Airwick Colour Change Candle: Black Edition
A Christmassy Candle
Airwick Colour Change Candle: Black Edition
Member Name: CarolineR-D
Product:
Airwick Colour Change Candle: Black Edition
Date: 07/11/12
Rating:
Advantages: Looks gorgeous when lit, smells authentic
Disadvantages: A bit expensive at full price
When I saw that Airwick had brought out a 'Black Edition' colour-change candle, it seemed just the thing to add a gothic touch to my home at Halloween.
On removal from its cardboard packaging, the product did not look particularly inspiring. The candle is contained within a black glass holder with a delicate, mandala-patterned window printed on the sides. It looks a little tacky, to be honest and there would certainly be no mistaking it for something you had picked up at your local craft fair, with a design lovingly drawn-on by hand. However, when you light the candle, things dramatically improve.
As soon as you light the wick, the candle begins to glow. There's no 'warming up' period at all. A soft glow instantly shines through the patterned window, taking you through a mini light show involving a rainbow of colours in shades of blue, purple, pink, red, yellow and green. Each colour can be observed for about 3 seconds and then it subtly evolves into a new colour. There is nothing garish about this. The visual effect is very pretty and gentle. I think this candle makes a great focal point for any room. I found it looked stunning as a table decoration for my Halloween meal and added suitable witchy atmosphere, but due to its sweetish scent (more about that later) I didn't think it combined well with the savoury aromas of the food we were eating. So I moved it to the living room instead, where it flickered away cosily as we watched TV.
The motif looks much prettier once it is lit up with colour and has an almost stained glass window effect which I like. There is something calming about watching it slowly cycle through the colour spectrum. I find that my breathing slows down and I become more relaxed, when I am burning this candle, which has to be a good thing. It's a nice, soothing candle to burn after a busy day.
The stunning appearance of the candle is just part of the story, however. The scent is another thing that I love about it. Although I bought this candle with Halloween in mind, the scent is definitely more suitable for Christmas. As someone who has always liked the idea of mulled wine more than the reality (in fact I can't bear the taste of the stuff!) this candle is ideal for me because I can appreciate the gorgeous aromas of this seasonal beverage without having to drink it. It's a very authentic smell too, almost as if you're all gathered round a warm punch bowl on Christmas Eve. It puts me in mind of roaring fires and huge, lavishly decorated, real Christmas trees, which may well be an idealised vision of Christmas, but it's something I still like to try to conjure up. If you like to sing carols at Christmas (or just listen to a CD of carols) the stained-glass window effect would be particularly suitable to enhance the mood, making you think of churches, choir boys, midnight mass and other festive things.
There's a definite sweetness to the scent but it isn't too cloying. The sharpness of apple and citrus cuts through it to give it an uplifting, zesty quality and the cinnamon and cloves give it an unmistakeably Christmassy ambience. Whenever I burn this candle, it makes me crave something fruity to drink - not mulled wine, but maybe some red grape juice or some of that sparkly J2O that was available last Christmas. It also makes me think of seasonal baking. I think that it is probably the cloves and cinnamon which remind me of the smell of warm mince pies. (Mince pies are another thing that I like the idea of more than the reality, so another reason why this candle is right for me - less calories too!)
I have often been disappointed by the modest amount of scent delivered by some candles. I usually opt for wax tarts because of their stronger fragrance. In my experience, many candles smell stronger when they aren't being lit. However, I am pleased to find that the scent from this candle is detectable very quickly upon lighting it. Although it's not a subtle scent, neither is it overpowering and headache-inducing. The scent lingers for a long time. If I have burned the candle the night before, I can still smell a hint of mulled wine and cinnamon when I come downstairs in the morning.
The manufacturers claim that this candle has 30 hours of burning time. I have found this is fairly accurate. However, I have noticed that the candle's scent is at its strongest for the first 10 hours of use. After that, whilst still noticeable, it gets progressively weaker.
Everyone who has ever seen this candle wants to know how it works and, whilst I am not in a position to explain the science behind it, in short it has a battery located in its base. It seemed quite a strange concept to me at first, but you don't need to feel nervous when you light the candle as the battery parts won't come into contact with the flame or the heat.
When the candle is spent, you should remove the wax and electronics. There are instructions contained on the packaging to explain how to do this and it is not difficult. Separate the batteries and dispose of them according to local regulations. You should not just throw the electrical components into your regular bin.
As with all candles, care needs to be taken to keep them well out of the reach of children and pets. Perhaps the warnings are even more important with this candle, however, because of its mesmerising qualities. Even adults are inclined to go a bit too close sometimes in order to try to figure out how it works. (I had to yell at a friend who was leaning in to try and unravel the mysteries of the colour-change technology and nearly set her hair on fire!) With something that looks so interesting, there's a tendency to want to pick it up and examine it, which is of course not advisable because it gets hot, but children in particular can let their curiosity get the better of them.
