Yankee Candle Wild Passion Fruit Wax Tart > Reviews (5)

So the third and probably final scent for me from Yankee Candle's Spring/Summer 2012 range,arrived a couple of days ago and completes so far the new journey that Yankee Candle would like to think brings new scents to an ever increasing range. Their scents probably run into the 200 or so different names and scented candles that America's No.1 candle company for scents, produce. Now I have been surprised, delighted and disappointed by some of the new Yankee Candle scents of late as well as overjoyed with others like the fruity, potent and long lasting “Pink Dragon Fruit,” and I couldn’t wait to try the “Wild Passion Fruit,” having read Drew’s review about the scent and like him I purchased the cheaper format of the scented candle in wax tart format – a candle of solidified natural extract oils with no wick and requires the use of a hot potpourri oil burner supported either by a tealight candle or electric means. I bought 5 of the wax tarts hoping that they would last as well as others I have recently tried. However, I’m now on my third tart and they’ve only been here for the last 5 days!

Safety First & Versatility

As with all Yankee Candle products I review, I always include the safety info for any future buyer who has yet to buy into the concept of scented candles and the wax tart concept that the Yankee Candle Company were one of the first companies to bring the design to the UK. Compared to their votive/sampler candles which have a wick through them, the Yankee Candle wax tart concept has 8 hours of fragrance duration compared to 15 hours in the votive – but the votive candles in America aren’t called “Sampler” for nothing – and hence the title, they are usually far lower in strength of scent when lit. As with all candles, even if there is no wick in the tart, all candles can be unsafe to keep around inquisitive pets or children. In both cases, when the tart or votive is lit, both holders will get extremely hot – and you need to be aware of the wax tart when it is being used – so it’s just like a candle where logic and safety need to be taken. Once you have used up all the scent in the wax tart and NOT the tealight candle because you may go through quite a few, removing the wax tart is very easy simply by removing the tealight candle and waiting for the burner to cool. Place in a freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes. Afterwards turn the holder over, and the tart should fall out of the burner, easily. If this doesn’t happen, touch the solid tart and try moving it with your finger – you will find that the disc is fairly easy to remove. Sniff the base of it however and if there’s scent left, the candle has more to give and can be used again, if you wish.

This process is a lot safer than pouring the hot wax down your kitchen drain, thus increasing the chances that it will block your drain, or pouring it out into kitchen towel, also running the risk of ruining a worktop or floor. A damp hot cloth can also remove excess wax from the sides of burners should any wax spill over and solidify in use.

If buying more than one wax tart, by storing the others in a clothing drawer, you may find clothing to be scented pretty quickly. This is probably the best way to storing your tarts as they can become weaker over time if they are subjected to heat or strong light. Storing them in a dark and dry place however will allow you to get the best scent possible and longer lasting quality.

What Does It Smell Of?

Well when I took the wrappings off this lightly pastel green wax tart and took a gentle sniff on the base of the wax, my eyes suddenly lit up! Briefly last year when visiting a branch of B&Q with a YC fan-friend of mine (and immediately alerted most of my online Yankee Candle chums) we discovered that Yankee Candle had sold a brief period of U.S only candle scents under the name of “Simply Home.” A lot of the scents were disappointingly poor but one scent in particular stood out by a mile and went by the name of “Pineapple Palm.” I still have the medium jar I bought and only burn it from time to time until I can find it again through EBay or Amazon – because the scent isn’t available in the UK until perhaps, in the future if B&Q will stock the “Simply Home” range again, I’ll visit a store to see if they have that scent, again! Well, for most intents and purposes, there is a strong familiarity of “Pineapple Palm,” in “Wild Passion Fruit,” with only minor differences.

So as I placed the solid wax tart in my electric oil burner, I waited a couple of minutes and could hear the wax crackle quietly as it began to slowly melt into a hot steaming oil – as do all of the wax tarts if you look closely for the tiny, initial wisp. I waited for five minutes and nothing came up in terms of a scent. Then I gave the candle a bit more time and eventually the sweet and wonderful smell of fresh pineapple as the first tone, hit the air like a dart!

