Keeping It Cosy with Illumine Candle Co | Vanilla Hazelnut, Bakewell Tart & Enchanting Candles review

With temperatures plummeting once again this week, it's time to get all Hygge and cosy up with your favourite candles. If you're looking for some Shop Small inspo, why not treat yourself and bring some of the Illumine Candle Co into your home?

Instagram seems to be the place where I'm finding all of my new favourite small businesses right now and I couldn't resist having a look at the Illumine Candle Co when one of their ads popped up in my feed. From the get-go, this indie business immediately impressed me with a large range of beautiful luxury 3-wick, signature, and mini candles, as well as having their scents available as wax melts.

Hand poured in small batches in Devon, all of the candles are made from 100% natural soy wax, and are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, palm oil free, and paraben free. 

With such an interesting variety of fragrances to choose from, you are truly spoilt for choice! After much umming and ahhing, I added these three to my basket.

Illumine Candle Co Signature Candle in Vanilla Hazelnut (£16.50, 300ml, 50+ hours burn time)

If you know, you'll know that I'm a sucker for sweet scents and a bargain, so of course I was drawn to the 'Candle Of The Month' which for February is Vanilla Hazelnut. Oh my goodness, this fragrance is decadently sweet, warm and cosy! As the name suggests, it's a delicious blend of creamy Chestnuts and Hazelnuts and there are some lovely soft and spicy notes of Cinnamon, White Ginger, Clove and a tiny hint of Coffee, to prevent it from being too sickly sweet. These are layered over a whipped Vanilla base which is really sublime. Grab one now whilst it's 20% off for just £12.38!

Illumine Candle Co Mini Candles in Bakewell Tart & Enchanting (£6 each, 75ml, 15+ hours burn time)

One of the few advantages of having an extremely tiny bathroom is that mini candles are perfect to use in there when you're having a long hot soak in the bath. With this in mind, I picked up two of Illumine's minis to try out and just like the larger signature candle above, these have an impressive scent throw and are great to use in small spaces. 

Bakewell Tart smells exactly how you expect; you get all of those yummy sweet and fruity notes coming through with that classic Vanilla, Almonds and Cherries fragrance that I can never get enough of. 

Enchanting on the other hand is completely different and is more like a luxury perfume with top notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit and Cassis, middle floral notes of Orris, Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Lily, and layered base notes of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Praline, Patchouli, Cedarwood and Musk. Wonderfully complex and unashamedly feminine, this one would make a great choice for Mother's Day!

Discover the full range at illuminecandleco.co.uk

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Christmas Gift Guide 2022: FOSS Candles - Icelandic Christmas & Icelandic Café Gift Sets review #ShopSmall

 

What's that you say, a second candle feature in this year's gift guide?! Well, who can blame me - candles just scream Christmas and I wanted to throw a special spotlight on this small company called FOSS Candles.

FOSS is an interesting indie brand as it's been created by a half-British, half-Icelandic couple from Lancaster. Their natural, vegan-friendly, soy wax candles are handmade in their studio and inspired by the nature and beauty of Iceland. In fact, 'foss' means waterfall in Icelandic, and these beautifully scented candles will transport you to the wild wonders of the land of ice and fire. 

I have truly fallen in love with FOSS as I adore Iceland - it really doesn't get any more Christmassy does it?! They have lots of scents to choose from, however, these two gift sets below are just perfect for the festive season.

FOSS Icelandic Christmas Gift Set (£18.95)

Comprising of three 60ml mini candles, FOSS' Icelandic Christmas Gift showcases their most popular seasonal scents so that you can fill your home with the most Christmassy vibes possible. Each candle has a burn time of around 10 hours so it's a good value-for-money option too.

Jólagõgg is the name for Icelandic mulled wine and this candle is bursting full of juicy Berries, uplifting Orange, and warming Festive Spices. It's a proper hug-in-a-mug type of fragrance to keep you cozy on a cold winter's night. 

Jólataré means Christmas Tree in Icelandic so you can expect notes of the freshest Pine and Nordic Spruce. If you love revitalizing outdoorsy scents, this is the one for you.

Jól is the name for Christmas in Icelandic and this candle is basically that! It's the most traditional festive scent of Christmas Spices with an exquisite blend of Orange, Cinnamon, Ginger, Clove & Nutmeg.

FOSS Icelandic Café Gift Set (£22.95)

Coffee culture is a big part of the Icelandic lifestyle and Reykjavik is home to some of the cosiest cafés and bakeries that you'll ever find. Naturally, I was drawn to the Icelandic Café Gift Set as I love sweet & coffee scents, and of course, it didn't disappoint!

