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Sydney Hale Co. Bergamot + Black Tea, Bourbon + Brown Sugar & Woodsmoke + Amber candles ~ home fragrance reviews

Posted by Kevin on 12 February 2020 14 Comments

This week, I'm enjoying my "home-away-from home" — California. I'm trying to stay outdoors as much as possible, and I plan on enjoying the desert and the ocean. Today finds me in Palm Springs, and if all goes as planned, when this review posts, I'll be on horseback, riding through Murray Canyon in gorgeous weather.

I've been heartened recently at fragrance companies who give back to their communities by sharing some of their profits for great causes. There's Cire Trudon's support of the Orne Dark Bee Conservatory and today's candle maker from Virginia, Sydney Hale Co., gives a generous 10% of its profits to animal rescue efforts all over the U.S.

Sydney Hale Co. candles come in 25 scents. I'll review three that stood out at first sniff.  

Bourbon + Brown Sugar Candle (oak, bourbon, brown sugar)

This candle has a gourmand vibe: it smells of caramelized dark brown sugar syrup drizzled into bourbon. The bourbon note is "under" the rich brown sugar layer but, along with a slightly charred wood note, it keeps the candle from being too sweet/cloying. This is a perfect cozy-smelling candle for winter use (and winter's fading fast here in the Northern Hemisphere, at least on the West Coast where I live). 

Woodsmoke + Amber Candle (smoke, woods, amber)

If I could have one candle with me here in southern California (Torrey Pines is the next stop for me), I'd choose this one. I love to smell smoke in the desert and near the ocean; the aroma always makes me nostalgic for campfires, smoky fireplaces and incense. My father had a small fishing hut on tall, heavy wooden stilts along the Chesapeake Bay; in winter, after fishing or oystering or bird watching, we'd warm ourselves in the hut in front of a noisy potbellied stove, full of aromatic kindling and damp, hissing firewood. As with Bourbon + Brown Sugar and its scorched/alcohol notes, Woodsmoke + Amber's smoky woods give a hefty rib-jab to the polite, vanillic amber. This is a smoke-scented candle that really smells like wood smoke, not a ghastly chemical approximation that's often used in candles and perfumes and that burns nostrils and hurts throats.  

Bergamot + Black Tea Candle (citrus, black tea) 

This is my favorite of the Sydney Hale Co. candles I've tried so far (15 more to go!) and I wish it came in an Eau de Toilette. The moment I smelled its rich and realistic black tea note I had to buy it. The smell of black tea is rarely encountered in perfumes (I mean the genuine scent of fresh, bouncy black tea). Bergamot + Black Tea smells like a strong black tea served with a lemon slice. Tea lovers should try this one; its scent makes me happy.

Until last weekend I had never heard of Sydney Hale Co. Now I'm curious about all its offerings. Pricing for candles is excellent: $30 for a candle that burns approximately 50 hours. As a  bonus, the cloudy glass tumblers are beautiful; perfect for a tiny bouquet or to use with tea lights. Dog lovers: check out the online Sydney Hale Co. Dog Shop, too. 

Related...

Cire Trudon Salta candle ~ home fragrance review
Diptyque Flora Fortuna candle ~ home fragrance review
Otherland The Awakening Collection ~ home fragrance reviews

Filed Under: home fragrance
Tagged With: candle, charity, cheap thrills

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14 Comments

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  1. springpansy says:
    12 February 2020 at 11:38 am

    Hi Kevin, did you find these in Palm Springs or first in Seattle somewhere? (I’m asking because I am in Seattle also and would love to check them out in person rather than ordering blind.) They sound great.

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    • springpansy says:
      12 February 2020 at 11:39 am

      Have a wonderful time on your trip! I have never been to Palm Springs, but love Torrey Pines.

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      • Kevin says:
        13 February 2020 at 10:32 am

        Found them at Lucca in Ballard. And, thanks!

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        • springpansy says:
          13 February 2020 at 6:40 pm

          Thx! I actually live in Ballard so will check them out.

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          • springpansy says:
            13 February 2020 at 8:29 pm

            And now that I think about it, I was in Lucca a few weekends ago and remember smelling some candles that I thought about buying (which is unusual for me)… wonder if they were the Sydney Hale ones!

  2. sterling925 says:
    12 February 2020 at 12:00 pm

    These sound lovely! Just placed an order for 5 samples (with free shipping!) I guess the samples are of their home fragrances but imagine the candle fragrances are similar.

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    • Kevin says:
      13 February 2020 at 10:34 am

      Sterling…didn’t even notice the samples…thanks.

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  3. Omega says:
    12 February 2020 at 12:44 pm

    Jealous of San Diego but luckily for me, I am much closer to it than I used to be:). A short plane ride. Last time I was in SD, I visited La Jolla Cove, on a cozy, rainy day and loved it much. Enjoy your sunshine and waves:).

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    • Kevin says:
      13 February 2020 at 10:35 am

      Omega…I’m in La Jolla this morning, Thurs. A brisk but sunny day.

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  4. apsara says:
    12 February 2020 at 7:20 pm

    Welcome to Cali!
    I am not really a candle purchaser, I wish the black tea was a bottle of EDT, also!

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    • Kevin says:
      13 February 2020 at 10:37 am

      Aspara…I was tempted to get the roomspray as cologne, ha! But I’ve never had much luck doing that.

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  5. Jalapeno says:
    12 February 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Wow, all three of those sound GOOD!

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  6. mizmavis says:
    13 February 2020 at 10:13 am

    Enjoy the sun! Would like to try the Black Tea + Bergamot. Smells divine. Now I have seen those cute dog bowls from the Dog Shop, I cannot unsee! They are going on my list.

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    • Kevin says:
      13 February 2020 at 10:38 am

      Mizmavis…a lot of those items tempted me, too.

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