Page 2  of our BIG Christmas 2010 Review!

added 12/13/10

Sugar Plums and Candy Canes

Now with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads, we were in a full festive spirit. We were ready for some sweet treats!

Julia discovered...

Candied Chestnuts

... from Country Light Candle Co (The rich aroma of pralines, butter, chestnuts and honey)

Julia notes:

This is one of Country Light Candle Company’s best selling scents for the holidays. It smelled super nutty and buttery… just like pralines. This scent was sweet candy coated nuts with a touch of honey. Roasting chestnuts on an open fire is an annual Christmas Eve tradition with our family. I’m not a big fan of eating them, but they smell so good when they are roasting on the fire. Candied Chestnuts from Country Light Candle Co. takes that smell and adds a sweet, rich, buttery scent to it. I enjoyed this one because it made me anticipate Christmas Eve. This melt had a light throw that worked well in my smaller room.

Visit Country Light Candle Co.

No Christmas would be complete without a little bit of candy cane. Andrea tried...

Peppermint Twist

... from Candle Marketplace (Experience extreme calm with our Peppermint Twist scented Candle blended with powerful, creamy peppermint oils. So rich and authentic, you’ll feel like you’ve got an old fashioned peppermint stick candy in your mouth as the aroma encircles your body, leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed. This calming herb is one of the oldest, most widely used home remedy for soothing the digestive system and relaxing the stomach. Peppermint oil is often relied on to calm migraine headaches by rubbing it gently on the temples.)

Andrea said:

Ohhhh what a beautiful, festive candle this was! I chose this scent in their beautiful 13oz Status jar. The wax was mainly white with beautiful chunks of red throughout. I happen to love these candles because I know they burn well and tend to have a very good throw. Even knowing that going in, I was not prepared for this. This candle was STRONG! So strong, in fact I had to move it to the very back of my house so it wouldn't interfere with other scents. This is a pure peppermint, plain and simple. I suppose the "twist" may be in the design of the candle with red chunks mixed in with white. If you want pepperminty goodness in your home this time of year I'd definitely give this one a try!

Visit Candle Marketplace

Avery had some twists and turns of her own when she came to us with...

Twisted Peppermint

... from Bath and Body Works (a tempting blend of cool, refreshing mint, white sugar, and just a hint of rich vanilla.)

Avery quipped:

Ohlala! If there is a scent that I could call my Holiday Signature Scent, this is it. If it can be made in the scent of Twisted Peppermint, I have it! To me, the balance of the sugary vanilla and the perky peppermint is perfect - it is the kind of scent that you want to taste, like dipping a spoon into the “Limited Edition” Peppermint Stick ice cream that finds its way to my freezer each winter. I find myself inhaling deeply to drown myself in the scent! (This is interesting to me, because I am not a big candy cane fan - although lately I have learned they make mean swizzle sticks in Christmas coffee drinks!) I decided to try the little one, the 4oz., with one wick. The wax is white, and the photo on front , as usual, is an artistic photo of the scent - candy cane sticks. The little candle was strongest for the first couple of hours that I burned it - it lightly scented a large powder room. The second burning did not seem to be as strong, it scented a smaller powder room. This small candle had no drowning wick issues, no soot. I had a small mushroom to nip prior to relighting. Overall a great little candle with a delightful scent, guaranteed to keep the HoHoHo in your Holiday!

Visit Bath & Body Works

Andrea came back with...

Candy Cane Vanilla

...a house blend from Laughing Out Loud Candles (Dreamy warm vanilla with sugary sweet candy canes.)

Andrea noted:

Laughing Out Loud has done it again. Candy Cane Vanilla is a beautiful red and white melt but that's only the beginning. This is one sweet, creamy vanilla that you can almost taste! The initial whiffs were mostly of the vanilla - sweet but not sugary, with an almost buttery note. The peppermint soon came out to play and made for a wonderful mix. After melting a while, it reminded me of the cream part of an Andes Thin Mint. It's just that good!

Visit LOL Candles

Did someone say battle of the peppermints? Avery brought...

Peppermint Swirls

... from Yankee Candles (A cool holiday treat ... the sparkling burst of fresh mint with a touch of sweetness.)