Tesco are currently selling these candles for £3.49 instead of their regular price of £6.99. I think the full price is a little steep, but at half price I consider them good value. I will be stocking up on these. I just wish they looked a little more attractive when not lit. (My mother asked me why I'd got a glass of coke on the mantelpiece and I must admit, it does look a bit like one from a distance!) However, the illuminated effect is definitely something special and I recommend this candle to you.
On removal from its cardboard packaging, the product did not look particularly inspiring. The candle is contained within a black glass holder with a delicate, mandala-patterned window printed on the sides. It looks a little tacky, to be honest and there would certainly be no mistaking it for something you had picked up at your local craft fair, with a design lovingly drawn-on by hand. However, when you light the candle, things dramatically improve.
As soon as you light the wick, the candle begins to glow. There's no 'warming up' period at all. A soft glow instantly shines through the patterned window, taking you through a mini light show involving a rainbow of colours in shades of blue, purple, pink, red, yellow and green. Each colour can be observed for about 3 seconds and then it subtly evolves into a new colour. There is nothing garish about this. The visual effect is very pretty and gentle. I think this candle makes a great focal point for any room. I found it looked stunning as a table decoration for my Halloween meal and added suitable witchy atmosphere, but due to its sweetish scent (more about that later) I didn't think it combined well with the savoury aromas of the food we were eating. So I moved it to the living room instead, where it flickered away cosily as we watched TV.
The motif looks much prettier once it is lit up with colour and has an almost stained glass window effect which I like. There is something calming about watching it slowly cycle through the colour spectrum. I find that my breathing slows down and I become more relaxed, when I am burning this candle, which has to be a good thing. It's a nice, soothing candle to burn after a busy day.
The stunning appearance of the candle is just part of the story, however. The scent is another thing that I love about it. Although I bought this candle with Halloween in mind, the scent is definitely more suitable for Christmas. As someone who has always liked the idea of mulled wine more than the reality (in fact I can't bear the taste of the stuff!) this candle is ideal for me because I can appreciate the gorgeous aromas of this seasonal beverage without having to drink it. It's a very authentic smell too, almost as if you're all gathered round a warm punch bowl on Christmas Eve. It puts me in mind of roaring fires and huge, lavishly decorated, real Christmas trees, which may well be an idealised vision of Christmas, but it's something I still like to try to conjure up. If you like to sing carols at Christmas (or just listen to a CD of carols) the stained-glass window effect would be particularly suitable to enhance the mood, making you think of churches, choir boys, midnight mass and other festive things.
There's a definite sweetness to the scent but it isn't too cloying. The sharpness of apple and citrus cuts through it to give it an uplifting, zesty quality and the cinnamon and cloves give it an unmistakeably Christmassy ambience. Whenever I burn this candle, it makes me crave something fruity to drink - not mulled wine, but maybe some red grape juice or some of that sparkly J2O that was available last Christmas. It also makes me think of seasonal baking. I think that it is probably the cloves and cinnamon which remind me of the smell of warm mince pies. (Mince pies are another thing that I like the idea of more than the reality, so another reason why this candle is right for me - less calories too!)
I have often been disappointed by the modest amount of scent delivered by some candles. I usually opt for wax tarts because of their stronger fragrance. In my experience, many candles smell stronger when they aren't being lit. However, I am pleased to find that the scent from this candle is detectable very quickly upon lighting it. Although it's not a subtle scent, neither is it overpowering and headache-inducing. The scent lingers for a long time. If I have burned the candle the night before, I can still smell a hint of mulled wine and cinnamon when I come downstairs in the morning.
The manufacturers claim that this candle has 30 hours of burning time. I have found this is fairly accurate. However, I have noticed that the candle's scent is at its strongest for the first 10 hours of use. After that, whilst still noticeable, it gets progressively weaker.
Everyone who has ever seen this candle wants to know how it works and, whilst I am not in a position to explain the science behind it, in short it has a battery located in its base. It seemed quite a strange concept to me at first, but you don't need to feel nervous when you light the candle as the battery parts won't come into contact with the flame or the heat.
When the candle is spent, you should remove the wax and electronics. There are instructions contained on the packaging to explain how to do this and it is not difficult. Separate the batteries and dispose of them according to local regulations. You should not just throw the electrical components into your regular bin.
As with all candles, care needs to be taken to keep them well out of the reach of children and pets. Perhaps the warnings are even more important with this candle, however, because of its mesmerising qualities. Even adults are inclined to go a bit too close sometimes in order to try to figure out how it works. (I had to yell at a friend who was leaning in to try and unravel the mysteries of the colour-change technology and nearly set her hair on fire!) With something that looks so interesting, there's a tendency to want to pick it up and examine it, which is of course not advisable because it gets hot, but children in particular can let their curiosity get the better of them.
Tesco are currently selling these candles for £3.49 instead of their regular price of £6.99. I think the full price is a little steep, but at half price I consider them good value. I will be stocking up on these. I just wish they looked a little more attractive when not lit. (My mother asked me why I'd got a glass of coke on the mantelpiece and I must admit, it does look a bit like one from a distance!) However, the illuminated effect is definitely something special and I recommend this candle to you.
Summary: A great festive mood-enhancer
