Today was my most productive day off in a while! I always manage to be more productive when it’s a weekday and I’d normally be at work, I think because I need to keep myself busy and I guess it’s routine.
The day started off like normal – a cuddle and a coffee in bed with Reggie. Yes, he sleeps in our bed with us… it was never the plan but I wouldn’t have it any other way now… anyway, I digress.
After Dale went off to work, I got myself up and started a spring clean in the bedroom. I polished everywhere and then got the hoover out. I wanted to get these bits done before I had breakfast, because at least then I’ve achieved something… just in case I end up not doing much else. When I sit down to eat seems to be the downfall!
Anyway, the hoover was clogged up… Reggie sheds like crazy now that he’s an adult, so we get a lot of fur in the hoover. I pulled it apart to clean out and then couldn’t actually get it back together again… great. I spent probably the best part of an hour sorting that out, which put me in a bit of a bad mood! A tiny bit of dirt got stuck where it needed to click back together, basically. I had to use a hair pin to dig it out, so that was a pain!
After I sorted all of that, I stuck on a wax melt to test out. The strawberry ones I’ve made aren’t giving a very good scent throw, as I think I’ve gone for too much fragrance oil if I’m honest… I also really keep meaning to write about my candle and wax melting… so many blog post ideas and so little time!
Breakfast was golden syrup flavour porridge. Yum.
Then I loaded up the dishwasher and reorganised the cleaning cupboards. Even more hoovering, then wiping down surfaces.
Then I had a work email that really bothered me. By this point it was lunch time so I had a cuddle with Reggie for quite a while and let myself have a chill out.
I eventually got myself up again and tried out my wax melting pot, which was great! It’s been a fair few weeks since I made anything so it was really lovely to get back in to it. I have so many ideas in my head if what I want to do though and sometimes I find it too overwhelming, so then nothing gets done instead. I’m really working on not putting pressure on myself, especially as it’s just a fun hobby!
I made a couple of mango scented candles, as I’m still working on finding the right wick. I’ll let them cure for a while and then test them out. If only I could make money on all the candles I’ve made and tested out already!
We had fish for dinner which was nice and healthy too, strawberries for pudding. A chilled evening, watching Netflix. I’ll be sad to come out of isolation if I’m totally honest!
Happy Halloween! My current obsession is all things candles and wax melts, so what better way to celebrate the best day of the year that with a round up of my Halloween collection? Some are really old but I do also have some new items in the collection – if they’re still available to buy then I will include a link. None of this is an AD of affiliated in any way.
Witches Brew by Yankee Candle
These are a good few years old now but they’re great to keep bringing out! I have it in a jar and also a votive, which is in the silver holder that is pictured below. The spider web jar holder is also an old purchase from Yankee. Unfortunately I’ve found that in the UK, the Halloween collections from Yankee in recent years have been pretty lacking!
The scent is very much patchouli centred, which I LOVE. I honestly can’t get enough of patchouli which you might know from my autumn collection, as well as my Lush haul!
Skeleton Candelabra-style tea light holder
I got this a few years ago on a trip to San Francisco, funnily enough in a Christmas shop… but they had a HUGE Halloween section as well, so I was in my element. I very carefully bought this back with me, along with some candlesticks that bled red wax – hence all the red wax drips. I hadn’t actually realised at the time that this was meant to hold tea lights! So once I was home, I precariously melted some tea lights and then balanced the candlesticks in them, it worked a charm, and now this just comes out as a decoration.
I’d like to get some more drippy candlesticks for it in future, but I can’t for the life of me find any… they’re all non-drip these days?!
Pumpkin Jar Candles from Sainsbury’s
At least I think these were from Sainsbury’s, it could have actually been ASDA… I actually have four of these bad boys, cause let’s be honest – you can never have too many pumpkins at Halloween!
Skull pillar candle from ASDA
This is such a cool candle, considering it came from ASDA. The wax in the middle is red, although unfortunately it’s a non-drip… like I said, I can never find a drippy candle these days. I did try to pour some of the wax down the side once, for effect ya know, but it didn’t really work as you can see by the pink blob on the right hand side below.