This duo has larger 120ml candles which boast a burn time of 24 hours each. Bakarí is a delicious fragrance of sweet Honey blended with Cinnamon and spiced Vanilla - it smells just like cinnamon rolls which you'll find freshly baked in abundance in Icelandic bakeries. Kaffi is a classic Coffee & Vanilla scent that's instantly comforting - it's hard to pick a favourite here!

FOSS Lava Melt Samples (£1 each)

I was pleased to see that FOSS offer some of their bestselling candle scents as soy wax melts as well and they have a handy try-before-you-buy sample range. For just £1, you can pick up one 5g soy wax melt which has a burn time of around 6-8 hours. It was difficult to not want to fill my basket with one of every scent, however, I opted for just five in the end, including one Jól melt for a friend.

The other four are Valhalla (smoky Whiskey, Orange and spicy Black Pepper), Norðurljós (the Icelandic word for Northern Lights - Lavender, Eucalyptus and Pomelo), Blóm (Wild Fig, Cassis & Tomato Leaf), and Víðsýni (Icelandic for panoramic vista - an interesting blend of Coconut Leaf, Orange, Ginger, and White Tea).

Shop the full range at fosscandles.com

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Christmas Gift Guide 2022: Gift Wild Organic Cotton Wash & Shopping Bags review #ShopSmall

 

Shop small this Christmas with Gift Wild; an independent family and friends-run business which creates wonderful, unique eco-friendly cards and gifts that help to support conservation projects.

With 10% of all sales donated to conservation charities, Gift Wild is a feel-good business to make your ethical and sustainable purchases from this year. Whether you're looking for Art Prints, Cards, Cushions, Bags, or Notebooks, these nature-inspired gifts are a thoughtful gift for the receipent and the environment. Orders are sent without any plastic packaging to further help the planet which is always brilliant to see.    

I was delighted when Katy, the founder of Gift Wild, got in touch to ask if I'd be interested in including some of her products in my Christmas Gift Guide and she very kindly let me choose the two following gifts to feature.

Gift Wild Narwhal Washbag* (£17.99, link)

I always feel that toiletry and washbags are well received by fellow beauty and travel lovers, the latter of which sparks a little adventure as you can wonder where the receipent may take your gift on their next travels! Gift Wild have a lovely range of eco-friendly washbags which are made from organic, sustainably sourced and fair trade cotton. An intricate Narwhal illustration (original artwork by Penny Smallshire) adorns the front of the bag, whilst a gold-coloured zip finishes it off beautifully. Inside, the bag is kept simple and plain, with plenty of room for all of the essentials. 

Gift Wild Swift Bird Shopping Bag* (£19.99)

One of the most practical gifts is a good old shopping bag and you can never have too many of these to make sure that you're never tempted to pick up a plastic bag ever again! As seen in BBC Wildlife, this beautiful Swift Bird Shopping Bag features a large art print of two swifts by Penny Smallshire and would make a brilliant gift for an avid bird watcher; in fact 10% of the sale goes straight to the RSPB. This bag is an oversized A4 size with a thick, sturdy handle, so there's lots of space for your groceries, books or bird watching kit.

Like the washbag above, Gift Wild's Shopping Bags are made from the same organic, sustainably sourced and fairtrade cotton so they are excellent quality and are a far better option for the environment. 

Sign up to Gift Wild to get 20% off your first order and there's free shipping when you spend over £30. Shop the full range of gifts at giftwild.co.uk

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Currently Loving: Yogi Candle Studio Wild Heart Wild Berries Candle & Soy Wax Melts review #ShopSmall

 

The weather has turned surprisingly autumnal here in the UK this week, so I thought I'd throw the spotlight on a lovely independent business I discovered at a local vegan market a little while ago called Yogi Candle Studio.

Launched in the summer of 2020, Yogi Candle Studio was founded in a small kitchen by Katie who wanted to make some candles to use during her yoga practice. However, her hobby quickly grew into a full-time small business as the popularity of her products grew and her premises are now located in a bigger space within the Amerton Farm and Craft Centre in Stafford. 

All of Katie's products are handmade and hand poured at the farm and everything is made from 100% natural, vegan and cruelty-free ingredients. The brand prides itself on only sourcing ethical and sustainable plant-based waxes and oils, and all of their packaging is plastic-free and fully recyclable.

