Illume candles have become a necessity in my house over the course of the last year. They look and smell great, plus they’re made of soy, which means that they burn cleaner than a typical paraffin candle. I love the atmosphere a simple candle provides and the “Hers” candle from this heterosexist set relieved the sense of anger I felt at receiving a his and hers set of anything!

This is a really simple candle - it’s housed in a plain oval glass jar and would easily blend in with almost any room. My favorite thing about it is the subtle scent. They call it “affection” but the most dominant scent is vanilla, which is one I always enjoy. It’s not overpowering at all and lingers nicely.

Soy candles are great for wax play because they burn cooler than traditional paraffin candles. Personally, I don’t love this one because it’s white and it doesn’t really stand out on this pasty New Englander, but it could definitely be used in the heat of the moment.

Finally, just a note for all of you who made a New Year’s resolution to be a little more earth friendly in 2009. Soy is a renewable resource and doesn’t release a ton of dangerous toxins into the atmosphere as your candle burns. Soy candles are better for you and the earth!

To be honest, while I totally enjoy this candle, it’s probably my least favorite Illume candle that I’ve had so far. It’s really nice, but because it has two wicks, the burn time is only about 35 hours. Yeah, that’s a long time, but compared to the 80 hour predicted for the Illume Pearls, it seems pretty quick. These candles aren’t cheap and I prefer that they last. However, it’s probably the best I’ve had if you’re looking for a nice gift. The appearance and scent are both so traditional that it would fit in nicely with anyone’s home.

There's not much to follow up with regarding a candle, but I did want to write and say that I did burn through this candle much quicker than other candles from Illume. It's nice, but for the money I'd suggest the velas de casa.