When everyone thinks of fall candles, they immediately think of Bath & Body Works or Yankee Candles. However, there's one store that has been upping their candle game for years now, and it has become my favorite place to stock up on 3-wicks beauties: Pier 1 Imports.
Their collections are just closer to my personal tastes. Bath & Body Works is often a hit or miss for me, as you can tell in my recent review of their new scents, but this is just the price you pay for experimenting and I definitely don't fault them for that. Pier 1 Imports doesn't come up with a million different scents every year, but the ones they put out are usually solid options.
As for Yankee Candles, I'm a fan, but my local store closed and I haven't had a chance to drive all the way to the closest one yet. Bummer...
Since some of you may not be familiar with Pier 1's offering, let's just review all of them this year, and next year we can focus on new scents only.
Pumpkin Spice
FRAGRANCE
Crushed vanilla beans, cinnamon-spiced pumpkin puree, nutmeg, brown sugar, warm clove
OPINION
This is honestly my jam. This is the stuff I cannot get enough and the scent I dream of in July when I can't wait for fall to arrive. It's a creamy, sweet, lightly spicy dream of a candle. It reminds me of a chai latte, and it makes my life whole. Definitely check this one out.
Pumpkin Cider Apple
FRAGRANCE
Pumpkin, apple, melon, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, patchouli
OPINION
This one sounds more complex than it smells, but it's still a lovely one! I definitely don't get much melon, patchouli or pumpkin. The cinnamon is quite strong, but it's a sweet, well-balanced cinnamon, not a nose-punching spice. The finish is a yummy red apple. One of my favorites.
Butter Pumpkin
FRAGRANCE
Rich pumpkin puree, browned butter, toasted nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla cream, brown sugar
OPINION
This one is similar to Pumpkin Spice, but with a nice buttery note. The spices are faint but very pleasant. If you think Pumpkin Spice is a bit too sweet for you, this one is the next best thing!
Pumpkin Spiced Cake
FRAGRANCE
Pumpkin, ginger, clover leaf, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander
OPINION
Holy spice, batman! This one definitely smells like a pumpkin spice market. Even though it's called "Pumpkin Spiced Cake," I'm not getting any kind of sweetness or bakery note. This is the candle everyone thinks about when they think of pumpkin spice, so if that's your thing, check it out!
Woodsmoked Bourbon
FRAGRANCE
Dark amber, oak-aged bourbon, smoked vanilla bean, hickory, birch, crushed black peppercorns, spicy nutmeg, golden clove bud
OPINION
I want to preface this by saying that I'm not a fan of smokey and amber candles, so my opinion is biased on this one. I did not like it very much. The boozy bourbon is definitely strong, and it has a lightly spicy finish with a smokey vanilla.
Sugared Shortbread
FRAGRANCE
Freshly baked shortbread cookies, melted butter, cane sugar, vanilla frosting
OPINION
Wow, the name of this candle is spot on! It smells exactly like a shortbread cookie with vanilla frosting. It's not an overly sweet or artificial scent at all; the sugar scent has a nice depth to it. There's definitely a buttery/bakery note that grounds the scent perfectly. Yummy!
Comfy Cotton
FRAGRANCE
Fresh laundry, lily, rose, jasmine, musk, vanilla
OPINION
This is a classic "cotton" type of fragrance that smells like freshly laundered sheets, with a sharp floral note. There's a musky vanilla undertone to it, which I guess is what is supposed to be the "comfy" part of it, but I'm not a fan. It's just not very autumnal.
Also, know that all of these come in different formats, including jars, pillars, diffusing oils, travel tins, and more. I personally prefer the 3-wicks candles because their throw is much bigger, but I wanted to show you the adorable pumpkin-shaped jars the fall collection also comes in:
Let me know in the comments what is your absolute favorite fall candle!
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