Brand Feature: The Melting Library
Just a few months ago, I didn't own a bookish candle. Hard to believe, right? Now, I obsess over them constantly, and there isn't a person in this world who could quell my love for these little jars of wax. Especially those from The Melting Library, which I shamelessly admit to be my favorite bookish candle company of them all (not that you could've guessed by my collection or anything ;)).
Not only does Raquel from The Melting Library make such fantastic little creations, but she's also one of the sweetest and most responsive business owners you will ever come across. She'll respond to any inquiry in no time at all, and will answer any and all of your questions and requests.
So now for a little candle tour! Since this is going to be kind of a long blog post, I've listed the candles below in alphabetical order so they're easy to find if there's a specific one you're looking for. At the very end of the blog post, if you scroll all the way to the bottom, you'll find a little interview that I got the incredible chance of doing with the scent sorceress Raquel herself as well as a giveaway for one of TML's high-in-demand sampler sets, so make sure to check that out too!
Candles (in alphabetical order/the order I'll be discussing them in):
Autumn Court (apples, chestnuts, cinnamon, cloves, falling leaves)
Bookish Love Affair (lavender, chamomile, spearmint, cotton)
Celaena's Cake (chocolate cake)
Dirtyhands (sea salt, leather, mahogany)
Fae Warrior (pine, snow)
House of Mist (cedarwood, pine, snow, firewood)
Idris (mountain spring, meadow flowers, grass)
Jem (sandalwood, burnt sugar)
Lorcan (dead leaves, smoke, wood)
Night Court (jasmine, salty breeze, rain, citrus)
Spring Court (roses, lilies, violets, spring rain)
Summer Reading (dune grass, sand, driftwood)
Too Many Feels (chocolate chip cookies)
Trees Speak Latin (oak trees, moss, rain)
Welcome to Hogwarts (freshly baked strudel, spiced cider, candlelight)
Winter Court (wet snow, spruce, apples, pinecones)
PS: For the candles currently available in TML's shop, I included the links to buy them in their names, so just click the name of the candle that seems intriguing and you can get one to burn happily in your home ;).
Ok so I am NOT fan of fall smells. Pumpkin spice? Cinnamon? No thank you. Nevertheless, after several assurances that the cinnamon/clove smell was not overpowering, I decided to see for myself if it was possible for me to actually like an autumn candle. Andddd this candle is now very near the top of my list of favorites. The most prominent smell is for sure the apple (which I absolutely adore), and it's just a perfect balance of smells that are fresh and sweet as well as autumnal.
I was hoping this candle would be relaxing and calming, and of course, Raquel did not disappoint. The spearmint was a little stronger than I expected it to be, but it added an unexpected freshness to the candle that I definitely enjoy. I will for sure be lighting this particular candle on those super stressful nights when I just need to come in my room and smell that appeasing scent.
Celaena's Cake (chocolate cake)
I got this little guy in a subscription box, and I've been so hesitant to light it ever since, because I know once it's gone it's gone and I just love it too much to let it go. The smell is delightfully sweet but not overpoweringly strong, and the chocolate shines through beautifully. The only bad thing I can say about this candle is that it isn't available to buy, which as I said earlier makes me want to save it and savor it and make it last forever.
This one is definitely cleaner and fresher than I expected; if you're planning on picking this one, just keep in mind that it's definitely a clean rather than woodsy scent. I am a MUCH bigger fan of fresh scents than I am of woodsy scents, so this one was for sure a home run in my book. Plus, I mean, it's KAZ BREKKER. If that in itself isn't a motivating factor, then you either need to read Six of Crows immediately or take another look at this perfection of a character.
If there's any candle that will cause endless fangirling on my part, it's for sure this one. It's sweet and refreshing; wintery and cozy. I could perfectly picture our favorite Fae Warrior from Heir of Fire (as well as Terrasen? Coincidence that they have the same smell? I think not). ANYWAY, the pine in this one is the strongest scent, but the snow balances it wonderfully so that it's not overpowering. So basically, it's perfection in a jar.
