After reading many complimentary reviews about Yankee candles on here I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Yankee candles come in a variety of formats including large candles, tealights, samplers and wax tarts. Wax tarts are priced between £1 and £1.20 and to me seem like a reasonable way of trying out the huge array of fragrances available in the Yankee range without breaking the bank or committing to something I didn't end up liking.

For Yankee novices I should point out here that tarts are basically small, circular blocks of wax, with fluted edges, rather like a tart that you'd bake in an oven. I remember initially being puzzled as to how these tarts burn, as unlike a conventional candle they contain no wick. After a little online research I learnt that tarts require a tart burner to release the fragrance. This is basically a small ceramic/glass pot in which a tart is placed and a tealight is lit beneath it to allow the wax to melt and release the fragrance.

On a recent shopping trip to B&Q I spotted that they too stocked the Yankee candle range although the scents on offer differ from those widely available in other stores. B&Q stock candles from the "Simply Home" Yankee range and although these can be bought online I have not seen these in any other shops. One of the fragrances I decided to pop in my basket was the "Bartlett pear" tart which was priced at just 99p.

The Bartlett pear wax tart is lime green in colour and comes packaged in a cellophane wrap. Taking a sniff through the cellophane does not give much away nor is there a particularly strong scent once the packaging is removed. Having placed this in a tart burner it took around 15 minutes for the wax to melt and for the fragrance to start to waft around the room.

The scent is one that I would describe as fruity but it is not particularly sweet. This is ideal for me as I don't like overly sweet smells and often find fruit scented candles a bit too sweet and sickly. The scent is really crisp and tangy with a hint of sweetness. Rather than a pear this scent reminds me of a granny smith apple and I find the scent really quite mouthwatering. The scent is refreshing and in my opinion is one that is suited to a late summers day.

I tend to burn my tarts for around an hour at a time. This gives enough time for the wax to melt and the aroma to spread around the room. A typical wax tart releases around 8 hours of fragrance. I've done quite well with mine - it's burnt for just over that amount of time and although the scent has started to fade there is still a decent amount of fragrance released.

Overall I really did like this scent - it's crisp and refreshing and ideal for burning at this time of year. I will be sure to add this to my basket again next time I visit B&Q. Recommended!