Sugar Jones

A sugar jones hit me in the new year, and instead of baking I layered two dessert candles, which cured the craving without a single crumb.

For the new year, I’m trying to eat healthier. For me, that means missing all my sweet treats. Since I can’t gain weight sniffing, I decided to surround myself in yummy scents to cure my sugar craving.

I’m layering Modern Alchemy Cake Walk with Voluspa Truffle White Cocoa. I love the combination. Since neither are overly sweet, they work well without inducing complete scent sugar coma.

When I smell the Cake Walk candle cold, I feel as though I’ve stuffed my head inside the box of Pillsbury Vanilla Cake mix. Dry, fatty, vanilla flour heaven. I love it so much I want to eat it. It’s far more creamy than sugary but still incredibly indulgent. A girl’s best friend.

Burning, it takes a curious twist. Modern Alchemy candles would never resemble a normal cake fragrance, so I shouldn’t be surprised, but I wasn’t expecting it from the cold throw. Burning, it turns slightly bitter. Almost like when you just cross that line between perfectly caramelized sugar and burnt sugar. I think it’s the chicory coming through. Chicory root is used as a coffee substitute and has notes of caramel, chocolate and roasted nuts. It’s a nice compliment to sweetness of the Madagascar Vanilla adding a more earthy element. Esthetically, the vessel is stunning and perfectly suited to the fragrance. Thick, frosted, smokey cream glass with subtle etching. One of the prettiest vessels burning.

Fragrance Intensity 2/5. Burn Quality 3/5 – I had to trim the wick frequently and it didn’t liquefy to the sides.

The Voluspa Truffle White Cocoa candle was also not as sweet as I was expecting. The fragrance reminds me of when you melt unsweetened chocolate and butter just before you add the sugar for brownies. Chocolate heaven without the belly ache. While I love the name (elegant and perfectly Voluspa) it isn’t a match for me. The fragrance isn’t as creamy as cocoa and it’s definitely not white chocolate. It’s more bittersweet chocolate. Chocolate Ganache would be a better fit for a name. It’s a very enjoyable sweet fragrance that isn’t nauseating.

Fragrance Intensity 3.5/5. Burn Quality 3/5 – for some reason I have to frequently trim the wick on the 10oz Seasons Collection candles. I’m not sure if they changed their wicks when they switched to the coconut new wax formulation a few months ago. My tester was a year old.

Cold throw, hot throw and a sugar jones

Smelling it cold, I get a box of vanilla cake mix: dry, flowery, a little fatty and creamy rather than sugary. Lit, it takes a twist. The sweetness leans slightly bitter, like caramelized sugar that crosses into burnt.

I think the chicory is the reason. Chicory root is used as a coffee substitute, with notes of caramel, chocolate and roasted nuts, and it gives the Madagascar vanilla an earthier partner.

It is a good example of why you should smell a candle cold and then again after a while.

When a sugar jones strikes, I light a candle before I open the pantry. It sounds silly, but the scent really takes the edge off.

Cake Walk from Modern Alchemy smells cold like a box of vanilla cake mix, which is exactly what a sugar jones wants.

A sugar jones is nothing to be ashamed of, and candles are a harmless way to answer one.

Layering sweet candles without a sugar coma

The trick is to combine candles that are not too sweet. Cake Walk is creamy, and the Voluspa Truffle White Cocoa I paired with it is more bittersweet than milky. Together they feel like dessert without turning into frosting.

Light one first and let it run for half an hour, then add the second. This lets you notice how each changes the room, and you can stop if the mix gets too heavy.

If you want another view of the chocolate candle, Bonnie’s Maui story shows how a cocoa scent can fit a very different mood.

A sugar jones is best met with scents that are not too sweet, so neither candle puts you in a sugar coma.

Light one first and let it run for half an hour, then add the second.

Layering is the secret to taming a sugar jones.

Rating a candle honestly

I like to rate intensity and burn quality separately. A candle can smell wonderful and still need fussing, and that matters when you buy. Cake Walk is lovely, but the post describes frequent wick trimming and a wax pool that did not fully liquefy.

Truffle White Cocoa scored well on scent in my notes, though I found the name more romantic than the smell, which was nearer bittersweet chocolate than white. A fair review says both things.

The Modern Alchemy vessel is smoky cream glass with subtle etching, and it is among the prettiest I have burned.

Every sugar jones deserves honest ratings. I score intensity and burn quality separately, since a candle can smell wonderful and still need fussing.

The Modern Alchemy vessel is smoky cream glass with subtle etching, among the prettiest I have burned.

A sugar jones can also be a chance to try a candle you might otherwise skip.

Dessert scents all year

Dessert candles are not only for the holidays. They work as a treat during a diet, a mood lift in gray weather or a gentle way to end the day.

For another Modern Alchemy story, read Tincture of Winchester, which takes the brand in a smoky direction. For the main flavor, the Wikipedia article on vanilla explains where it comes from.

Burn something sweet tonight, and keep the cookies in the jar.

If you are new to layering, begin with just two candles and keep notes about what you like.

A last thought on dessert scents: they are most satisfying in small doses. One candle at a time, a short burn and a window cracked open keep the pleasure fresh.

Dessert scents are a great way to treat a sugar jones without eating a thing. One candle at a time keeps the pleasure fresh.

If you are new to layering, begin with two candles and keep notes. A sugar jones is a fine excuse to experiment.

When the next sugar jones arrives, light something sweet and sit down.