A great way to start the day (and a blog!)

I've loved to blog since my early days on Myspace, when I really began to use the internet as a means to interact with people and share my thoughts. However, I've become somewhat lax with my Blog upkeep. I usually start one, update it for a few weeks and then totally forget about it.

That very well may happen with this one, but at the very least, I'd like to use this one to review my purchases from an absolutely wonderful company: Candles by Victoria.

Candles by Victoria is a wonderful family owned-and-operated business in Van, Texas. Victoria is an amazing, helpful, and sweet woman who is very devoted to her customers and who makes AMAZING scented candles.

The best things about CBV: (pretty much everything but I'll break it down for you)
1. She has something for EVERYONE!
-To put it into perspective: My boyfriend couldn't really care less about candles. He is very neutral on the subject. The other day (about 3 weeks after I received my first CBV order) my boyfriend found a Yankee candle sitting near my CBV candles. He promptly picked it up, said, "SHUN!" and literally put it in the corner, out of sight and out of mind. That really confirmed to me that Victoria's candles are for everyone. She caries over (I believe) 640 scents. While that's a bit overwhelming, she is very helpful as are the wonderful ladies of her forum, The Pouring Pot.

2. The candles aren't expensive.
-Victoria's candles are very reasonably priced and I consider them to be VERY well priced when the quality of the candle is considered. These are not candles that will lose their scent after you've only burned through 1/4 of it. They are triple scented and smell amazing until the very last drop is gone. She also offers so many sizes that you can buy any of her scents in, starting at only $2 for 2oz "scent shots", which are virtually tarts that you melt in a warmer. Going up to big ol' 32oz Kettle Candles which comes in adorable country style kettle! She also runs sales (usually 10-15% off) nearly every month so if you check in every once in a while, it's easy to grab some things and save a few dollars!

3. Flat-rate shipping for the U.S.
-I find this amazing. Victoria's current shipping rate is $8.50 flat. For someone who lives across the country from her family, I know that $8.50 is NOT very much for shipping especially when you're dealing with pounds of wax and glass jars (two very heavy materials). I'm amazed at the fact that she offers this and I think it's absolutely great.

4. They hand-pour every single candle and scent shot that goes out.
-They basically make your candles "fresh" when you order them. They hand-pour and pack every candle that leaves their store and none of them sit on inventory shelves or anything like that. This kind of service and quality makes a product that is unbelievably good. It makes much more of a difference than you can really think.

5. The best customer service you will ever find.
-If you were to order a candle online from a company like the big Y, I would imagine returns for broken items wouldn't be the easiest to figure out. With Victoria, you simply send her an email or phone her up, explain that it arrived broken (which RARELY happens thank to her husband Matt "Candleman"'s amazing wrapping job!) and she will GLADLY replace your candle! She cares so much about her customer's experiences and really becomes our friend and not just a supplier.


I've only been a part of this wax-loving community for a short while but I can honestly say that it is not one that I can see myself leaving. The candles are amazing and the people are fantastic: What more do you need in a candle company?

Now it's time to go check her out!
www.candlesbyvictoria.com

If you're considering ordering, let me know. I'm thinking of having a Candle Party with her in August and would really appreciate any participants I can get!


I'll post a video review soon-ish, after I've melted a few more scents to give a more detailed description. Til then, happy candle lighting/sniffing!
~Sara