Pumpkin Scented Candles – Bath & Body Works

by Julia Wootan

Brand: Slatkin & Co. / Bath and Body Works

 Type: 14.5 oz Filled candles

 Fragrances:
Pumpkin Patch
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin
Creamy Pumpkin

Cost: $22.50

Scent Strength: Varied

Introduction to my review:

Everyone knows that Bath and Body Works offers loads of products to make our bodies look and smell good. Since you are receiving the Review Flicker from Candlefind.com, chances are you already know that Bath and Body Works also carries a wide selection of scented candles. We scent junkies have a way of finding the candle section wherever we go… zeroing in on them in stores, so you may have already followed your nose to Bath and Body Works selection of Slatkin & Co. candles.

I always manage to find a store’s candle shelves before anything else. In some places the candle section is no more than a few dusty pillars or some utility tealights, but at Bath and Body Works, the candle section takes a much more prominent spot. Bath and Body Works has become as much about scenting our homes as it is about scenting ourselves. It’s as if they want to scent our whole world. The Slatkin & Co. candles have become so popular that I’ve known friends who go to Bath and Body Works just for the candles alone.

Even though you may know all about the Slatkin & Co. candles, perhaps you’ve been wondering how they perform or what some of the new Fall candle scents smell like. I was most curious about the pumpkin scented candles this season. After all, there are three different pumpkin fragrances available. Being one who can’t choose between three of anything when it comes to candles, I decided to investigate all of the pumpkin scents and report back with my findings. After all, research is a good reason to splurge a bit.

For those who aren’t as familiar with Bath and Body Works, they have stores in malls everywhere, and also have shopping available online. I have experienced great customer service here, easy returns and frequent sales incentives.

What do my Slatkin Candles look like?

The 14.5 oz filled candles by Slatkin & co. are all three wicked. They come in 4” wide cylinder clear glass jars. The lids are airtight for the most part, and
have a metal finish so shiny they could double as mirrors. The Pumpkin Patch and the Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin waxes were a pumpkin orange color that deepened when melted. Creamy Pumpkin was the color of light cream. Each jar had a Slatkin & Co. label with pictures of pumpkins and the scent names clearly printed. I chose the seasonal Halloween version of Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin which came in a more festive jack-o-lantern face jar.

How did my Pumpkin scented candles from Slatkin & Co. smell?

Pumpkin Patch

Described by Bath and Body Works as:

“The perfect blend of fresh pumpkin, ground cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla cream.”

This is the first scent I tried. It happened to be the first one my hand grabbed out of the box, so it became my first victim.

I could have stopped with just this scent and I’d have been happy. Pumpkin Patch was the most mind blowing, delicious smelling pumpkin scent of the season. Granted, this is the first pumpkin scent I’ve tried this season, but still, Pumpkin Patch left the starting gate and jumped way ahead of any possible competition. I was stunned at how good this candle smelled. It smelled baked and sparingly spiced. The smoky cinnamon in this scent remained mellow throughout the burn and smelled a little like leaf piles and wood smoke. Then the whole rest of the scent was a bakery bonanza filled with pumpkin pie and brown sugar. Divine. Absolutely D-vine! With Pumpkin Patch, I didn’t know if I wanted to eat it, wear it, or bathe in it. All I was sure of was that I wanted to be surrounded by this scent for days and days and never smell plain old air again.

The scent throw was moderate. It easily filled my smaller rooms and made a dent in the larger areas. It didn’t fill the whole space in my larger areas, but I could definitely catch whiffs of Pumpkin Patch whenever I walked near the lit candle.

Creamy Pumpkin

Described by Bath and Body Works as:

“Creamy caramel and gingered pumpkin blend perfectly with vanilla, golden amber and soothing warm cream.”

Not to be outdone, it was Creamy Pumpkin’s turn with the lighter. The cold sniffs on all three of these pumpkin scents was similar so I wondered how the scents would differ when burning. Creamy Pumpkin had considerably less spice than Pumpkin Patch, and subsequently less throw as well. There was not much of a bakery note, but the vanilla and caramel were the most prominent, along with sweet ginger… mustn’t forget the sweet ginger which came out more and more the longer I burned the candle. I smelled the cream but couldn’t pick up the amber at all. As for the pumpkin, it had a very mild, squashy aroma. Stripped of the usual pumpkin pie spices, this fragrance had a very different appeal… hitting the nose more smoothly, without the nip of cinnamon or clove.

Some prefer pumpkin without the spice, and for those folks, this may be just the thing to satisfy. I enjoyed this uncommon version of a pumpkin scent. My only concern was that the throw didn’t pack much of a punch, and I found myself getting way to close to the flames just to grab a decent sniff. For a three wick jar, I expected a little more oomph.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

Bath and Body Works describes this scent as:

“This tantalizing scent blends spicy pumpkin puree with sweet butter and vanilla cream.”

This was my middle ground… my happy medium. With Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, I was expecting something spicier than Creamy Pumpkin, but maybe not as outdoorsy as Pumpkin Patch. Though Cinnamon was in the scent name, it wasn’t listed in the description I read. No need to wonder about its presence, I could smell the cinnamon even before lighting this baby up.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin is a scent classic. It smelled like a straight up sweetened pumpkin with all of the expected spices. The scent notes were beautifully blended making this scent a treat even in its simplicity. This is the scent I would give as a gift. It’s very likable, and basic enough to please just about everyone. The scent is easily identifiable as pumpkin and cinnamon even without seeing the label. Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin is an all around solid, traditional pumpkin scent.

The throw was moderate, like Pumpkin Patch, giving off delightful bursts of scent into the room, but not completely filling the largest areas. It’s moderate, but not overpowering scent throw is another reason for its all around crowd pleasing appeal.

How did my Pumpkin candles Slatkin & Co burn?

I had the exact same burning experience with all three of these candles. These 14.5 oz three wick jars were quirky. When first lit, the flames were nice and full. The candles got a good melt pool and then the flames shrunk down to nubs. I was beginning to get discouraged about the low flames, but the candles all had a decent melt pool so I let them go just how they were. I got plenty of scent from the 1/8” melt pool, regardless of the flame size. As the candles continued to burn, the flame seemed to catch up and gain strength. I didn’t trim the wicks on any of the three candles and with each relight, the flames seemed to come back with more and more gusto. By the end of the burn, all three candles were cheerily flickering along.

With the Slatkin & Co. three wick jars, I recommend letting them burn a while on their own. Give them a chance and don’t throw in the towel too quickly. In this instance, the low flame did not seem to detract from the scent throw and did allow for a long burning time. Each jar regained its flame strength with no interference from me, and none of them tunneled.

Closing to my review…

I’m glad I don’t have to choose my favorite of these three pumpkin scents. That would be really difficult… ahem… Pumpkin Patch… since they were all terrific. Each scent was good in its own way, with the outdoorsy Pumpkin Patch, the smooth Creamy Pumpkin and the traditional Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. There is a pumpkin scent at Bath and Body Works for everyone. Whatever your preference of spices, these pumpkins have got you covered. Slatkin & Co. candles are easy to find in any Bath and Body Works retail store or online. There are often sales, and customer service is top rated.

Happy Pumpkin carving.

~ Julia

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