Forbidden Apple by Yankee Candle
Another golden oldie from Yankee! This one smells like… you guessed it, apples! It’s super fresh but somehow still spooky?
Poison Apple tea light holder from Shop Disney
This is a recent purchase but alas, I can’t find it on the website now so I guess it’s no longer available. I saw this on an Instagram ad and absolutely had to have it… it’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be but a very cool addition to my Halloween collection!
Check out the back too…
Haunted House tea light holder from Sainsbury’s
Another Sainsbury’s find – their Halloween stuff is actually always pretty decent, especially in the bigger stores. Unfortunately this year I didn’t go and have a look for anything but maybe next year Halloween can get back on track!
This was surprisingly hard to get a good photo of, but you get the idea!
This is available on other sites I know, but cauldron candles was the first place I saw it advertised on Instagram and it’s where I eventually nabbed one from – they were out of stock everywhere, for ages!
I also nabbed a few of their handmade wax melts, which I HIGHLY recommend!
First up, Spellbound, which has a fragrance of hyacinth, violet and sweet pea, mixed with rose and musk.
I also got a couple of skulls, which come in various scents.
Dark Heart, which comes in black and smells of smoky tobacco and dusty oak, with leather and spice.
As well as Evenstar, which is purple with a glowing amber blend and notes of spice and dark balsamic fruits.
I also nabbed Pumpkin King, which I just couldn’t leave behind! Just as you might expect, he smells of pumpkin as well as a hint of sweet caramel & vanilla – and he’s cute as a button to top it off!
Lastly, I also treated myself this year to the… Autumn Collection box by CushtyCo
The box itself is no longer available, however you can still shop their Halloween and autumn scents.
I want to write a full review of the box so for now I’ll just give you a sneak peek of the Halloween inspired melts…
Witching Hour is a dark purple melt, with a strong scent of amber, patchouli and incense, plus a hint of jasmine and violet.
Pumpkin Poison Pie which smells exactly like a pumpkin pie, funnily enough… right down to the buttery base. Just don’t be tempted to take a bite!
Restricted Section definitely smells like a bath bomb that I’ve had before, although I can’t think which. CushtyCo says “Take a walk into something from a story book, musky, woody tones of antique wooden furniture, crisp sheets of paper from rare leather bound books, with a slight undertone of sweetness.”
Dead Man’s Chest smells so good that I very may well have to become a pirate after all… “Top notes of Bergamot, orange, raspberry and Mahogany. Subtle middle notes of Orchid, lilies, clove and amber with bottom notes of Vanilla cream, patchouli and sandalwood.”
Jack’s Haunted House is next and another absolutely amazing scent. If this is what ghosts and spirits smell like, then I don’t mind! You can almost taste the pumpkin and allspice.
Monster Breath is not as gross as you might think, it turns out! I’ll be honest, this scent does make me think of soap but that’s not exactly a bad thing. The melt is a gorgeous green colour, with tones of sandalwood, cedarwood, green leaf and amber. You can also detect the spices, particularly pepper in my opinion.
Last but by no means least in this brief little summary of CushtyCo’s melts… Coffee With A Vampire. All I’m going to say is… After Eights. It’s fricken heaven in a wax pot.
Stay tuned for a full review of all of these amazing wax melts in a couple of weeks time! I’ll be honest, I don’t actually want to break them all but they’re calling out to be melted so I suppose I’m going to have to.
Which was your favourite in this collection? Do you have many Halloween candles yourself? Let me know in the comments!
I know it’s nice to go out in the evenings, especially in the summer when it’s still warm as the sun goes down… but that doesn’t mean there’s not something to be said for a super cosy night in, as the weather gets colder and the nights get darker.
That being said, it looks like we’re all going to have a lot more nights at home for the foreseeable anyway, so here are some of my suggestions for the ultimate cosy night in!
1. Have a nice hot bath
Let’s start the evening with something super relaxing: a hot bubble bathTreat yourself to a bath bomb to make it nice and special. Stay tuned for my Lush Halloween haul, the best time of year for bath bombs in my opinion.
