Scents:
Tropical Nectar
Rosewood
Cucumber Fresca
Southern Magnolia
Apricot Mint
Strength: Mild+ – strong for a small candle!
Introduction to my Colonial Candle Review:
If you have been burning scented candles for any time at all, you probably have had a candle made by Colonial in your collection. Known for their beautifully illustrated labels and their elegant glass jars, these candles are easy to spot. For those of you that like history/trivia, Colonial Candles of Cape Cod is another “kitchen” success story. It was founded in Mabel Kimball Baker’s kitchen, in 1909.
One of the first scented candles I burned (back before I knew how this addiction could take ahold), was Colonial’s Fresh Picked 
Cotton. Heaven! It was clean, but soft, and it was the perfect scent in my book! I went on a quest to buy up every one I could find in my area and I ended up with a pretty nice collection.
Once I discovered that I could order these gems on line, the Colonial Candle website became one of my favorite places to visit. Later I
learned about smaller vendors and wanting to try many candle sites, I frequented Colonial’s site less often. I admit ”“ I became neglectful of my CCCC friends. Doing this review has been a very good thing… it has given me an opportunity to spend time getting reacquainted.
I noticed that they have started carrying more Simmer Snaps again, (their tarts), and I was tickled to see them. The scents are in two different styles, the flat “snap”, and I see a few clamshells as well. Boy, do we love tarts! Tarts are the best way to test scents before you make a big-candle commitment!
How did my Colonial Candles look and smell?
This review covers Colonial’s new spring scents! The size I tried were 
3.5oz… but you can purchase bigger glass oval containers in 8 oz. and 22 oz. sizes. They also have tea lights, pillars and tarts in these fragrances, and they are all beauties. As I mentioned, the labels are sooo attractive! The wax color is even custom colored to compliment the scent fragrances and labels ”“ making some unusual and very pretty colored waxes. Departing from the usual format, let me describe each candle and scent together as I try each one.
Tropical Nectar:
“A tropical burst of citrus, starfruit, and a dash of tantalizing cane sugar.”
This candle is so pretty! The color of the wax is a pink coral and the photo on the label is a close up of a hibiscus blossom in the same colors. The label is bordered with silver. The bonus, it is double wicked! Yes, even in this little size. Hooray!
Cold sniff is tropical, sweet, and fruity. It reminds me of mango. Burning? The scent is a sweet, tropical fruit melange. You 
know the
scent ”“ it is the one that makes you look around for your chaise and that glass with the cute little umbrella! More about this later… (the scent, not the drink, silly)!
Scent throw: Remember, these are the little ovals and the top is somewhat narrow. I was not sure what to expect as the melt pool is somewhat small. I always start in my “testing room” as a point of reference. It is about 12′ x 14′ ”“ an average sized room found in most homes. I was expecting that I would need to move this size candle to the 8′ x 9′ room…so I was not prepared for the subtle whiff of scent that met me when I opened the door! I went ahead and moved it to the smaller bedroom.
When I opened the door, the scent was fabulous! It was strong, and it was a tropical combo that reminded me of orange sherbet mixed with passion fruit.
Rosewood
“Romantic dune rose and dew-misted greens create a sophisticated floral aroma.”
This is one gorgeous candle! If you look at it online, please know that the web picture is pretty, but it’s way prettier “in person”. The dusty rose colored wax is complimented with the label photo of 
deep, dusky pink roses. The silver edging pops, making it a very elegant looking candle. (June brides ”“ I am watching out for you! Take a little peek at these if you are doing a little reception planning!)
I have to admit ”“ I sniffed and burned before I read the candle scent description, and after I burned the candle I read and reread the description! From the look of the label and the description, I expected a floral scent ”“ a sultry rose. The cold sniff is a cedar scent, no rose coming through! Once burning, I never did smell a strong rose or floral ”“ to me it was a cedary sandalwoody scent with a hint of rose.
Scent throw: Nice! This scent is one that I want subtle whispers of ”“ it would be too heavy for me if the throw was too strong. In the average testing room, it was very light but much more noticeable in the little room.
Apricot Mint
“A delicate botanical blend of lemon, juicy apricot, and crisp mint leaves.”
Well, I certainly was not expecting what I was smelling from this one! The candle has bright apricot wax, with the photo on the label of the same fruit ”“ I was all set and ready for a drippy sweet apricot candle with a teeny hint of mint. Wrong! Focus on the mint on the label, candle-buddies, that is the real clue! It is a nice strong mint on the top, followed by a little sweetness of apricot.
As to the throw, it was the lightest of the group, but it easily scented my powder room.
Cucumber Fresca
“Relax with this garden-inspired medley of cool, crisp cucumber and fresh cilantro leaves.”
The bright green color of the wax screams “Spring”! However, on closer look, you may think “Summer”! The label shows cucumber slices being splashed with water and it looks pretty refreshing ”“ the kind of scent you are looking for when the A/C is cranked up and Pink Sugar and Cinnamon Coffee Cake scents seem too heavy.
The cilantro and cucumber scents blend to make it a clean scent, and it is a very crisp one. This little candle shocked me ”“ I was expecting a little whiff of spa scent when I opened the door of the average sized testing room. The throw from this candle was unexpected. Wow! I did not even take it to a smaller room, that would have been too much of a good thing! I left the door open to the room to see what would happen, and later I could faintly smell a little cucumber in the room next door. I noticed that the scent lingered, too, and I could smell it for quite awhile after I blew it out.
Southern Magnolia
“A sweet, southern magnolia bloom with a hint of jasmine and sparkling freshness.”
Pretty, pretty, pretty! The white magnolia blossom label, the silver border, the oval
glass! What great presentation, and if you are an event planner you should have a truckload of these because they are elegant enough to be used for everything from parties… to… yes, you guessed it! I am back to planning weddings again!
There does not seem to be as many fans of floral scents as some of the other scent categories, but if you are drawn to these, be sure to check out Southern Magnolia!
Scent throw: This little candle will surprise you! I definitely could smell it in the average size testing room, pretty good for a small candle. The floral scent is so pretty! I can remember living in a house that had a big Magnolia tree in the back yard. You could walk out the back door, not even see the tree, and know there was a big old blossom hiding in the leaves somewhere. It fragranced the whole yard, it was wonderful! This candle made me think of that tree. It is a realistic scent.
Final impression of Colonial Candles Spring scents?
Colonial’s oval glass candles with the updated silver-edged labels are one of the most attractive candles on the market. They look elegant and classy, and they look like high quality candles (which make them suited for use in decorating for special occasions, and they certainly are “gift-worthy”). I have to admit that I usually do not buy candles this small for scenting, as I expect the small melt pools to be inadequate for the amount of scent I like. 
However, there were several scents here that impressed me with their strength! In fact, these candles seem stronger than I recalled – maybe Colonial has a new secret recipe? Based on this test, I have no doubt the 8 oz. and 22 oz. size candles would throw a fine scent!
I had no problem burning these candles ”“ no carbon nubs to trim, and only a little bit of residue was left on the glass as the candles burned. The wax Colonial uses is “food grade paraffin and waxes derived from vegetable sources”. The gorgeous glass containers may be recycled ”“ but I would try very hard to repurpose these before I let them go!
It is time for me to revisit Colonial Candles again, (and you too, if it has been awhile!) Good things are “burning” there, and I am glad I had a chance to rediscover them!
Happy Spring scenting!
~ Avery
