Hello, my name is Lisa and I have a candle hoarding problem. The first step is admitting you have a problem, the second is not caring and just buying more candles. If you have an addiction like mine, then you’ll be interested in today’s new subscription service: Flicker & Flame. They graciously sent me their August box to review.
Subscriptions cost $25.00 a month and when you sign up, you’ll answer a “few scent-related questions” that will help Flicker & Flame start building “your individual scent profile.” With that info and feedback they collect each month, they’ll “concoct scent combinations that you’re more likely to love.” Their candles are handmade from a soy wax blend and they use essential oils to create their scents.
A lovely little box arrived on my doorstep:
Inside we have a little note, fancy matches and a lovely gift box:
Flicker & Flame Candle – August 2015
Scent: Lily, Lavender, Bergamot & Ylang Ylang
Verdict: Miss
“Ylang ylang” is a “No, no”. As another blogger so perfectly put it, “Ylang ylang smells like grandma”. I love bergamot and lavender is great, but it just can’t offset the super strong and overpowering ylang ylang. This is a heavy floral and just doesn’t suit my tastes which lean toward clean citrus scents. I just received the box to review and didn’t get to fill out the profile with scent options so that should be factored into my receiving an item that just doesn’t suit me.
Overall, I have very mixed opinions on this subscription. I really wanted to love this sub because I adore scented candles and the idea of getting a new handmade one monthly is awesome, but I just don’t think this one matches up to the pricetag. I really like the snazzy matches and gift box, but the candle itself is too small and the design of the jar too generic for it to be worth $25. You can easily find a handmade candle with a more interesting jar or in a larger size, in the exact scent you want, for $25 or less. $25 is a lot to gamble on a scent you may or may not like and if I’d paid that much to receive a not so large candle in a super-overpowering scent I’d be really disappointed. I definitely see the appeal of this sub but I think it needs a bit of tweaking. I’d recommend the company either keep things the same and just lower the pricepoint to something that matches up better to the product (like $15), or revamp their system so that subscribers can choose their own candle option each month from the available scents.
What do you think of scented candles? Love them? Hate them?
THE BACKSTORY
When you sign up with Flicker & Flame, every month you will receive a edition, custom scented, soy-blend candle delivered right to your door.
A subscription from us takes the guesswork out of choosing scents – we send candles from our ‘Customer Favorites’ range that match the changing seasons. Choose the length of the subscription you’d like to purchase, and we’ll make sure that special someone gets a handmade, high quality candle each month.
A gift subscription includes one 10oz candle every month, with a burn time of over 40 hours, delivered straight to their door for no added cost.
Subscriptions cost $25/month
Lisa Preziosi 