The second tone is undeniably sweet green melon, very ripe and very reminiscent of a pack of Starburst sweets or a Caribbean cocktail – certainly on the first two fruity tones alone, Wild Passion Fruit instantly appears as another alternative accompaniment to Yankee Candle’s other fruity summer fragrance, “Bahama Breeze.”

The third tone is however a mystery. Yankee Candle claims that the wax scent has green melon and mandarin orange. Mandarin oranges to me have a particular kind of a scent, almost tinged with red wine; darker and redder with a promise of a treacle like edge. But of the orange scent you get here, it’s a bit fresher and more energetic, like the Napa orange scent that Yankee Candle already dabbled with in one of my other favourite scents, the creamy Napa Sun Valley candle. The orange scent is very fresh but it is better long term as it lacks a drying quality that some YC tarts that have orange additives can relay.

Strength & Delivery

Where strength is concerned, it doesn’t seem to travel very far – only going as far as one room and a half if I leave the door open. Compared to other tarts I’ve bought that can reek out a home, I really like “Wild Passion Fruit,” as it is very sweet, very fruity and very fresh – but whilst it is strong enough to mask odours and freshen a room, I wouldn’t use it for necessarily masking odours as it seems a bit of a waste given the luxury of these mouth watering scents.

Yet it does remind me heavily of “Pineapple Palm,” but in the jar format I bought, that U.S only fragrance has a heavier strength aspect.

Now, where delivery is concerned, Wild Passion Fruit has been quite surprising compared to other scents in the Yankee Candle wax tart range. Burnt over a 2-day period continually (the beauty of an electric burner here compared to constantly changing over tealight candles), Wild Passion Fruit certainly plays the value card well based on its total 8-hour duration before it is supposed to die out. Even as the wax tart died out, there was still a lovely, lingering memory of the original Pineapple tone that was still evident from the way the candle pervaded its scent.

Onto my second tart and left to burn for a couple of hours each day eventually gave me three to four days worth of scent, so it does offer an extra longevity factor – but it does depend on the amount of time you choose to use the candle in one sitting.

Downsides & Other Formats

This isn’t going to be a scent that will appeal to all. Although that may be a minor downside, a major downside for the moment is the fact that not all ranges are as yet available for Wild Passion Fruit, mirroring exactly the different formats that Yankee Candle’s spring/summer 2012 collection are available in. Usually classic scents and just-about-to-be retired scents can be bought at a 25% discount price including “scent of the month” based on established ranges, you may not be able to get a discount dependent on the seller. The following range lists average prices with each individual burning time and weight:

Wax Tart (22 grams, 8 hour duration, £1.15 to £1-20 each.)
Votive candle (1.75 oz 15 hour duration, average price £1-60 to £2)
Small Housewarmer jar candle (7 oz 25-40 hours duration, £7-49 to £8-99)
Medium Housewarmer jar candle (14.05oz 60-75 hours duration, £14-99 to £15)
Large Housewarmer jar candle (22 oz 100-150 hours duration, £18-45)
Large 2-wick tumbler (22.7 oz 70-90 hours duration, £17-99)
Medium lidded glass tumbler (12 oz 40-50 hours duration £14-49 to £14-99)
Regular lidded glass tumbler (7oz 35-45 hours duration, £8-99 to £14-49)
Tea light scented candles (240 grams, 4-6 hours per candle, 12 in a box £6-25 & upwards – they also float in water!)

Final Thoughts

All things considered, if you like the scent of fresh summer salad based fruits in the home, you won’t go wrong with “Wild Passion Fruit,” and also takes away the stresses of the day quite happily, allowing you to dream of warmer climates and summer parties. It isn’t quite the same as my favourite U.S “Pineapple Palm,” that has coconut added to it, but it’s the closest scent I’ll ever get to without having to seek online for the latter, limited range. I'm happy but I fear for how long! Thanks for reading! ©Nar2 2012

www.yankeedirect.com (the company I buy from online.)