Sawdust & Embers: Winter Woods Candle

 This candle was provided free for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

This candle is on my bedside table and it is slaying it. Sawdust & Embers Winter Woods travel candle is made of a proprietary soy blend in a 7.5 ounce tin with a cotton wick and lasts about 55-60 hours. 

I am happy to hear it lasts that long because I don't want it to end. 

Winter Woods- Notes: Noble fir, balsam, and cedar. $18

This is a splendid sugared spruce type of scent. It is bursting with jammy evergreen notes and has just a touch of sweetness. But that balsam is star. This candle burns evenly and the wick is strong without being alarming. It pools to the edges and throws strong in my bedroom. I love it. 

I am sold on these tins. The woodwicks were nice but they got a little angsty when burning. These cotton wicks are strong but not overwhelming with their flame retention. I will be back for more. Especially in that Rosewood. 

I am on a small nightstand candle kick. I like smaller ones like this and in scents that make me feel serene and relaxed. School is finally settling into a routine and I feel like I am able to make some headway guiding the kiddos in their learning. The girls are doing well and my garden is growing. I don't think I can ask for more than that right now. 

How are you doing?

Sihaya & Company: Autumn Dream Box "A Dream of Truth and Beauty"

 This box was sent gratis in exchange for photographs. All opinions are my own.

Sihaya and Company's fall box of curated indie goodies is themed "A Dream of Truth and Beauty" with a focus on Persephone and Pre-Raphaelite art and beauty. The items were thoughtfully gathered and all speak to the soft and golden transition from gilded summer into a glowing bronze autumn. This box was $65.

This spiral notebook was a joy to discover inside the box. I have actually ordered one of Christina's notebooks (and a tank top) from her swag tab at Sihaya. I am a sucker for notebooks. I use them when traveling to record perfume impressions as well as for list making. These retail for $14 on the website, but this particular cover art is not available (but many more are and they are lovely- I have the Moon Maiden). 

Forms Divinely Beautiful- Notes: Carnation, sandalwood, amber, golden musk, and a swirl of spice. $13

This is a lovely candle. The aqua shimmer and gorgeous fragrance are appealing. The carnation is feathery and smooth, paired with velvety woods and gauzy amber musk. This is a soft and pleasant fragrance that portrays itself as primarily a carnation musk. I look forward to burning this in my bedroom to create a gentle atmosphere.

I always get excited when I see a new lip color from Sihaya in the Dream Box. Goblin Market ($6.50) not only has an incredible name but it also feels and looks just as magical. There is a nice moisturizing slip to the lip color, the hint of something dark and berry-like to the scent and it is the color of russet fall leaves with a warm undertone on my lips. They look flushed and ripe, as if kissed by chilly fall winds. This one will stay in my purse.

There were two eyeshadows from Crow and Pebble but I think I lost one of them in the bottom of the box and it got recycled. Yikes. Bone head move. The color I do have is called Priestess of Delphi and is an illuminating warm brown and mauve with pink and lilac shimmer shadow. It is a beautiful shade and will make for an easy wash of color on the lid for work in the morning. Five pounds for a full sized container of eyeshadow.

Entwined by Astrid Perfumes- Notes: A lush blend of black currants, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, dried rose petals, twisted wood branches, soft violets, dusty lavender, Scottish shortbread, and English ivy. $25

I was very excited to see this in the box. Astrid is a talented perfumer and she always combines scent notes in unexpected ways. From the vial this perfume bursts with the fragrance of berries, sun dappled, springing from brambles and stolons. Their ruby and merlot hues are as intense as their effluvia. On the skin those berries divulge themselves in my the same manner. Astrid is a deft hand at brewing berry notes. The vibrate with life and realism. The amethyst and ruby berries slowly soften in the heart, revealing the blossoms that they originated from. The violets allow for a pillowy fall from the vine where they mingle with the magic of the woods. This is my first berry-centric perfume that I have fallen head over heels for. It is utterly enchanting. 

This Virtuoso artisan caramel bar is flavored in Seasonal Spice. Their Etsy shop is currently closed so I am not sure how much these normally cost but I love the packaging. I did gift this to a friend since I recently had to have my crown replaced and I am nervous about chewing anything overly sticky right now... call me a coward.