Cosy and comfy just go hand in hand really, don’t they?! My go to comfy clothes are really old and tatty pyjamas, but I’m very tempted to treat myself to some cute new loungewear for the upcoming colder months! I’m slightly obsessed with this set from Nasty Gal, which might not exactly be family friendly but that’s ok with me!
Sorry mum…
Depending on how cold it is, you might also want some cosy slippers or fluffy socks – I personally love a pair of Primark fluffy socks in the winter!
Why not throw some cosy blankets in there too for good measure!
3. Snacks and hot drinks
Now, if you’re a bit of a food lover like me then the perfect snacks for the occasion are of utmost importance! Depending on the sort of night in you’re having, you might just go for something like popcorn and sweets… which is great, but if you’re going for the full works then you may as well get a takeaway in! Personally, I’d go for a Chinese or a pizza… if you’re not as lazy as me then maybe you’ll make some food yourself of course, but I for one, am no good at cooking!
Light your room of choice up however you prefer… I’m a bit weird and like to have lots of light but for the sake of the ultimate cosy night, I’m going to assume that you’re more inclined to prefer a darker room like most people I talk to! Whichever way you prefer, I also recommend lighting some candles to get those extra cosy vibes too! Check out my recent post on my current autumn candle collection for some suggestions.
5. Have a selection of films or a series to binge
Let’s set the scene now… you’ve got your comfiest ever clothes on, wrapped up like a little burrito in blankets, the Dominos has just arrived… and now you can settle in to watch your favourite series on Netflix (or whatever streaming service you prefer, or your favourite film – am I the only one who has DVDs these days?!)
My current favourite for a cosy night in is Once Upon A Time on Netflix. Either that or whatever new crime documentary is about. If I’m up for a film then I have quite a varying taste, but next on my re-watch list is Rocketman! I could write a whole other post about how much I love that film but maybe I’ll save that for another day… Harry Potter is also of course ALWAYS an autumn classic!
Don’t get me wrong, I love candles all year round… but there’s something even better about them in autumn and winter. The extra cosy vibes perhaps, or maybe I just prefer the heavier autumnal scents. Either way, I thought I’d share with you the candles I currently have at home and will be burning throughout autumn!
None of the links shared throughout this post are affiliate, I’m just sharing so that you can find any of these products if you so wish! This isn’t a paid for post or sponsored in anyway, this is just my own collection!
If you had to sum up the smell of Autumn, but without pumpkins… then this scent would be it. The fragrance notes are: sparkling citrus, autumn blossom, fresh cut herbs, patchouli, tonka bean and golden amber. I LOVE the smell of patchouli and you definitely get hit with that first.
I purchased it recently and already have far too many candles than I care to admit, so I went for a smaller jar for now. I can tell you though that I will certainly be repurchasing in future and probably in a bigger jar to last longer!
Another patchouli based fragrance, but with a twist! When I saw this one in TK Maxx (I didn’t realise DW was an American company until searching for the link!) I thought it will surely smell vile… but oh no! It’s absolutely delightful. My boyfriend even likes this one and that’s saying something.
The fragrance notes are: tobacco, brushed suede, aromatic greens, soft weathered woods, patchouli and smoky leather. Honestly, it’s amazing. It smells like… a cosy pub when you come in from the fresh autumn air! Heaven…
Pumpkin Apple Parfait by Yankee Candle
I actually got this one in a sample sale, just before the UK went in to lockdown back in March… so I didn’t buy it in autumn BUT it has pumpkin in the name, so I’m going with it.
I can’t actually find this on the UK site so perhaps the collection didn’t last, however it is still on the US site if you wanted to find it.
It’s a fruity candle so perhaps not what you might first go for in autumn, but it’s definitely worth it and I personally think it can be all year scent! The fragrance notes are: pumpkin puree, whipped cream, apple glaze, allspice, ginger, white chocolate, vanilla bean, cinnamon.