Of this Avery says:

Those folks at Yankee Candle have done it again! Here is another great scent with another fabulous label. One of my Holiday traditions is checking out the labels on the Holiday scents - they really add to the experience of melting and burning their candles and melts. It is easy to confuse this with the Peppermint Swirls Swirl candle that is a blend of Jack Frost and Cranberry Peppermint. I am not sure why they tried to confuse us like this, but this one being reviewed is the single scent and this scent is a minty one! In fact, opening the door on the testing room gave me a big minty-fresh blast. It was a pretty strong peppermint, the sweetness was not very obvious. I melted my bright red tart in a tealight melter, (going through almost 3 tealights, by the way, this one had great staying power)!

Visit Yankee Candles

Christmas Trees, Pine Boughes and Wreaths

What's your favorite Christmas tree? Pine? Spruce? How about fir? There are just about as many variations of the Christmas tree as there are ways to decorate them. This is also the time of the year to find festive wreaths, pine boughs and garlands.

"This holiday favorite is exclusive to Pure Integrity Soy Candles. It is an exquisite aroma of natural evergreen beautifully combined with an array of Christmasspices. An extraordinary Christmas scent, by far our top holiday seller.”

Victorian Christmas was more than fresh pine. It has a spice note, like spiced gumdrops in the background and I thought I smelled just a hint of cinnamon too. This scent was all about a traditional Christmas holiday. Itsmelled fabulous and strong. I first put two cube melts from a clamshell into my bedroom melter, but this scent could not be contained. As soon as the wax melted, the scent drifted out of the bedroom and down the hallway. Before I knew it, I could catch whiffs of Victorian Christmas everywhere in the house.

I’ve heard that the classics never go out of style, and that certainly holds true for this holiday scent. It was simply beautiful and smelled exactly how I remember Christmas past.

Visit Pure Integrity Candles

Then Julia continues with.....

Mistletoe

... from Pure Integrity “Woodsy and warm! This earthy pine scent is a holiday top seller.”

I’m all for a littlesprig of mistletoe overhead. It’s got to be hung in the main doorway to maximize the kissing quota for the season. Who doesn’t like a few extra smooches and hugs?

This is a great time of year to bring the outside in with fresh pine boughs, wreaths, or a traditional Christmas tree. Mistletoe from Pure Integrity captures that fresh, outdoor pine scent and multiplies its intensity. This melt had a sweeping scent throw all through my home. It was totally invigorating and had a clarity that would be great for keeping the air freshened up any time. I melted two cubes from a clamshell package at a time and my home was eveloped in thisEarthy, fresh fragrance.

Visit Pure Integrity Candles

Andrea was quick to find...

Cinnamon Bark & Pine

... from Candle Marketplace (Drift back to those childhood days of fresh pine trees and red hot cinnamon candies with our Cinnamon Bark and Pine scented Candle. Those sweet, red hot candies found deep inside our stockings and the smell of the Christmas tree on Christmas morning would set our senses on end. Decorate your home this holiday with a festive red Cinnamon Bark and Pine scented Candle, while giving off the most memorable, inviting, red hot cinnamon scent.)

Andrea told us:

I was anxious to try the melts from Candle Marketplace, one of my favorite places to buy candles. I decided to bite the bullet for the holidays and melt me up some Cinnamon Bark & Pine. I am not crazy about harsh, pure cinnamon scents so I was a bit hesitant on this one. Let me tell you folks, another winner here! The cinnamon and the pine were not harsh or overbearing. As a matter of fact, they blended well with each other, neither scent taking the front seat. This is a perfect scent to have while decking the halls. When I reentered this room, I had to look around for the Christmas tree! Very realistic and a great throw. I plan on using this throughout my home during the holidays.

Visit Candle Marketplace

Avery gathered up some...

Cinnamon Holly

... from Friendly Fumes (Blends of cinnamon and holly berry.)

Avery notes:

This candle is the Spa tumbler style, a new option for Friendly fumes. This candle is bright red, and the label is small and simple, great for this style of container. Cinnamon can pack a punch and that is the case in this scent. I smell mainly the red-hot notes of the cinnamon, and it is only when I get close that I get a deeper, almost woodsy note hiding in all that spice! This is the cinnamon-pinecone smell I am greeted with when I go to craft stores during the Holidays. I had a little trouble with this tumbler leaving some wax on the sides of the jar, but once again my Friendly Fumes candle did not leave soot, and required only occasional wick trimming.

Visit Friendly Fumes

With Avery being in the decorating mood, she brought us...

