Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Scented Candles

I love a good scented candle.  The problem is, good candles usually cost more than I like to spend. 

Well, recently I read on somebody’s blog how much they like Walmart’s Mainstays candles in Pumpkin Spice and Hazelnut Cream.  I’m sorry, I can’t remember who it was; if it was you please let me know.

Now trust me, I’ve been down the candle aisle in Walmart before.  I’ve sniffed, but I’ve never purchased.  In my experience, cheap candles aren’t worth it.  But, based on the recommendation, this time I picked up a Pumpkin Spice and a Hazelnut Cream in the little $1 jar.

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Okay, yum!  Not only are the scents really good, but you can actually smell them while they’re burning!  I mean, you can smell it on the other side of the room!  And they won’t bust your budget.  I also think it’s nice that they have easy-to-peel-off labels; I hate it when you try to peel a label and half of it refuses to come off.

There were all sizes and shapes available:  pillars short and tall, jars, triple wicks.  Other than the $1 jars (about the size of a votive), the only one I remember for sure is that the triple wick in a jar (about 4” diameter x 2or3” high) was $3, which I thought was a pretty good price for a candle that size.

(I must throw in here that I got a pumpkin spice candle at Target recently; it doesn’t smell nearly as good, and I haven’t really noticed that the scent carries much at all while it’s burning.)

If pumpkin or hazelnut isn’t your thing, there are probably a dozen other scents.  Try one next time you’re at Wally World.

Candle tips:

  • Trim the wick to about 1/4” before you light the candle each time; long wicks smoke.
  • Let jar or pillar candles burn for at least two or three hours before extinguishing;  it will burn more evenly and not leave a tunnel down the middle.

And you don’t need this one, but since I don’t want any lawsuits:

  • Don’t leave a burning candle unattended.

16 comments:

Michelle @ Dream Home DIY said...

Oh I will have to give these a shot! Normally Im a Yankee girl, but they get so darn pricey.

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Thanks for the tip, Holly!! I can't smell (ever!), so I never know what to do about candles. I usually ask someone in the store to recommend one for me. ;) I'll be checking WM out soon!

kristin said...

I used to always buy Walmart candles because I never had the money to buy anything more expensive, I have always loved their candles, I thought they had good smells and throws for the money. I have recently been buying from Yankee and Bath & Body Works. I wait until they are on sale though for that, or look for Yankee at Marshalls or TJ Maxx, but for me I love the cooking scents, like the cookies, or vanillas, pumpkin or spices, so to me they all smell about the same.

Pam @ bibbidi-bobbidi-beautiful said...

Hi Holly! While at a friend's house the other day I fell totally in love with the smell of her Yankee tartlett- I believe the scent was apple cider? Then at tarjay I noticed that they have a line of yankee candles made for target. They were still pretty pricey, but I found a scent that smelled so much like my friend's tartlett- I think it's called hot apple pie? So I bought the tiny size (slightly larger than a tea light) for less than $2 and used it as a tartlett if that makes sense. I had a little fondue warmer thingy at home which was roughly the same size as the tartlet warmers, so I just put the new (unwrapped) candle in the top with a plain lit tealight underneath. It worked like a charm and I'll be able to use it over and over. When the candle melted I just picked out the wick. It made the whole house smell wonderful. I could even smell it the next day.

Elle said...

I'm a scented candle junkie, particularly when it comes to fall/winter baking scents. I'm definitely going to venture out to Walmart today in search of these. Yum!

Charlene said...

I used to buy candles from Walmart all the time because it was all I could afford. At the time they were ok and did the job. Then I switched to Yankee and B&BW, and while they're great candles, I wasn't loving spending the money on them. About a month ago while browsing through Walmart I walked down the candle aisle and found quite a few great smelling candles and picked up a few of those $1 jars...now I'm addicted. I love that they're so cheap but you can actually still smell the scent! I love having a candle burning every night during the Fall and Winter, but always felt guilty burning through the $15-$20 candles so quickly. Now I don't feel guilty and have been enjoying lounging by candlelight in the evenings :)

Unknown said...

I just bought the fresh linen $1 candle yesterday and love it! Think I'll go back for a few more today!

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

Oh yes! I LOVE those candles and pumpkin spice is my FAVORITE! I buy them up this time of year because they don't carry them year round!!

Lou Cinda :)

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

I mean I buy up the pumpkin spice scent...they are seasonal....lol

Lou Cinda :)

Richella Parham said...

I do love scented candles. . . my favorite is the Leather candle made by DeeJay's candles (also very economically priced), but this time of year I do yearn for "fallish" smells. I need to give these a try!

Lacey McKay said...

I bought a few of those last year and I was pleasantly surprised as well! Thank you for reminding me!

Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on Top said...

The pumpkin spice scent from Walmart is my FAVE! Now, I used to be a candle snob because I sold Partylite and they had THE best pumpkin candle. That was years ago though. Then a couple years ago in fall I searched and searched for a good pumpkin scent. I couldn't even find one at Yankee (and you know they are so expensive). I finally found these at Walmart. And they are so cheap. I buy the big package for $10 and it includes two large jars and three of the small ones like you bought. Just $10! That's the right price for me. :)

Katie Perdue said...

One of my all time favorite candles is Walmart Mainstays "Mulled Cider" ....it just makes my entire house smell cozy and warm. Plus its a scent you can use all fall and all winter. I feel funny burning pumpkin scented things past Thanksgiving! Happy candle hunting! :)

willowbird35 said...

I sometimes buy Walmart candles because they are cheap. I have a pretty stinky pillar burning right now for fall. I bought it for the color but the scent is NOT good! LOL Yet I burn it anyway? Hmmm.. Anyway...I will definately check out Pumpkin spice & Hazelnut Cream. When I want to splurge, I only buy Gold Canyon Candles, which are sold only by independent sellers. They smell awesome and are very oily candles which I find makes the scent even more intense. I used to buy Yankee but when I discovered Gold Canyon, I was won over! - Karen

Pretty Little Things for Home & Life said...

What a coincidence! I just picked up 2 of these candles from Walmart. I was going to get the gift pack with two large jar candles and 3 votives, but I couldn't decide which scents, so I bought a hazelnut 3 wick and a clean cotton jar and I love them both!! I will definitely be going back for more!

Charity said...

I've already burned through my first purchase of the Pumpkin Spice candle and I'm well into my 2nd purchase. They have a set for @$11 that has two large jar candles and three of the smaller votive sized jars - what a deal. Also, their apple cider candle - perfect for Christmas. Not too cinnamony, just really yummy smelling.