one man review - soy candles

Review time! Ding ding ding! Ok, so method has recently had some little ole' troubles with their candle line. Just a little background, for those of you that may be a tad confused (which is what I'm hearing from some comments here on method lust.)

Around August of last year method introduced a new and "improved" (and we all know why THAT'S in quotes, right?) soy candle for their aircare line. Gone was the ceramic container, in it's place was a new sleek (and 100% recyclable! Which was the reason they moved away from the non-recyclable ceramic) glass bowl! It was all held nice and tidy by a paper wrapper that said in big type "SOY". And it brought us new and returning scents in the form of gingerbread + spice, frosted fir, winterberry, spiced pear, and toasted hazelnut; and all our favorite mainstays! And we were so excited, and ran home to light them up, and watched them burn, and realized...

they sucked. (With honest apologies to poor Ryan Williams, and the rest of the wonderful green chef method team!)

(These, are actually burnt out.)

They burnt - poorly. Like, not a little poorly, but moreso, really, badly poorly. (Ok, ok, I know, enough salt in the wounds! Ha ha!)

+

So, method has just released a new soy wax formula for their candles, and it debuted this month! Now, in order to make sure you're picking up the new soy candles, look for the paper wrap that says "BREATHE EASY" on it. I think there has been some slight confusion here. These are the new candles! Nothing else has changed about them, the glass container is still the same, etc. Though they do also have a sticker or two on them that says: "New Wax Formula, Now Burns Even Better."

Well, I picked myself up a new soy lavender + lemongrass candle (my favorite scent of the main three!) to test! Would it indeed burn better? Or would I be doomed?

I have to say, I'm impressed! Now, here's the thing. When you first light them, they do this burn tease that says "I'm just like the old soy candles!" and you're all like, no! This was evident when a fellow reader commented:

"I bought one when I saw my local target carrying them last week. Around the outer edge, there's a strange soft ring of wax. Actually it's kinda the consistancy of butter or old cold grease. It's still super soft some 24 hours after being blown out. I'm curious if I'm supposed to scoop that bit away or if it's actually going to burn because it doesn't seem like it."

And I saw this, too. It was just like the previous version, where the outer edge wasn't burning, and I was all like "Man!" But, I continued to burn the candle, because I was determined to give it a thorough testing. And it appears that the new consistency is a lot softer, so that as the candle continues to melt down through multiple burnings, the sides will start to melt down, also. (Which was the problem with the previous candles, as a hole would burn straight down, and you'd end up with all this wax on the sides that never burned.)

On these new candles I didn't push the wax down, or touch it in any way. The only thing I did do on occasion (but I do this with all my candles, method or not) is if I'd noticed the wax melting more on one side over another; I'll usually take the end of a pair of scissors, or a knife, or my burnt match, and just push the wick over a little, so it's centered better, etc. (Make sense? Sometime they can get a tad off center, which I think is just what happens when you burn a candle.)

In the end, it burnt all the way down! Barely any wax remained, save for a small puddle once the wick finally burnt out (which is normal for most candles.) And I was so excited! We finally got our great method candles back! I definitely recommend the new candles (remember, with the "Breathe Easy" paper wrap!) Run out and pick up your favorite scent today (or hold out, and pick up some beach sage, coming soon!)

I'm giving it a 4.5 out of five! I think the new soy wax formula works great (though personally, I still think it could use a slightly larger wick. But hey, that's just me!) I'd like to know how your experiences with the new soy candles are going! Leave your thoughts in the comments!

+

Also, from the upcoming polls roundup, I'm shocked at how many method fans have yet to try out their candles (60% of method lust readers!) I'm curious why this is? Are you not a candle fan? Afraid you'll burn down your house? Simply prefer one of their other aircare products instead? I'd love to know! So tell me why you haven't tried their soy candles yet! Thanks!