What do my candles look like?

All of the products sold by Candles made from Soy are dye-free, so each candle and melt pack was a natural creamy white soy wax color. The 14 ounce cocktail style glass candle had a thick heavy base that kept the surface under the candle cool while burning. I suppose the glass could be reused, but with all of the candles I burn, I wasn't compelled to save this particular container, so it went to the recycle bin. The 4 and 8 ounce tins were a standard brushed silver travel tin design with snug fitting tin lids. Each product had a cream and light green label in a leafy modern motif with the company name on it. The scent names were on a separate clear sticker on the side of the containers - all professionally printed. The labels didn't peel off, but they were pretty enough so I wasn't compelled to remove them anyway.

Sage/Basil/Rosemary- "Exclusive"

Candles made from Soy keeps it simple with this description:

"Just like the spices from the cupboard. It's sort of woodsy, it's natural... and it's exclusive."

I tried this scent in the 14 ounce filled glass container, and also the clamshell six pack melts. Sage/Basil/Rosemary needs it's own category...one called "Out of This World Good"! All three of these herbs are present in equal measure. I had no idea they would smell so sublime all mixed together.

I only wish my cooking smelled as good. But, really, this blend didn't particularly smell like food cooking at all. It was, of course, at home in the kitchen, but it was equally welcome in my other rooms. It smelled fresh and true but most of all... interesting! What a fantastic scent! It smelled like a scent one might find in a high end candle boutique, but with Candles made from Soy, this is like affordable elegance.

I got a medium throw from both the 14 ounce candle and the melts. Sure, I would have liked it a tad bit stronger, but don't get me wrong... it had a decent medium scent strength. It's just that Sage/Basil/rosemary smelled so good, I would have been happy to walk through a complete fog of this scent... I felt greedy and couldn't get enough of this beautiful, dreamy scent. Can you tell I liked it?

Peppermint/Lavender - "Exclusive"

Hey, after a scent like Sage/Basil/Rosemary, why not try a Peppermint/Lavender blend too and cover all of the herbs. This scent is described as:

"Cool and Soothing. Close your eyes and let all your worries melt away with this uplifting twist on lavender."

I don't know exactly why I chose this scent, other than it's exclusive nature. I guess I was trying to step out of my comfort zone. I am not generally drawn to a peppermint scent or even a lavender scent for that matter. It's not that I don't like them, but I've had hit or miss experiences with these scents in the past and eventually stopped taking the chance on them.

With Candles made from Soy, I was attracted to that "Exclusive" word in the scent description and because it was a custom blend, I decided that now was a good time to test the waters again with peppermint and lavender together. Turns out, it was a good decision. I was really pleasantly surprised with this soft, soothing scent. I am convinced that peppermint and lavender were always meant to be blended together. Like long lost friends, these two scents acted as if they'd never been apart.

This scent had an herbal, spa like quality. It was another great scent for any room of the house. When I first sniffed the wax cold, I got mostly peppermint, but when I burned and melted this scent, it was the lavender that really stood out... which I loved. I only wish I had known about this scent when my children were babies. It is completely relaxing, and would have been absolutely perfect to soothe a new mother and child.
The light/medium strength of this scent was well suited to it's soothing nature. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much, had it been super strong. As it was, it was soft and alluring.

This candle burned slowly, but the flame stayed good and strong and the scent pool reached the sides of my 8 oz tin easily so I did get maximum scent potential. The melts seemed a bit stronger, filling the room with scent, perhaps the wax was warmer in my melter than in the candle. I was pleased with both the candle and the melts.

Orange/Cranberry - "Exclusive"

There's that word exclusive again. Described by Candles made from Soy this way:

"This tangy and sweet blend is perfect for everyday burning, not too much of either delectable fruit - purely 'delish."

I was tempted but didn't actually choose this scent myself.

I saw Cranberry and immediately thought of the holidays, so I initially passed this by. Then, at Candles made from Soy's suggestion, I agreed to include this scent in my review. Don't be mislead into thinking this is only a holiday scent... it is not! This is a sweet fruity... almost a rock candy kind of treat.

It's not the least bit bitter as some orange blends can be. It is absolutely fantastic, and it was completely unexpected. In this instance, I don't think the scent description quite does it justice. The fragrance smells more complex than a simple Orange and Cranberry blend. If it is truly only these two scent notes, they must be some seriously top notch ingredients, because this scent is spectacular!

I tried Orange/Cranberry in a smaller sized 4 ounce tin, and I was wishing I had a larger candle. When I order again from this candle maker... and yes... I will order again... I will be sure to get this scent in a much larger container. As with the other custom scents I tried from Candles made from Soy, this one seemed to take simple scent notes and turn them into something extraordinary.

Head Shop

"A mix of wild strawberries, vanilla & musk YUM! There is nothing like this deep, sweet - but with a musky undertone scent. One of our personal fav's"

I wasn't sold on the scent name, but the description looked like something I might like.

I chose this scent for two reasons. First, I wanted to try something from Candles Made from Soy's regular non-custom scent list, and second, as soon as I read that it was their personal favorite, I had to smell it for myself. The curious cat in me has always got to know what someone else considers their favorite and why.

Again, I was not disappointed. I'll admit, I haven't stepped foot inside of a head shop in a couple of decades so I'm not entirely sure what one is supposed to smell like. This scent is heavier on the strawberry and vanilla and lighter on the musk, and that's just fine with me... In fact, that was what I had hoped for.

Head Shop reminded me of a car freshener type of strawberry... you know... the kind men usually go for. Maybe it was the musk mixed in with the strawberry that gave me that impression. I'm not sure, but I know that I enjoyed this scent and would order it again.

The strength and throw from both the melts and the 4 ounce candle in this scent were the strongest out of everything I tried. I can surely see why Head Shop is a favorite at Candles made from Soy.