I am always searching for my holy grail home fragrance, so on reading about Jonathan Ward London scented candles on Twitter, my greatest challenge was choosing which one to buy. The descriptions on the website are all so incredibly alluring and options range from the uplifting ‘Dance in Summer Rain’ to the heady, complex Santissima Amalfi (limited edition).
Jonathan Ward London products are all hand made with a simple philosophy of offering luxury from the inside out. Candles are hand-poured using the finest artisan craftsmanship, and each fragrance is a sophisticated blend of premium ingredients and scents, lovingly selected and expertly combined.
Jonathan himself offered to help me choose a candle and was extremely patient with me in our various email & twitter discussions. He knew it was a big deal for me to spend so much on a candle and didn’t trivialise my (slightly pathetic) indecisiveness. You can’t really ask for better customer service than that!
I eventually decided on Idina’s Locket from the Spice & Amber collection.
“Inspired by the gifts that Idina's great love bestowed upon her, this fragrance celebrates soft feminine amber notes subtly layered against peppery rose, reminiscent of an antique compact.”
I’m so in love with this fragrance I wish I could have it bottled. It’s really gentle and feminine, quite soft and woody; perfumed but not remotely sickly sweet. It’s quite powdery and has subtle spicey undertones. I expected it to be more of an evening fragrance but it’s gorgeous anytime… I have to resist lighting it all the time so that it will last for longer.
I’ll let the pictures do the talking now.
A little history…
I adore the deep base on the Italian hand-blown crystal glasses…
Ready to light…
How gorgeous is the label? My favourite part is Jonathan’s signature at the top – such a lovely personalised touch.
First light…
You’ve no idea how hard it was for me to wait and photograph all of this so I could share it with you!
Candles are hand-poured using paraffin-free organic soy and beeswax
Several hours later…
You can see how pure and transparent the melted oil is at the top – it’s not yellow like this in real life – the camera flash just made it look like this (see actual creamy colour in next pic).
The scent from these candles is so soft and unobtrusive yet very definite. You could eat while one is burning in the room without tasting it (!!!) yet even when not lit, I often catch gorgeous wafts throughout the day. If it’s sunny I like to set mine on the windowsill where the wax warms a little and releases some smell without burning down.
Lights out…
Once distinguished, the softened wax solidifies again with a smooth, even finish. Note how there are no dips or tunnels in the wax, which is so pure, it can be applied to pulse points and worn as perfume when cooled.
The large, double wick candle costs £30 - 8.5oz (241g), with a burn time of 45hrs. A smaller version is available for £20, with a 30hr burn time.
You can see the full range at www.jonathanwardlondon.com and follow Jonathan on Twitter @J_W_LONDON or on Facebook.
What’s your favourite home fragrance?
Ha ha thanks I hope you love it as much as I do Jo. :)
ReplyDeleteNic x
Have looked on his website and am going to try the exact one you have tested. We like the same sweets, so bound to like the same smells! Love your blog!
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