Halloween Spooktacular - Candy Corn

Happy Halloween fandles! As a special trick or treat I wanted to conjure up a picture post on a creepy candle classic, Candy Corn...

UK  fandles will probably be unfamiliar with Candy Corn, but American ghouls and ghosts will instantly recognise this traditional Halloween candy. Yankee Candle describe this frightening fragrance as "the familiar sweet scent of candy corn & is a fond reminder of Halloween fun and treats".

I think Candy Corn has such a distinct Scent and personally find it to be a real smokey fragrance. There is a sweetness too which floats through on cold sniff. In fact, you could say the overall scent is quite haunting.

As with yesterday's post on another classic Halloween Yankee Candle fragrance, Witches' Brew (you can read that post HERE) the design on this jar is from the 2015 limited edition collection. I think the designs are a real scream and the orange glass jar is utterly spooktacular.

The 2016 design of Candy Corn is readily available online & on the highstreet. This particular design is available at select retailers online.

I hope all you haunts reading this have a not-so-happy Halloween. I'm sure you will all have a chilling time. Come back soon, I'll be dying to see you again...

Follow me on Twitter: @YankeeFandle and Instagram: YankeeFandle

Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.

#ScentSunday - Witches' Brew

To celebrate the scariest time of year, #ScentSunday this week is the utterly spellbinding Witches' Brew.

Each year Yankee Candle release a limited edition collection of their Halloween fragrances Witches' Brew and Candy Corn. Fandles are treated to a spooky new design and this Halloween even saw an additional fragrance join the set, Forbidden Apple, that fandles have been dying to try.

Yankee Candle describe Witches' Brew as "The spicy sweet aroma of exotic patchouli casts a captivating spell!" It really does have a deep spicy fragrance to it that is pretty strong even without burning. I have melted a Wax Melt of this over the past few days to get in the spirit of Halloween and it has a real hit of fragrance to it. It's deep and mysterious and perfect for any witch (or wizard for that matter).

This particular jar is from Yankee Candle's 2015 range. I love how the glass is eerily dark and fades into a smokey grey, it really adds another ghoulish dimension to the limited edition labels and fragrance.

You can pick up this design jar at a few online retailers, but the 2016 set is readily available, even on the highstreet... You better be dead quick though.

Why not jump on your best broom and float on by tomorrow for some trick or treating and catch my post on another Halloween favourite fragrance, Candy Corn.

Follow me on Twitter: @YankeeFandle and Instagram: YankeeFandle

Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.

Yankee Candle shop-a-rama!

For a while I have wanted to write a post about the sites and stores that I like to shop at when I'm buying my Yankee Candles. I don't know about you, but I love a bargain, and I mean LOVE a bargain. Mummy fandle raised me well to sniff out the best deals and always get the most for my dosh. Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse to paying full price for something that I really want, but put it this way... I shop around. So, where do I buy my Yankees? read on to find out.

House of Harris

I buy quite a lot of my Yankee Candles from House of Harris. They often do fantastic offers and recently I managed to snap up two large jars for £30 with free postage. I placed my order on Friday night and they were delivered on Monday... MONDAY!  I could not believe how quickly they arrived.
House of Harris not only offer core fragrances but also Special Appearances and rare USA fragrances that are not readily available (these aren't cheap, but a great way to get your hands on ultra rare fragrances). houseofharrisgifts.co.uk

Temptation Gifts

I've shopped at Temptation Gifts a couple of times as they do great deals such as 33% off and always have 15% off the core fragrances. They even do multi-buy discounts and postage is free on orders over £49.99. temptationgifts.com

But... What if you're out and about on a shopping spree? Where can you stock up on your favourite fragrances?



Clintons

Clintons have stocked Yankee Candles for ages and a lot of their stores have been fitted with what I can only describe as an in-store mini Yankee store. They sell the core fragrances at the RRP, with their own selection of 'fragrances of the month' which differ from the official Yankee Candle fragrances.
Clintons also stock the odd exclusive line. Last year I managed to pick up a USA swirl jar, and this year they have the retired Red Berry & Cedar in an exclusive gift box. clintonsretail.com

Love Aroma

Love Aroma seemed to appear out of nowhere, and I love them! They not only have a website but they also have stores in loads of shopping centres. I bought mummy fandle her very first Scenterpiece from Love Aroma. The staff are always really friendly and know their stuff. But the best thing about Love Aroma is the loyalty card! Next time you pop in to one of their stores, definitely pick one up.
I've been in many a Love Aroma store including Lakeside, Meadowhall and even Grimsby! lovearoma.co.uk

But what if you are unsure about what fragrance you'll like?

