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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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: Green Beetle Natural Skincare - Mood Booster Sugar Body Scrub & Pumpkin Spice Soy Wax Candle review

 

This week, I'd like to introduce Green Beetle, a small and independent natural skincare company based in Essex, UK. With a strong commitment to using as many natural and organic ingredients as possible in their products, they're an indie brand that I know you're all going to love!

Instagram is a great way to discover independent beauty and lifestyle brands, and as a blogger, I'm lucky enough to be introduced to new and exciting start-ups across that platform almost every week. My latest find is named Green Beetle who are starting out with a range of natural Body Scrubs, Body Souffles and Candles. 

All of Green Beetle's products are cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and handmade in small batches for optimum freshness. They are a proud member of the Guild of Craft & Toiletry Makers and in addition to their commitments to using natural and organic ingredients, they also look after the environment by choosing to package their products in glass and aluminium, both of which can be easily reused or recycled. Plus, their postage packaging is plastic-free too - yay!

I was kindly sent one of their Body Scrubs and a Soy Wax Candle to try out.

Green Beetle Sugar Body Scrub in Mood Booster* (260g, £12, link)

With five very tempting fragrances to choose from, Green Beetle's Sugar Body Scrubs are housed in large aluminium tins and feature an ultra-pampering creamy formula which emulsifies into an exfoliating lotion once water is added. A blend of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and Raw Cane Sugar form the base of this scrub, to which an uplifting selection of essential oils is added to help boost your mood. I love the mix of Sweet Orange, Palmarosa and Geranium which smells incredible.

These Body Scrubs are the perfect combination of removing dull dead skin with a rich and hydrated finish so that your skin doesn't feel dry or stripped afterwards. Instead, it feels silky soft without being greasy and the natural fragrance adds to the whole holistic pampering experience - it's safe to say that I'm a fan!

Green Beetle Soy Wax Candle in Pumpkin Spice* (small 90ml, £9, link)

Green Beetle's Soy Wax Candles are available in two sizes; small (packaged in aluminium) and large (packaged in glass) and are crafted from hand-poured, all-natural soy wax which is an eco-friendly and safer alternative to traditional paraffin candles. Each candle is blended with only 100% essential oils that have been carefully chosen for their aromatherapy benefits. Currently, there are four fragrances to choose from and with Autumn on the way, I just had to choose the Pumpkin Spice!

This exquisite fragrance marries together all the best Autumn scents with lots of spices such as Cinnamon and Clove, and an underlying sweetness from Orange coming through once lit. The small candles burn for up to 20 hours and would make fantastic stocking fillers this Christmas - definitely one to add to the shopping list.

Discover the full range at greenbeetleltd.com

Are you thinking about Christmas yet?

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Christmas Gift Guide 2019: Laouta All Natural Soy Wax Wood Wick Candles review

Candles are one of my favourite products to gift and to receive, so it made sense to begin this year's Christmas Gift Guide series with a spotlight on Laouta's beautiful luxury candles.

It's so easy to find incredible artisan candles these days - there really does seem to be a boom in this section of the market which means that us consumers are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing the perfect candle for that special someone this Christmas.

For this reason, I will be featuring a range of different brands during the run-up to the big day, but for now, let me introduce you to Laouta.

This small, family-run business is based in Greece and they have an array of natural and cruelty-free beauty products alongside a selection of artisan candles. All of Laouta's products are inspired by traditional Mediterranean recipes which pay homage to their heritage, and everything is made by hand in small batches using locally sourced handpicked natural ingredients. 

Free from parabens, stabilisers, synthetic dyes, synthetic ingredients, perfumes and preservatives, Laouta's products are proudly 100% natural and they have a strong commitment to the environment by ensuring all of their packaging is 100% recyclable or biodegradable. 

I have yet to try their beauty products (although they are on my to-try wishlist!) as it was their All Natural Soy Wax Wood Wick Candles which immediately caught my eye whilst I was browsing LoveLula.com one evening, so I knew I had to pick some up!

There were four or five different scents to deliberate over and I eventually chose Bittersweet Almond and Raspberry & Pomegranate. I was pleased to see that they arrived in plastic-free , cardboard packaging and they come housed in white handmade ceramic pots which can be re-used afterwards. 

Made from 100% natural, hand-poured soy wax which is carefully mixed with a premium fragrance oil blend, each candle weighs 200g and boasts a burn time of up to 30 hours. At the centre is a wooden wick and I absolutely love these because they produce a satisfying and cosy crackling sound when they're lit!

But I know what you're all thinking - what do these Laouta Candles smell like? Well, they smell just like their namesakes! Bittersweet Almond has a subtle, sweet marzipan and floral fragrance to my nose which is comforting and Christmassy, whilst Raspberry and Pomegranate has a fruity floral aroma going on with a little spice added in for good measure. The scent throw isn't wide which I found a little disappointing at first, but after an hour of burning, they will subtly fragrance a small room or living area without being overwhelming and most of the time, I want a candle to do just that.

Laouta All Natural Soy Wax Wood Wick Candles* (£25 each) are available from LoveLula.com

Will you be buying candles as gifts this year?

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