Opposite from Dirtyhands, this one was definitely woodsier than I expected. BUT, it does have a touch of sweetness, making it not overly smoky and, as usual, just right. It made me want to just pick up ACOMAF, flip to the page where Feyre and Rhys go to the house of mist, light this candle of flawlessness, and re-read those few perfect pages.
Idris (mountain spring, meadow flowers, grass)
This one is the freshest of the fresh; the cleanest of the clean. But I mean, that's what Idris is, so this candle was exactly what I was expecting and so much more. It's definitely a strong scent, but at the same time it's light and extraordinarily refreshing. I would say the mountain spring is the most present of the three; I wouldn't describe this one as floral, and I don't detect a strong grassy smell (which is a good thing, because who wants a candle that just smells green?). Idris isn't currently available in Raquel's shop, but hopefully she'll bring it back during the summer? Only time will tell ;).
Ok, so can I just start by saying that my expectations for this one were ridiculously high because 1) it's THE MELTING LIBRARY and at this point I've come to expect that everything that comes from this fantabulous company is perfection and 2) it's JEM and he's one of my favorite book boyfriends ever (yes, I would pick him over Will ok). And did the scent sorceress disappoint?
If you guessed HOW COULD I EVEN THINK SHE WOULD EVER DISAPPOINT, then you're absolutely right. I mean, she isn't a sorceress for nothing ;). This candle is for sure on the sweeter side rather than woodsy, but as I've mentioned multiple times at this point, I adore sweet scents and am not the hugest fan of woodsy musky scents, so this candle was pure sugary perfection. I sniff it, close my eyes, and then imagine Jem sitting next to me.
Ok so remember how I keep saying that I'm not a fan of smoky scents? Yeah, this candle changed my mind (and, you know, furthered my conviction that Raquel can make any smell delicious). There was no avoiding the smokiness with this one (Jordan stop stating the obvious please), but it's definitely a more subtle smell than some of TML's other creations, making it not overly incense-y or heavy.
It's the Night Court you guys. THE NIGHT COURT. If just that doesn't make you want to run to Raquel's site and buy it immediately... I don't know what will (ok the other 392382 fantastic scents she has just might do the trick too but you know). I expected this candle to be more on the citrus-salty side, but it was much sweeter than I anticipated. The citrus and salt were definitely there and I could sense them, but I think the jasmine and rain were the most prominent. Just because it wasn't how I expected though, doesn't mean it doesn't smell AMAZING. Because it does. And amazing is SUCH an understatement.
Spring Court (roses, lilies, violets, spring rain)
Although I'm not a huge fan of the Spring Court in the books (EW TAMLIN), I'm SUCH a huge fan of this candle. It's a soft, floral scent that's light and refreshing with a sort of milky feel when it burns. The spring rain adds a touch of freshness to it that I absolutely adore, and the mix of the various different flowers basically has me envisioning myself in a wonderfully-smelling garden.
Summer Reading (dune grass, sand, driftwood)
Want your room to smell like the beach? Then this is the candle for you. It's deliciously sweet and strong, and transports me directly to a sandy paradise. Whenever I feel like I'm missing those lazy summer reading days, I just whip out this candle, take out my favorite contemporary, and imagine it's the middle of July instead of the middle of January.
Ok, picture this. You've just finished a book that hits hard in the feels. The tears are streaming down your face, your heart is broken, and all you want to do is snuggle up in a blanket with a warm drink and some sweet treats. Now imagine that in a jar. That's exactly what this candle is: a delicious freshly-baked chocolate chip cookie-scented candle that is PERFECT for those emotional reads, fantasy to contemporary and everything in between.
Have you ever wished you could visit Cabeswater? Well, guess what? Now you can, through this wonderfully fresh and light candle. It'll transport you directly to your favorite forest, and now all you have to do is imagine Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah standing next to you. I would definitely say this is one of TML's stronger scents, and it's on the fresher side; it's so perfectly nature-y and is literally Cabeswater in a jar.
