Review: Aromatique - Archive Review 3

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    Review

    I have to gush about these candles. They tie for my #1 overall fave ever (along with Warm Glow) and are a regular purchase for me. They position themselves as a luxury brand, and unlike some other companies who use that label but fail to back it up with product, Aromatique delivers generously. At $22.50 for a 19 oz. jar, it’s a bit over $1 per ounce, but the throw is worth it. It’s truly a shining example of “you get what you pay for”, and is frankly a bargain when I’ve noticed some mall candles with similar or higher prices… and no throw.

    My first Aromatique purchases included their decorative fragrance (aka potpourri) and refresher oils, along with smaller candles. I’d grown so used to candles being for show and not for scent (despite companies proclaiming how strong they were) that buying a candle that was more than $5 wasn’t even something I’d considered.

    When Aromatique consistently scented large rooms in our home with just a small votive-sized candle, I was impressed! I now buy their larger candles almost exclusively, due to a better price overall, and because I want as much as I can get (they’re hard to find locally). The only drawbacks are that the candles need to be watched closely. They liquefy quickly and tend to get dancing flames with the resulting soot and smoke. Wicks can wander a bit when they liquefy, so they do need frequent trimming and scooting around (having a wick dipper and trimmer for these is really a necessity). They are well worth that little bit of work for the aromas you get.

    Scents I’ve tried:
    Amaretto Nog: OMG! I truly love this scent and will be traumatized if it ever disappears. It’s a rich, creamy almond / vanilla that makes you want to eat the wax. The scent is rich in a good, yummy way – no cloying, icky too-sweet notes. It’s offered around the holidays (oddly starting in September this year, despite it being November in earlier years), but is suitable for year-round consumption. This one is a staple in my bedroom.
    The Smell of the Tree – wonderful evergreen scent, nice and strong but not eye-watering or disinfectant-smelling. It’s like walking into a lush forest of spruces and pines. Another one excellent for year-round use, as the natural tree scent blends well with a lot of florals and bakery scents.
    Cinnamon Cider – oh, mmmmm!!!! We keep one year ’round on the kitchen table (in an arrangement of the matching potpourri). It’s a strong and wonderful mix of cinnamon, apples, and some citrus-y notes. It makes me think of fall, but combines nicely with the ever-present orange scented jar candle in our kitchen.
    The Smell of Spring – Florals can be tricky… often too fake / perfume-y… but this one is wonderfully true, natural and smooth. It’s the light sweet scent of hyacinths, just like the ones that line our front walk. Many strong florals make me sneeze, but this one doesn’t at all. It’s just like having a nice vase of cut flowers in the living room.
    The Smell of Christmas – a little bit of pine, a little bit of cinnamon, a few berries tossed in… it’s a very strong scent, and for me, best in small doses. I still love it though (I’d much rather have to have a strong scent in small does rather than the all-too-often “not strong enough” problem). It’s a pretty red, and goes well with a green The Smell of The Tree candle if you’re doing an arrangement.
    The Smell of Gardenia – another true floral, just like its namesake. Strong, but not irritatingly so – and no sneezing! My biggest rant is that they are hard to find. That’s more of a local store failure issue rather than Aromatique’s problem, but I do wish that Panache, their online store, was a bit less hit-or-miss in their selections (I hate seeing a candle listed, only to click on it and find it can’t be ordered. Plus you need to buy months ahead to make sure you get what you want. Grr!)

    Customer service is very helpful. A few years ago I emailed to ask about “Natural State Tree”, a scent that is apparently no more, and never got a reply. Out of desperation to locate an Amaretto Nog and Smell of the Tree jar candle this year, I tried again and got a response within a few hours. The helpful CS rep. said the Amaretto was really gone, but they did have a handful of Tree that wasn’t on their site. She added it to an order I’d placed 2 hours earlier, saving me extra postage costs. That was nice! I’m also disappointed that they’ve apparently discontinued their votive refills. I have 2 pretty holders of theirs and could purchase refills every year until recently. It’s wasteful to keep buying a votive AND a glass for it every year – I want to just purchase the candles like I used to be able to. I hope they reconsider that, with the move toward “green” products now. Aromatique sets the bar for scent quality and strength very, very high. I find that I compare them to others I try for those two factors and it’s rare that someone else can reach the same standards. When someone does, they’re a keeper. Now that Aromatique has demonstrated that super-strong scent IS possible in a burning candle, it’s what I expect when I’m shopping.