I was browsing a local vegan market in the area when I came across a stall for Yogi Candle Studio and the fragrance coming from it was incredible! Lined up was a good selection of candles and wax melts in lots of different scents, so naturally, I had to treat myself ;)

Yogi Candle Studio Wild Heart Candle (£12)

With so many gorgeous scented candles to choose from, I had a difficult time only choosing one and could easily have come home with all of them! After much deliberation, it was the Wild Heart Wild Berries scent that captured my own heart! Topped with dried flower petals, this candle is made from ethically sourced soy wax for a clean, non-toxic burn that has no palm oil or parabens. 

The sweet and fruity natural fragrance comes from a delicious blend of rich figs, dewberry, sweet raspberries, blueberries juicy black plums, layered on a base of patchouli, vetiver and musk. The standard 180g size has a burn time of 35+ hours and looks pretty wherever you choose to place it in your home.

Yogi Candle Studio Soy Wax Melts (3 bars for £10)

Next to the candles were all of Yogi Candle Studio's Soy Wax Melts and I picked up three bars in their £10 mix and match deal. Again, I was spoilt for choice when it came to choosing the scents and in the end, I opted for Sunrise (Coconut & Lime), New Beginnings (Cherry Blossom & Peony), and Refresh (Peppermint & Eucalyptus). 

Like the candles, these are also made from sustainably and ethically sourced soy wax which is palm-oil free, vegan, and cruelty-free. These bars are what I like to call the 'snap-apart-chocolate-style bars' and have a combined burn time of around 35 hours. I absolutely adore all of these scents and will definitely be purchasing more in the future!

Not local to Stafford? Shop online at yogicandlestudio.com

Have you discovered any local small brands in your area recently?

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Introducing: Chameleon Candles - Soy Wax Melts & Candles from Brighton, UK #ShopSmall

With an Artic blast currently sweeping across the country, there's no better time to wrap up warm on the sofa with a cuppa and Netflix, so why not enjoy some gorgeous home fragrance scents at the same time?

I was recently introduced to Chameleon Candles via Instagram (which coincidentally is where I seem to be discovering so many amazing small businesses at the moment!) by the founder Hani who got in touch with me to ask if I'd like to try out some of his products. Hani started to learn how to make candles, wax melts and stop motion animation when the pandemic began last year, as a way to find some positivity, creativity and inner peace in a world that was quickly being engulfed by panic, negativity and uncertanity. 

He named his small business Chameleon Candles as chameleons are well known for their ability to change their colour to adapt to whatever environment they're in, which suited Hani perfectly as he takes inspiration from nature and the changing seasons, as well as being able to adapt his products to produce candles and wax melts of all sizes, shapes and scents.

Hani very kindly sent me a selection of his amazing products to try and I'm thrilled to share them with you all below! Everything is handmade and poured in small batches in Brighton from natural plant-based wax for a clean burn.

Chameleon Candles Teddy Bear 3D Wax Melts* (box of 4, £11.95, link)

These adorable 3D Teddy Bear Wax Melts are some of the cutest products that I've ever been sent - they are almost too cute to actually use! Crafted from a blend of high quality, vegan-friendly plant-based wax and fragrance oils, each teddy bear weighs 50g so these will last a good while in your oil burner. 

In the box of four, you can select the fragrances that you'd like from an enticing list which includes Velvet Rose & Oud, Honey, Avocado Mint, Ruby Jasmine, Kir Royale and more. I was sent two beautiful teddies in Grapefruit & Lemon (very uplifting and citrusy) and Blackberry Jam (fruity and sweet). These really do pack a punch in the fragrance department and would make a beautiful gift for someone special.

Chameleon Candles Roses 3D Wax Melts (box of 10, £10.95, link) and Teddy Bear Wax Melts (box of 6, £4.45, link)

If you are as in love with rose scents as I am, you will of course love these 3D Rose Wax Melts which have a classic and timeless rose fragrance, and for those who are a budget or just want to try something out from Chameleon Candles, the Teddy Bear Wax Melts are a great affordable option where you try four different scents of your choice. The Honey and Oud scents are highly recommended!

Chameleon Candles Velvet Rose & Oud Medium Candle* (230g, £17.95, link)

Chameleon Candles truly excel at creating luxurious, clean-burning candles and they have a wide range of scents available, many of which are similar to popular women's fragrances. This Velvet Rose & Oud Candle is comparable to the much-loved fragrance of the same name by Jo Malone and features rich and textured notes of smoky Oud wood with sweet and creamy Praline, and spikes of spicy Clove. It's warm and inviting so perfect for lounge areas when you have guests over in the future, or for creating a sophisticated and cosy ambience for the evening. 

Beautifully presented with a dark wooden lid that doubles up as a coaster/stand and bearing the bronze wax seal logo of Chameleon Candles.

Discover the full range at chamcandles.com

Have you discovered any new small business that you love?

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