I'm not gonna lie, I was suuuper unsure about this candle. Spiced cider just might be my least favorite scent ever (I have no idea why) so I was really scared I wasn't going to enjoy this candle as much as my others. Even when I got it and first sniffed it, I couldn't decide if I liked it. Fast forward about 10 minutes later, and all I could think about was that I wanted my room to smell like this (what I now consider) delicious perfection and how PERFECTLY it fits the Hogwarts Great Hall smell we all daydream about. It's sweet without being overly so, and the scent as a whole is light and subtle. Plus, I mean just LOOK AT THAT LABEL. It's so beautiful and flawless and I just can't stop fangirling over every aspect of this candle.
This candle is absolute winter perfection. Seriously, that's the only way I can think to describe it. It's definitely one of my top 3 (if not top 1) TML candles. The apple shines through wonderfully, along with the snow and all the other smells that just make this candle delightfully fresh and cozy. I would definitely say the apple is strongest, but really not by much. None of the 4 smells are overpowering, and they each balance each other out so beautifully.
And that's it! I hope you've enjoyed hearing about just a piece of the incredible selection that can be found on The Melting Library's site (www.themeltinglibrarystore.com), and I highly suggest you check them out if you want candles that will without a doubt cause you to fangirl or fanboy with just a sniff!
Now for the REALLY fun stuff! As I mentioned earlier, Raquel was kind enough to answer some questions I had, so below is a short interview with the creator herself!
1. How did you come up the name of the company? Does it have any sort of special significance?
"We wanted a name that would immediately make you think of bookish candles, but wouldn't be exclusive to just books or just candles incase we ever wanted to branch out to soaps or lip balms and/or movie, tv show, or video game themes. Because, ya know, there are video game libraries and movie libraries, etc. We'll thats how I made sense of it in my head!"
2. How do you come up with/decide on/choose new scents?
"I read and I take notes! Sometimes, the author makes it really easy and they'll describe the scent of the character or setting, but often times they don't and I just have to pull ideas from the characters surroundings or just come up with scents I think a place would smell like. I do A LOT of research! For example, we have a Young Elites candle coming out called "Magiano's Tricks" but nowhere was Magiano's scent ever described in the book. I did some research and found out that Marie Lu envisioned a fantasy Italian renaissance setting and I took my scent cues from there. I settled on a blend of Sicilian bergamot, cypress wood and amber. I also get a lot of suggestions from my reps, and customers! I've read some amazing books because they pointed me in the right direction. Our Trees Speak Latin candle was a request from Allissa of @abookishloveaffair when I first started and that prompted me to read the Raven Cycle. Also, a customer recommended A Christmas in the Little Palace in lieu of a Christmas at Hogwarts candle and I thought that was an excellent idea!"
3. What exactly is the candle-making process like (for those who might want to try it at home)?
"It's actually a lot of fun! I started out on Candlescience.com where there are actual tutorials and videos on how to make your own candles. There are quite a bit of steps, but once I got the hang of it, I was addicted! It can get a bit messy, so I definitely recommend making sure you have all of the proper equipment and lots of cleaning supplies on hand. I learned the hard way and destroyed two scales, two hot plates and a thermometer within a month!"
4. What do you use/how do you come up with the designs for the labels?
"Again, lots of research, but some of the label designs are pretty easy to come up with (hello Night Court!) We have a professional printer and print everything from home. "
5. What's been your favorite part of running a bookish candle company?
"It's incredibly rewarding to finish an amazing book and get up and physically make something that makes the story come even more alive for you and for so many other people. I don't know how to describe it, but thats probably what I love the most. I also enjoy meeting SO many wonderful bookish people! Mostly every person in my personal life are NOT readers, so its nice to talk to people who feel the same feels I do over fictional characters and places!"
And now for the grand finale... A giveaway for one A Court of Mist and Fury Sampler set from The Melting Library's new sampler of the month subscription service!
Imagine this. A box of delightful mini candles delivered right to your doorstep. Not only that, but centered around a magnificent theme and crafted by none other than our favorite bookish business, The Melting Library.
Starting in February (you can order your first one until tomorrow ;)), The Melting Library will have a subscription service for their highly-demanded sampler sets! The first month's theme is ACOMAF, so click the picture below and head over to either of our Instagrams (@pagetravels & @themeltinglibrary) to get your entries in! Giveaway ends next Saturday, January 28th, at 11:59 PST.
Xoxo,
Jordan
