If you didn't already know, I'm a big fan of Yankee Candles. I usually have a big stash on the go at any one time and burn them as often as I can. However, I've only ever tried the sampler votives and medium tumblers - I like to change my scents often so a large jar has never really appealed to me (Martin has one though and he loves it). The samplers I've always struggled with, I could never find the right holder for them so they either spilled over the edge or melted into a big puddle at the bottom, leaving a large amount of wax to be wasted. That, and they're never quite strong enough to fill a larger room; my bedroom is fine because it's quite small, but otherwise the throw is a bit disappointing.


When I ran out of my latest stash from spring/summer, I decided that this season I would opt for some wax tarts. They usually work out to be the same price as the samplers, but from what I heard they're quite a bit stronger and last a bit longer too. So, with that in mind I took off to eBay see what I could find. I ended up coming across a listing from 'theonestopyankeeshop', where you could choose your own selection of ten from those listed for £10.50. This listing included the new autumn collection for 2013, which are November Rain, Lake Sunset, Vanilla Chai and Salted Caramel. They also had the two Halloween tarts - Candy Corn and Witches Brew (Which I will of course be burning on the occasion) and the Christmas ones, which I will buy a bit nearer to the time. I sent off my selection to the seller and they turned up three days later; I'm pretty pleased with their efficiency so I will be buying from them again!


You will also notice in the image above that there are three tarts from the 'Simply Home' collection that I picked up from Asda Living today, for a measly £1 each. Asda actually do a great range of Yankee Candles and they often work out much cheaper than the original ones, they're always on one offer or another. I also found myself a tart burner; an obvious essential but one I didn't have. I do have a dedicated oil burner but it is much too small for the Yankee tarts, so after a bit more browsing on eBay I found this one for the grand total of £5.98 including postage. While I initially thought that it was a bit big it turns out that it's pretty much perfect, and a fair bit cheaper than Yankee's official burners to boot! The white dish at the top lifts off so it's easier to clean so it's not as impractical as it first appears.

I'm sat burning the Salted Caramel one in the living room right now and I am suitably impressed, if anyone's interested I could whip up a quick review of the Autumn 2013 collection... thoughts? In any case, I think a future of wax tarts is on the cards and if you're one who likes to change their scents often then consider these a wise investment!