I used to never burn candles during summertime in Seattle. My house was always wide open from May through September and the air from nearby Lake Washington and my garden smelled fresh and good. Over the last several years (and no doubt due to what The Guardian is now committed to calling 'the climate crisis'), my home is often closed up for weeks at a time because of heat or dangerous smoke and particulate matter in the air from long-burning forest fires...or both. These days I need to use candles all year to keep the stale air at bay inside my home.
Otherland, one of the crop of new candle makers who don't believe you need to spend over $100 to get a high-quality candle, has released its new spring/summer collection. In the spirit of the season, they're a fun and perky group.
Ruby Root (sugarbeets, grass, ginger): Don't expect the scent of dirt-caked roots (or beets tugged up from wet soil); there's only a hint of earthy beet aroma (reconfigured for a contemporary feel). Mostly Ruby Root smells like ginger ice cream, perhaps colored with beet juice. There's a background vanillic note that keeps things smooth.
Extra Hour (shiso leaf, verbena, mint): This is my favorite of the new trio — a lovely melange of what smells like grapefruit peels mixed with fresh mint and peppery shiso...a candle/cocktail that's a perfect summer scent. It brightens my mood to smell it.
Purple Petals (lilac, hyacinth, lychee): Purple Petals presents a spring-y bouquet, one part sharp lilac, maybe two parts after-shave hyacinth and a drizzle of fruity syrup (not straight-laced as many lilac perfumes tend to be). I'm thinking this one, burned alongside Extra Hour, might approximate Cire Trudon's Salta candle (grapefruit and hyacinth). We'll see.
Otherland candles are 8 oz with an approximate burn time of 55 hours — $36 individually or $89 for all three.
Years ago, I thought folks who wanted AC in this part of the world were weird and impatient–give it two days, and the temps will go down! But now, 11 of the hottest years on record later, I consider AC a requirement if you want to sleep at night in August. I am sorry to lose the open, fresh air, too! It hadn’t occured to me to light candles, though. I’ve opted for spritzing the house with “fresh” fragrances like Guerlain Vetiver or Balenciaga Paris after cleaning up–gives the illusion of having the windows open to fields or a garden!
MR: and you have it worse than Seattle…I look at Portland, OR’s weather and you’re usually 10 degrees hotter…at least. I always think a vetiver candle makes the house smell “outdoorsy.”
Yes, Portland definitely has it worse than Seattle with the heat! I moved to Seattle from the Midwest 6 years ago and am missing the AC more and more every year. It was hot and humid in Ohio, but it was easy to find a home with AC. Our apartment here gets unbearably hot and stuffy and fans only go so far. I think the new build homes are probably making sure to include AC, but I doubt it will ever get added to most of the older apartment buildings no matter the summer temp averages.
We bought our house from contractors last month, and the first improvement we are likely to do on our own (after they finish the basement) is put in AC.
I lived in Minnesota for a decade, and the humidity is not YET as bad as it was over there, but every year, there’s a taste of it and I grown internally.
Portland reporting in as well.
The past couple of summers have been awful, and I am very grateful I put in a mini system to help with not just the heat but filtering indoor air. I do not burn a candle at this time; usually I hang drying herbs like lemon grass and lavender and spritz them with water.
Climate change is a sad reality, isn’t it?
Extra Hour sounds great. I love a good green/herbal candle, year round. And I’m a little intrigued by the sugar beet note, although it sounds like it’s fairly light. Now I want a dirty beetroot candle! Wonderful review as always.
SA: Thank you! A real rooty/beet candle would be nice.
I would try that!
Kevin, thanks for reviewing these. I’ve been eying the collection ever since it was released. Do you like these as much as the other Otherland candles you’ve reviewed or tried? I really don’t need any candles because I ordered 8 discontinued D.L. & Co candles recently. But I’ve been curious about Otherland for a little while, so I’m getting the itch to make a purchase. I’m also thinking of giving Boy Smells a try.
Rabbits, I loved the winter collection … I did review those, too.
These do sound good. Thanks for the review!!