Recent Releases from Yankee Candle

The first half of 2015 saw Yankee Candle release some fantastic new scents. I've already spoken about Q1's Pure Essence and Love Is In The Air collections, and here are a few more to get your nose round.

 

The first in line is the Grand Bazaar collection which was released back in January. It consists of Oud Oasis, Frankinsence and Moroccan Argan Oil. Think rich, exotic scents that transport you to far off lands and that are the perfect accompaniments to a luxurious bath. Oud Oasis has been strangely likened to toffee, although it is a warm, resin-like aroma rather than being a foodie scent. I wouldn't have thought it'd be my cup of tea, but pair it with a long hot soak and I'm all ears. It is perfect to pretend you're in an exotic spa. 

Frankincense is not dissimilar to the perennial Yankee winter favourite Spiced Orange, but is more at the incense end of the spectrum as expected from this collection. It is a very modern take on that incense, and it's orange notes are laden with an addictive floral twist, which makes it my favourite of the Grand Bazaar collection. Moroccan Argan Oil comes up as the most masculine out of the trio, and has a sweet perfumes edge that I just can't put my finger on. It reminds me of a lot of cheap scents, most notably those from Next or M&S, whereas I was expecting more of a Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse kind of fragrance. Now Yankee, if you're reading this, that I'd like to see in wax form.

 

Launched in April, the Q2 Cafe Culture collection is a straight-up foodie's dream. The patisserie-inspired scents take you right into a Parisian breakfast scene, and anything Parisian is a-ok with me. Capuccino Truffle combines rich dark chocolate with smooth, velvety coffee. It somehow misses the mark for me, as it is neither chocolatey nor coffee enough for my likings, and unfortunately it isn't a particularly memorable scent. Tarte Tatin is the classic apple pie scent, laced with cinnamon to create a yummy, addictive treat, but my favourite out of the collection has to be the intricately delicious Pain au Raisin. It is a smooth scent with many layers, with almost a tropical vibe from the cognac.

Life's A Beach is the limited edition collection for Q2. This release consists of two fresh, sea-inspired scents; Wild Sea Grass and Beach Holiday. Wild Sea Grass is a straight-up parched sand dune scent, that really conjured up memories of sitting on the beach eating fish and chips. Using a quarter of the tart in my burner was super strong and meant a sour note coming through, so I'd advise going for the lighter votive in this scent. Beach Holiday is an aquatic scent that just smells very blue. Not dissimilar to Turquoise Sky, Beach Holiday contains watery notes along with salt to emulate bring beside the sea. Whilst you can always argue that this makes a great bathroom scent, I didn't find it particularly memorable. I've not been massively impressed with either of these two Q2 limited edition scents, and seeing as they are already reduced on the Yankee Candle website I predict they won't be lasting much longer than this year.

Out of these collections, I'd say that my favourite would probably have to be Cafe Culture, as it brought us the mighty Pain au Raisin, my favourite scent out of the lot. I think we can safely say that Life's a Beach was a bit of a flop, although things are looking up for Q3. Stay tuned for next week when I'll be posting a review of the new Out of Africa collection.

Have you tried any of these scents? Which was your favourite?