The highlights:
What is it?: A handmade candle - always a lovely gift for someone! This one is very big at 50cls, but they also make smaller ones, which might be better as a gift because they also come in a gift box.
Does it work?: Yes
Would I buy it again?: Yes, and if I had disposable income, I think I would buy these at least every few months, but now, being a student, I probably wouldn't buy this for myself because I don't have that level of disposable income. I would definitely buy one of these as a gift for someone who I know loves candles though! They also make smaller candles, so I think I would buy one of them as a special treat for myself in the future.
Other options?: Loads of people out there are making candles these days - both handmade by small independent businesses, and also the larger companies that mass produce them. Of course, not all candles are created equal, and it can be disappointing when you buy a nice candle that turns out not to be too nice at all!
Where to buy: I got this one from Hamish Candles on Amazon here in the UK. (Who knew that Amazon have a special shop set up just for handmade products?) The candle I got is a fragrance inspired by the aftershave, Creed, but they also do a whole host of other lovely sounding smells. They also appear to offer international shipping, so hopefully if you like this review and want to buy this outside of the UK, you can.
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I bought this candle for two reasons. Firstly, I like to have a candle burning whilst I am working at my desk - I find it makes studying all day a little bit more enjoyable, plus I have a dog, and if you have a dog sleeping beside you letting off every now and again, you probably go looking for nice smelling candles too! lol! Secondly, I picked this company, Hamish Candles, because it is a small independent business making candles by hand here in the UK. I like to support small businesses as much as possible, especially considering I have a small independent business making and selling jewellery (here's the link to my small business if you want to check those out - shameless self plug going on there!), so I know how hard it can be to build a customer base!
The large candle that I bought is 50cl and made from Soy Wax. It is 12cms or 4 and 3/4 inches in diameter, so it is quite a big one. Due to its size (I imagine) it doesn't come in a gift box, which is a shame if thinking of buying a gift for someone. That said, their smaller candles do come in gift boxes - so definitely check those out if thinking of buying a gift for someone. They can also do customisable labels to add little messages like Happy Birthday, or With Sympathy so you can adapt the gift to the circumstances. They can also add company logos, so they could be used as part of promotions, which is pretty cool! They also appear to ship internationally, so that's good for all the non-UK readers out there!
As soon as it arrived, and before I even opened the box, I could smell the candle. I thought, wow, that's impressive, but then when I opened it, it was because there was some fragrance oil in the box itself. It must have been a spillage - it didn't impact on the candle at all, and sort of confirms to me that this really is handmade, but I did get the fragrance oil on my hands, which is unfortunate.
That said, I used to make soaps...like this one....
So I know that if you do spill fragrance oil it is very hard to clean up - the oily-ness makes it difficult to wipe off.
On a side note, if you ever order anything with fragrance oil in it, like candles, or reed diffusers, and you get the oil on your hands, make sure you wash them with soap and water straight away. Fragrance oil can be an irritant, so it's best not to leave it on your fingers! It can also damage surfaces, so make sure the you put down a stand of some sort, like an old coaster, to stop any residual oil from touching any surfaces.
Anyway, aside from the fragrance oil in the box, which like I said did not impact at all on the candle itself, I am really impressed by this candle.
The candle came well wrapped and had these little cards in them - another sign of something being handmade for sure! One of the cards is a simple "thank you card" with the maker's name on it, and the other is a "caring for your candle" advice card, which is really lovely!
The candle also has the safety labels on the candle itself, which is good. The little business card also confirms that this candle is hand poured soy wax. It also says that wholesale is available (if you run a little shop and are looking for a good quality candle maker) and that they do refills, which is something I like from a sustainability perspective.
The candle itself is very large and very strong in scent! In fact, it is so strong that I had to move it off my desk and put it at the other end of the room! Having it on my desk was a little overpowering! Within about 10 minutes, if you are near the candle, you can smell it. So if you have a small room, the smaller candles they do might be the better choice! Or if you have a large room, I wouldn't recommend having this candle too close to where you are sitting. It would be really lovely to light it when expecting company though - about an hour before they arrive should be enough to fill the whole room! Once lit, it takes about 30-60 minutes to fill my room (which is quite large) with the lovely smell. I like this fragrance, although I have no idea if it actually smells like Creed aftershave! lol!
The scents that make up the candle are: Blackcurrant, Bergamot, Calville Blanc Apples and Pineapple. It says it has mid notes of Louisiana Birch, Moroccan Jasmine and Patchouli with a Base of Oak Moss, Musk, Ambergris and Vanilla. Basically, it smells lovely!
The wicks are really easy to relight after they have been lit. I have had handmade candles in the past where I have struggled to relight the wicks or where they sat in too much wax or once lit were not staying alight. I did not have that problem with this candle.
Here's a pic of when I first lit it:
It also gives a really clean burn - none of those soot marks up the side of the candle (unless, of course, you light it using a short lighter - instead try a long lighter, like these which are apparently rechargeable and don't use gas! I have added this one to my 'to test' category, so if you want to keep updated on a review of this, make sure you subscribe!). Also, the burn on this candle is quite even compared to other candles I have had, both handmade and shop bought.
One of the things I really dislike about candles is the wax that stays up the side of the container and feels like a waste. This candle has less of that happening, although there is still some wax up the side of the glass. I think I will try and melt that back into the candle to make this one last for as long as possible. As this is soy wax, it is also very soft when warm, so melts easily back into the pool at the bottom!
So far, I have had this candle burning for a total of 17 hours and 30 minutes (added up over a series of days - not all at once), and it's just over halfway through the candle. It does say on Amazon that it is +60 hours burn time, but I am not sure this one will last that long - I will come back and update this post once the candle is finished to confirm how many hours burn I got out of it in total though. The description on Amazon also says that this is an eco-conscious and eco-friendly product, with lead-free cotton wicks. It also says that it is paraben and cruelty free, as well as being vegan friendly.
So all in all, I am impressed by this candle - if you are thinking of a gift for someone, this candle or the smaller option, would be really lovely! Plus, it is really nice to have candles that have more masculine smells to them - I really like the smells of aftershaves, so it is nice to fill the room with this!
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with love
Rebecca
xxx
P.S. Please note that this blog may contain affiliate links (including those to Amazon). When you click on the link and purchase the product, I receive a small commission.
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