The market for indie soy candle companies has exploded with a number of amazing small companies located all across the country. We’ve made it our mission to shine the candle spotlight on some of these companies to bring awareness to their hard work and wonderful products. Such is the case with Rustic Star Candle Company, located in the great pacific northwest.
A Closer Look at Rustic Star Candle Company
Rustic Star Candle Company is a small, independent candle company located in Bellingham, Washington. Owner, Bianca Erickson, launched the company in July 2022, but had been making handpoured candles for family and friends for over 15 years.
I started making candles 15 years ago as Christmas gifts for family and had so much fun being able to create something special. After years wanting a candle that was natural and smelled true to it’s name and wanting to be able to provide that for others, I decided to start my own business in July of 2022.
Rustic Star Candle Company
Products Offered
As of this writing, Rustic Star Candle Company offers two candle jar sizes (10oz and 16oz) and clamshell wax melts. The candles and wax melts are adorned with scent appropriate organic embeds for a little bit of eye candy. The products are 100% soy with phthalate-free fragrances and are dye-free. They use cotton wicks and organic decorations. All very eco-friendly and safe!
Fall’ing for B’ham
This particular candle is included in their Fall Collection and is a nod to the crisp, cool Pacific Northwest as the seasons change. It is apparently a popular fragrance for the company and we can certainly see why.
The scent description reads: Celebrate the changing of the seasons of the Pacific Northwest with this fall favorite. A warming blend of apples, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, caramel, and a hint of almond.
A warm, delicious fragrance, this is a perfect candle to burn while sitting by a fire. The smell of apples and cinnamon was prominent, with additional notes of creamy vanilla and just a bit of roasted almonds. This scent made us fall in love with apple cinnamon fragrances all over again, with the candle filling a small bathroom well. The throw was excellent and the candle had a nice, clean burn.
Apple Cranberry Marmalade
The second candle we had to try was Apple Cranberry Marmalade, another popular fragrance. This one could be fall-ish or even early spring, if you’re a seasonal candle burner.
The scent description reads: It doesn’t get any sweeter than with the scent of juicy, crisp apple and tart cranberries blended with cinnamon, clove, sugar, and a hint of orange peel.
The fragrance was slightly sweet and bright with some zesty citrus notes blended well with the tartness of cranberry. The scent was a bit stronger than our first candle and, again, had an excellent throw. We experienced a slow, clean burn with this candle for hours of enjoyment.
Blueberry Muffin
One clamshell we tested was Blueberry Muffin, perfect for this bakery loving crowd. This particular fragrance was not your ordinary blueberry muffin scent, though. The added notes of citrusy orange made for a deliciously different fragrance.
The scent description reads: Juicy tart blueberries with hints of orange zest, butter cake, vanilla, and almond.
The Blueberry Muffin wax melt was moderately strong and did well in a medium sized bedroom. We had best results using a tealight melter or a 25W bulb melter rather than our hotplate melter. We used 2 cubes at a time to get a really good scent throw and it lasted for several hours without missing a beat. This one was drool-worthy, for sure!
Mango Coconut Milk
Saving the best for last, we tried the Mango Coconut Milk wax melts and boy, were we impressed! The fresh, vibrant notes energized us and oddly put us at ease at the same time.
The scent description reads: An irresistible blend of fresh mango, creamy coconut milk, pineapple, orange, with a hint of peach.
This fragrance had an almost tropical vibe to it and we could see it being perfect for the spring and summer months. We do not melt or burn seasonally, but we know many fragrance lovers who do. The scent throw was fantastic for a medium sized room, again performing best with a tealight melter. Of all the fragrances we tried, this was our personal favorite!
Overall Impression of Rustic Star Candle Company
We loved our introduction to Rustic Star Candle Company and didn’t have a disappointment in the bunch. The products are lovingly created and give a clean, beautiful presentation. This makes them a good fit for as well as stashing for yourselves. We especially loved the lasting power of the wax melts, as the longevity made them seem quite affordable. The candles have an even, slow burn and are super clean. Bianca one day hopes to be able to open a physical candle shop. This company is well on the way! We look forward to being long-time customers of theirs for years to come.
Their candles can be purchased on their website.
