The Candle Lab - Grandview Heights

The Candle Lab is a local candle company that makes soy candles with over 120 fragrances! There are three locations, one in Grandview Heights, Worthington and the Short North. Pre-made candles and other products can be purchased, or you can make a custom candle at one of their stores. I made my own candle as part of the bachelorette party festivities for my friend, Brittany (read about our dinner at Spagio here). 

Making your own candle is a blast! When we arrived at The Candle Lab, we were each given a small clipboard to make note of our favorite scents. All of the available scents (all 120 of them!) are presented as single scent candles and are arranged alphabetically on shelves. Coffee beans (from The Candle Lab's neighbor, Stauf's) are on hand to cleanse your nasal palate.

There are so many different scents - it's really hard to choose favorites! We had fun smelling the different scents and sharing the best, or most interesting ones. Some reminded us of our favorite foods, people or childhood memories. I found one candle that smells just like the little decorative soaps that my grandma used to keep on her bathroom counter. They were blue and shaped like little roses. 

All of the fragrances we smelled were very realistic! There were floral scents like gardenia, fruity scents like mango, woodsy scents like pine needles, food scents like coffee and fresh and clean scents like fresh linen. I found a lot of different ones I enjoyed, on my paper I listed these scents as possible ones to include in my candle: Goji Berry, Pomegranate, Guava, Honeysuckle, Verbena, Lavender, Lilac, Dogwood, Bonsai, Coffee, Coconut and Chai Tea.

These are just some of the wonderful and interesting fragrances we tested:

• Herbs + Floral Scents: Basil, Cherry Blossom, Cilantro, Eucalyptus, Gardenia, Jasmine, Lavender Fields, Lemongrass, Lilac, Magnolia, Mint Leaf, Honeysuckle, Hyacinth, Peony, Rose Petals, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Sweet Violet, Verbena and White Sage
• Fruity Scents: Anjou Pear, Apple Orchard, Blackberry, Georgia Peach, Goji Berry, Grapefruit, Green Apple, Guava, Mango, Orange Zest, Pineapple, Pomegranate and Watermelon
• Other Food Scents: Almond, Bacon, Bubble Gum, Cake Batter, Candy Cane, Chai Tea, Coconut, Coffee Bean, Cranberry, Cucumber, Hot Cocoa, Vanilla Bean and Whipped Cream
• Earthy + Masculine Scents: Autumn Leaves, Campfire, Dad's Den, Earth, Leather, Summer Lawn and Tomato Leaf
• Woodsy/Tree Scents: Balsam Fir, Bamboo, Dogwood, Jade and Pine Needles 
• Fresh + Clean Scents: Baby Powder, Clothesline, First Snow, Fresh Linen, Morning Dew, Rain, Sea Breeze and Soap Suds         

After we had chosen our favorite scents and listed them on our papers, we picked out a container for our candle - there were a lot of options here too! I ended up choosing a blue mason jar - I love the color! I needed help deciding which scents to combine (you can use up to three scents to make your candle) and was given some helpful suggestions from the staff at The Candle Lab. 

I made my candle using (lemon) verbena and guava. After smelling so many different scents, I didn't trust my nose to make a good trio! Everyone named the scent that she created (I wasn't feeling super creative so my candle was named "verbena guava") and poured the scented oils into a double jigger (it's a double funnel shaped measuring cup). This allowed us to decide how much of each scent would be in our candle (I used more guava than verbena). One of The Candle Lab staff poured soy wax into our containers, then we added the fragrance oils and stirred. After the wax cooled a bit, staff trimmed the wicks and melted the excess wax near the lip of the container - with a blow torch! The candles needed at least an hour to fully cool, but we were able to leave ours overnight so we didn't have to carry them around during the rest of the bachelorette party.

I was a little worried I'd be stuck with a headache after leaving The Candle Lab. I have a very sensitive nose and often get headaches in the laundry aisle at the grocery or if I smell really strong perfume or cologne. The fragrances of all the candles and oils in The Candle Lab was strong, and even though I could still smell the scents I worked with after we left, I never got a headache!

I'm excited to use my candle - the scent is fruity and lemony. It reminds me a bit of strawberry lemonade - perfect for spring! I usually stick with lavender when buying candles, so it's a nice change! I definitely recommend The Candle Lab! If you don't want to make your own custom candle, you can browse their pre-made candles or pick up one of their body care products. Check it out!

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