My North Pole elf powers have taken a serious hit in the past few years. In 2016, I had to repurchase two gifts due to damage. This year, I received two damaged gifts and was only able to successfully replace one. The other was a handmade, custom item and arrived twice in terrible condition due to measurement issues; I chose to walk away with a refund rather than risk receiving a third defective product. Seriously, what has happened to me?? Gifting used to be my cup of tea, and now I can’t seem to climb out of the funk I’m in. I carefully observe the recipients so I can pick the perfect gifts; I make an airtight budget so I can save and spoil my loved ones; and I buy from trustworthy sources (eBay has disappointed me one too many times). I’m still satisfied with my 2017 gifts, but I can’t help feeling disappointed. On top of my misery, I can’t see Star Wars: The Last Jedi until Monday night. UGH!!! On the bright side, I have a day off (from my retail job) to relax a little bit. Even though I have a to-do list of work that has to get done, I will definitely be squeezing in some baking, Christmas movies, & reading. Happy Saturday!
It finally happened. My Scrooge veneer cracked, and I shed a Christmas tear. Yes, it was a cheesy Hallmark movie. No, I don’t feel any shame. It might’ve had something to do with staying up until 3am the night before, but we’ll ignore that detail and say that I was overcome by the spirit of December. I also want to give credit where credit is due. Finding Santa was a good movie, and that’s saying a lot considering I don’t often enjoy a new offering from Hallmark, otherwise known as Christmas Incorporated. 😂 I’ll add to the good news by announcing the arrival of grandma’s cookies. See?! December isn’t a total loss yet. My elf ears are starting to perk up, and we still have a little over one week of celebration left. 🎉
My sincerest apologies for the delay of Blogmas 2017. By the time I got an ounce of motivation, the busiest season of retail had started and unfortunately required most of my time. I finally have some time off, and after a day of catching up on Vlogmas editing, I’m snuggled up on the couch watching The Nanny with my mom. Hopefully my elf ears will make an appearance and my holiday spirit reignite because life without Christmas decorations and cheesy Hallmark movies isn’t worth living. I hope your holiday season is off to a great start. I promise I will try my very best to stay positive and blog often this month. 😉
Today I am reviewing products from Anthology Candles, a company owned by Rheney Williams and her husband Stephen. Their soy products are whimsically inspired by music, movies, & books. Keep reading for information on their candles, mini candles, & wax tarts. My Youtube review video will be posted at the end for those of you who want to see the products in action.
The top white layer is clean river water; the middle lavender layer is a floral blend; and the bottom purple layer is a mixture of flowers & water. There is no need to burn the candle down to smell each layer; it immediately smells clean and floral. If you like strongly scented candles that fill a room within minutes, this is not the product for you. It took an hour for me to smell the scent, and even then I had to remain within a foot or two to enjoy it. Once it is burnt, the candle’s scent is hidden by the smell of burnt wick. As time goes on, the scent comes back and gets stronger. The draw of this candle is definitely the aesthetic. The design, inspired by the lantern scene in the Disney film Tangled, is spot on. The white wax becomes transparent when burning and makes the candle appear as though it is a lantern. The effect is mesmerizing! If you are planning a Tangled party, think about investing in these candles and creating your very own “Floating Lanterns” scene.
• Find the candles here: https://anthologycandles.com/collections/candles
Instead of purchasing more big candles, I got a sampler pack of four mini candles. Belle’s Library is aged library books, hint of leather, & wild roses. To me, it smells nutty with a hint of rose. My nose is obviously confusing the smell of old books for nuts. I don’t know of any other way to describe it. It just smells nutty! Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is bakery cakes with vanilla icing, chamomile tea, and a twist of cinnamon. I do smell cinnamon and occasionally vanilla but mostly an icee. I know that sounds crazy but it’s true! Part of Your World is crisp coastal breeze & warm golden sand. I smell a blend of vanilla & flowers, and the strength of the scent reminds me of Bath & Body Works products. Tink’s Flight is fresh verbena, sweet coconut, & tangy lime. I smell every single one of those notes. The scent is sweet & sour just like Tinker Bell. Time for the bad news. The wicks are folded down in the packaging so when it comes time to light them, zip zilch NADA! I had to trim the wicks a little bit and wipe them gently with a paper towel; I wasted a lot of matches before finally getting flames. Once lit, the candles look pretty but don’t smell at all. These sampler candles are fine if you plan on testing the scents without flame. It might be a better investment to know what scents you like and buy a few big candles.