Willow Tree Company scrub in  Fairytale Rose- Notes: Neroli leaves, papaya flower, geranium, gardenia, African dog rose, Turkish rose absolute, cashmeran, sandalwood, and light woods. $35

I have to admit, I kinda had sticker shock when I saw the price on these. I rarely comment on pricing, as I will pay outrageous amounts on things that tickle my whim, but this is a bit high on my scrub allowance spectrum. Since it was whipped it did arrive a wee bit condensed but came with a lovely rose soap embed. The blue is electric and the mica is shimmery and vibrant. The scent is redolent of a high end floral perfume. The scrub consistency is thick and scoopable with the fingers and the sugar particulate was medium-fine, scrubbed nicely but dissolved quickly. It is a coconut oil based scrub. 

This is easily one of my favorite Dream Boxes (other than Halloween, or the Sisterhood of the Moon, it is pretty spectacular) to date. I love the perfume, candle, notebook, make up and other treats. I highly recommend these Dream Boxes as a gift for yourself or anyone you love that would enjoy artisan products. 

Bath and Body Works: Harvest Gathering Candle

 

My candle stash dwindled there for a while once we had moved but recently I have taken to restocking my Bath and Body Works fall candles. My oldest and I had really be enjoying the Harvest Gathering handsoap as of late so I know that I wanted to pick up the candle as well. 

Harvest Gathering- Notes: Fresh picked apple, autumn berries, and clove buds with essential oil. $24.50 full price but paid $12.25 at half price candle sale.

This candle burned well with strong wicks and nice pooling. The scent throw was medium strong, filling the common living areas. The scent reminded me of a more apple centric Leaves aroma. The apples are sweet and reminiscent of the Macintosh variety while the berries are juicy and vibrant. The clove is mild and adds just a hint of bark-like spice. 

I enjoyed this candles and will be happy to repurchase it in the future. I have Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin burning now. And it is pretty awesome too. 

What candles are you burning right now? Loving any new candle makers?

Sihaya & Company: Winter Box

This box was provided free from Sihaya & Company in exchange for photographs.

The Winter Box: Once Upon A Winter Sky from Sihaya & Company was thoughtfully stuffed with a beautiful assortment of hand crafted and artisan items to create a snug and cheerful wintertime experience. 

To kick it off, a sparkling pair of night-sky inspired earrings from Wyrding Studios dangled in the crinkle paper. Their silver and indigo colors shone delicately with curled silver wire and jewels. Scarlette claimed these beauties for herself once she saw them.

Firebird bath and body featured their lotion in Counting Stars- with notes of dry leaves, pine needles, smoky campfire, chilly night air, and a warm woolen blanket. I have used Firebird products in the past and have always been happy with them. Their lotions absorb easily and are perfect for spring and summer skin needs, imparting delicious scents and light and airy moisturizing. This is non-greasy and soothing. Counting Stars is a wonderful campfire scent with light smokiness accompanied by crisp fall leaves and the subtle scent of dirt roads that meander through woods. I love pairing this with my Solstice Scents Foxcroft. 

Another favorite indie bath and body vendor that I enjoy is in this box too, B. Perry Studios with a bar soap in Goldstone. Notes of burning pine and birch embers, black berries, sweet clementine and bright lemon make for a lovely soap. It is surprisingly fresh and virile but not smoky or sweet. I love how Brooke's soaps lather so beautifully and rinse cleanly. The blue ombre effect brings to mind the layers of the night sky as the sunsets low and the stars slowly emerge. 

I always look forward to the perfume that is included in the Sihaya boxes. This beauty from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is called Auriga, with notes of starry white vegetal musk, cold winter wind blowing through olive blossom, sweet labdanum, fossilized amber resin, fir needle, fern, balm melissa, champaca, cypress, and white cedar. From the bottle rises pale flowers and watery musk with swollen ivory tubers and roots pushing along the base. On the skin the champaca flower blooms with paper white bulb headiness and sunflower sunniness. It is braced by evergreens and ferns in a green fougere haze. As it dries down the dark ambers lend a velvety space for the fougere to rest against. This is a beautifully rendered perfume and it will wear well with age.

This isn't my first round with the divine chocolates that Immortal Mountain Chocolates crafts. After having a yummy minty chocolate bar from them lsat year I purchased a handful of other bars from their Etsy store. They are very nice. Smooth, dark and flavorful with a velvety mouthfeel. The bar included in this box is Wandering Star Cacao which contains flavors of star anise, goji berries, ginger root, astragalus root, and reishi mushroom. The combination of flavors is exotic, spices and faraway fruits that taste of bazaars and the earthy tang of edible fungus.

Each Sihaya box comes with a Sihaya candle and they never disappoint. These burn evenly with time and do require wick trimming but they burn strong and smell lovely with a good throw. 

Once Upon A Winter Sky- Notes: Iced pear, frozen cranberry, vanilla sugar, frosty melon, wintery woods, starry night musk. 

