It’s a known fact. The candle market is heavily geared towards women, particularly in the luxury candle realm. That’s why it’s so refreshing to come across companies such as GUY FOX…an indie luxury fragrance house based in California that specializes in masculine and unisex aromas. That being said, they emphasize that their fragrances can be enjoyed by everyone, and they have the complex, unique blends to prove it.
A Closer Look at GUY FOX
So just how did GUY FOX come to be? Two best friends, Liam and Grant , grew weary of the huge sticker shock prices on quality colognes and candles. They believed that they could create high quality fragrances with beautiful presentations, all without breaking the bank. They researched all sorts of ingredients, tried countless formulations, and finally hit the mark with a select set of colognes and candles that have proved to be a big hit across the nation.
The two entrepreneurs have not stopped there. They continue to hone and perfect their craft, seeking out exclusive blends that lean towards the masculine and unisex market.
Products Offered
This indie fragrance house carries a set of signature colognes that are named after their best friends. In the candle realm, they have a select number of scents in one jar size (7oz) in either a white or black glass jar – your choice!
Product Reviews
We tested three of their candle scents: PCH, Noma, and Bondi. PCH and Bondi were in the white jars, with Noma in the black jar. We’re noting our initial thoughts below, and we will be following up with full reviews for each individual item in the near future.
PCH
PCH is a best seller for GUY FOX, so it was only natural that we wanted to try this fragrance. This particular candle was in the white jar – hefty and cool in the hand. The scent name itself intrigued me…PCH stands for Pacific Coast Highway. According to the website, the scent description is: Top Notes: Crushed Pineapple, Mexican Lime, Fresh Coriander, Sage; Mid Notes: Lavender, Orris, Violet Leaves; Base Notes: Oakmoss, Musk, White Amber, Cedarwood. What a nose-ful!
This candle was absolutely beautiful, both in burn and smell. The notes itself blended so well together, it was hard to pick out individual ones. They all melded together to give off this sexy, earthy fragrance that had just the right amount of sweetness in the mix. It smelled sooooo good! It was warm and inviting, filling a medium sized room with plenty of fragrance. I could tell the candle was burning each time I entered the room, yet it never obnxiously smacked me in the face.
I loved the slow candle burn I got with this particular candle. It took it a long time to get a full wax melt pool, and then had a steady, even burn throughout. The wick was non-fussy and easy to maintain. The glow of the burning candle through the white jar was an added bit of ambiance that kept me mesmerized.
BONDI
Bondi refers to Bondi Beach, a gorgeous destination off the coast of Sydney, Australia. It stands to reason such as lovely place have a lovely candle fragrance in its honor. According to the website, the scent notes are: Top Notes: Grapefruit, Orange, Sicilian Lemon, Rhubarb Leaves; Mid Notes: Green Apple, Wild Berries, Lily of the Valley, Violet; Base Notes: Amber Wood, Cedarwood, Haitian Vetiver.
This candle is considered a tropical fragrance and it was hands’ down my favorite of the bunch. It was so incredibly fresh and inviting…I think it was the blend of the citrus notes grounded by the more warm, woodsy notes that drew me in the most. This fragrance was fresh, fun, and oh-so-pretty.
The Bondi fragrance was a bit stronger than PCH, but still it was not overly intrusive. It completely filled a mid-sized bedroom with it’s flirty, fun fragrance and kept me in my happy zone all day long. This candle had another clean, long-lasting burn.
NOMA
I round out my GUY FOX trio of candles with Noma, a shout out to their beloved Sonoma State University. This particular candle was in their black jar, which added a bit of mystique to me. The scent notes are: Top Notes: Vanilla; Mid Notes: Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose; Base Notes: Mahogany, Teakwood, Sweet Spice. Of course, we immediately think of that other candle…but this candle is SO much better – quality and scent-wise!
There was a familiar woodsy warmth with this scent, heightened with a bit of some white floral notes and just a bit of sweet, creamy vanilla. Ooooh…it was good! I think this particular fragrance would be perfect for the cooler months, if you prefer to burn seasonally. I found this particular fragrance the strongest of the three – definitely a room filler, but still not overbearing.
This candle also had a flawless, beautiful burn. The burn was slow and the glow was gorgeous through the black jar. I kept my wicks trimmed and didn’t have any problems with black soot. Super clean and long-lasting, making this candle an excellent buy.
Overall Impression of GUY FOX
The candles from GUY FOX really hit it out of the ballpark for us. They are luxurious candles with fun, thoughtful names and complex scent profiles. Everything is thoughtfully done with these candles, from the black/white candle jars, the descriptions on the website, to the wax formulation which provides such a smooth, clean burn. These are high quality candles that rival some of the big boys in the luxury candle market, and we are looking forward to getting to know this brand more throughout the years to come.
The GUY FOX candles can be purchased on their website.
Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
