Subscription Box Review: Flick the Wick

One of the best things to get in subscription boxes are candles, so when I realized that one of my favorite candle makers had a box that not only included all the fabulous stuff you get in book boxes (minus the book) but also several candles, I knew I had to get in on it. The themes have all been great ones so far. Only one fandom since I started getting the box was one I was unfamiliar with. This particular box, however, features one of my favorite series, and I was more excited for it to arrive than any of my other boxes. I’m a little slow in posting about it, because life happens, but I’m still as much a fan of it today as I was when I opened it.

Before we get into the contents, I want to share a quick picture of the bottom of the box. This is something you don’t see in other monthly theme boxes, and as an artist I really appreciate details like this. The entire box is custom made for the specific theme, including a quote on the bottom. I really love these details and these are actually the only subscription box boxes I hang on to after I’ve opened them.

Here is the complete unboxing. As you can see, this month had some extra fantastic items! These boxes do not come with a book, which I’m honestly kind of starting to prefer. You get to focus on more specific fandoms that way.

Since it’s hard to miss, we will go ahead and start with the pillowcase. I knew the designer of this piece without even looking fully at the image as I was unfolding it! @inkandwonder.designs has a very distinct style and this is no exception. I love how bright and colorful this pillowcase is. We have a sci-fi theme going on with the pillowcases in our bedroom, and this one will fit right in. The bright color means my daughter will probably stake her claim on it, but that’s okay.

The zipper pouch is another fabulous item. I have a lot of zipper pouches, but I don’t use a ton of them. This one, however, is a really good size, perfect for throwing a couple diapers and some wipes into it. So it’s perfect for being able to compartmentalize my purse so the whole thing doesn’t turn into a diaper bag. #momlife And since I love this series so much, I love that I have a little something nerdy for even the most mundane life items. Like the thing that stores your on-the-go diapers. Though it would also easily hold a pretty normal sized paperback as well.

I love that Ella was included in this box, complete with her little goldfish. She was such a fantastic character, and it’s good to see some disability rep even in merch. I think that’s important. I also really like this quote on the back of the spoiler card. I’m a very big fan of not wasting a spoiler card, and adding artwork on the back of it. Both of these designs were by @dreamyandco

Here we have our two-sided smaller items. The first side features some fantastic quotes on all three items. We have a really nicely made keychain, a gorgeous mini print with one of my favorite quotes, and a bookmark with another great quote. These bookmarks are probably my favorite ones in the subbed industry aside from my own. They have a similar velvety feel to mine, but they have a cardstock middle that makes them thicker and sturdier, but not so much so that you can’t close your book. I just really appreciate the quality of these bookmarks.

On the other side of these items we have my favorite sides. While the artwork and quotes on the previous side were great, these win out for me, personally. The character art here might be one of my favorite pieces of character art I own. I love @dreamyandco’s interpretation and execution of the main characters in this series and I honestly wish this was a full poster I could hang on my gallery wall. The keychain features one of the best quotes, but the design itself is really satisfying. The balance of print and script here combined with the color just wins out. For the bookmark, I just really like this color palette and font choice. The other side is equally well done, but I like that it’s a longer quote and fills it up more.

And now for the candles! The artwork on these labels is so beautiful. The vivid colors really pop from a distance, which is perfect for me, since I use them more for decor than for burning (because I’m weird and I can’t smell anything but flame when candles burn). A pretty label is as important as the smell for me, and these absolutely deliver. But since scent is also important, let’s dive in.

Top left we have Hanna & Nik. The scent profile is: Embers, Musk, Maple, and Peach. The combination is rich and complex and really delightful.

Top right features Asha & Rhys. The scent profile is: Crisp Air, Lavender, Vanilla, and Musk. This one has a really nice, clean scent to it.

Bottom right we have our final small candle, featuring Lady & Ezra, the original duo. The scent profile is: Ozone, Musk, Mango, Apple, and Floral. I really like this combination. You definitely get hit with the more fruity, floral scents first, but then the musk and ozone sneak through. I really see the correlation in this scent with these two characters and their relationship especially.

And finally we have our big candle, featuring who other than AIDAN ! This sent profile is: Kumquat, Kiwi, Berries, and Citrus. Honestly it just smells amazing and I don’t know or care how it relates to the character because I’m just really happy to now have this scent in my life.