My latest scented candle up for review is from a company called Small Beginnings Candles. At SBCandles.com, you can buy hand-poured soy jar candles that are available in a wide variety of tempting scents. I decided to try their Tartberry Twist scent.
When I was browsing the scent list on their web site, this scent caught my eye. I've never burned a tart-smelling scented candle before, so I figured I'd give it a try.
What's My Small Beginnings Candle Look Like?
My Tartberry Twist candle was sent to me by Small Beginnings in one of their 16oz. mason jar candles. My candle has a very "down-home", look to it. (see candle to right) It has a green, red and blue country style ribbon tied around the top of the jar and a rustic looking brown Small Beginnings label on the front. By the way my candle looks, I can tell that personal attention and care is probably given to each and every candle that is sent out.
The wax of my soy candle is a cream color. I spoke to Margie, the candlemaker at Small Beginnings, about the color of her candles and here's what she said:
"All the candles are made without artificial colors to keep them as natural as possible. Some of the fragrance oils have darker tints so they may have a yellow tint to them as the tart berry twist does, but that is the only color variation."
I actually prefer candles that are not artifically colored. I like my candles to be as natural as they can be.
When I took the canning-type lid off of my jar candle for the first time, I noticed that the top of the wax had a crumby, textured appearance to it that is not smooth. I actually thought the look of the wax on top fits right in with the down-home feel this candle has. Just as a side note, the texture of the wax got smooth after I burned the candle for the first time.
As far as appearances go, this candle would make a nice addition to a room decorated with a country style.
What's My Tartberry Twist Candle Smell Like?
The description of Tartberry Twist on the Small Beginnings web site is right on. This scent smells exactly like the candy Sweet Tarts. I was wishing I had some Sweet Tarts on hand while I was burning this candle. It really got me in the mood for some! If you love tart or sweet scents, you might want to try this candle.
When I first sniffed my Tartberry Twist candle before lighting it, it seemed mild and didn't smell like the scent was going to be very strong while burning. About 15 minutes after I lit it the first time, I was definitely proven wrong. This scent is pretty strong. Â Usually when I burn scented candles, it takes about 20 minutes to a half hour for the scent to start filling my family room. Tartberry Twist, however, started filling the room in about 10 minutes. I was pretty impressed with that.
My usual gauge to see how strong a scent is, is to see if the scent fills my whole family room. When a scented candle fills my entire family room and beyond, I consider it a highly scented candle. I'm happy to report that my Tartberry Twist candle filled my entire family room.
Another gauge I use is my not so observant husband. When I'm burning candles at night, I always ask him if he can smell anything. Usually he says no unless the candle is very strong. When I asked him if he could smell my Tartberry Twist candle, he actually said yes! The folks at Small Beginnings can take that as a big compliment. :-)
How Did My Soy Candle from Small Beginnings Candles Burn?
Unfortunately, I don't have that much burn info for you regarding my Small Beginnings candle. For the past month and a half, I've been dealing with a respiratory sickness. When I get any kind of sickness that affects my breathing, I try to take a break just in case it bothers my chest. So, I only burned my Small Beginnings candle for a few hours just to get a feel for the scent. While I was burning it though, it seemed to burn clean.
Overall Opinion of My Tartberry Twist Candle
I give my Tartberry Twist candle from Small Beginnings Candles two thumbs up. I assume that the rest of their scents are just as strong, but you never know until you try them. If you think you'd enjoy a tart and sweet candy-type scent, give this candle a try.