Wax Addicts

Well, for those who like to sample different scents or fans of wax melts, then you should check out WaxAddicts.co.uk.
Not only does this site have an extensive hub of Yankee information for UK and USA releases past and present, info on QVC shows, competitions and news articles; but also a store which stocks a huge selection of crumble pots. For those who have never heard of crumble, it's broken up pieces of wax that is stored in a pot and melted in a wax melt burner. Not only do Wax Addicts have new Yankee Candle fragrances available, but also retired fragrances, rare scents and USA fragrances! Check them out! waxaddicts.co.uk

Saving my go-to Yankee destination until last, my favourite place to get my Yankee Candles is...

QVC

Anyone who reads this blog or follows me on Twitter will know that I am a HUGE fan of the shopping channel QVC. For over 12 years they have stocked Yankee Candles selling not only core fragrances, but also rare treasures, exclusive labels, Special Appearances, accessories, reed diffusers, MeltCups... the list goes on.
Price, service and selection are all fantastic when it comes to shopping with QVC but what I really love are the shows. Brand ambassadors Steven (@StevenYankeeQVC) and Rosa (@candlerosa) are incredible at describing the fragrances. They are experts and not afraid to give their honest opinion on fragrances. The shows are really fun and interactive with fandles tweeting in their questions, requests and photos which get read out throughout the shows.
Currently there's 91 different sets on QVC for fandles to get their hands on, so not only a huge selection of items, but also great prices. Granted, the delivery cost is pretty hefty compared to online retailers, but your items are well packaged in chunky cardboard boxes, delivered by a Hermes courier and you get email notifications on the day they'll be dispatched.
Anyway, delivery aside, QVC run a daily deal called Today's Special Value (TSV), and what this means is one specific item is available for 24 hours at the lowest price that you'll ever see it on QVC. This Saturday (29th October 2016) is a Yankee Candle TSV which launches at midnight and will be shown throughout the day.
QVC also do a deal called a One Time Only (OTO) which generally only lasts for one hour after the last time a TSV has been aired. Sometimes you might even see an OTO at a random time in the day. Like with the TSV, an OTO will be the lowest price you'll see an item on air.
If an item is new, it generally will be launched with an 'introductory price' so keep an eye out for this as the item will not stay at this price and will go up after a certain amount of time.
As well as these bargains, you can also get a lot of items on Easy Payments. These are interest free monthly payments in either 2, 3 or 4 instalments. (I cannot resist an easy payment!) It is such a fab way of spreading the cost without having to use your credit card. qvcuk.com

There's plenty of other retailers that stock Yankee Candles (including Yankee Candle directly online and in-store) but these are the sites and stores that I shop at myself.

One site that I would NOT recommend is Very.co.uk. They not only overcharge for their sets (a jar of Verbena and an Illumalid for £45... SERIOUSLY?!) but I have had countless orders cancelled with NO notice or email to tell me. I have even pre-ordered an item, been charged straight away, received a delay email and then 28 days later received a cancellation refund. Not only this but awful service, I once had a query so used their online chat option. I was given an answer and then told to call them directly, called them and was told something completely different... Be WARNED!

If you have a favourite place to buy your Yankee Candles, let me know in the comments box below.

Follow me on Twitter: @YankeeFandle and Instagram: YankeeFandle

Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.

#ScentSunday - Star Anise & Orange

Over the past few weeks I have been reviewing the latest Yankee Candle collection, Holiday Party. Today is the final post on the fragrances, so to complete the set, this weeks post is Star Anise & Orange.



Star Anise & Orange sounds to me like such a classic Christmas scent conjuring up memories of fragrant festive food and hanging my Christmas stocking on Christmas eve. Out of the four fragrances in the collection, I thought this one sounded the most 'traditional' by the title. So, what does it smell like?

If you are a fan of aniseed and liquorice, then you will love this one. The star anise dominates this fragrance and on first sniff it was the only fragrance that I could pick up on. The top notes listed in the scent description are orange and mandarin, but I don't think these are the stand out scents. It took a while until I could pick up on any citrus notes but, as ever, they are a true to life citrus.

One thing that I love about Yankee Candle is the vast selection of fragrances they offer. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; not everyone is going to enjoy EVERY fragrance they create, and this is one of those cases. I was hoping for a real orange fragrance with a festive spice to it, but I just can't get past the powerful note of the star anise.

