by Christina Rylan
Company: Village Candle
Type: Radiance Wood Wick Candles
8oz – $9.00
13oz – $11.00
21oz – $14.00
Scents:
Exotica
Siberian Pine
Vanilla Sandalwood
Mandarin Sunflower
Rainbow
Strength: Medium to strong!
Introduction to my review of Village Candles new Radiance Wood Wick Candles:
What a delightful surprise it was to come home to a box full of Village Candles. And not just “any” candles I might add, but candles from Village’s new Radiance Wood Wick line. When I received these beauties, they hadn’t even launched on their website yet. So, I felt extremely honored when Village asked if I would like to review their new Radiance Collection before their 
official launch. Like? Would I like? (blinking several times) HELLO!!!!!
We’ve reviewed Village Candles many times in the past… they’re a big company and ever changing their product line so it’s fun to stay abreast of all the latest goodies they offer. And change it does with their newest addition. Wood Wick Candles!! If you’re not familiar with Wood Wick candles, you need to be. These candles are really cool! First of all, wood wicks are generally maintenance free… you don’t have to trim or mess with the wicks at all and they make THE coolest crackling sound effects when lit. I love the sound. What makes these candles different than the average bear? Their luminary or as they call them “lumiglow” labels. Each label completely wraps around the candle with a picture that corresponds with each scent. From what I’m reading about the labels and discovering from burning them – Village had them created to bring the artwork wrapped around each candle to life as the entire candle glows with light while it’s burning. It’s pretty cool.
What did my Radiance Candles from Village look like?
Beautiful and elegant. The candles themselves are heavy straight cylinder glass with flat glass lids. As stated above in my intro, the labels on each candle correspond with the scent. I’ll picture each candle next to the review so you can visually see what each candle looked like. A picture speaks a thousand words. Each candle also had an additional rubber band type label at the top of each candle that had a scent description and a picture of the scent. These candles are very well done. My Exotica candle was 13oz , Siberian Pine 13oz , Vanilla Sandalwood 8oz, Mandarin Sunflower 21oz and Rainbow was 8oz.
What did my Radiance candles from Village smell like?
Exotica
“Fresh Citrus and spicy clove are entwined with red rose petals, and sexy black amber. Warm Cashmere musk completes this exotic union.”
This candle is simply gorgeous but if I’m being honest, the scent itself was just a little too “Exotica” for me. The scent itself is very 
feminine, it reminded me of designer perfume you would smell the moment you walk into the perfume section of a Department Store. Very luxurious and heavy. Super thick.
I didn’t smell any citrus or clove, at all… I smelled all red roses, amber and musk. Heavy-heavy doses of those three. Strength wise, on a scale of 1 to 10, this candle was a 10! Easily. I could have left this candle unlit in my bedroom and it would have smelled up the whole room but lit, man! – pure saturation! I normally have a few different scents going through my house at once and this little candle overpowered every competing scent. In fact, I had to blow this one out about an hour into it, I couldn’t handle it… it was that strong. So, if you like floral, “musky” type scents… this candle will definitely be your cup of tea and then some.
This candle glowed so beautifully when lit. You have to get about halfway down to get the full effect but once you do, it’s really pretty and the crackling sounds just added to the total ambiance. Very nice.
Siberian Pine
This scent was “husband” approved. He loves anything pine.Scent description:
“Blue Juniper berries meld with mountain sage and Douglas Fir and are finished with a touch of evergreen and cedar wood in this aromatic favorite.”
The scent description is pretty accurate… you could smell all of the above elements. I think my favorite notes were the mountain sage with the evergreen, I found the whole scent very tranquil and soothing… I took deep inhales whenever I walked into the room.
This candle wasn’t as strong as Exotica… I would say on a scale of 1 to 10, this one was a 6.5. Not super strong but I actually preferred it that way… anything stronger would have given me a headache. The whole package was perfect… very soothing – the scent, the glow and the sound effects combined made it a great candle.
