***The following product was provided by Old Factory Candles in promotion through Tomoson. All photos an opinions below are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2014.
Momma Told Me: Put that out before your father gets home!
When I was a young girl, Momma would often burn candles upon her arrival home, from picking me up after school. I recall she was most attracted to elaborately carved beeswax ones with intricate designs. I still have 2 of her favorite candles, one of which is entirely made of wax and illuminates from within to project beautiful shapes onto the wall. While Momma burned them primarily for relaxation and mood-setting, it was a running joke in our home that my father could not stand the perfumed scents an flowery smells. Momma and I would play a game in which we'd see how long we could burn a candle, and still have it extinguished before my father arrived home, without him knowing it has been burning at all. I always found it amusing how she would flutter about spraying the room with aerosol to mask the smell of the fragrant candles.
Fast forward 20 something years later and I am often reaching into my grocery stockpile to hand over various air fresheners for my father's home. He keeps an impressively tidy place, but he cooks a lot (and pungent things at that,) so he is often found attempting to mask the smell of bacon or chorizo. (Personally, I work hard to make my home smell like those things, but the scents do tend to work their way into fabrics and furniture.) For a while he has been using an automated 'Sense and Spray' style unit which spritzes a burst of 'Clean Linen' aroma into the air at specific intervals throughout the day. I have heard countless complaints about the aroma being constant and strong, and even 'flowery,' so I set out to remedy this dilemma with a gift of Man Candles- Man Cave Candles to be exact.
Old Factory Candles are USA made and hand poured with an all natural soy base and cotton wick. They are currently sold exclusively online through Amazon with free 2-day Prime shipping (hello last minute holiday shopping!) Their fragrance collections have thoughtful blends to help craft a mood when burned together, or suit a singular aroma when burned solo. With 3 (2oz) 20 hour candles per gift set these are well worth the gifting price of $25- and you can even order them gift wrapped! Choose from fragrance sets such as Coffee Shop with Coffee Bean, Chai Tea, and Hazelnut, or the tongue in cheek 50 Shades featuring Leather, Vanilla, and Jasmine Bubbles.
Attempting to break my father of his misconceptions that all candles were 'feminine,' I presented him with the
Man Cave Old Factory Candle collection; Straight Razor, Leather, and Mahogany. The brand's rustic image and clean cut packaging certainly wasn't gender specific but I still caught sense of skepticism as he eyed the 2oz candle jars. I reasoned that these candles were a much more practical solution to aromatic control, with long lasting fragrance that would only linger after a candle was burned, rather than 24/7 all ay (as the air freshener had.)
It turns out that Mahogany was the strongest fragrance, and a bit on the perfumed side- but Straight Razor had delightful barbershop aroma of aloe and shaving cream, where Leather proved to be a distinct favorite and appropriate match to this man's man cave. He was also happy to note that the jars could be easily stashed away, when not in use, thanks to the screw on lids, and small footprint. In all, we were highly impressed by the strength of fragrance and burn time, and I've already added several more sets to my shopping list for the holidays. My biggest wish for the brand? Produce an unscented set for those with scent sensitivities and allergies! Otherwise, you can't beat the convenience of shopping online through Amazon with free shipping and guaranteed satisfaction!
What Daughter Says: Finally, man-candles my father can tolerate!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
One Momma Told Me reader will win their own Old Factory Candle gift set!
I enjoy lighting a candle in the evening especially if I've cooked something fragrant as you've noted. I lean towards citrusy scents. The husband will tolerate them the best so if he's happy, I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd choose the coffee shop set. It would make the house smell so good. But maybe winter wonderland. I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteWinter Wonderland is calling my name!! I love that these themed packs can also be split up if I want to give a smallish gift or fill out a gift basket.
ReplyDeleteDede
I have a couple of smelly little boys, so I always have candles burning in my house. These sound awesome.
ReplyDeleteMy husband would love candles with manly scents like leather. I really like the packaging and jars that they come in.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the sounds of these scents! I think they'd convert any candle-skeptic out there! Love that they are made with soy instead of paraffin!
ReplyDeleteThese are such unique candle scents! I always have a candle burning, and I'm definitely thinking about getting one of these.
ReplyDeleteI am torn between fall and fresh.
ReplyDeleteI love lighting candles in my house. I really need to try these!
ReplyDeleteNow these are really neat. They need a few car smell!
ReplyDeleteThese sound great. I know my husband would love some candles that did not smell all girly!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try the vacation scents
ReplyDeleteCheryl s
Thanks for this giveaway! I love me some yummy smelling candles!
ReplyDeleteI'd go for Fall Harvest. I'm nuts about pumpkin and fall is my favorite season.
ReplyDeleteLOL - I've been know to set off the smoke detectors because of burning too many candles at one time. The are perfect for gifts. They are boxed up so nicely. I think that Hazelnut would be my favorite scent.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot burn candles in my house because my son has autism and the flames freak him out. This is a cool concept though.
ReplyDeleteI love Old Factory Candles! These would make for great holiday gifts!
ReplyDeleteIt was really hard to pick a scent set! I'd pick the Happy Holidays set, I think... I mean.. it is the holiday season! :)
ReplyDeleteThose sounds really nice. What unique scents with a nice selection too!
ReplyDeleteI would choose the Man Cave trio for my husband because his man cave needs some nice smelling candles to help improve the smell. Most candles smell to feminine for him and his buddies bur the man cave trio seems more manly.
ReplyDeleteOur house needs these candles. We heat with a wood stove, I use a lot of onions and garlic in my cooking, and my husband is a heavy smoker (ggrrrr). Coffee Shop would be good...Newborn Baby, too.
ReplyDeleteI love burning oils and candles througout the house. I am torn between winter wonderland and new born baby. Who doesn't love the smell of a new born baby?
ReplyDeletei'm not sure. i think i would have to pick either spa set or coffee set, although the coffee set might be a gift
ReplyDeleteI think I'd pick the Fall Harvest or Coffee set.
ReplyDeleteI'd pick the Winter Wonderland candle set. It seems like a lot of scents that anyone would like.
ReplyDeleteI would choose vacation and share with my sister, we both need a vacation after the holidays!!
ReplyDelete