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Merch Review: Theme Park Alchemy Candles

Merch

Merch Review: Theme Park Alchemy Candles

This is a really cool concept, and one you don’t see much, if at all, especially in the bookstagram world of candle makers.

We received these candles in exchange for an honest review.


The Wizard Collection

Theme Park Alchemy is a cool new candle shop that creates scents based on… you guessed it: theme park attractions! This is a really cool concept, and one you don’t see much, if at all, especially in the bookstagram world of candle makers. And thankfully, Hogwarts is part of the theme park world as well, which means HOUSE CANDLES! So today I’m reviewing the four Hogwarts House candles for you.  Check back with us Thursday as we’ll be hosting a giveaway for an 8oz candle of your choice!

My favorite part about these candles is the artwork. I rarely burn my candles, so presentation weighs heavier for me even than scent when I’m buying them. I want something that will really draw the eye in a photo, or even just on my shelf. I think of it, really, like a small canvas that can be displayed more places than on a wall.

Despite my saying that art counts for more than scent, scent still matters. So with that, let’s dive into each one and find out how they stack up.

The first candle, which is a larger size than the others because it’s my Hogwarts house, is the Wisdom (aka Ravenclaw) candle. I’m a sucker for birds, and this artwork is soooo pretty. I love the style, and the astrological aspects in the background. However, the actual “mascot” for the Ravenclaw house is an eagle, so as a card carrying Ravenclaw it is my duty to point out the discrepancy here. That won’t stop me from putting this on my Ravenclaw shelf, though.

As for the scent, I was pleasantly surprised by it. Usually candle companies associate tea with Ravenclaws, so I was reluctantly expecting a tea-and-something-bookish scent. What I got instead was far more layered and really enjoyable. The subtle use of the lavender here is an extra point in the scent’s favor, as I tend not to like the lavender smell, but it balances so well here I barely notice it.

Another gorgeous piece of tiny candle artwork. The Cunning candle features the Slytherin House snake. At first glance, I really enjoy the color palette here. It’s rich and inviting. However, the Wisdom candle did such a good job staying with the House color palette, that I find myself wishing the leaves were vibrant green and the banner were silver.

This scent, though, is possibly my favorite. I don’t really know why, but I tend to favor the Slytherin scents. (I married a Slytherin, so perhaps it makes perfect sense that I’m most attracted to that). It is a lush, yet fresh scent. Not overpowering, but with an understated power that pulls you in and makes you want to smell it more and more.

The artwork on this next candle, Loyalty, features the Hufflepuff House badger with banners and paintbrushes. I like the little pops of color the brushes give while still retaining the overall House color palette. At first I felt the paintbrushes might have better represented the Ravenclaws, given that creativity is generally grouped into that house, but the more I think about the time and dedication involved with most painters, I can totally see how this could line up with Hufflepuff qualities as well.

The moment I smelled this candle I told my husband “I wanna eat it!” So you know it’s a good one. My initial thoughts were the smell of a really good dessert or banana bread, though I couldn’t exactly say it was either of these things. It just had an all around, sweet, (my) comfort food type of scent to it. So I was actually surprised to read that it was caramel apple and chocolate! Either way, I wanna eat it.

And finally, we have what I would consider a tie for the best artwork of the candles. The lion in this Bravery candle is so regal and beautifully rendered. And the pop of blue, though deviating from the Gryffindor House colors in the same way that the Cunning candle did, is so satisfying that I don’t have the urge to change it (yes, I’m a hypocrite). The only thing that I have to mark it down a notch for is actually that the lettering gets cut off on the label (Note: We learned that the 4oz candle is actually for testing/review only so that explains why the label gets cut off).

This scent, while lovely, was probably the least surprising to me. Before I opened it, I was expecting a dash of cinnamon and an overall autumnal quality. This was absolutely the case. I think, to it’s credit, it has more layers than most Gryffindor candles I smell, giving it a richer scent profile. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing that it smelled as I expected it might. That autumnal scent is a well loved one!

Overall, I’m really pleased to be adding these candles to my Harry Potter shrine merch collection. They make a gorgeous addition to my shelves! Check them out here, and be sure to use code DGMN for 15% off your first purchase!


Reader, Author, Bookstagrammer, and Mom; Alexis runs Nerdy Post, a fandom artwork box as well as serves as chief editor and writer on Drop and Give me Nerdy.

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