Cedar Stack, Hinoki Fantome & St. Al
Gift Set

These small votives are a fab idea for trying scents before buying a bigger version. They look great and the flame is really atmospheric through the black vessel. For their size they have a great throw and scented a snug living room. Perfect for working from home at a desk. Cedar Stack - overall scent accord was smoky but softened by sweetness of hay. Hinoki Fantôme was similar but smoky and floral, lighter notes of jasmine and the woody Hinoki, makes it a softer scent. St. Al is mostly floral with notes of patchouli, more spicy than smoky. Similar scent to what most recall as incense. All have brilliant throw. In agreement with other reviews for this product, they did tunnel on the first burn 3-4hrs but this resolved in all after the second burn of similar length. Overall, great tester set or a gift. The scents weren’t all my personal preference but that’s what makes it really great because I wouldn’t have known before buying a bigger candle.

This was my first foray into the Boy Smells brand, so I choose this woody variety pack as an introduction to their scents. I've burned all three at least twice now, and so far I've been impressed with the throw of these mini candles, which is great for the size and fills my decent-sized living room after a 30-60 min burn, as well as the chic aesthetic and warm, cosy scents. I prefer candles that use natural waxes, and the combination of coconut and beeswax that these candles use is a really nice texture (not too soft, not gritty); it looks and feels high quality, and happily so far it seems to burn quite slowly too. The only down side is I think these candles are prone to tunnelling. I don't know if that would be the case for the larger size or whether it's to do with the size and shape of the mini candles, but they all were struggling to burn to the edges even after an hour of burning, and I had to help them along with some tin foil which helped them to burn evenly.

Scent-wise, the most confusing was Cedar Stack - I can't pick up any cedar or woody notes in this; it smells mostly fruity and isn't dissimilar to Baies. It's pleasant and not sickly sweet, but it's not the cedar, juniper, sawdust and white musk aroma that was advertised. Hinoki Fantome sticks more to what it says on the tin and has a slightly perfumed (presumably from the jasmine) but strong hinoki scent - it's burning wood, Feu de Bois-adjacent but a little bit more interesting. St. Al follows a similar template: it's an unmistakably sandalwood centre but with some interesting notes surrounding it that translate as sweetness and warmth.

The set of three mini candles comes in chic, minimal pale pink & black cardboard packaging (box, insert and sleeve are all card, there's no plastic) that would make a great housewarming present or a gift for someone who's into cosy scents. The brand feels like a middle ground between more everyday candle brands like the PF Candle core range, and something more high end like DS & Durga or Cire Trudon, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice candle that's not *too* nice to actually burn. These particular three scents don't feel as complex or unusual as some brands in the same price range (£30-£40 for a full size candle), and I'm not sure I'd personally buy a full size of any (in that range I'd go for the superior scents of La Montana or Field Apothecary). However, I'd be interested to try more scents from the brand if they were to introduce individual mini candles, not just discovery sets.

I had a whiff of Hinoki Fantome while at a friend's house and was instantly hooked. Realising there was a selection that met some of the smells I was after (specifically cedar and sandalwood), the Boy Smells was a no-brainer. Been very satisfied with these new smells in my home. Personally the Hinoki comes out on top between the 3, but the Cedar Stack and St. Al are equally pleasant in their own right.

These scents have been well paired, all on the smokey side with lovely depth, My favourite is Cedar Stack. Burn evenly and the fragrance lingers well after it has been blown out.