Voluspa santiago huckleberry sat in our shop for years before I lit it, and I still laugh at how wrong my first guess was about this jammy, cozy best seller.
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We had the Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry candle in our shop for many years before I finally broke down and tried it. Year after year I continuously heard everyone rave about it. Even though Santiago Huckleberry is on of Voluspa’s best-selling fragrances, I was reluctant to try it. To me, the cold throw on it came across as a jam smorgishborg that only Joey from Friends could enjoy. The thought of jam-overload scared me.
Finally, I had to try it. As the candle warmed, the fragrance opened up and revealed the most wonderful, warm scent. Notes of vanilla provided comfort and relaxation. The description doesn’t list amber, but the scent was so warm and deep it comes across like warm, sweet amber. Truly lovely.
Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry is one of those unique fragrances that is loved year round. In the winter it’s cozy. In the summer, it’s full of fruity fun. On warm days, it pairs will with a Blackberry drink like this:
2 Parts Acai Berry Vodka
1 Part agave nectar
1 Part fresh squeezed lemon juice
Muddled blackberries
Shake and pour over ice
Santiago Huckleberry also layers well with the Crisp Champagne fragrance by Volupsa. How and when do you enjoy the Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry candle?
Photo from http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2010/10/roasted-jalapeno-blackberry-margarita
Why I avoided voluspa santiago huckleberry
Customers kept telling me it was wonderful, and I kept nodding politely. Cold, straight from the jar, the scent seemed to be a pile of jam, the sort of thing only a sweet tooth could love. I imagined a room smelling like a toast spread.
That cold smell is called the cold throw, and it is not the same as the hot throw. A candle can smell quite different once the wax melts and the fragrance opens up.
I should say that many shop owners judge a candle by its cold throw, because that is what customers smell on the shelf. It is a lesson in not trusting a first sniff. Voluspa santiago huckleberry taught me to wait for the melt.
There is a good lesson here for anyone buying candles online. Read reviews that mention how the scent changes during the burn, not only the first impression. A candle like voluspa santiago huckleberry rewards people who are patient.
What the scent becomes once it warms
When I finally burned voluspa santiago huckleberry, the berry softened and a warm vanilla came forward. The result felt deep and cozy, a little like amber, though the maker’s description does not list amber. That is simply how it smelled to me.
If you are curious about the fruit itself, the huckleberry explains what huckleberries are. It is a short and interesting side read.
The vanilla is what gives it comfort and calm. It is the kind of scent that makes a room feel finished, and it is easy to see why it sits among the maker’s best sellers.
Voluspa candles come in a good range of formats. Bonnie, our November fan, loved the tins for travel, and a berry vanilla scent in a tin is a handy way to try it without committing to a big jar.
A scent for every season
I think the reason it sells year after year is that it does not belong to one season. In winter it is cozy, and in summer it turns fruity and playful. It is a good candle for people who only want to own a few.
On a warm evening, I like to pour a blackberry drink and light it. Our original recipe used acai berry vodka, agave nectar, fresh lemon juice and muddled blackberries, shaken and served over ice. It is a silly pairing, but it makes the room feel like a party.
Because it never feels out of season, voluspa santiago huckleberry is a good first Voluspa for a friend. It is also a good housewarming gift because nobody has to know whether the host prefers fruit or vanilla. It has both.
Burn it for at least an hour so the wax melts to the edges. Short burns keep the scent in its jammy cold phase, and the warm side only appears with time. That one habit changes how the candle smells.
A jammy candle can also be a good choice for dinner parties, since fruit and vanilla tend to please most guests. Keep it away from the dining table, though, so the scent does not compete with the food.
Layering and what to try next
Voluspa santiago huckleberry also layers well with the Crisp Champagne fragrance. Light both in the same room and the champagne cuts the sweetness while the berry keeps it round. Our post on Champagne Candles will give you ideas for bubbly scents.
For a quick look at other Voluspa candles, Volupsa Candles in a Minute is a short and useful guide. And if you have a favorite way to burn voluspa santiago huckleberry, tell me about it in the comments.
As always, check the maker’s page for the exact notes and sizes, since this post only covers my impressions.
How and when do you enjoy this candle? I would love to hear if you light it with dinner, with a book or on a rainy day. Every answer helps me recommend it better.
If you do try layering, light the candles at the same time and give them twenty minutes before you judge. Scents need a little time to meet each other, and the first minutes can be misleading.