I enjoyed burning this one on my nightstand this winter. The spiced fruits and fresh woods along with the deep and dark musk made for a wonderful bedroom scent. The cranberries and pear and melons merged into a sweetly romantic aroma. The tartness of the cranberries and the deep woodsy musk set this scent apart from others I have been melting and burning recently. I loved it so much I bought another one on the Indie Polish Pick Up.

Sihaya and Company boxes are always a pleasure to experience. They make exquisite gifts, especially to those who appreciate handcrafted and artisan products centered around a cohesive theme. The boxes cost $65 and are always valued at more.

Are you burning candles? What perfumes are you wearing?

Sihaya and Company: Sisterhood of the Moon Box

This monthly curated box was given gratis in exchange for photographs from Sihaya & Company. All opinions are my own.

I am going to be showing the last two Sihaya and Company boxes I got out of order. Since Halloween creeps so near I wanted to showcase this most recent Sisterhood of the Moon box first. I will feature the Autumn Jewels box in November in a week or so. This is the third year I have received the Sisterhood of the Moon box and I fall further in love with it each year. The abundant spookiness, the fall flavors, the attention to detail and darkness. It all enchants me. 

Dryad Tea can be counted on to contribute a delightful tea called Black Cats and Pointy Hats that is redolent of spiced cider. Overripe apples, mulling spices, blackberry and lime leaves and jasmine all blend with black tea leaves to make a divine autumnal draught. $6.50

Little and Grim contributed a 4 ounce glycerin soap called The Augur in the scent Botanomancy which features fig, apple, lemon, ginger, sage, frankincense, caramel, cinnamon and smoke. It is a smoky fruity darkling. The fig and apple are tempered by herbs, yet the caramel and soft spice induce a temptation of their own. The smoke and incense lend a mysterious air to the fruits and herbs. I am putting this in my shower right now. $8.50

Sixteen92 is a perfume house that holds a special place in my collection. I appreciate the stony musks, chilly ozones, crisp leaves and foggy atmospherics that Claire creates. She also has a deft hand at woods, soil and smoky leathers. Not to mention metallics and other interesting bits. 

The Witching Hour- Notes: Dense fog, charcoal ash, a burned cedar chest, sacred willow, knotted roots, silver needle and a salt circle beneath a starless sky. 6ml $14

Sharp green sap, herbaceous and bitter, bite like the cracking whip of Devil's Snare. The stinging teeth are tempered by the dense metallic twang of midnight fog, mincing in on dewy padded feet. This slinks from the bottle and smells similar on the wrists when freshly anointed. The green crystalized sap dissolves into warm embers and lush woods. Claire's smoky woods scents are never heavy or cloying but rather sniffed through the filter of a crisp cool nighttime sky, where night winds cleanse the smoke and trees and mosses, dappling them in silvery moonlight and briskness. This is the witching hour. Where nocturnal hearts beat quietly and black eyes reflect the moon. 

A Black Phillip enamel pin from The Pickety Witch came in the box. $10. I love the cascade of fall leaves cresting his bust. 

I have been watching Christina of Sihaya and Company tinker with the idea of creating tinted lip balms for a couple months now. I ordered her Harry Potter lip balms a while back (strangely I am hesitant to break the seals as I am sure I will fall madly in love and then never be able to get them again). I love seeing the process of her adding mica and flavors, increasing shade pigments or adding shimmer. I love this plummy creation that she included in the box. The deep red-purple tone can be layered to create a vampy shimmery look or a light swipe can impart a slightly bruised blush to the lips. I appreciate the slip and cushion of this moisturizing lip color. $6.50.

So so sad to not have a bath tub to soak in. I really and truly miss my beloved salt baths. Bubble baths. Milk baths. Baths. I wonder if this sudden lack of magnesium from my salt baths is giving me trouble. Oh well. One day. 

This amazing ritual bath potion from Cattail Apothecary called Awaken Intuition blends mugwort, mullein, lavender, clove, sage, yarrow and patchouli into a bath time treat. $8. 

A bath time treat I will have to wait a long while to use but I think it will be worth it.

Ah! The candle. I always look forward to sniffing the Sihaya and Company candle that inevitably accompanies these boxes. The Thinning of the Veil stitches together carved pumpkins, smoky oudh, black amber and smoldering dragon's blood resin. $13. This is a haunting aroma that mimics the scent of a rotted out blackened log where unknown creatures dwell. Ashen smoke, pitch black soil, ebony wood and singed resins all weave into dark shadows. I have burned this candle before and loved it then as I love it now.

