In the last issue of this esteemed publication, I wrote an article about how book lovers are designing scented candles to try and mimic the smell of special fictional places and things. My first candle was ‘The Shire’ from the Lord of the Rings and I loved it so much that I bought ‘The Common Room Collection’, four Hogwarts house themed candles. I thought I’d write a brief review of how I got on with them. All of the following are from ‘Reading Room Candle Company’ on Etsy and are soy wax candles with wooden wicks; wooden wicks take a little more looking after but the crackle they make as they burn really adds to the effect.
Gryffindor Scent: Hot chocolate and log fire. A bold fragrance, as you might expect. The chocolate is bitter and rich, with the smoke adding a slight salty note. To me, it represents the Gryffindor Common Room very well: warming, comforting and intense. I think it’s lacking a little something to give it complexity though.
Hufflepuff Scent: Sweet pea and grass. This smells just like summer. It’s a heady, floral scent with the grass adding a bit of a tang. I think it fits Hufflepuff well: I can imagine this lovely, uncomplicated smell wafting through the windows of the plant-filled Hufflepuff Common Room on a sunny morning.
Ravenclaw Scent: Rosemary and petrichor (the smell of dust after rain) This is a very strong, quite dry smell. The rosemary is vibrant with the petrichor a sort of savoury undertone beneath it to make it interesting. While I love the scent, I think it’s a little too harsh and astringent for Ravenclaw.
Slytherin Scent: Peppermint and pine This smell is green, wild and very alive. It’s hard to pick out either the pine or the mint on their own as they blend together into something new. It’s quite decadent and mysterious so fits Slytherin well.
On the whole, I love these candles and have already made several more purchases from the lady who makes them. If these scents don’t quite match up with your own idea of how the Common Rooms ought to smell, there are plenty of other candle makers out there with their own unique take (one set I’ve heard of has vanilla and lily for Gryff, gardenia and musk for Slyth, patchouli and ginger for Huff and cashmere for Rave). While I’ll admit book related candles are a bit of a gimmick, they’re a very enjoyable one. Give them a try.