The pandemic brought us many negatives: job losses, health scares, and social isolation to name a few. But for some, it was also the opportunity to unleash their creativity, as they simply found more time on their hands while at home. Take, for example, Whitney Brooks – she used her time at home to express herself through beautiful art, displayed on gorgeous handmade silk scarves and – of course – candles! The Whitney Collection is all about art, creativity, and a sense of well-being.
A Closer Look at The Whitney Collection
Whitney’s Los Angeles apartment became her studio during the early months of quarantine. She hails from a creative family and loves to travel. She channeled the fond memories she had of traveling abroad and created some beautiful silk scarves to share with the world. Alongside the scarves, she has researched the art of candlemaking to make some luxurious, uniquely scented candles.
As of this writing, there are only four scents available: Rose Pepper, Bayou, The Heat of Our Youth, and Aspen Musk. The candles come in beautiful gift boxes, tied with an elegant bow. The wax is a soy/coconut wax blend, housed in a beautiful black glass vessel that glows when lit. You can tell that a lot of care and consideration went into every aspect of the design and creation of these candles.
Products Offered
The candles are 14 ounces and can be purchased individually or in a 2-candle set. The candles come in adorable gift boxes, complete with a black ribbon tied in a bow. They feel so luxurious! The Whitney Collection also includes handmade silk scarves for sale in some amazing patterns created by the owner.
Product Reviews
We tested two of the candles from The Whitney Collection: Rose Pepper and Bayou. We’re noting our initial thoughts below, and will be following up with full reviews for each individual item in the near future.
Bayou
Bayou was actually the last one I tried, but it was my favorite! On cold sniff, I smelled a little bit of earthiness, with just a hint of spice. The scent description that was pulled from the website reads: Inspired by the natural aromas of The South, “bayou” is a cozy dream made up of floral notes, wood and spice. It’s sugar, spice and everything nice. You can almost hear the evening banjos. Warning: Known to attract fireflies. Church Lily, Frankincense, Amber, Eucalyptus, Cloves and Blood Orange.
As a bona fide Southerner, I could certainly get the vibe of where this was going. Once I lit the candle, I was completely immersed. The spiciness was a bit more noticeable, but still not too heavy on the nose. I smelled mostly the earthiness with glimpses of some bright, citrus notes. It was warm and inviting. I didn’t get any of the floral notes, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the scent. The fragrance was just strong enough to enjoy it in the space it was in, not intruding into my other rooms.
The candle needed to burn a super long time to get the full wax melt pool going. Also I learned on these candles that a little bit of a longer length wick was best, so I could force an even wax melt pool. I did have to clip and relight every couple of hours, though, to make sure I didn’t have any black sooting.
Rose Pepper
Ahhh, the scent of rose has become one of my favorite fragrances, so I was happy to see the sweet floral paired with the spiciness of pepper. On cold sniff, this was a deep, rose petal fragrance that tickled the nose at end whiff. The scent description reads: Whitney’s favorite candle, “rose pepper” is a classic rose aroma with a bit of a bite. Imagine yourself strolling through Jardins des Tuileries in Paris in the 1920s, but then make it more vintage. Fresh rose petals combined with a cozy, peppercorn spice will keep you dreaming well into the night. Rose Petals & Peppercorn.
I could certainly see why this is Whitney’s favorite candle! Once I burned it, the depth of the rose fragrance emerged and was so incredibly beautiful! It was not a sweet rose fragrance, but it really did smell like I was sniffing actual red rose petals! No greenery to my nose. The additional element of the spicy pepper was a nice touch and made this fragrance interesting and warm. I could smell the fragrance in the room it was in, with this one carrying a bit more than Bayou.
I also had several hours of burn from this candle. The full wax melt pool was obtainable, but it did need to burn for a long time to get there. The burn was clean as long as I maintained my wicks throughout.
Overall Impression of The Whitney Collection
The candles from The Whitney Collection are lovely and luxurious. They come in candle gift boxes that are ready for gifting. The long life of these candles takes the sting out of the price tag, as they are well worth the price. You will be able to enjoy the candles for hours on end! I am looking forward to more in their lineup in the near future.
These candles can be purchased on The Whitney Collection website.
