Review: Primal Elements Candles & Body Lotion

I am going to make you a promise early on in the youngling phase of Beauty Regalia: You won't see any other beauty blog reviewing candles as much as I will--unless, you know, there's a CandleGirl(dot)com.  Is there?

Anyway, I love candles. I love it when amazing burn time, fragrance, and presentation all come together to make for an amazing experience. I know most people would be fine with a 99 cent candle from the supermarket, but I confess to you now that I am a candle snob.

Candles are a dime a dozen out there, so it takes a lot for me to consider one special. Like I mentioned before, all of the right elements have to combine. So, when I saw a picture of Primal Element's J'aime Paris candle glide across my Instagram timeline, I did a double take. I had not seen a candle look like THAT before! I knew I had to experience these for myself.

The lovely Nicole of Primal Elements sent me 3 amazing items to try out and review for you all. I told her about my scent preferences and she sent these lovelies my way. I will go over each of them for you.

First is "Chandelier" from their Gold Icon Candle Collection. This is the same series J'aime Paris comes from, and upon exploring their website you will find a series of gorgeous candles with sparkling motifs from the J'aime Paris candle's Eiffel Tower design to a set of glittering lips on their S.W.A.K. Wish Candle, to match any decor. You know a candle is amazing when you don't even want to light it. This has to be the most elegant candle I have ever come across. The smooth metal-like surface and subtle sparkle of the studs make this candle perfect for any room in the house. The scent of this candle is described as a "sparkling sugar fragrance; a delicate blend of vanilla, caramel and cotton candy" I could get into the olfactory details of it all but believe me when I say it smells elegant. Think of a beautiful boutique, dimly lit with the fanciest of lace garments and beautiful jewels. This is the candle you would find burning there--or if you make a delectable ambrosia of vanilla, caramel, and cotton candy!

Next was their Vanity Candle in the scent Citron Elixir. If you're on Pinterest every day like I am, I know you've seen the DIY projects that feature a repurposed candle jar that now holds makeup brushes or cotton balls. You'd better believe I am going to use this jar for something like that! The surface of the top is almost mirror like, and the bauble on top sparkles at every angle. As for the scent, the official notes are "crisp citrus, herbs, and amber". If you're a Floridian like myself, imagine being in the middle of an orchard of citrus trees that feature both sweet and bitter oranges as well as limes--that is the essence of Citron Elixir.

Finally, as an extra treat, Nicole was kind enough to include their lotion in Tahitian Vanilla. I don't know if you've realized it already, but vanilla is probably one of my favorite scent notes ever. There are so many variations of vanilla out there. Some are more gourmand (foody) and others are richer and darker as if mixed with liquor (like Diptyque's Vanille candle). However, there is also a type of vanilla I absolutely detest, and it is called "obviously-cheap-fragrance-oils-were-used" vanilla. It's a guaranteed nausea inducer for me. I want the real deal and the Primal Elements Tahitian Vanilla Moisturizing Lotion is it.

As for the lotion itself, it's light and fast absorbing. If you have extremely dry skin, this might not be for you, but I live in Florida so any cream can quickly cross the line to Crisco. The consistency is perfect and has noticeably softened my elbows which are a trouble spot for me. The vanilla scent doesn't linger, so if you get headaches easily like I do this is perfect.

Before I go I wanted to leave you with some candle tips. What, you mean there's more to it than just lighting the wick? If you want optimal candle burn then yes.

* Never place your lit candle near or under a source of wind like a fan or an air vent. Not only is it s potential fire hazard but the flame will burn wildly and possibly scorch the candle surface, your wax will burn unevenly and it will affect your candle burn time.

* When you first get a candle, trim the wick down a little less than half of an inch. You want the wick long enough to be able to burn over the wax but not too long. When the wick is too long it could also cause an uneven burn and affect the burn time.

*Finally, and this will seem like an extra step here, but get yourself a candle snuffer to extinguish the flame. You won't disturb the wax by blowing out the flame which will help your candle last much longer. If your candle has a top, you can alternately use that and cover the candle so the flame is extinguished slowly. Both of these methods also reduce excess smoke in the room.

That being said, which Primal Elements candle will you be picking up? Follow them on Instagram for great pics of their soaps, candles, lotions, and more. Let me know your favorites in the comments and always feel free to ask a question!

Introduction

Who am I and why should you bother reading yet another beauty blog?

I know, the net is inundated with beauty blogs and Instagram feeds everywhere are turning into sales pitch after sales pitch. Some days, I just want nothing to do with it.

Beauty is a multi-faceted concept for me. It's more than just the latest trend and it's definitely not all about what color lip gloss a celebrity is wearing. I look at the concept behind a product, the packaging, the design, and its execution. It's so easy to binge buy products that are more affordable and then lose your appreciation for the entire process of that product's creation. I want to highlight how special and artistic beauty and style are on this blog.

That's not to say I will turn up my nose at every trend, but the posts at Beauty Regalia and any reviews I do will be carefully curated. Basically, if something makes it to this blog, that's because it's special to me in some way, shape, or form. You will find reviews, my thoughts on trends and other happenings in the fashion and beauty industries, and highlights of special life moments that deserve to be documented before they are forgotten.

At Beauty Regalia, I also plan to connect with you, the reader, as much as possible. You can email me (click here) or leave a comment on my posts and I will try my hardest to answer every question you might have. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where you can connect with me faster and I can get to know you as well.

I hope you enjoy the blog and find something you don't find anywhere else. Use the hashtag #beautyregalia on your social media channels to show me the trinkets and treasures you love the most. And don't forget--adorn yourself!

Sincerely,
Lourdes