Heirloom Punpkin from TK MAXX
I’ve simply put TK Maxx as this seems to be unbranded. I mainly really liked the jar if I’m honest and the smell certainly isn’t as amazing as some of the others in this collection. I’m yet to burn it properly so I’m not sure how the scent will carry but it does smell very much like your typical pumpkin and patchouli scented, Halloween candle. I’m here for it though!
I won’t lie, I saw this online and didn’t read it properly… I thought it was pumpkin spiced latte! However, when it arrived, I was not disappointed. The description online states: creamy, rich espresso combined with vanilla essence, and topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. That is exactly what it smells like!
I’d been looking for a coffee candle for so long and so to end up with this is a very happy accident indeed. Perhaps coffee isn’t a very standard Halloween scent, but there are leaves on the lid so that’s good enough for me!
I mentioned in my autumn wish list post, that I was keen to get my hands on all of these scents and so when I saw that all the votives were in stock, I treated myself! I only wanted the votives so that I could smell them all first, without forking out for the jars… and then potentially not like them! However, they did not disappoint in the slightest. My only problem that I did have, is I ordered a lovely autumn mosaic votive holder to go with them… and it was missing from the package. Easily sorted but still, it meant I couldn’t include it in these photos!
First up is A Night Under The Stars. The fragrance notes for this one are: leather, spice, driftwood, clove, saffron, rose, frankincense, patchouli, cedarwood and you can certainly smell them all. It’s lovely, not too dissimilar to Autumn Glow actually.
Next we have Crisp Campfire Apples, which does smell exactly as the name would suggest. If you needed a helpful hint, the fragrance notes are: apple, clove, mandarin leaf, cinnamon stick, oak leaves, tonka, blonde woods. YUM!
Next is Warm and Cosy, which are the best feelings of Autumn are they not?! The name doesn’t give much away as to how this will smell, but I’ll tell you… it’s lovely and you just know there’s patchouli in there. Are you sensing a pattern yet? The fragrance notes are: balsam, peppermint, eucalyptus, cashmere, cedarwood, golden amber, patchouli, lit firewood, musk. Definite cosy vibes.
Last but no means least, and the one I wanted to try out most, is Pecan Pie Bites. This one smells amazing! I thought that at least one from this collection would be a dud, but they’re all divine. Imagine walking in to a bakery on a blustery autumn day and that’s this candle. The fragrance notes are: cinnamon leaf, burnt sugar, raw honey, white hazelnut, pecan, dark chocolate clove, oak wood, smoked cedar.
So there you have it! I have a lot of candles to burn through this season but seeing as they all smell so incredible, I don’t think it’ll be a hard task! Stay tuned for more autumnal content and if you liked this round up of my autumn candles, then you’ll be in for a treat when we get closer to Halloween as I have a whole other collection just for spooky season!
I don’t know what it is about the autumn and spooky season, but I always want to buy anything remotely related, no matter what it is… mugs, clothing, nail varnishes, candles, literally any kind of Halloween decoration… if there’s a pumpkin on it, I need it!
I thought for this post I’d share some of the things on my wish list for this year, because why not really?! (none of these links are affiliate and I’m simply sharing things that I have happened to found recently)
@hellomissjordan shared this on her princess picks this week and OMG I need it! It’s the perfect colour, it’s cosy AND it has autumn leaves on it… sold! (well, maybe not literally as it’s a bit on the pricey side for me right now!)
Chances I’ll buy it: slim, unless it’s in a 50% off sale…
Chances I’ll buy it: possible… I’m obsessed with near enough everything on the Little Lies website and have been holding out to treat myself to a few bits on there…
Last but no means least, how can I not have one of these?!
Chances I’ll buy it: pretty high, if I can decide what I’ll actually do with it!
So, there you have it, a little sneak peak in to the items I’m currently pining after! I could have gone on for much longer, as there’s a ridiculous amount of items on my wish lists, especially ASOS…. I never actually realised how materialistic I was!
What’s on your Wishlist for autumn? Which of these items do you think I should definitely purchase, or which do you think I should steer clear of?
Watt The Blog 