This is a great box filled with amazing items. Individually these run about $66.50 but the box is $65. The most alluring part of the box is the limited edition nature of certain items like The Thinning of the Veil, the enamel pin, the lip color, and the Sixteen92 perfume, which can only be had through this box. I am very happy with everything and will use it all up.

What items in the Sisterhood of the Moon box most appeal to you? Do you see any favorite makers in here?

Sihaya & Company: Ember & Mallow Candle

Sihaya and Company candles have been burning throughout my house for the past couple months. Ember & Mallow is currently on rotation in the sun room and might just be my favorite Sihaya candle to date.  

Ember & Mallow- Notes: Vanilla marshmallows over a smoky autumn bonfire. $12

A beautifully rendered smoky toasted marshmallow scent with amber highlights and woodsmoke shadows. As much as I love Bath and Body Works Marshmallow Fireside, Ember & Mallow beats it hands down. I not only want this wafting about the home but also all over my skin. Which is why I picked this scent up in the body lotion and body scrub Sihaya did in collaboration with Paintbox Soap Works. This candle throws strong and burns evenly over time. Trimming wicks is a must or the flame will be towering. 

Christina is raising her candle prices by $1 beginning today I believe. Though I paid $12 I think it will now be $13 but in my opinion it is well worth it. I will be back for this one again and again. 

If you could only buy your candles from one place for the rest of your life... where would it be from?

Fall Friday: Sihaya & Company Pumpkin Juice Candle

I featured Sihaya & Company's Butterbeer candle earlier this week and I figured for my first Fall Friday post I would talk a little about the other candle in Christina's Wizarding Collection, Pumpkin Juice. 

Pumpkin Juice- Notes: A sweet beverage of yummy pumpkin tinged with oak-barrel cider and a whisper of caramel. $12

I loved Butterbeer, and Pumpkin Juice is just as nice. The apple cider and caramelized pumpkin play together well, each giving way to the other to create a delicious autumnal treat. There are minimal spices. I love that the Pumpkin Juice bottle looks exactly like the ones at the Wizarding World. I have ordered Pumpkin Juice several times and I must say that this is a cool rendition of that aroma, if a touch more rich since at Universal it is mostly apple juice. I would rather drink this one to be honest. 

I would absolutely buy this again (and I just might!). 

This weekend I am think about baking an apple pie. Normally I have done so by now but we all know I am behind this year. I have the apples and the ingredients waiting in the fridge and pantry. Have you made any fall treats? What do you like to make or bake about this time of year? Have you ever had Pumpkin Juice? Do you like it?

Sihaya & Company: Butterbeer Candle

Christina at Sihaya & Company pours beautifully blended and wonderfully scented candles. I have burned many of her creations but certainly have not touted them nearly as often as I should have. After ordering well over a dozen this past year I am currently making sure to remedy that. With fall upon us and the season of Harry Potter approaching, I present one of Christina's newest candles from the Wizarding Collection: Butterbeer.

Butterbeer- Notes: A delicious butterscotch concoction with marshmallowy foam and the slightest hint of rum. $12

Sihaya & Co. candles come in 8 ounce travel tins with a shimmer of beautiful glitter atop. The key with these candles is to keep the wicks trimmed and to burn as long as you can with the first burn. However, I will say that oftentimes I have not been able to burn for a hour or so and even though it seems like the candle will tunnel, if you keep burning at later times the heat from the tin will cause the wax to pool down into the bottom and it will level out mid-burn. I love these candles for my nightstand since they are smaller but I have been burning one in my kitchen and one in the living room too with nice results. I enjoy using the lids to snuff the candle out.

Butterbeer is a deep caramel laden dream with those sticky sweet butterscotch morsels tempered by that tiny hint of rum. I adore a butter rum scent and this is a tasty one. It throws strong in the kitchen. I have burned over half of it and I am seriously contemplating ordering another. It complements the spiced apple scents I have been melting in my wax tart warmer.

Of course I ordered the Pumpkin Juice candle as well and will feature it next. I also have several of the Halloween and Fall candles to discuss too. 

And the Harry Potter lipbalms. Yep, she made those too.

What candles are you burning?

Sawdust & Embers: Gray Willow

 This candle was sent free from Sawdust & Embers. All opinions are my own.

It has been a little while since I had a nice crackly woodwick. Lately I have been burning candles left and right and this one spoke back. I love my woodwicks and Sawdust & Ember is a great place to get artisan woodwick candles. 

I have found that I do love their tin candles the best. They burn evenly and throw amazingly. This one is the smaller travel version.

Gray Willow- Notes: Green tea, willow and moss.

