by | June 8, 2026

From the Archives: Yankee Candle Rainbow Shake Candle Review

Read our archived review of Yankee Candle Rainbow Shake, a fruity gourmand candle featuring sparkling fruits, vanilla, whipped cream, and berry drizzle notes.

About This Series

In From the Archives, we revisit Candlefind reviews originally published years ago. These refreshed articles preserve a piece of candle history, highlighting beloved fragrances and candle companies from the past. While some brands featured in this series are still thriving today, others are no longer in business, making these reviews a snapshot of a different era in the candle industry.

If you’re searching for a fragrance that is no longer available, don’t miss our guide to finding discontinued candle scents.

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Editor’s Note (2026): This review was originally published in 2020 and is being republished as part of Candlefind’s From the Archives series. While images and formatting may have been updated, the original review reflects the impressions and testing experience at the time. Yankee Candle Rainbow Shake is no longer available.

Intro To My Review

It’s hard finding a strong Yankee Candle, but the second I saw Rainbow Shake on the Yankee Candle website, I wanted it. Between the playful name and the colorful label featuring lollipops bursting from a strawberry shake, this candle immediately caught my attention.Now that totally sounds like my kind of scent…a fun candy-inspired berry fragrance that would probably be 7,000 calories if you could actually consume it!

Here is the description from the website:

A sophisticated sugar rush – juicy, sparkling fruits blended with sweet vanilla, finished with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and berry drizzle.

What Did My Candle Look Like?

Rainbow Shake immediately caught my attention before I ever lit the wick. I loved the playful name, but it was the label that really sold me. The artwork featured colorful lollipops sticking out of what looked like a strawberry shake, giving the candle a fun, whimsical feel that perfectly matched the fragrance concept. 

Yankee Candle Rainbow Shake large jar candle with pink wax and colorful candy-themed label
At first glance, Rainbow Shake looked like it would be a sweet, candy-inspired scent, and the cheerful label definitely set those expectations. As someone who enjoys fruity and gourmand fragrances, this one felt right up my alley from the start.

How Did My Candle Smell?

According to Yankee Candle, Rainbow Shake features sparkling fruits, sweet vanilla, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and berry drizzle. From the beginning, the sweet notes were what interested me most, and I hoped they would balance some of the other elements in the fragrance.

Once I started evaluating the scent, I kept coming back to the same word: taffy. After lighting the candle, Rainbow Shake surprised me with both its strength and its fragrance profile. Yankee Candle fragrances can sometimes be lightly scented for me, so I placed this one in a smaller room. The aroma was noticeable long before the candle reached a full melt pool, and it quickly filled the space with a sweet berry candy scent.

The fragrance was sugary without being overwhelming, with a nice touch of tartness that kept it from becoming too heavy. Of the notes listed in the scent description, I noticed the sparkling fruits, vanilla, and berry drizzle the most. The overall effect reminded me of fruity taffy or berry candy, making this a fun and memorable gourmand fragrance.

As for strength, I would rate Rainbow Shake a 10 out of 10 in a small room, about a 7 in a medium-sized room, and around a 5 or 6 in a large room. That’s impressive performance for a Yankee Candle and one of the reasons this scent stood out to me.

A Note From Candlefind

This review was originally published in 2019 and has been restored as part of our From the Archives series. While we’ve updated the formatting, images, and presentation of this article, the review itself reflects the original testing experience and opinions at the time it was written.

At the time of this update, Yankee Candle Rainbow Shake is no longer available. If you’re one of the many candle lovers who remembers this sweet, candy-inspired fragrance, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

How Did My Candle Burn?

Rainbow Shake performed much as I expected from a large Yankee Candle. It was a very slow burner, taking roughly 10 hours to reach a full melt pool. While that may sound excessive, the fragrance was present long before the wax fully pooled, so I was still able to enjoy the scent throughout the burn.The candle burned evenly from beginning to end with only occasional wick trimming needed. As with many large Yankee Candles, the key is allowing enough burn time for the wax to reach a complete melt pool. Otherwise, wax can remain along the sides of the jar and lead to tunneling over time.
Pink berry milkshake topped with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a pretzel against a pink background
Overall, Rainbow Shake delivered a clean, even burn and provided excellent longevity, making it a solid performer in addition to being a surprisingly strong fragrance.

Conclusion

Rainbow Shake turned out to be one of those diamonds in the rough. While Yankee Candle fragrances can sometimes be lighter than I prefer, this one delivered both strong scent throw and an enjoyable fragrance experience.The sweet berry candy aroma, balanced with touches of tart fruit and vanilla, made Rainbow Shake a fun scent to burn. I thoroughly enjoyed this candle and would happily purchase it again if it were still available.If you’ve had the opportunity to try Rainbow Shake, I’d love to hear what you thought of it.Happy candle burning!

Overall

4.8

Presentation: 5/5
Scent Authenticity: 4.5/5
Burn Performance: 5/5
Strength: 4.5/5

Overall Rating: 4.8/5 – Excellent

 

Happy candle burning!

Originally posted by Christina in May 2019.

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Cynthia

Hi, I’m Cynthia, the current owner & Candle Lover in Chief here at Candlefind. I have a sincere passion for candles, being mesmerized from the moment I saw my first flickering flame. I love luxury candles (who wouldn’t?) and unique scent combinations. When I’m not scenting, I love reading and playing with my wild & crazy pup, Holly Berry.

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