Illume the 23 collection - candle by Illume candles - review by Library Girl

I requested to review this candle because I previously reviewed another candle made by Illume and was very impressed with the quality of the candle as well as the packaging. I am also quite happy with this item although it is a little less impressive than the Pearl candle.

The box is made of cardboard in two sections. There is a dark burgundy lid with a bottom section that is cream colored with an intricate design. Between the lid and the bottom a thin strip of the inner layer of the box has a beige striped pattern. This three pattern design makes the packaging a little disjointed, but it is a pretty box nonetheless. I did find that the box lid fits loosely and when I went to remove it from the shipping box I only pulled off the box lid the first time, and the second time. You need to pick it up around the middle or from the bottom due to the weight of the candle inside, which is very heavy. This annoyed me quite a bit. In comparison, the Illume Pearl candle comes in a round hatbox styled box that is stuck together quite securely even with a bigger candle inside.

The candle itself is quite heavy. The votive container is a heavy clear glass cylinder approximately 3 1/2” tall by 3” wide. There is a brushed metal cap on the top with an embossed design and it says Illume on it. I guess that you could use it to keep the dust out of the candle when you are not burning it if it is going to be sitting around for a while.

The candle wax is an off white color. This is a soy wax candle and it burns quite cleanly with the wax seeming to evaporate more than pooling in the votive. I am not sure about the burning time as I've only burned it down a little, but the packaging assertion that it will last up to 55 hours does not seem unreasonable.

The previous Illume candle that I reviewed was from the Pearl Collection and I vastly liked the smell of that one better. The fragrance that I chose to review is Pomegranate and I was expecting a fruity smell. It is more of a floral scent and a very strong, cloying one at that. If you are looking for a lightly scented candle, look elsewhere.

The overall appearance, packaging, and luxurious appearance make this a stylish choice for the home or a gift. Take the scent factor into consideration but I think that the majority of people would be very happy with this purchase.

I used this candle a lot during the holidays and felt that it added a great Christmas ambiance. I hate the smell of pine (I have a fake tree) and dislike the need for everything made for the holidays to smell like pine, or a bad imitation thereof. I got a lot of compliments about the scent, although as stated in my original review I still think it is a bit too strong. I don't know exactly how many hours I burned it, but it made it through several evenings and there is still about a third left in the votive.