Gray Willow throws medium-strong in a large area and paints the room with feathered gray and green brushstrokes. Billowing oakmoss is softened by ferns and weeping willow boughs that bend and trail their fingers through the dense river fog. This scent is beautiful and graceful, making for a serene and relaxing home atmosphere.

Sawdust & Embers is currently under some maintenance but the owner assured me it would be open very soon. 

Yesterday was my first day back at work. It was nice to see all the teachers smiling and hugging, greeting one another with genuine enthusiasm at the start of the year. I still have some jitters over getting started but I know once I get to know my kiddos it will all fall into place. 

Do you have a teacher you will never forget? What about them stuck in your heart?

Sea With Botanicals: Quoth the Raven Candle

Though this candle would indeed be perfect for a bleak December, its embers are welcome to glow in my home anytime. Do you remember my Sea Witch Botanicals soap in Quoth the Raven? I decided I wanted to make my first candle purchase from them in the same scent too. It arrived packaged carefully with nary a crack or gouge.

Quoth the Raven- Notes: A spicy blend of orange, cinnamon and clove. $25

This all natural wax blend (soy and rice bran oil) comes scented with essential oils and a wooden wick in an apothecary style glass jar with fitted lid. A raven looks quite handsome on the front of this 8 ounce candle. The wood wick lit beautifully and burns smoothly and easily with minimal noise or need for trimming. The scent wafts out beautifully at about a medium-strong throw in a larger area. The scent of pomanders instills a cozy environment in the home. 

The wax pools deep and amber hued which matches the fragrance perfectly. I look forward to continuing my explorations of Sea Witch Botanicals' candle line. 

Do you have any favorite all natural candles?

Sawdust & Embers: Fern Canyon Candle

This candle was sent free from Sawdust & Embers. All opinions are my own.

Sawdust and Embers Fern Canyon tin candle for $18 burns for 55 to 60 hours and smells divine.

Fern Canyon- Notes: Wild fern leaves, wood rose and sweet grass are joined with ginger and patchouli essential oils.

Another brilliantly burning woodwick. I love how reliable these tins are from Sawdust and Embers. Trimming the woodwick is important but if proper candle maintenance is observed, a perfect flame emerges every time. The scent on this one is ideal for the transition into spring. The rustic rose and wild sweet grasses join the fougere to build an accord that mimics the feathery and billowing ferns that grow alongside stately redwood trees of yore. Of course it is a green scent but more rambling flora and tree bark and boughs rather than something artificial trying to be "green." It throws medium-light in a large living area and a solid medium to medium-strong in the bedroom. It is wonderful and a refreshing change of pace after all the heavy holiday scents. Don't the let the rose run you off, it portrays more as a living plant than a strong bloom and fits in beautifully.

Use the code: REDOLENT for 10% off if you decide to give a candle from Sawdust & Embers a go. 

What scents do you start to crave in the spring time? I am thinking nag champa, some herbs, florals and maybe vanilla to smooth my way into these warmer days. 

Hand to Earth Ceramics: Luminis

Deanna, the artist behind Hand to Earth Ceramics, recently took the leap to being a full-time potter and I am thrilled for her! She has been testing glazes, creating new items and trying her hand at new art pieces. One of her new creations is featured above, these adorable luminaries called luminis.

A tealight candle fits perfectly inside and casts the most magical illuminations.

I picked up a whimsical moon moth and starry sky full moon lumini.

These are simply magical.

I think if Deanna ever decided to make a wax tart warmer I would drift off to heaven.

Right now I am happy just gazing at these ladies. 

Do you use tealights? Any favorite indie tealight candle vendors? Luminary makers?

Sawdust & Embers: Oak Grove Candle

The candle was sent to me by Sawdust & Embers free. All opinions are my own.

Oak Grove- Notes: Oakmoss, amber, grapefruit, rose, with orange blossom and sage essential oils. $30

Sawdust & Embers knows how to craft a polished wooden fragrance like no other. This amber glass apothecary jar candle holds 8.5 ounces of wax and burns 60-65 hours. The coconut wax blend holds intense fragrance and the woodwick burns strong and boisterously. Love it. The oakmoss and amber shine brightest with golden hues and rustic elegance. It is a classic aroma that creates a sophisticated environment. The rose and citrus and herbs convey a sparkling effect, almost like aldehydes, but they only gild the edges allowing the amber and oakmoss to bloom to their best. The throw is medium-strong in a large room and strong in a smaller room. This is one I would scoop up again in a heart beat.

Use the code REDOLENT for 10% off your order at Sawdust & Embers. 

What candles are you burning?