candle closet: Anecdote review
when will they make a candle that smells like zillennial ennui?
I am once again trying a variety of candle brands.
And honestly, I haven’t run into anything horrible yet. On the contrary, I have been pleasantly surprised by Anecdote Candles. Known mostly for their clever naming conventions and witty labels (a candle named “Adulting” has a label that reads “smells like early nights and steady paychecks”), Anecdote has a wide portfolio of various scent profiles ranging from fruity and bright to dark and smoky.
I originally picked out one to try, a black oud candle called “Vinyl Records,” but when a sale came around, I picked up three more, all of which I have greatly enjoyed. So I figure I now have enough information to write a review.
the vessel
Anecdote has these very minimalist vessels. Similarly to many one-wick candles, they come in glass jars with twist tops, bringing to mind a mason jar. That also makes them easily reusable, which I appreciate, since I can’t stay away from a good mason jar. They have clean, off-white labels for much of the collection, but some seasonal scents have colored labels, which feature the name of the candle, a little description, and the actual scent profile.
I love the witty writing and creativity of the names. The names are not descriptions of the scent, but reflect the overall “vibe.” For example, a candle called “Grandpa’s Sweater” is a black pepper & birch candle with a little description reading: “Smells like old world charm with a modern edge.” Just clever and lovely, and gives you a great idea of what kind of scent you’re getting into.
The glass feels sturdy. They are true one-wick candles that aren’t very large, but match the one-wick size common to other brands like Boysmells, Otherland, and Diptyque. There is a clean consistency among all of the vessels, as they all use white wax that you can see through the glass.
This year, they introduced a new vessel for certain fan-favorite scents, but I have yet to try them. The new vessels are a frosted gray glass with colored labels. They still follow Anecdote’s visual language, but I’m not a big fan of the frosted gray.
the fragrance
I wrote in my Otherland review how much I love conceptual fragrances, and I feel like Anecdote hits that nail on the head. The scents are fairly simple, generally two-note fragrances like “Vetiver & Grapefruit” or “Green tea & Lemongrass,” but combined with the labels, they evoke a style, memory, or aesthetic. This is clearly the idea behind the name, “Anecdote.” Each candle feels like it tells a story, and I love that.
Out of the four candles from Anecdote I have purchased, I have not found one of them unpleasant. The black oud candle was my favorite, but a seasonal one called “Farmer’s Market” is a close second. Though each fragrance is different, they are all crowd-pleasers, nothing too left field. The fragrances are dependable, and I believe they are online only, so they have to be. I feel like I could order anything and know it’s going to smell good, nothing too sweet or too strong.
It has a pretty mild throw in my opinion. I burn it in my office, but visitors to my home can smell it from downstairs, so it may be a stronger throw than I realize. I think it covers a lot of ground, but isn’t “strong” in the sense that it doesn’t irritate the nose in any way. I tend to get used to the fragrance pretty quickly when it’s burning, so sometimes I can forget it’s there, but I think that’s more of a personal quirk than a statement about the candles themselves.
I love to burn these when I’m writing something, as I feel like it evokes a specific environment that helps immerse me into my work. There’s a wide variety of scent profiles, and many I will definitely be trying in the future.
They run a bit smaller than some other one-wicks, so they are priced appropriately at $26 a candle. On sale, they are usually listed at around $19, which is a great deal.
the performance
Anecdote candles have an average performance. If you trim your wicks and let the wax pool fully before blowing it out, you should get a nice even burn. I have had a bit of wax left behind even when I do let it pool, but have never had any true tunneling issues with them. They tend to get a bit messy at the end of the candle, so I don’t recommend trying to burn it when there’s still an inch or so of wax left.
I love burning it down as much as possible, but have learned to just let that last inch go, since it usually isn’t worth burning anyway. Same rules apply here. If you try to burn it too much at the end, it’ll throw soot or just otherwise become a bit of a mess.
Otherwise, they burn clean. I haven’t had any sooting or pooling issues with my Anecdote candles. The white wax helps, since waxes of different colors tend to have irregularities in the burning process (I think red in particular is guilty of messy burns). I like that Anecdote candles are phthalate-free, have cotton wicks, and have a coconut-soy wax blend.
They’re simple, so if you’re looking for something truly extraordinary or luxurious, you may want to skip these. But I like how reliable the burns and fragrances are, and the vessels are really reusable and have lids. They’re just a great quality candle, and none of the fragrances turn me off so far. Any of these would make great gifts since the scents are all so friendly and approachable, and the price point makes them a good introduction to “luxury” candles. I can see myself coming back to stock up on my favorites and using these as everyday candles I can burn regardless of the season.
If you haven’t tried these, I really recommend them, and I will certainly be trying other fragrances from Anecdote, as well as repurchasing my favorites.