Aerin Lauder- American Fragrance Royalty and Grand-daughter of Estee Lauder
Aerin Lauder, granddaughter of the legendary Estée Lauder, began launching her own lifestyle brand AERIN in 2011. Conscious of her grandmother’s legacy of taste, luxury, and style, her brand encompasses not only beauty and perfume but quality lifestyle products from sunglasses to furniture. Among the products she launched for the home is a collectin of delightful scented candles: Jacaranda Wood, Trumpet Vine, Pink Climbing Rose, Wild Mulberry, Sky Fower, and Aralia Cedar. Working in collaboration with Laura Slatkin of Nest Fragrances, they have produced a set of candles that offer variety in aroma as well as beauty in presentation. To play on Ms. Lauder’s collection of Venetian glass, the candles are poured into substantial, hand-blown glass receptacles in subtle colors. I kept envisioning them lined up beautifully on a stark white shelf to add color to a room. The packaging is lovely, as well, and I think anyone would enjoy receiving one of these as a gift.
Jacaranda Macedon Smoke by Ingrida Rocis
First I burned Jacaranda Wood, which is a spicy, slightly sweet, woody fragrance. If I were having a gloomy day, or it was rainy and chilly, this candle would do wonders to warm up the room. I like having traditional incense notes in a candle; there is something soft and welcoming about them and they are not overpowering. The throw is not as strong as some of the other candles in the collection, but it provides a quiet atmosphere of serenity.
Notes: Jacaranda wood, patchouli and Spanish moss are infused with the sweetness of myrrh and the lingering warmth of frankincense.
I found Trumpet Vine to be a pretty pale green floral, relaxing and soft. It is unobtrusive, but present, and would be lovely to just add some cheerfulness to a room. It has a slightly sweet, summery air about it, with moderate throw. I will pull this one back out when the weather warms up again, as I think it will be perfect then.
Notes: Lily of the Valley, essence of flowering garden vines, lotus blossom, hyacinth and musk.
Pale by Tama Blough
Pink Climbing Rose was my least favorite in the box, but became a favorite when burning. Dewy, fruity rose with a bit of leaf and stem to keep the sweetness down, I loved every minute. I had never considered a rose-scented candle, but this made me happy, and I will light it frequently. It has big throw; I was burning it in my living room and could smell it throughout my apartment, but it was joyful and never cloying.
Notes: Pink rose, mandarin orange, Asian lychee, and Anjou pear.
I don’t burn as many candles when it is warm out, but Sky Flower, Aerin Lauder’s signature scent, is a light, lovely, true mixed floral bouquet. I will definitely have this one going in the summertime, especially in the evening. I also think it will be a good antidote if the gloomy weather gets to be too much later in the season.
Notes: Gardenia, tuberose, jasmine, magnolia, bergamot, and Bourbon vanilla.
Twin Trees and the Mulky Way by Cedar Lee
I was shocked to see that Aralia Cedar has no amber listed in the notes. The whole time it was burning, I thought of amber. This candle is one of my top picks in the line. It is so pretty that I chose not to wear perfume the day I burned it, so as not to interfere with my enjoyment of it. High praise from one who scents herself every day. It has excellent throw, but is not too strong; just a nice miasma of comfort.
Notes: Florentine iris, star anise, clove, nutmeg, vetiver, and Moroccan cedar
Wild Mulberry smells like tart berries with some leaf and stem, and is quite pungent. It’s a fragrance I like very much in perfume, and is reminiscent of Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau and Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay. It is very well-done, refreshing, and would be great in the spring and summer. This candle has excellent throw and strong aroma.
Notes: Wild mulberry, red plum, cassis, fig leaves, sandalwood, and golden amber.
The AERIN candle collection by Aerin Lauder is excellent, with variety in the scents, and beautifully packaged. The quality is high, with solid burn time, throw, and aroma. Once the candle wax is gone, the frosted glass holder can be used as a flower pot and the lovely gold trimmed boxes reminiscent of Ms. Lauder’s home decor collection are perfect for storing trinkets and treasures.
My candles were graciously provided by Nest Fragrances New York. The AERIN candle collection can be found at Neiman Marcus online and in-store.
Tama Blough, Senior Editor
Thanks to the generous people at Nest, we have a great draw for our US readers. Three readers will each receive the candle of their choice. Please let us know your top pick in the comments, and remember to say you are in the US. Draw Ends November 13, 2013.
We announce the winners only on site, and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.