The Melting Library March Sampler of the Month Unboxing!
So it's no secret I adore The Melting Library candles. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see that I post about Raquel's amazing candles quite often, and if you follow my posts on here, you will have seen my brand feature and interview with the scent sorceress Raquel herself. (In case you missed it, here's the link!)
Starting in February, Raquel began to put together a sampler of 6, 2 oz candles around a theme each month. TML's samplers had been in high demand prior to the establishment of a subscription service: the Diagon Alley, Empire of Storms, and Fantastic Beasts samplers all sold out within minutes of going on sale. This new monthly subscription would give everyone who wanted a sampler the opportunity to get their hands on one of these amazing boxes of minis.
Unsurprisingly, I subscribed immediately upon hearing the idea, and these little samplers have quickly become the highlight of my month. I swooned nonstop over February's A Court of Mist and Fury candles, and when Raquel announced the March sampler would be themed around Beauty and the Beast in celebration of the live-action movie's upcoming release, I was basically dying in anticipation to immediately possess one of March's samplers.
Ok, so now for the candles themselves! I loved ALL of them of course, but these are in order of my preference. March's box included:
Tea with Mrs. Potts: earl grey, ginger root, apple, and cinnamon
Provincial Life: freshly baked bread, thyme, and french lavender
Enchanted Rose: garden rose, sandalwood, and musk
Belle's Books: leather, parchment, and tulips
Something There: snow, juniper berry, and violet
West Wing: mahogany, rain, and smoke
Tea with Mrs. Potts (earl grey, ginger root, apple, cinnamon)
So you know that unmistakable smell of a delicious cup of tea? Because that's the only way I can really think of describing this candle. It's sweet, yes, but mostly it's just tea-like. I can't smell too much of the cinnamon (which is probably a good thing, because I'm not the biggest fan of cinnamon scents), and I'm not entirely sure what ginger root smells like so I can't really tell you if I picked up on it or not, but I for sure could smell the apple (YES) and earl grey. I'm pretty sure this is a popular choice for favorite among those who received the sampler, and I was honestly doubtful when I saw the scents as to whether I would join the crowd, and turns out I DEFINITELY get the hype. Like. Entirely.
Provincial Life (freshly baked bread, thyme, french lavender)
This is the candle I thought for sure I would love the most. I mean come on, freshly baked bread??? And although it wasn't my favorite (like I said, Tea with Mrs. Potts took me by complete surprise), I loved it. SO. MUCH. It's very different from any candle I've ever smelled before, but when I sniffed it, I was immediately transported to Belle's small little French town and found myself longing to make a trip to the French countryside. I was a little unsure about this candle at first just because it was so unlike any other candle I've had, but the more I smell it the more I fall in love. The freshly baked bread comes through beautifully, with the thyme and french lavender adding the perfect accents. Basically, I need this in full size. NOW.
Enchanted Rose (garden rose, sandalwood, musk)
Is this actually a candle? Because it looks more like a work of art to me. I mean, there are ACTUAL flowers in this candle (or at least it looks like there are). My real question, though, is this: Raquel, how on EARTH did you make a candle that smells like magic? Because to me, this candle smells like an amazing bouquet of roses with a sparkle of enchantment sprinkled on by the enchantress from Beauty and the Beast herself. There's really no other way to explain it: it's sorcery, I'm telling you.
Belle's Books (leather, parchment, tulips)
So you know that amazing smell of a brand new hardcover or paperback book? Because that's what this little candle smells like to me. It reminded me a little of TML's Dirtyhands Six of Crows-inspired candle, but Belle's Books had a touch of sweetness and floral added in to make it perfectly representative of Belle. It was fresh and slightly woodsy, and although the tulip smell was very subtle, it was definitely there. I can't WAIT to light this and imagine myself relaxing in the library of the Beast's castle.
Something There (snow, juniper berry, violet)
Ok so the only reason this candle wasn't towards the top of my list is because the scent is super, super subtle. The candle smelled like magical romance and a sparkle of magic, and I loved the each of the scents SO MUCH. I just wish the scents had been a touch stronger: I had a hard time picking up on the scent when I first sniffed it, and while I definitely appreciate that none of the scents came off as overwhelming, I just wanted MORE.
West Wing (mahogany, rain, smoke)
This candle was so, so perfectly representative of the West Wing. Smoky and dark, I could completely imagine myself exploring the ruins of the Beast's castle as I sniffed this one. And if you're a fan of smoky scents, then this is for SURE a candle you need in your life. I personally am not the biggest fan of the smell of smoke, and so while I definitely enjoyed the scent, it just wasn't really for me.
So that's it! I'm not sure if these will be going on sale as full-size candles at some point, but if they do, I definitely recommend you try to get your hands on at least one of them!
I know I didn't even mention the labels in my descriptions, but I mean, they speak for themselves. The stained glass style of each of the labels was STUNNING and so, so creative. I loved each and every one (as usual), and they were just the icing on the cake for this absolutely wonderful box of mini candles.
I'm going to be doing my best to possibly do one of these unboxings every month, so stay tuned for my thoughts on next month's Villains and Anti-Heroes sampler!
(Not pictured above are the STUNNING "Tale as Old as Time bookmark by Jane's Tiny Things as well as a recipe for "Grey Stuff" Cupcakes that were also included in the box!)
Xoxo,
Jordan
PS Want to visit Raquel's store and get some amazing candles of your own! Head over to The Melting Library site!
