiff and I felt like I was in a child's nursery. It was way too much like baby powder and I personally don't want that in a candle for my home.

Now...on to the hits...

Sweet Rhubarb
It's fall and that means that pomegranates are back in season! This candle stood out because it's very tart (like pomegranate seeds), but also has a subtle hint of fresh cut grass and berries. All in all, a decent scent that looks as good as it smells.


Blue Ginger This particular Illume candle has equal parts ginger, patchouli, and lavender. It's sweet and fragrant and the deep amber color works well with the upcoming winter season. I liked this one best of all.

Hope that this was helpful and please keep in mind that this is again, merely my opinion. Definitely check it out for yourself and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading!

~lisa*

Yankee Candle's Good Air

Three words: Buy. This. Candle.

Look, no one likes their home to smell funky, but often times firing up a sweet-scented candle does absolutely nothing to mask the smell of whatever caused the funk in the first place. Pets, kids, cigarette smoke or that delicious Indian meal loaded with curry can hold a room hostage in stink for what seems like an eternity. Everyone has their love or their vice, but few feel like smelling it all day, every day.

When I first cracked open Good Air I was immediately reminded of the laundromat we used back in '79 - not my favourite scent. However, this candle is designed to scarf down odor, not make my house smell a certain way. And scarf down the odor, it did. I tried it after a garlic laden dinner and after burning the candle for roughly an hour the smell of garlic could not be detected. Then I tried it in my parents' garage where my Dad smokes. Again, after an hour it was free of cigarette stink. Even if your home smells as you wish it to, I think that everyone should have a decent size jar of Good Air just in case. We've all burned popcorn at one time or another and frankly, few things smell as bad.

~lisa*

New Scents for Autumn

Beanpod's Spicettes
For this selection I went with the soy beads, which I love. In creating the beads, Beanpod has made it so easy to mix and match different scents and make it your own. Spicettes smelled, to me, like Froot Loops. I asked my little brother for his take on it and he replied with one word: "Pez." And he's right. It's very sweet and candy-like, but with a hint of spices; thus making it a great alternative to the typical pumpkin or cinnamon scent that often dominate the season. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

WoodWick's Harvest
Harvest I really liked because it was an amalgam of some of the best under-used seasonal scents. It had equal parts berry and orange with a touch cinnamon (think Cinnaburst Gum) and a nice hint of vanilla.

Colonial's Farmer's Market
I burned Farmer's Market as a votive and found that even in a small room it was very faint. Honestly, I don't always need to have a wicked strong scent from every candle, so I enjoyed the light aroma it gave off. It was an easy blend of apple, plum, and clove with a teeny bit of citrus.

Yankee's Autumn Fruit
I wanted this candle for looks. The deep, dark purple immediately caught my eye and it smelled like Old Fashioned Grape soda and fresh picked blackberries. It's very sweet and packs a wallop in the scent department. A definite winner.

I hope this helped get you all in the mood for the upcoming season and check back for more real soon!

~lisa*

Yankee Brings You Halloween

This Halloween, Yankee brings us two new scents, Boo! and Beware! Boo! is spicy (i detect a hint of nutmeg, but i could be wrong) as well as mildly pumpkin. It's a nice fall mix that's a bit different from the many other pumpkin candles out there. Beware! is a personal favourite because it's patchouli, which I looove, and Beware! totally delivers. The patchouli is super strong but there's also a touch of sweetness that helps it stand out. Grab these two while the gettin' is good, as they will soon be gone.

~lisa*