Christmas Tree

... from Village Candle (Juniper, fir needle, cedar wood and musk).

Avery said:

Have you ever noticed the fabulous labels on Village Candles? The are so artistic, and they add so much to the presentation - in this case, the label shows the midsection of a well decorated Christmas Tree. Lighting it made me feel like I was lighting the “official Holiday tree” and starting the Holiday celebration! These candles contain a little car scenters in the same fragrance, tucked under the lid. This pine green double wicked candle burned evenly, with no soot. The scent is a light evergreen - and I mean that in a good way! It is not the “bathroom spray” pine that makes your eyes water. It is a softer, more sophisticated pine (there’s that musk!) that wisps out like it is the scent of real pine boughs drifting in the air. I have a 16 oz candle…wish it was one of the 26 oz!

Visit Village Candle

Avery then broadened her scope with...

Forest Pine

... from Kristen’s Kandles (A true, straight pine scent like a real Christmas tree. Great for the Holidays!)

Avery informed us:

I had a tough time melting this tart - and that had nothing to do with the quality of the tart! This dark green scalloped tart had a sprinkle of metallic glitter on top - the kind that looks green, but reflects other colors…I spent waaay too much time flashing the tart back and forth in the light watching the colors shift! I melted this tart in a tealight melter - it is a nice size, good and hefty! It melted easily, and it did not take long for the pine scent to start whafting up. However, my nose found a little extra in that piney scent - a hint of wood smoke! This made the scent a little more interesting, and it was one of those “blast from the past” scents with that smokiness. When I was young, a group of about 20 of us would go out to cut down our Christmas trees. The guys were there to cut the trees and dig the cars out of the snow banks…the gals kept the fire going and cooked a big pot of chili that always tasted amazing out in that cold winter air! This tart was right on with this event - pine forest with hints of wood smoke. The only other scent notes needed to complete my trip down memory lane are chili powder and beer!

Visit Kristin's Kandles

Spice and Incense

Christmas is not all about sugary treats. There are plenty of spicy type scents to enjoy this time of year.

Julia tried...

Old Fashioned Christmas

... from Huckleberry Layne (Sweet citrus, cinnamon and clove blend. This warm holiday scent reminds you of goodies baking in the kitchen and a little hint of Christmas tree. BESTSELLER!)

Julia noted:

The melts are generously sized at Huckleberry Layne. They are shaped like mini muffins with an overflow of grubby wax on top. This scent is one of their best selling scents so I was happy to check it out this season. Here was a scent that smelled like I expected Christmastime to smell like. The cinnamon was prominent but it wasn’t all just cinnamon. I smelled the blend of spices and the citrus too, like an old fashioned pomader. I pictured dried fruit studded with cloves and hanging on a holiday wreath. This was a fantastic blend for Christmas. It was complex and unique…. I absolutely loved it.

Visit Huckleberry Lane Candles

Julia then discovered...

Christmas Thyme

... from K's Kreations (The aroma of bayberries and apples with a base note of fresh pine needles and thyme, with a top note of freshly ground cinnamon bark.)

Julia commented:

Christmas Thyme had an herbal vibe that was soothing and natural smelling. It smelled of pine boughs and fresh herbs. The cinnamon bark complimented the scent nicely without overpowering it. The spice is what gave the scent its holiday feel, although I would enjoy this scent all winter long. It’s so fresh smelling, I’d like to keep more of it on hand for January and February when the Christmas decorations are only a memory, but wintertime still stretches out in front of us.

Visit K's Kreations

Eggnog, Hot Cocoa and Toddies

Needing something to wash those goodies down we turned our attention to holiday drinks. Between calorie-laden eggnog, steaming hot cocoa and calming toddies we found plenty to write about!

Julia started us off with...

Egg Nog

... from The Spotted Hog (A true eggnog perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.)

Julia said:

Eggnog as a drink is not for everyone. People have very definite opinions on whether they like it or not. This eggnog scent from The Spotted Hog, however, is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Why? It had a light, creamy sweet fragrance base that was smooth as silk in the air. It never overpowered the room, but was certainly noticeable. It wasn’t too spicy or too bland. Even Goldilocks would have thought this one was just right. I got a decent medium throw from Egg Nog in my larger room, and for an even bigger punch of scent, I moved it into one of my smaller rooms…total eggnog bliss.

Visit Spotted Hog Candles