Candle Review: Ombres Portées, Avenue Saint-Jean

By Kelly Conaboy September 7, 2016

The first installment of what will no doubt be a wildly popular candle column.

Everyone can’t stop talking about how it’s gonna be fall now, and they’re right — it’s gonna be fall now. This means a lot of things: [fall example 1], [fall example 2], [fall example 3], and candles. (!) Candles aren’t really a summer thing because in the summer your windows are open and open windows let out the candle scent. Yes? Also the fire glow is less necessary. But now it’s gonna be candle time. That’s why we’re here, discussing this candle. You might be wondering if we’re also here discussing this candle because I’m hoping that a semi-regular candle column will eventually trick luxury candle companies into sending me “review candles.” Yes, that is the primary reason.

The candle we’re talking about today is the “Avenue Saint-Jean” candle from Ombres Portées, a little French scent company that does not have much of an online presence in English. You can read about them in their scent catalogue, though, if you want. Here is how their scent catalogue describes this candle specifically:

“An elegant seaside resort on the Opale coast, a stroll across a centinarian pine-tree forest, breathing the scent of pine needles and cones.”

Fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously that candle sounds good as fuck —

— But is it?

DOES IT HAVE A GOOD SMELL?

Yes. Something I want to say right at the top about this candle is it has a good smell. It smells like an old church in the dark with pine trees inside.

IS IT A WINTER CANDLE?

Yes, as you can tell by my description, I clearly jumped the gun on this candle — this is a winter candle. I’m going to save it for winter, not that that’s any of your business.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

This candle cost $68, which I hate to tell you is around the average amount I tend to spend on a candle. Is $68 too much to spend on a candle? Yes. Can I afford it? Never. Especially not right now? Yes. What about people who need that money to survive? I know. Shouldn’t you give that money to those people? Yes!

IS IT WORTH $68 DOLLARS?

Hmm. It’s a really good candle but I think it’s worth probably more like $54.

DID THE LADY AT THE STORE TALK TO YOU TOO MUCH WHEN YOU BOUGHT THIS CANDLE?

Yes!!

BUT WASN’T SHE NICE, AND WASN’T IT MORE OF A “YOU” PROBLEM?

Yes, but also she did really talk a lot to me.

DOES THE CANDLE LOOK NICE?

Yes, from the image at the top of this post you can see that the candle has a little drawing of trees on it, which I enjoy. The package that the candle comes in has a little bird on it and a flower, which I also enjoy, but not as much as I enjoy the trees: