This week marks the *official* start of fall (although don't think I missed some of you fools declaring it fall on like August 28th), and we all know the best way to ring in the season is FALL CANDLES. I don't start feeling like it's fall out until the weather starts to drop into the 60's. It's been FEELIN' LIKE FALL the past week or so, so I'm officially in the mood! It's cooled down a lot sooner this year than last year, it felt like summer into October last year (it was 95° the day before our wedding!)
I didn't have many fall candles left over from last year, so I went a little ham on them the last time they were on sale at Bath & Body Works. Consider this a roundup of my favorites, and a review of some that are new to me! I'm including all of the notes for each of the candles as they're listed on the B&BW site because I know those are helpful when shopping online, although I will say some of them are not informative at ALL, so if you're on the fence about one but the notes sound bad, you might still like it! (P.S. My husband likes all of these candles, too!)
Another P.S: Bath & Body Works started making these BEAUTIFUL candles with solid-colored, matte jars with wax that matches perfectly (like this one). HOWEVER, I wanted to warn you before anyone purchases any of those, because I haven't had very good luck with that type burning well. I've had a handful of them, and wax just doesn't melt evenly, and rarely melts all the way to the edge of the jar, and I've had a couple of them drown their own wicks so they're not even burnable anymore (luckily they have a good return policy!) I'm picky about the way my candles burn, so I've stopped buying the ones like that. I didn't link to any of those below, but if you absolutely have to have one like that (because they ARE gorgeous), many of the scents I mention are available in that style, so go wild!
- Cranberry Woods (Tart Cranberry, Cinnamon Bark, Forest Cedar, Golden Amber): This candle has been around for years, but this was my first time purchasing it. It's going to be a staple for me! I've found that I love candles with cranberry, this one has a deep, almost woodsy scent, but the cranberry freshens it up. It's not an obviously "fall" candle, but it definitely suits the season and would make a great transitional scent.
- Pumpkin Apple (Red Delicious Apple, Fall Pumpkin, Fresh Ground Cinnamon, Clove Buds): This scent is exactly what it claims to be, pumpkin and apple! It's everything you could want from a fall candle: pumpkin, apple, and spice. I've passed this one up in previous years because it seemed like it would be sweet (I rarely pick up candles with any obvious ~gourmand~ elements), but decided to give it a try this year and I'm so glad that I did! It's not too sweet at all when burning, it's something that I would smell burning in a country store that would just make me so excited for fall.
- The Perfect Autumn (Fresh Cranberry, Spiced Pumpkin, Crisp Apple, Rich Clove): This one is classic fall, with a fresher twist. I didn't realize that it had cranberry in the notes, but that's probably one of the reasons that I love it so much. It has all of the classic fall spices, but it's not as heavy as other spice-based candles.
- Harvest Gathering (Fresh Picked Apple, Autumn Berries, Clove Buds): This is probably my favorite fall candle from Bath & Body Works! It's the quintessential fall fragrance; it has the freshness of apple perfectly balanced by the richness of spices, and it's just perfect to me.
- Leaves (Crisp Red Apple, Golden Nectar, Warm Clove Spice): If I had to guess, I would say that this is probably the most popular fall candle from B&BW. It's definitely a cult favorite, and for good reason. It has all of the warmth and coziness you could ever want in a fall candle, and it's strong enough to fill my two-bedroom apartment.
- Pumpkin Bonfire (White Pumpkin, a Bundle of Clove Buds, Glowing Ember): This candle is new to me, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I love it! I'd always wanted to try a less sweet version of "Marshmallow Fireside," and in my opinion, this is it! It's smoky and cozy, but has a sweet element that isn't TOO sweet.
- White Pumpkin (White Pumpkin, Autumn Spice Blend, Ground Cinnamon): Based on a lot of the other pumpkin-based candles from B&BW, I assumed that this one would be ultra-sweet (and in my opinion, yucky), but luckily, I was wrong! It's the perfect cinnamon-y pumpkin scent, it's not sweet and it's also not too strong, so if you prefer candles that don't drown your whole house in fragrance, this one is for you.
- Autumn Woods (Dark Walnut, English Lavender, White Amber): Kenny picked this one out, and if you like the more manly, cologne-y smelling candles, you'll love this one! It's strong but not overpowering, and while it's not specifically a fall fragrance, it's perfect for colder weather.
- Autumn (Bright Red Gala Apple, Juicy Fig, Eucalyptus Leaf, Fir Balsam): I'm a big believer in "transitional" candles, and this is the perfect one for summer to fall. It's very fresh and apple-y, and not super "fall," but the apple vibes still get you there without jumping straight into cinnamon and pumpkin mosh pit.
As if I didn't have enough three-wick candles, I also got a few single-wick ones. I like burning single wick candles in conjunction with three-wicks for a more customized fragrance, and I also like getting single-wicks for fragrances I've never tried before that I'm not sure I'll love.
- Apple Weather (Fresh Farmstand Apples, Lavender Leaves, Cinnamon Bark): If apple candles are your thing, this one is for you! It's a straight up fresh apple scent with the tiniest hint of lavender and cinnamon from the other notes, but it's pretty much pure apple to me. It's a really great fresh transitional scent, and also pairs well with other fall candles if you're burning two at once.
- Marshmallow Fireside (Toasted Marshmallow, Smoldering Woods, Fire Roasted Vanilla, Crystallized Amber): Like I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of sweet candles. BUT, this one is such a fan favorite that I finally had to try it! I like getting the single-wick version of candles that I've never had before and don't want to commit to a three-wick one just yet, and I'm glad I did that with this one. I do really like it, but it's definitely sweet enough that I don't think I'd like the strength of a three-wick. The "smoldering woods" note definitely gives it that campfire smokiness vibe that I appreciate, and it really does remind me of roasting marshmallows. Overall it's a good candle, just not necessarily for me!
- Sweater Weather (Fresh Sage, Juniper Berry, Aromatic Eucalyptus, Fresh Woods): Sweater Weather is another fan favorite at Bath & Body Works, and I can see why! It truly smells like a crisp, chilly fall day, and is unique from any of my other fall candles. I'll definitely be purchasing a three-wick version of it once I use the single-wick up.
Let me know what your favorite fall candle is, Bath & Body Works or otherwise!
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