Yankee Candle have decided to use quite a sandy camel coloured wax which I think works really well with the overall fragrance. The image on the label is dominated by the orange and I think it would have been a better representation of the fragrance to include more of the star anise.

If you can't get through Christmas without a box of Liquorice Allsorts, then this could be the fragrance for you. Also, if you want to get a real mix of fragrances to burn over the festive period, then this would be a nice and unsual addition to your selection.

Is it for me? No, but I think the Holiday Party collection is fantastic as it includes sweet, fruity and spicy fragrances. You can read reviews of the other fragrances in the collection by clicking HERE for All Is Bright, HERE for Macaron Treats and HERE for Festive Cocktail,

Star Anise & Orange is available from Yankee Candle HERE in all standard wax formats,

What are your thoughts on Star Anise & Orange? Will you be burning it at your Holiday Party? Let me know in the comments box below.

Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.

#ScentSunday - Festive Cocktail

With two fragrances left to review of Yankee Candle's latest Holiday Party collection, I decided to ask Twitter what fragrance they preferred out of Festive Cocktail and Star Anise & Orange, the winner would determine which fragrance I would write about next. So, with 88% of the vote, #ScentSunday this week is... Festive Cocktail!

Festive Cocktail is a cranberry scent that has a subtle touch of pine to it. I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of cranberry fragrances as I often find them to be too tart, Festive Cocktail has a sweetness to it though which I was pleased about. If you read my review of the Festive Tipples set (you can read it HERE) I will point out that Cranberry Margarita from that set is much sweeter than Festive Cocktail, so if you thought that didn't have a strong enough cranberry note for your liking, then I think you'll really enjoy Festive Cocktail.

The pine note is extremely subtle but it is noticeable. It doesn't have the strong and traditionally 'Christmas' fragrance that Red Berry & Cedar has, but there is a slight similarity to the two (emphasis on the slight).

Personally, I wouldn't put Cranberry at the top of my list of go-to festive fragrances, but I know many people do, so for me this is actually the fragrance I would most likely burn at a Holiday Party. At the risk of sounding like an advert, I do think that Festive Cocktail has a lovely crispness to it which I think is quite elegant and would bring a touch of sophistication to any gathering.

The wax is a really bold red that fits perfectly with the Holiday Party theme. The oils are so visible in this candle which is a clear indication that this will have a gorgeous fragrance from start to finish. The image on the label looks so festive too which I love.

I've found the categorising for this collection to be quite interesting. Festive Cocktail is classed as 'food & spice' but I would personally have placed this in the 'fruit' fragrance family, or even the 'festive' category.


If you like your fresh fruity scents then you will love this one. If you can't go throughout winter without burning fragrances like Cranberry Twist, then why not give this one a go. It's a lighter alternative with a lovely subtle twist.

Festive Cocktail is available directly from Yankee Candle HERE in all standard wax formats, and fandles can rejoice, because Festive Cocktail is also available in a MeltCup format at select retailers too!

What are your thoughts on Festive Cocktail? Let me know in the comments box below.

Follow me on Twitter: @YankeeFandle and Instagram: YankeeFandle


Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.

Ginger Spice Cookie

I recently received my Sweet Treats trio set that I ordered from QVC and I just had to do a mini post to celebrate, so, as a Hump Day treat, I bring you... Ginger Spice Cookie.



Ginger Spice Cookie is a Special Appearance that is currently being stocked directly from Yankee Candle and other select retailers (links are below). I wrote about Special Appearances in my White Chocolate Apple post (which you can read HERE) if you are unfamiliar with what that means.

I love any Yankee Candle that has the word 'cookie' in the title, and this is no exception. I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of ginger in the world, but I have fallen in love with this fragrance as it has a real sugary sweetness to it. If you like the fragrances Gingerbread Maple and Gingerbread then, surprise surprise, you are going to adore this one. As with most ginger fragrances, there is a lovely heat to it, but it is not an overwhelming spice that will knock your socks off, it's a slight kick that is softened by the sweet sugar scent.

The image on the label is so cute! As a real foody fan I love the use of the cookies in the picture (or biscuits as I'd call them... Actually, this is a USA fragrance so lets stick with cookies). Ginger Spice Cookie is labelled as a Food & Spice fragrance, and boy did they get that right. I absolutely love the true to life ginger scent and when I was taking the photos, the scent of the cookies and the candle blended together perfectly.
The wax is a rich orange/brown colour with the usual bubbling on the top caused by all the amazing fragrance oils.

