Reviews

I absolutely adore these candles. So much so that I brought them with me to Glasgow for my studentship - where my flatmates loved the candles so much that they've asked me to order more for them as well. What I'm saying is these candles are so dope that they'll accidentally turn you into an international candle mule.

~Kelsey

Neil,

I'm burning the merlot right now. It is DIVINE. Thanks so much for creating a wonderful store!

My husband and I were touring Balboa Island last week while on vacation with our two little ones. Thank you, Neil, for showing us the enthusiasm you have for your craft! The process you shared was amazing, and the candles were all tempting and beautiful. The candles we purchased are much loved by their recipients, and now we're browsing your web-site to pick up a few for ourselves. Thank you again so much! Your candles are divine, and you can be sure to expect many new Portland-area customers.

As a self proclaimed "Candle Junkie". I have found the BEST candles ever! Not only is the shop located in a charming area but the owners are so friendly and personable! When I first found CandlEssence it was the great smell that drew me in and it will be the fabulous Neil and Stacey that will keep me coming back (oh yeah...and the candles too!). I just la la la love your candles!! XOXO

Neil, it was great meeting you yesterday. Your love for your craft is infectious and your candles are wonderful...We will be back for more!

Neil, it was a pleasure to meet you today and to witness the candle making process first hand. We enjoyed watching and learning from you. Our Lemongrass candle will be in our home in Melbourne Australia from April 1st and we can't wait to light it. Rarely does one find a more passionate person immersed in their craft than you - congratulations. We will be back and look forward to meeting Stacey next visit. Best regards

great, very informative, great pics of your candles, and waiting for mine, good going, luv ya xxx 

Hello, my fellow Canadian! It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday! I love my candle,it smells awesome! I will be back in a few weeks for some gardinia:)

Cheers!

Jodi

O.C. California (Formerly Winnipeg Canada)

I purchased a candle from your store this weekend and I love it! Thank you for your welcoming attitude and your candle advice. It is being shared by two people that love each other and love what the candle represents - an undying passion and love for each other and for life. I will be coming by again to buy more from my new favorite candle shop!

Hello, Your site is great. Regards, Valintino Guxxi

These candles are wonderful and they last a long time. My favorites are the Lemongrass and the Red Hot Cinnamon. Not only do these candles smell wonderful they are beautiful to look at... I am a very happy consumer...

Hello - We were just in your store over the weekend. One of the "people" from Canada :) Wanted to say thanks for explaining the candle-making process to my daughter, she is very inquisitive these days. Can't wait to dig into your site and place an order. Great product you have!!!! Will be back into visit soon!!!

Hi Neal and Stacie, Greetings from Regan's mom in Idaho. The candles traveled very well and are burning and smelling wonderful!! Everyone (including patients) in my office are loving the "red white and blueberry." I am anxiously awaiting my Papaya Mango candle! I will see you on my next visit to the Island. You are an artist!

: I have purchased (and burned) candles from many different stores and even homemade candles from friends. Candle Essence makes the highest quality, most even burning, and great smelling candles. Currently burning my Gardenia scented candle in my office. Love it.

I was in your store yesterday and bought an Ocean Breeze scented candle, met your cat Katy; such a beautiful kitty.

Hi! my son and I visited your shop about 3 weeks ago, I love the way my lemon grass candle burns. It smells great in the kitchen! Your prices are great also. I plan to make a list of special orders of scents and colors when I collect my list of my girlfriends decor. I think they will make great christmas gifts. We enjoyed smelling all your great scents, and if we ever make it down to so. Ca again hopefully we will hit you on a pouring day! Thanks!

Visited your store for the first time today - loved everything I saw! Can't wait to come back and get more candles :-)

Best candles I've ever seen, smelled. I'm hooked!

I bought a "yucky" tumbleweed and love it. It's almost gone. You were right! Yours is the FIRST candle to burn so cleanly that my asthma didn't flare up! Thanks so much. I will be in to see your new place next time I am on Balboa. Keep making those awesome candles even asthmatics can use!

Can't wait to get back to the island to pick up our Leather and Lavendar candles. You have given us another reason to ride the motorcycle and I love anyone who does that!! After reading the comments I will have to get a Merlot candle for Laura as well. Rock on.

An excert from her blog.......

"Luckily, I passed by a candle store, and for some reason, candles and soaps are able to capture my attention almost as easily as pretty make up.  The store, CandlEssence was very quaint, with extremely friendly people behind the counter.  They had tons of different scents, and none of them were too nauseating.  You know how some sometimes when you walk by scented candles, you just gag from the overwhelming scent?  That didn’t happen here, even though the stores makes their own candles right on site.

All the candles were gorgeous, with this fiery pattern on it.  There were many different sizes to choose from, and also a hexagon shape on top of the traditional round columns.  I ended up getting a Lavender candle for my mom, and a Freesia one for myself.  The Lavender one smelled heavenly, while the Freesia has a very soft and sweet scent to it.  It just makes the room smell a bit sweeter, so it doesn’t distract me from say.. sleeping.

Hi, I live here on Balboa Island, & recieved 2 of your candles recently. I am a strong candle burner. I always bought my candles from ulimations, I thought they were the best. After burning 1 of yours I think differently. Yours are the best. They burn slow & you don't lose 1/2 of the wax. I just love them. I will come in soon. Keep up the good work, but don't get too expensive, as the Island tends to do.

