An Honest Review: Siblings Candles
For the holidays, we have been doing a family Polyanna for years. This year, I made the request that we each give each other a little hand and actually make a wishlist of gifts. There is nothing worse than pulling a name and immediately knowing that the fun of gift-giving will be consumed with doubt over what to buy your pick. That has happened far too often to me! And no one likes a lame gift.
Anywho…when I made my Christmas wishlist, I included a candle-making kit from Siblings Essentials! It’s a company that I found on instagram that focuses on sustainability by selling “forever” candle jars and clean wax in compostable materials. The gist is, instead of just buying new candles and wasting perfectly good (albeit empty) jars, you can re-use jars and any other candle-safe container over and over again by simply refilling the wax. From the ads, I was intrigued by the boutique-y look of the candles…these could be made in the microwave?
Turns out, this is what I was given for my Polyanna (from my sister, if you were wondering!). I was not expecting this, but sister got me the WHOLE kit! It included the candlemaking supplies, a vessel, matches, and a box of matches with how-to instructions. It has admittedly taken me a while to make my candle, but now that I have, here is my honest review.
This bundle was a Christmas gift, and you can shop more here.
First, I was blown away by how simple the process is! Siblings has a thing going with their packaging and the product itself. I assembled my candle in under 2 minutes, and that is impressive to me because I’ve never even made a candle (and I may have skipped the directions). I had a friend that went to a candle-making studio in Charleston (this, I believe) and I never really forgot about the idea. It just sounds so ME and so much fun. So, my kitchen became my little candle studio, and for a few minutes, I forgot about the crumbs on the counter and the unsightly drying rack filled with newborn bottles. Siblings made the process extremely easy, mess-free, and fun. I probably shouldn’t say “idiot-proof,” but it is.
From the moment I opened up the resealable package, I was hit with a delightfully wintry scent of their Number 04 blend: eucalyptus, balsam and wild berries. I love anything pine-y, even before and after Christmas - it makes the whole house feel refreshed and just smell clean. The smell is strong, but not overpowering. It took me about 2.5 minutes to fully melt the wax, which you microwave in the bag (with a dish underneath for added safety). The package contains about 10 oz. of wax, and that is my only gripe: I wish there was more wax in the package. I have a lot of expended candle jars that are larger than 10 oz. that I would love to fill with more Siblings scents. Ugh, if only I could refill all of my old Anthropologie Volcano candles!
CONS -
The price. I’ll be honest, sometimes I am a sucker for a cheapie $7 HomeGoods candle…other times, I take the plunge for the $30 Anthro candle. Siblings candle packages range in price, from the mid-$20 price point. If you bundle, you save, but the prices can be in the $60-$90 range. That’s a lot of money, in my opinion! Some might say it’s not worth it to spend that money on just the wax. But remember, the whole idea is to be sustainable and waste less.
I do wish that the candle wax kits came in a larger quantity. 10 oz. is pretty small, and I’d think that it would take two packs to fill my old Anthro candles.
If I were to buy more for myself, the obvious setback is you’re buying candles online — you have no idea what they smell like! I do believe that I’d be happy with whatever I picked, but for someone who might be indecisive about pulling the trigger on a candle, this makes choosing one even tougher. That being said, I do think that Siblings offers a tasteful array of scents, with emphasis on naturals rather than gross, run-of-the-mill manufactured scents.
PROS +
The ease of use is remarkable! The instructions make it pretty fool-proof to make your own candle. All you need is a little patience, and a microwave-safe dish (and a microwave, duh). Two hours of set time and you’re ready to light up your first candle.
The scent is so pleasant, and potent. I have the #04 blend, which I could smell right out of the bag! I’d love to try their flower power pack.
The refillable “forever vessel” is tasteful and understated. Mine is a ceramic 10 oz. jar in a dusty grey/green color called Stone. This makes a great gift!
The company is clearly geared toward sustainability. The packaging is 100% compostable, and they use clean candle wax blends made of essential oils and non-toxic fragrance. The whole idea of reusing vessels is very smart to me, because I have so many “too pretty to throw out” jars that I’ll never re-use otherwise.
The Verdict
It’s a win! Try it, and I really think you’ll love it. It’s more of a splurge of gift-type of item, to be sure, but I am a candle person and overall I am very happy with the scope of the product. Design-wise, the candle is good looking a home-run. In fact, it might blend in with my decor too well! In terms of environmental impact, I do love that Siblings takes the time to create a carbon-neutral experience for its customers. I am very impressed that they went carbon-neutral their first year in business, too. In all actuality, I probably won’t be filling each and every container in sight with Siblings candle wax, but if I could, I would.
ciao xo!