With Christmas round the corner, I'm sure lots of fandles will opt for this as a festive fragrance too. I think with the image on this one, it is a candle that should be burnt on the run up to December to get you in the festive mood. I personally will be placing this exclusively on my Treasure Wall.

Ginger Spice Cookie is available from Yankee Candle HERE or QVC in a Special Appearance trio HERE. The set also includes White Chocolate Apple and Berry Jam.

Do you love Ginger Spice Cookie? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below

Follow me on Twitter: @YankeeFandle and Instagram: YankeeFandle

Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.

#ScentSunday - Macaron Treats

A couple of weeks ago I posted the first in my set of reviews of Yankee Candle's latest collection. So, lets keep the Holiday Party going and take a look at what is definitely my favourite of the set... Macaron Treats.

If  you are a fan of your sweet, sugary and cakey fragrances then I can safely say you will love Macaron Treats. Described as "The classic Parisian macaron - sweet as can be and lighter than air, with notes of vanilla, almond and, of course, sugar" I couldn't agree more.

Now, I'm a huge foody fandle and have a real weakness for anything almond flavoured, so I was super excited when I saw the scent description. But does it live up to my expectations? One word: yes.

On first sniff I wasn't sure I was getting the almond top notes in Macaron Treats (as the overall fragrance is a sweet vanilla blend). So I went through my collection to find what would be best to compare it to. After sniffing foodie vanilla scents such as Christmas Cupcake, Snowflake Cookie and French Vanilla, it was much easier to pick up on the almond.
There's a good reason you'll see coffee beans in perfume stores, it's to shock your nose and retrain it after it's bombarded with scent. So be sure to give your nose a chance to recover and retrain when choosing your candles in store.

Whenever I sniff this candle it transports me to a gorgeous little bakery on Main Street USA in Disney World's Magic Kingdom but for many, it will take you straight to a french patisserie. A couple of fandles have asked if it's reminiscent of the US fragrance Bakery Air. I'd say this is sweet and luxurious while Bakery Air is much spicier, more cinnamon and pecans rather than vanilla.

I was a little surprised that Yankee Candle decided to use a bold green as the colour of the wax, but to be honest... I LOVE IT! It's so fresh and makes the colourful macarons in the image just jump out at you. I was also surprised that Yankee decided to place this in the 'festive' fragrance family too. I would be more than happy to burn Macaron Treats all year round, much like All Is Bright, another in this range that would be great all year round (you can read my review of All Is Bright HERE).

So would I recommend this? ABSOLUTELY! Sweet sweet goodness and yummy colour. If you can't go through the festive period without a Christmas Cookie candle on the go, then I'd say give this one a try. It'll satisfy any sweet tooth.

Macaron Treats is available HERE from Yankee Candle in all standard wax formats.

Follow me on Twitter: @YankeeFandle and Instagram: YankeeFandle

Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.

#ScentSunday - White Chocolate Apple

#ScentSunday this week is the gorgeously crisp White Chocolate Apple, a Special Appearance that was launched at the beginning of September alongside Ginger Spice Cookie and Berry Jam.

For those who are unfamiliar with what a Special Appearance is, it's a USA fragrance that is released in Europe for a limited period of time. Generally Yankee Candle release five sets of three special appearance fragrances throughout the year, so us fandles can get our hands on 15 harder to find fragrances to enjoy (and add to our treasure walls!)

White Chocolate Apple is an interesting one for me because I expected it to have a really sweet chocolatey scent with underlying apple notes, but in fact, apple is the immediate note, so you get that crisp sharpness straight away.

Quite a few fandles have tweeted me to say they only really picked up on apple notes. I think, much like me, we were all expecting an obvious cocoa chocolate smell. But let's not forget this is white chocolate which does have a completely different and distinctive smell. The more I sniff the more I get the silky creaminess of white chocolate, so give it a few sniffs when you're in your local Yankee store.

An added bonus to this candle is the similarity to one of my favourite festive fragrances, Sugared Apple. So if, like me, you miss Sugared Apple (which is now retired), or are keen to find a year-round alternative this might be the one for you.

Let's talk about the label...Gorgeous! It just looks so American which is exactly what I look for in USA Special Appearances, pure Americana. The image is so fun and really pops against the pure white wax.

White Chocolate Apple is available HERE from Yankee Candle, and HERE from QVC in a great set of three treasures.

What are your thoughts on White Chocolate Apple? Let me know in the comments box below.

You can follow me on Twitter: @YankeeFandle and Instagram: YankeeFandle

Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.