By Julia, added 6/23/2010

Brand: Distinctly Pink

Type: Soy 16 oz Elevation Jar Candles and Soy Tarts

Fragrance: Brown Sugar- Pound Cake
Country Clothesline
Watermelon Margarita

Cost: $1.25 - $15.75

Scent Strength: Medium to Strong

Introduction to my review of scented candles from Backroad Hobbies:

It’s hot outside. Not just uncomfortably warm, but downright call-a-paramedic hot outside. What better time to pursue indoor activities… like candle and melt shopping for example… and what better place to shop than someplace new to me, like Distinctly Pink.

Distinctly Pink is a scent addict’s dream. There are so many items on their website to satisfy our noses, it’s hard to decide where to begin. This was my first experience with Distinctly Pink. I had heard the name here and there, and I’ve wanted to try them for some time now, so I was excited to finally jump in and sample a few of their scented products. Distinctly Pink is a family owned business that began back in 2001, so they’ve got lots of candle making experience, and I’ve got some catching up to do with sampling their scents.

They’ve got everything… from candles and melts to body products, potpourri, and oils. I was surprised to also find a good variety of primitive home accessories for sale at Distinctly Pink. There are lots of great gift ideas for that prim loving person in your life, or, ahem, yourself. After a brief peek at the rustic pillows, tin art, barn stars and one particularly cool looking wooden table, I followed my nose to the scent descriptions.

Decisions, decisions. Distinctly Pink has an organized, well put together scent list but so many great fragrances caught my attention, it was hard to choose just a select few. There are several different styles of soy wax candles and a nice variety of melt shapes. For this review, I tried the 16 ounce Elevation style jar candles and the regular fluted tarts in three scents that seemed to cover a wide spectrum of scent categories.

What do my candles from Backroad Hobbies look like?

The Elevation Jar candles from Distinctly Pink were similar to an apothecary style jar. They had flat glass, tight fitting lids and each jar had a craft paper Backroad Hobbies label on the side. The label was understated and clean looking. It showed the Distinctly Pink logo, the scent name, candle size, and approximate burn time. I liked the look of these jars. They were a generous medium sized jar, heavy in my hand, and felt substantial. There is something about a fresh, new candle jar. Distinctly Pink presented a beautiful looking jar candle that made me want to admire it for a while before burning it. Each candle was double wicked for an even burn.

Distinctly Pink lists the color of each candle in the scent descriptions on the website. It’s a handy little extra bit of information to have if candle color is important to you. Brown Sugar Pound Cake was tan, Country Clothesline was light Blue, and Watermelon Margarita was lime green. All of the colors were pleasing and appropriate to each scent.

I also sampled Distinctly Pink wax tarts in the same scents as the jars. They were standard scalloped edge style melts, and were a generous 1.3 ounces each.

How did my candles from Backroad Hobbies smell?

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Brown sugar is such a rich, sweet ingredient found in so many baking recipes. It’s one of those ingredients that smell exactly the same as it tastes. It’s no wonder I like it. When I saw this Brown Sugar Pound Cake scent on Backroad Hobbies scent list, I had to try it. Here is the description:

“One word - YUMMY! This is a heavy, rich and creamy - sweet brown sugar pound cake! -(tan)”

Even before I read that it is one of Backroad Hobbies best sellers, I was already convinced that this had to be included in a review. I’ve got to come right out and say that I was so impressed with this scent. Brown Sugar Pound Cake smelled just the way I hoped it would. It was a buttery pound cake… sure… but rich with dark brown sugar too... Pound Cake Plus. I could smell the addition of the brown sugar mixed in with the pound cake scent. It wasn’t just a notion in the scent name…it was distinctly different than a plain pound cake scent. That’s what I was looking for and that’s exactly what I found in that gorgeous candle.

The double wicked candle burned well and the scent filled my bedroom easily. I moved the jar out to my main open area and it perked along nicely. The throw didn’t knock me down, but it was noticeable in the room and that was just what I wanted.

Country Clothesline

I wanted to bring the outdoors in with a clean scent. I don’t often choose a laundry type scent so this one was my wild card. Distinctly Pink describes Country Clothesline this way:

“Fresh cleaned clothes dried in a summer`s breeze.(blue)”

The description put such a peaceful picture in my mind that I decided to give this laundry scent a try… and boy, did I put this candle scent to the test. I put it in my son’s room. Yes, past the “Enter at Your Own Risk” sign on the door, into the dark abyss of lost toys and dirty clothes. I cleared the mismatched socks off the dresser with a swipe of my arm and placed this lone, pretty, blue candle on the surface. It was like a lighthouse beacon shining over a sea of kid chaos.

There I left it for a whole hour. I’m telling you it was a tough room to freshen. When I walked back in, I could smell the fresh Summer air and laundry hanging on the line. Country clothesline had an ozone and dry cotton smell. It was refreshing and not a bit perfumed. What? Could this be a second winner from Distinctly Pink? You bet. The scent wasn’t overpowering. It wasn’t strong enough to chase me out of the room, but instead was a light, very gratifying scent… no headaches here. When my son came home from school and walked into his room, he commented that the room smelled like clean clothes. Bingo! It’s a testament to a well made scent when someone can distinguish the fragrance without reading the label.

Watermelon Margarita

Summer arrived early this year carrying with it suitcases full of hot, muggy air, so finding ways to beat the heat and stay cool is more than a passing notion…It’s an obsession. For us candle fans, that means setting a mood in our homes that soothes and refreshes.

Watermelon Margarita sounded just right. Here is the description:

“A sweet juicy watermelon/pink lemonade Italian ice type with top-notes of juicy green casaba and fresh lemon, with a sugary sweet honeydew melon back-ground.-(lime green)”

Nothing could be better on a hot Summer day than the smell of fresh melon and lemonade. This scent is just that. It is heavier on the melon notes, sweet and green, with a lemony kick. The scent was more of a melonade than a margarita, but even without the salty rim of a margarita glass, this scent was refreshingly cool. I put on two melts, each at opposite sides of my house, and my entire home was filled with fresh melon goodness. The scent filled my whole space and lasted for most of the day.

I enjoyed the fragrance in candle form too, with a jar that burned exceptionally well. The candle easily scented my larger rooms.

How did my candles from Backroad Hobbies burn?

The Elevation jar candles from Distinctly Pink burned beautifully. The wicks were just the right size, carefully positioned in the jars. The flames stayed strong on all three jars, forming deep edge to edge melt pools. The wax color in the melt pools was exquisite looking… a real candle burning treat. The wax colors were pastel in the jars and then the melt pools turned the wax a deep, strong color.

Just as I read on Distinctly Pink website, there was no soot or smoke from my candles. These were extremely clean burning jars. I occasionally trimmed the wicks, but I probably could have let them go without much maintenance. I really liked the way these candles burned.

Closing to my review…

I don’t know what took me so long to jump in and try Distinctly Pink, but I sure am happy that I was finally able to. I was pleased with all three scents that I tried, and the candle and melt performance was tops. I will most definitely be back to try more scents. If you appreciate a well made, well scented, perfectly wicked candle, give Distinctly Pink a try.

Try to stay cool out there, but keep the candle flames burning.

Julie


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