I could not be more pleased with my candle! When I walked into the store, I
thought it to be just another candle store, and as I walked down the isle and
read the scents on the candle labels, I was amazed to see such unique scents
featured, right then I understood that this is no ordinary candle store! The
gentleman that owns the store was more then helpful, as right after I walked in
a flood of people came in, and even though the store was busy and candles were
just flying off the shelf, he made it a point to make sure to offer me a custom
made candle, or answer any questions! I purchase candles often, and I will be
back soon! I found that I have become spoiled by the quality of the product, and
there is no way I could find that craftsman ship elsewhere! 
AMAZING product! I purchased one today, and it has
come to be one of the highest quality candles that has enterd my home, and I
purchase candles monthly mind you. So glad I found such a gem in your store!

My wife and I were making our annual visit to Southern Cal. Our older daughter graduated last May from the Vanguard Grad program and our younger daughter just graduated from Biola University. So we are not strangers to California. Our troop was shopping on Balboa when a wonderful armada of aromas captured my nose. It led me to your store. I bought a candle you suggested for my manager and she loves it. The scent was perfect. Thank you for sharing a little of your candle making expertise and your passion for it. God Bless you and your business.

Dear Stacey and Neil,

I Love your candles.

After a long stressful day after work. I look forward to a glass or two of vino and a nice vanilla or chocolate candle.

Thank you for making my life better.

We enjoyed coming into your store when we were visiting with friends on Balboa Island. You and Oliver were so entertaining. Burning our candles and they are better than the Yankee Candles. Sincerely, Charlene

Hey you two, love the smell of these candles, wow!, they'll be great in the
house and the color goes with my decor, keep up the good work, and Stacey keep
that man working, love you both, and thanks again, guess pier 1 has lost my
business!!!!!!! 

 

.: My wife and I were making our annual visit to Southern Cal. Our older daughter graduated last May from the Vanguard Grad program and our younger daughter just graduated from Biola University.  So we are not strangers to California.  Our troop was shopping on Balboa  when a wonderful armada of aromas captured my nose.  It led me to your store.  I bought a candle you suggested for my manager and she loves it.  The scent was perfect. Thank you for sharing a little of your candle making expertise and your passion for it.  God Bless you and your business.

Stephen

Longview, Tx 

This email is long over due but I received the candles about a month ago and the box was just overflowing with the fragrance. Thank you for shipping the candles. You make a great product. The people I gave them to loved the candles.

-Alex  

I love your candles and am sad that I moved away from the NB area.  Hope your summer is going well and your success continues! 

I bought a 3" balsam pine when visiting your shop in September. I'm a novelist, and left you with a card.

I'm in the editorial phase of my latest book rewrite, usually a 150 hour job. I'm using your candle to time myself.

You can see more about the latest novel that's revised with the scent of your candle at www.austinboyd.com

Thanks for the great product.

Austin Boyd 

Thank you for sending your amazing eucalyptus scented candle to us all the way in Ontario Canada.You've done a great job in making life more pleasurable to so many people with your over the top flavours of smell. A joy to the scences. 

I am a self proclaimed candle expert, and want to say yours are the very best. First, the scents are wonderful, soft yet potent, and last till the final burn. I love the oak moss best. Your candles burn nicely and evenly down to the last little bit of wax disappears, practically no waste unlike any other candles I have purchased. Also, when the candle is blown out or snuffed, the only thing you smell is a lingering of the scent. Every other candle out there but yours, leaves the room smelling of pungent wax and burnt wick when extinguished. Your candles do not, this is worth the price alone. Your candles also give off the most beautiful glow as light emanates from most of the pillar, like a window, not just from the wick. And lastly, the colors are a lovely accent to any room. I am just such a fan, I drive down to Balboa a couple of times a year now just to shop at your store and stock up. Thank you for being such a contientous artisan and businessman.

Love these candles, the owners and Balboa Island. Over the years I have probably tried every brand out there. Candle Essence is the best I have ever purchased and are now the only ones I will buy. They smell heavenly, look beautiful when lit and last a long time. Recently I have been burning Jasmine every evening, I have them in a set of tall chunky wood candlesticks on my coffee table, They are so beautiful and smell perfect for a summer evening. I have 3.

Thank you for the wonderfully hand crafted candle. It smells so lovely and is burning nicely on my coffee table with a Christmas tree in the background.

Hi, I just had a comment.  I first ordered your candles on Amazon because I am a candle lover, especially at the holidays!  Hard to find good pillars anymore and especially ones that burn just wonderfully...I purchased one on Amazon The Gardenia , just lovely! I have been burning candles a very long time and these are just amazing!!  I put another order in on here, your website versus Amazon.  I will be ordering more!  Thanks, amazing candles for sure :)

.: These candles are terrific! They burn slowly and evenly and have adorned my home for over 14 years. The colors are vibrant and cheerful.

.: Well! Just received my order very quickly and I am bowled over. Candles are beautiful and fragrance lovely. Thank you for helping me socially isolate on my 3 season porch. Will recommend highly!!!

.: Hi this is my 1st purchase. I bought 3 pumpkin scented (orange) colored candles for decorating 3 olive green pillar holders!

Absolutely beautiful in both color and fragrance was so great! You could smell the candles right through the box! Incredible!

You have a fabulous candle line! I decorate each room. I look forward to shopping back soon!

Thank you so much!

Jill 

.: Fantastic scents, perfect for setting the atmosphere at that quiet time in the morning, really beautiful candles. First time I have purchased directly and enjoyed fast delivery and good response to questions. Would thoroughly recommend as gifts to the candle lovers in your life.

I am a loyal CE customer going back to the Balboa Island days. I have many favorite scents, but I have to rave about the "Chocolate" candle -- especially during the holiday/winter season. It fills my home with the cozy warmth of hot milk chocolate. Less calories than the real thing!