by Julia, added 3/9/09

Brand: Village Candle Company

Type: 14.5 oz jars

Fragrance: Cinnamon Stick and Banana Nut Bread

Cost: $13

Scent Strength: Strong

Introduction to my Village Candles Kitchen Collection review:

This is my second review of Village Candle’s products. When I checked the website again, I got a great surprise… the homepage graphics had been updated and I found the new layout to be much easier to navigate. Village Candle’s website has got a new polished look and was a pleasure to shop with. Each web page looks soothing and professional.

I went straight for the Kitchen collection this time. I wouldn’t want to go too long without my foody fix and there are ten temptingly fresh baked scents in the Kitchen collection to choose from. The names and scent descriptions all looked inviting… I thought Banana Nut Bread and Cinnamon Stick would be comforting fragrances all year but especially in these colder months.

What do my Village Kitchen Collection candles look like?

The jars looked right at home in my kitchen. They are basic, no-nonsense clear glass jars with a plain silver twist on lid. There is a brown butcher paper label on the side o f each jar with a pleasant country style print. Each candle is double wicked for a quickly forming scent pool and a steady even burn. The Banana Nut Bread was brown and the Cinnamon was dark red.

How did my Village Candle Kitchen Collection candles smell?

Cinnamon Stick
Village Candle Co. writes this about Cinnamon Stick:

“Real cinnamon comes from the bark of a tropical tree, and in this pure form, the scent is wonderfully earthy and penetrating, far deeper and more exotic than the common powdered form. We infused this handsome candle with that essence-feature it on a holiday table or a dinner party and let it captivate everyone.”

I couldn’t agree more. Strong but mellow, this is a straight, full bodied cinnamon but not too overpowering and not the least bit bitter, as some cinnamon scents can be. This candle smelled really great in my home. It was a crowd pleaser… my whole family enjoyed it. The scent filled my main room and carried on down the hall.

I’m dating myself here, but this candle smelled like the cinnamon oil soaked toothpicks from middle school that my classmates and I traded like currency back in the late 70′s. If you were a child of the 70′s, you probably know what I’m referring to. Cinnamon toothpicks were the Yu-gi-Oh cards of my generation, and this scent took me right back in time.

This was such a cheerful, happy scent… I would order this again, for any time of year.

(Note from Christina, what’s a Yu-gi-oh card? I had no idea either so I googled it and found they’re trading cards for the new generation of kids)

Banana Nut Bread
“Is it the bountiful flavor of ripe bananas? The rich scent of freshly chopped walnuts? The pungent dash of cinnamon? This candle is everything your favorite recipe delivers, and more – it lingers and lasts ever so deliciously, just like delicious smells from your kitchen!”

With a scent description like this, who could resist giving it a try? I couldn’t… that’s for sure. I was so excited to try this scent… I’d been looking for a really good Banana Nut Bread scent and I definitely found it here.

When I opened this jar for an initial cold sniff, I thought “Oh no”. This is not what I was expecting. It didn’t have the punch of sweet banana that I thought should be there. Well, this scent is more of an authentic bread smell… not a tropical banana type… but more of a real baked banana bread loaf.

I lit this candle and checked in on it about a half hour later. The scent pool had formed well and I got the best nutty bread smell. I sat right down and just inhaled for a few minutes… aaah, it was so good!

The scent filled my kitchen and I could even smell it right outside on my front porch. I still could not smell much banana to speak of but the baked scent from this candle was fantastic just the way it was. It’s not a sweet smell… in fact, it’s got an almost salty quality. Just yummy!… buttery, nutty and yummy!

When I dipped the wicks in between burns and got my face right up close to the scent pool I could pick up the banana, but it was mostly all walnuts and brown sugar. I really loved this scent and would definitely reorder it… this is just the Banana Nut Bread scent I’ve been looking for.

How did my Village Kitchen Collection candles burn?

My candles burned evenly with the two wick design and left no wax on the sides. They gave off tons of scent and each had a steady half inch wax pool. I had to be careful about trimming my wicks in order to keep the flame manageable.

Closing to my Village Candle Kitchen Collection review:

Village Candle Company has an extensive assortment of candles in so many fragrances. Each time I visit their website, I am more impressed. I thoroughly enjoyed Cinnamon Stick and Banana Nut Bread from their Kitchen collection. Not only would I definitely order these two scents again… but I would eagerly try any of the other scents in this collection.

Happy Candle Shopping!

~ Julia