Somehow it has become a tradition that I review at least one candle in December, and I’ve to admit: I do love a Christmassy scent around the apartment. This year though, let’s do it slightly differently. My candle isn’t a Holiday candle in the proper sense, although it’s part of a Holiday collection: it’s Lush’s Olive Branch candle.
What is it?
Lush introduced candles with their Holiday collection, but apparently, only the two “proper” Holiday scents (Snow Fairy and Lord of Misrule) are limited edition. 75g are 15€/$18 (2.6oz). There’re also “Sleepy” and “Orange Blossom” candles.
“Refresh your mind with the green top notes of galbanum oil and the cheerful citrus scents of bergamot and orange flower. Made with a natural base of rapeseed, coconut and castor waxes, all our candles are palm-free, GM-free, soy-free and 100% vegan. Approximate burn time is 12 to 15 hours.”
Lush
Lush Olive Branch candle review: Ingredients
Rapeseed wax, coconut oil, coconut wax and castor wax are the base for the candle. The rest is fragrance.
Packaging
We have a frosted, wide glass jar with the name printed in the white Lush font. Mayyyyyyyyybe the glass is too wide for the candle to burn properly and not tunnel.
I really like that the jar comes sealed, so not all fragrance will evaporate if you don’t burn it immediately.
Longevity
The site claims that this is good for a 12-15hrs burn time. Given that Lush recommends to burn this for at least three hours at a time to guarantee an even burn, you then will burn your candle approximately four to five time, which is a bit of a bummer.
A small Diptyque candle comes with 70g, but I usually can burn it up to ten times, I’d say. But then Diptyque jars are higher, with a smaller diameter, which prevents tunneling.
Lush also says that the candles are ideal for a bathroom, or your desk, which makes me think that the throw of these is designed for smaller spaces. Which makes sense, looking at their small size.
I can say that The Olive Branch candle scents my office (approx. 20 square meters) just fine.
Scent
The Olive Branch is one of my fave Lush scents.
“You know when you think of citrus scents, the first association is always “fresh”? This isn’t fresh. This is like a warm, cozy hug from a mix of mandarin orange peel, resinous galbanum and bitter orange leaves. The whole experience is citrus fruits, but make them warm and spicy and aromatic.”
(Twindly: Affordable Fragrance Faves)
The Lush site calls it “peaceful and uplifting”, and yes, it absolutely is. It’s one of my feel-good scents which always manages to lighten my mood.
Honestly, it’s the best thing to burn in winter when everything is grey.
Lush Olive Branch candle review: Worth it?
I’m not wholly sure if the quality is there (maybe they should rethink the jar design). But I can’t fault the intensity of the fragrance, and given that the small Diptyque candles are 40€ this year, I’m quite happy to spring 15€ for this one. Available at Lush stores and online (USA/GB/DE).
P.S.: Don’t pay attention to candle reviews claiming “it doesn’t smell of anything!”. Scientists actually use Yankee Candle reviews for tracking covid waves, so at this point, I’d rather think it has something to to with covid instead of the candle itself.
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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