My hubby really liked this one and asked me to burn it from beginning to end. Pretty unusual for Mr. He-man to make requests like that. So thumbs up on this candle all the way!
Vanilla Sandalwood
“Creamy Madagascar vanilla accents the precious woods of patchouli, sandalwood and amber in this slightly masculine scent.”
I really enjoyed this one and I am not a patchouli fan. I received an 8oz jar for this one so it was a perfect size to burn in my bathroom… and to me, it was a perfect bathroom scent. Sultry, elegant and sexy but subtle enough that it didn’t overwhelm you with fragrance when you walked into the room. You definitely smelled it when you walked in though… on a scale of 1 to 10, I give this one a 7. Perfect!!
I don’t think I noticed patchouli in the mix. I smelled creamy vanilla, sandalwood and amber. It’s a very beautiful scent. One I could even see myself wearing in bath and body. Two thumbs up.
Mandarin Sunflower
Scent description:
“A captivating blend of grapefruit, bergamot blended with juicy mandarin and red poppies and fresh cedar to complete this delightful Mediterranean escape.”
I’m not a floral fan but this candle was doable for me. And I think the only reason it “was” is due to the heavy mix of other components. I could smell the floral – red poppies – but it wasn’t overwhelming. The grapefruit, bergamot and mandarin toned the floral down to a subtle tease… you could detect it but just barely. Loved the grapefruit, bergamot and mandarin!! The overall scent was crisp and lovely.
I burned this candle in a large bathroom and I loved it there. I would say strength wise on a scale of 1 to 10, this was a 7. Not super strong but moderate. Floral, fresh and fruity lovers… you would enjoy this one.
Rainbow
“Splashes of zesty grapefruit cascade over tart red currants and earthy golden bergamot in this sparkling unisex fragrance.”
Okay, I loved this scent – loved it! My clear favorite out of the bunch. With grapefruit and bergamot, I was kind of expecting a spin of Mandarin Sunflower. Not so. This was such a unique fragrance and I was kinda bummed I didn’t get this one in the larger size. (always a next time)
I can see why they call this one a unisex fragrance. It was fresh and incredibly vibrant… like a burst of sunshine, it literally brought
a smile to my face every time I smelled it. Can you tell I liked it?
I almost want to call this scent masculine but I don’t know…. I’m kind of having a brain freeze on describing this one. I received an 8oz candle and decided to keep it safe and burn this little guy in a big bathroom… totally right on the money because it burned perfect in a smaller room. Perfect scent throw and total saturation. On a scale of 1-10, this was an 8.5, maybe even a 9. Nice and strong!! The entire time I had it burning, I gravitated towards that room and took deep inhales.
I guess out of all the components listed in the scent description, I smelled red currants the most but I also smelled something else I couldn’t quite pinpoint and it wasn’t grapefruit and I don’t think it was mandarin. I couldn’t figure it out! It was just one of those scents that are hard to describe. All I can say is if you like fresh scents, buy it!! It’s really beautiful. Doesn’t matter if you love floral, fresh or fruity… it will be loved by all. I decree it!!
How did my Radiance candles burn?
Perfect!! No issues whatsoever. No wasted wax and zero maintenance. Zero!! There is even a safety feature at the end of the wicks life so it puts itself out at the very end.
Closing to my Village Radiance review:
Totally great experience. Lovin these wood wicks and hearing the sounds effects… it’s just the coolest thing. My kids think I’ve got blow torches going in the rooms I have them burning in. The candles don’t really sound like a crackle of a fire, it sounds more like you’re blowing into a glass bottle or you hear a really loud wind blowing through a small channel. The labels add a lot to the candles as well. You really don’t get the full effect of the glow till about half way down but once you do, it’s really pretty. Definitely great candles to burn at night.
Another positive? The price!! I cannot believe how low these candles are priced, STEAL!!!! A 21oz candle for $14 bucks? And wood wick to boot? Unheard of!
Happy Candle Shopping!
~ Christina
