It’s that time of the year again; that awkward month between Fall and Winter where you really don’t know what to do. The weather is terrible. It’s too warm to do fun winter activities involving snow and too cold to want to actually spend long periods of time outside. Personally, I stay inside during the entire month of November and burn a candle just to feel extra cozy to combat the gross weather. Over the past few years, I have been fueling my candle addiction from Bath & Body Works. There have been some great candles and some horrible mistakes. I have listed the best and worst candles you can buy from them, so you don’t end up with a terrible lingering smell in your house from a candle you don’t like.
The Best:
1. Rose Water and Ivy
This candle is my all-time favourite and it smells exactly as it sounds. When you light the candle, it smells like you have a bouquet of fresh roses in the corner of the room. It’s a fresh, pretty and subtle scent that’s great if you want to freshen up a room or pretend that someone just cut fresh roses for you. It’s great because it suits any room in your house. Sometimes I light it before people come over, so they think I put extra work into cleaning my house before they got there.
2. Vanilla Birch
This is another scent which is subtle and fresh smelling. Its official description is “White Birch Bark, Madagascar Vanilla, Warm Sandalwood with Essential Oils.” It has a light woodsy smell with a hint of real vanilla extract, not the fake sugary vanilla some candles have. This candle can make any room feel super cozy, I find it calming and great to light when studying.
3. Frozen Lake
This is a favourite scent recommended to me by my friend. The official scent is “Juniper Berry, Eucalyptus and Lavender essential oils.” It honestly just smells like you are walking outside in the cold. It is perfect for when you want to smell the outdoors without leaving your house. This isn’t scientifically proven, but my friend also claims that the smell of the candle makes you feel smarter. I have no idea why she thinks this, but it sounds like it’s another good candle to try out while studying.
4. Marshmallow Fireside
If you like sweeter smelling candles then this one is for you! It combines the smell of sweet marshmallows with burning wood; it reminds me of toasting marshmallows on an indoor fireplace when I was a kid. I love it because you can’t actually smell that gross overpowering smell of burning wood or the marshmallow, instead it smells like you just started to toast it. I burn it when all the lights are off before bed to give an illusion you are at a bonfire in the winter, without actually having to go outside.
The Worst:
1. French Baguette
Sure, this candle might sound intriguing. When you hear the title, you probably automatically think of sitting in a café in Paris while sipping a latte and eating freshly baked bread. On the actual package, it has a super cute drawing of a baguette surrounded by flowers and says “enjoy a blend of slow rising dough, crispy crust, and fresh out of the oven aroma.” What a lie that was. When you light the candle all you can smell is semi-burnt toast. I have no idea who would want any part of their house to smell like a burnt piece of bread.
2. Tuxedo Night
When I heard “Tuxedo Night,” I pictured people dancing at an outdoor wedding with the light scent of flowers and wine around them. The specific scent listed on the candle is “crystal waters, sea salt, coconut milk and driftwood.” In reality this candle smells like men’s cologne, but not in a good way. I’m talking about when you were in grade 8 and every guy decided to take a shower in Axe at the same time in the hallway. If that isn’t bad enough, it is rated as one of the strongest candles Bath & Body Works has, and the scent lingers around your entire house for hours. I honestly think they tried to make a “manly” candle, but it just didn’t work out. Since when do we need gendered candles anyway?
3. Fireside
I appreciate how straightforward the name of this candle is. I originally pictured marshmallows with a light smoky undertone, but this has more of a smoke-keeps-blowing-in-your-face bonfire smell. Its description is “an inviting reminder of warm embers in the fireplace, sweetened with notes of sandalwood and rich leather.” Whenever you hear notes of leather you know it can’t be good. This just smells like you have been outside and you are trying to get that annoying bonfire smell out of your clothes. People will think you brought your living room couch outside for a bonfire and the smell just kind of stuck.
4. Ocean Driftwood
With a name like this, you would probably expect some salty ocean aromas. The scent description sounds so appealing; “a blend of beach side oak, mahogany and fresh air inspired by an early morning walk along the coast.” Except this odor is extremely powerful and smells like a piece of damp driftwood has been sitting on the beach a little too long, then someone came by and sprayed too much cologne on it. Bath & Body Works seriously needs to stop mixing cologne with candle scents, especially when you’re expecting the fresh smell of the ocean.
All of the candles that I rated are based on personal preference, which is different for everyone. Regardless of this, I hope I helped you find some candles for the times when you’re stuck inside this winter and wanting to feel cozy!