Introduction to my review:

I am on a total Halloween scented candle kick right now and Yankee Candle has some great Halloween themed candles I couldn’t resist purchasing. I caught their 2 for $20 sale on all their medium scented candles a few weeks ago… SCORE!! – – and purchased Witches’ Brew and Candy Corn to review. These candles are so adorable! I almost  didn’t want to burn them.

So if you’re looking for some candle inspiration to help get you in the “Halloween groove”… these candles are perfect. Display them, burn them or give them away as gifts… whatever your choice may be… they’re ideal candles for Halloween.

What did my Witches’ Brew candle look like?

Oh my gosh!! This candle is literally perfect for Halloween!! My candle is from their medium classic jar line but the glass was jet black instead of clear. The label wraps around the entire candle and is jet black to match the glass but has a white Halloween scene wrapped all the way around of a witch on a broomstick, pumpkins, bats, stars and skulls all flying above a silhouette of a graveyard and town.  Then there is a small thin white label wrapped around the neck of the candle below the lid that says “Witches’ Brew” all the way around. Super cute!! See picture.

What did my Witches’ Brew candle smell like?

For one huge reason, I’ve always avoided this scent in the past… from Yankee and from all the candle companies that carry it. I know it’s a Yankee classic and wildly popular but  I’m not a big patchouli fan and tend to avoid scents that have *any* patchouli in it. Why? I live in Sedona, Patchouli grand central (aka – patchouli-ville.)  I can’t walk into a store without smelling it – I take that back… I can’t walk outside my front door without smelling it…. practically every woman in this town wears it as their perfume (I am not joking.) So the thought of actually using my candle cash to buy a patchouli candle and willingly having my house smell like it almost borders on psychotic.

With that said, (go ahead and laugh now) here I am burning the very scent I swore up and down I would never ever-EVER purchase. What possessed me? (Shrugging) I got curious and because I loved the look of the candle. In this case, looks actually trumped the scent. It was too cute!

Here is the scent description from Yankee’s site:

“Perfectly bewitching for Halloween, the spicy sweet aroma of exotic patchouli casts a captivating spell anytime of year. Always mysterious and endlessly earthy, patchouli has a centuries-old history as a scent that is simultaneously relaxing, uplifting, and soothing. All of which makes this natural fragrance, which Napoleon first brought from the Egypt to France, an ideal ingredient for a spellbinding brew.”

What a cool description!! And it IS perfect for Halloween! I can totally see a Halloween witch brewing this scent! In fact, I know quite a few witches that wear this scent!! (Smirking)

When I first popped open the lid to smell this candle… I actually didn’t mind it so much. I think I was mentally preparing myself. I could definitely smell the patchouli but it wasn’t so “earthy” or hippy that I wrinkled my nose… it has some other elements in the mix that toned it down. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

I lit this candle in a big bedroom and let it ferment awhile before checking back on it. Maybe 15 minutes into lighting it… I came back to a pleasant calming and earthy fragrance. Yeah, it was patchouli all right – totally bohemian but the scent was subtle… not overwhelming which I appreciated. I was expecting the scent to knock me out of the room or give me a headache but it wasn’t like that at all. I could smell the scent the moment I walked into the room but it was a soft lingering fragrance… it was smoky and subtle. It was doable.

To me, Witches’ Brew was not your average “hippy/dreadlock/mother-earth” kind of patchouli (if you know what I mean)… it was different. So I did an internet search on other dupes of this very scent and found cinnamon and cedarwood are blended in. Totally makes sense why I liked this candle. If it was plain patchouli, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have cared for it. Also want to add… my husband who hates Patchouli (even more than I do) never once commented on this scent the entire time I had this candle burning… and I burned it for 5 days straight. That speaks volumes. This is a man who makes fun of patchouli every chance he gets… would literally freak out if he found out I subjected him to it. No comment meant he didn’t hate it. He only comments when he loves a scent or absolutely can’t handle it.

In closing… Witches’ Brew was a mighty fine scent! I liked it!

How did my Witches Brew candle burn?

This candle burned pretty good. It took a long time to get a complete melt pool but once it did, no issues at all. No tunneling or wasted wax.

Closing to my review:

Witches’ Brew was a surprise candle for me. I enjoyed it when I didn’t think I would. Would I buy this candle again? I can’t believe I’m admitting this but yes, I would. And not just for Halloween… I can actually see myself burning this anytime of the year. It’s different and unique and not your average patchouli fragrance. I wouldn’t go so far to say I’ve converted but Witches’ Brew definitely made me think outside the box.

Happy Halloween candle lovers!

~ Christina

Visit Yankee Candle

Presentation: 5/5
Authenticity: 5/5
Burn Performance: 4/5
Strength: 3/5

Overall Rating: 4/5