Fancy candle samples in Canada? Candle recs also welcome!
September 15, 2020 11:49 AM Subscribe
I would like to start lightly scenting my living spaces, but I'm fussy as heck and don't want to purchase a candle for $60 only to find out I hate it. Where can I buy small sets of sample candles? I bought one from LOHN and even though I wasn't nuts about any of the scents, the sample package was really convenient and nicely done. I saw Sephora has some Voluspa sets, but I am not a fan of that brand. I live in Canada and would prefer not to pay duty fees.
I prefer soft scents that are fairly sophisticated, but aren't too heavily floral or cloying. I love almond, dark ginger, musks, and powdery notes. I am not a big fan of vanilla or green tea scents.
I prefer soft scents that are fairly sophisticated, but aren't too heavily floral or cloying. I love almond, dark ginger, musks, and powdery notes. I am not a big fan of vanilla or green tea scents.
Best answer: I can't help with Canada-specific recommendations but if you wait a few weeks, cosmetics/home fragrance companies will be putting out holiday gift sets of miniature products out the wazoo. (And if you go back in January, you can snag a bunch of them on clearance!) In my experience, smaller manufacturers (like bigger than Etsy but not widely distributed at stores like Sephora) are more likely to offer sample sets, but are also more hit or miss in the quality of their scents. "Travel size" candles are also a thing, lots of fancy brands have them but they're usually still more of a commitment than "samples". That LOHN set looks like an exceedingly good deal!
Also perfume labels often do home fragrances as well. If you have a favorite perfume, you could start your search from a brand you know you already like. If you find a candle you're curious about, you might be able to find a sample of it in perfume (or soap or room spray or hand cream) form. It'll have a different punch as a perfume than as a candle, but at least you'll know if the scent is in the ballpark.
posted by yeahlikethat at 1:02 PM on September 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
Also perfume labels often do home fragrances as well. If you have a favorite perfume, you could start your search from a brand you know you already like. If you find a candle you're curious about, you might be able to find a sample of it in perfume (or soap or room spray or hand cream) form. It'll have a different punch as a perfume than as a candle, but at least you'll know if the scent is in the ballpark.
posted by yeahlikethat at 1:02 PM on September 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
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Indigo has some Mini Tin candles on sale right now for $5, although I'm not sure they have larger options so that might not be what you're looking for.
The Scented Market does a Candle Sample Pack that seems to update seasonally, it's 5 scents in mini jars for $49.99. They are Canadian and ship from Canada but only offer free shipping over $150.
Crate & Barrel has Illume Scented Mini Candles on clearance right now. (That's a .ca site but it looks like they dispatch from the US because they're charging pretty hefty shipping & handling, sorry.)
Two other avenues to explore -- some high end brands do a "travel candle" size that's smaller/cheaper than their full-sized counterparts -- Jo Malone is one, but the small/low cost candles are $48. And some brands offer wax melts, which are little cubes of scented you can melt yourself. This is one Canadian company with a bunch of options.
posted by kate blank at 12:56 PM on September 15, 2020 [1 favorite]