As you guys may know, I am somewhat of a candle connoisseur; that is, I have a massive bookish candle collection (like, it would be embarrassing for me to post how big it is). All my friends ask me for bookish candle recommendations, and just like when I was always asked for book recommendations, I decided to start doing merchandise reviews for bookworms. You can check out my review of Novelly Yours here, and today, I'm going to talk about Wick and Fable, another bookish candle shop that has a few more goodies in its inventory as well!
Owner: Jess
Goods: bookish candles, tea blends, spa items
Shop Links:
Overall rating: 4.5 stars
Shop rating: 4 stars
Product rating: 5 stars
Customer service rating: 4 stars
Disclaimer: I have only purchased candles from Wick and Fable. I am not a rep, I have not been gifted any of their candles, and this post is NOT sponsored.
Shop rating
Wick and Fable offers a variety of bookish candles, literary teas, and will soon release a line of bath & beauty products. I believe each of the candles are offered as a wax tart, 4 oz candle, or 8 oz candle. One thing I REALLY like is that each of these size items is offered in the same listing so if you change your mind and want a larger or smaller size, you don't have to search for a separate listing. I also love the bundles available. My first two W&F candles were courtesy of this bogo 8 oz/2 oz bundle, and I've also taken advantage of their pick 4 sampler, or there's this pick 2 sampler. Additionally, Wick and Fable offers a monthly fandom box with a handful of candles plus some great swag. And, like many stores that run on shopify, Wick and Fable has a rewards program where you can earn points for purchasing items, leaving reviews, recommending the shop to friends, following on social media, etc.
Wick and Fable has a pretty large inventory of items, but the list of fandoms represented is fairly small and rather typical of a candle shop. That is to say, there's TOG/ACOTAR, Six of Crows, HP/Fantastic Beasts, Wintersong, Caraval, Outlander, Sherlock, Gilmore Girls, Strange the Dreamer, Flame in the Mist, etc. However, the amount of candles for most of the fandoms is pretty extensive so if those fandoms are yours (particularly SJM), you'll probably still be pretty happy with the offerings. I do like that there's an option to shop by fandom OR by scent so if you're searching for something in particular, it's fairly easy to find.
Product rating
So, the first time I ever ordered from Wick and Fable, I got my candles, and I was... underwhelmed. When I smelled the two candles I got (Starfall and Giggle Water), I was not very impressed with the scents at ALL. However, with both, I fell in love after burning. I don't like to rate my candles against each other for the most part, but Starfall is now probably one of my favorites from any shop. That's why it's really important for me to actually USE my candles rather than just take pictures with them as props.
Now, I quite like the scents that Wick and Fable uses. They're perhaps a little perfumier than most people are accustomed to, but it works for me. Plus, the candles burn well and have an absolute MARVELOUS throw. These will definitely fill up a room, even with a fan going. Also, they solidify nicely so there aren't bubbles that make the surface uneven after you burn them. They still look pretty.
Also, Wick and Fable's labels are GORGEOUS, which is a definite plus, but something that frustrates me is that they either have the scents OR a quote from the book/character. I would prefer scents over the quote, but if they could find a way to do both, I'd be thrilled. I just like to know exactly what I'm smelling without having to pull up the website to check.
Also, Wick and Fable's labels are GORGEOUS, which is a definite plus, but something that frustrates me is that they either have the scents OR a quote from the book/character. I would prefer scents over the quote, but if they could find a way to do both, I'd be thrilled. I just like to know exactly what I'm smelling without having to pull up the website to check.
Customer service rating
One thing that is frustrating about Wick and Fable is that the shipping is a little slower than I'd like. Expect to wait a couple weeks before your candles come; if you preorder a box, it will probably ship toward the end of the month so that will be a while longer. However, I know Jess is now using a different system (I think she's going by inventory instead of made-to-order...?), and shipping is now a bit quicker.
I've had a couple interactions with Jess, both via Etsy conversation and the contact form on the new site, and she was very responsive. I also appreciate that she occasionally sends out site updates through her newsletter. I think a lot of shops rely on Instagram stories for updates, which is frustrating because what if customers aren't on instagram? What if you miss it? What if you don't have a connection? That's lazy and limiting. I'm not saying Jess never uses stories, but I do like that she actually uses the newsletter function.
I've had a couple interactions with Jess, both via Etsy conversation and the contact form on the new site, and she was very responsive. I also appreciate that she occasionally sends out site updates through her newsletter. I think a lot of shops rely on Instagram stories for updates, which is frustrating because what if customers aren't on instagram? What if you miss it? What if you don't have a connection? That's lazy and limiting. I'm not saying Jess never uses stories, but I do like that she actually uses the newsletter function.
Recommendations
And here are my favorite Wick and Fable candles. If you like candles, these are the ones I most highly recommend.
Starfall | Rhysand | Inej | Night Court | Ever After (This candle has actually been discontinued, but Nina or Giggle Water are fairly comparable alternatives with similar strawberry and champagne scents)
Starfall | Rhysand | Inej | Night Court | Ever After (This candle has actually been discontinued, but Nina or Giggle Water are fairly comparable alternatives with similar strawberry and champagne scents)