• Find the mini candles here: https://anthologycandles.com/collections/sample-packs
* Note: Wax tarts are cubes of scent-infused wax. Once placed in a warmer (e.g. Scentsy), the heat melts the wax and releases the scent.
I bought one sampler and received four different wax tarts. Rivendell is amber, oakmoss, twilight woods, & woodland foliage. I wish I could tell you that my dream of being a Middle Earth elf was fulfilled by this product. Alas, it smells like play-doh, and the warmer is no help at all. However, due to circumstances I cannot explain, the scent is improving. There is hope yet! Soaring Over is orange blossoms, orange groves, and salty sea breeze. The scent is inspired by the Disney park ride Soaring Over California. It smells of oranges and takes me right back to my childhood in Orange County. The Black Pearl is cannonball smoke, mildewy wood, musty “pirates” water, & salty sea breeze. I did not like this funky scent at first. All you smell is must, mildew, and smoke. Surprise of the year, it smells much more pleasant in the warmer. If you aren’t into scents that are clean, floral, and/or sweet, this scent might float your boat (get it?!). Wilderness Lodge is campfire and a forest tree mix of juniper, pine, & spruce. This spicy forest scent will be p-e-r-f-e-c-t for Christmastime. Overall, I am very happy with the scents I purchased. However, much like the candles, it takes an hour or more for the scent to be recognizable, and it does not fill the room; you have to be within a few feet of the warmer to enjoy the scent.
* Rivendell scent description courtesy of http://ritareviews.net/2015/11/anthology-candles-spotlight-lord-of-the-rings/ *
• Find the wax tarts here: https://anthologycandles.com/collections/wax-tarts
Conclusion:
The novelty of Anthology Candles is attractive. I would recommend their products for two things:
1. The candles and wax tarts are best enjoyed in close proximity (e.g. bedside table or living room side table).
2. I have seen the candles used as decor all over Instagram, especially on bookshelves.
My overall experience was good. There are only a few changes I would suggest.
1. There are descriptions on the website for the candles but not the wax tarts. This works out fine if the wax tart happens to have a candle, but if it doesn’t, there is no way of knowing what the scent is. Also, the packaging gives no indication of the scent.
2. The mini candle sampler packs are not customizable. There are three packs available, each with a set group of candles. I am not sure of the possible complications, but it would be nice to have a customization option in the future.
3. The wax tarts can only be purchased in groups of four. Once again, a customization option would be nice in the future.
4. These products would be much more enjoyable and worth the money if the scents were stronger.
• My review video:
• If you’re interested in more information on Anthology Candles, here are some links to get you started:
I am off work today so the only things on my to-do list are PJs, Christmas movies, and blogging. Even though Hanukkah is in full swing and Christmas is 15 days away, I am in holiday limbo right now. Perhaps starting the festivities early really is a December buzzkill. Either that or my long, emotional year full of changes is taking its toll on my mentality. Oy vey!! I love Christmastime. I’m pretty sure there is elf somewhere in my heritage. Why oh why is the Christmas struggle real right now??! I’m sorry readers. Despite my attempts to be holly jolly, I’m only human. That’s what this blog is all about, me being myself. Unfortunately that includes mood swings. ;) Perhaps eggnog, Chinese food, and quality time with my brother will boost my spirit. :D
Happy December 3rd readers! Despite the cloudy weather I experienced today, my Christmas spirit is not drenched (See what I did there??). I actually enjoy cold, rainy weather. The first half of my day was spent doing laundry. Exciting stuff. However, a mommy-daughter lunch at Coco’s made up for 3 1/2 hours of washing, drying, and folding. After that, we made a quick stop at the store for some essential groceries A.K.A. salted caramel hot chocolate and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. What is it about the holidays that makes our shopping carts so unhealthy?? One word: tradition. That one word can justify all things unhealthy, ranging from eggnog and hot chocolate to cookies and pies. Well, it doesn’t really justify, but, in the spirit of Christmas, the details are blurred. Some say “Holiday calories don’t count.” Tell that to my body when it is screaming from pain after post-Christmas workouts. Thank God Christmas only happens once a year. Oh the struggle!!
Only 22 days until Christmas. Stay merry readers!!
– Lauren Michele :)
“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. ” – Buddy Hobbs, “Elf”
Lauren Michele ❤️ 
