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Review of Three Fall Candles in the Scents Candy Apple, Clove and Pumpkin Pie Spice from Carol's Country Candles and More
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by Lisa, added 12/1/08
Brand: Carol's Country Candles
and More
Type: 12 oz jar candles and 2 oz wax tarts Fragrances: Candy Apple, Clove and Pumpkin Pie Spice Cost: $11.99 (12 oz) for the candles; approximately $1.00 each for the melts Burn time: Approximately 90-95 hours Scent Strength: Moderate to Strong
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 Introduction to my Review of Carol's Country Candles and More:
Right now I'm reveling in my favorite time of year, fall, and what better way to celebrate the season than with the glow of candles whose fragrances fit the mood perfectly. This time I tried three different scents from an online company that was brand new to me, Carol's Country Candles & More.
Carol's Country Candles & More recently updated their website, with excellent results (not that it was at all bad before!) It's well organized, uncluttered and has the country motif that's similar to many other candle e-tailers, so I was very comfortable navigating the site right away.
Based in Missouri and owned by Carol Lee, Carol's Country Candles & More carries a full line of products for your scenting pleasure...everything from five different types of jar candles to heart shaped wax melts to flameless alternatives to reed diffusers and lighted potpourri jars. There are scented sachets for your clothes and linens, as well as homemade soap and bath and body products. Carol also offers the famous - or depending on your point of view, infamous wax dipped toilet paper! This item makes me smile every time I see it on the site. It's an entire roll of toilet paper dipped in scented wax for display and looks just like a fat pillar candle (though I'd strongly advise against attempting to burn this item!) |
 What did my Candles from Carol's Country Candles Look Like?
I really liked the look of these candles. The jars I tested were 12 oz square mason jelly jars with wide mouths and screw-on metal lids. The wax was dyed to match the scents chosen - a soft red for Candy Apple, Kelly green for Clove, and saffron brown for the Pumpkin Pie Spice. I'm not exactly sure what kind of wax Carol uses, but the texture in both the jars and the melts was fairly soft, so I'm guessing it's either soy or a para-soy blend. The labels were clear and had a simple design, and each candle had a matching ribbon tied around its neck. Needless to say, our kitten loved that particular decorative touch!
I also received a generous three pack each of heart-shaped melts to go with each candle scent I picked. These tarts are a hefty two-ounce size, so you'll need to either cut them in half or use a deep-dish electric warmer to melt these babies. |
How did my Candles from Carol's Country Candles Smell?
Candy Apple
I enjoyed all three scents but this one stood out as my favorite... which is a bit funny since I really didn't think my candle smelled anything like the description said it would! Carol describes her Candy Apple as:
"your first bite of a crisp apple dripping with sweet caramel,"
So, I was expecting something on the lines of the usual caramel apple type of fragrance - you know, buttery caramel and tart apple with maybe some nutty undertones. This scent did not smell like that at all. To my nose, it smelled more like the sugary red-candy coated apples you get at the fair. (Yum!) I couldn't detect much apple in it, but what really came through was the aroma of sweet hard candy. Frankly, even though the actual scent didn't match the description, I thought it was a refreshing change from the standard caramel apple fragrance, and I really liked it. This is also a scent you can get away with melting all year long.
 Clove
Normally Clove is not first on my list, but I picked this one because I know Christina isn't crazy about the spicy-types of scents, and I wanted to have a review for all the spice lovers out there. This scent, simply described by Carol as "strong spicy clove," was definitely true to its name. It smelled just like the little jar of whole cloves in my spice cabinet - warm, rich and wonderful. It reminded me of the baked ham we have during the holidays, as well as the clove-studded orange ornaments my family used to make at Christmas time.
This scent was also the strongest of the three I tested - the aroma from the jar easily filled my living room. Being a single note scent, I think Clove would be great to burn as a complement to other candles or tart scents, particularly during holidays or the winter months.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
I have to admit that I have been a pumpkin lover since I burned my first candle, and I am consequently very picky about pumpkin types of scents. I love them when they're authentic-smelling, regardless of whether they tend to be on the spicy or the sweet side. I do not like scents that call themselves pumpkin but are really either maple syrup or straight cinnamon or some other spice in disguise. So I tend to be a rather tough critic when it comes to pumpkin. Pumpkin Pie Spice from Carol's Country Candles is described as:
"A holiday favorite! Warm pumpkin pie still warm from the oven, with strong hints of cinnamon and topped with whipped cream."
Did the scent live up to its description? Well... yes and no. It did smell a little like pumpkin pie to me, but it was hard for me to detect any individual pumpkin, cinnamon or vanilla notes. Based on the description, I was looking for the almost fruity aroma of pumpkin pie filling mixed in with a heavy dose of sweet cinnamon spice and vanilla cream. Mostly Pumpkin Pie Spice smelled to me like a general bakery/spice scent - sugar and spice cookies, perhaps. Don't get me wrong - I did enjoy the fragrance very much, and I wouldn't rule this one out - but in my opinion it wasn't super-authentic. |
 How did my candles from Carol's Country Candles burn?
On the whole these candles burn well, edge to edge with a minimum of sooting. The wicks are easy to trim. I had a little trouble with my Clove candle - after the third or fourth burn, my wick started to drown and the candle started tunneling. (I'm always careful to burn my candles long enough to ensure the melt pool reaches the edges of the jar and then liquefies down at least 1/4 of an inch, so it wasn't a "candle memory" issue.) After several more burns the problem corrected itself a little, but I've burned this one more than halfway and it's still struggling a bit. But the other  jars burned quite will, so this may be just a fluke.
I'd rate the throw on both the Candy Apple and Pumpkin Pie Spice as moderately strong, meaning they filled my powder room with great scent, but the aroma didn't carry too much farther. These two would be good choices for those of you who prefer your candles to be on the restrained side rather than room-busting strong. And as I mentioned earlier, the Clove candle was quite a bit stronger with a robust throw - definitely more of a big-room scent.
The throws from the heart melts were identical to those of the candles - Clove being strong and Candy Apple and Pumpkin Pie Spice a little lighter. Being melts, all were a bit stronger than the candle throws. Each melt lasted between 6 to 8 hours long before losing scent. |
Closing to my review:
Overall I have to say I had a good experience with these candles and scents and I'd recommend giving Carol's Country Candles & More a try the next time you're in the mood to candle shop. Everything I received was shipped very quickly and the presentation was great. Carol is very easy to work with, her prices are very reasonable and she even offers a layaway plan in addition to such a great selection of scented items. (And you gotta check out that wax dipped TP!)
Happy Candle Smelling!
~ Lisa
Visit Carol's Country Candles and More
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