Opening the Damn Box
So yeah, the Diablo 4 collab candles from Cantrip finally showed up on my doorstep last Tuesday. Big box, kinda heavy. Ripped that thing open like a treasure goblin. Inside, wrapped in way too much paper stuffing, were the scents: “Fractured Peaks Chill”, “Burning Hellgate”, and “Sanctuary Blood Rose”. Fancy names, right?
Grabbed “Burning Hellgate” first. Gotta start hot. The jar felt solid, cold glass. Pulled off the lid – woof. That first sniff hit hard. Smoke, leather, something kinda spicy underneath. Like stepping into a blacksmith’s forge after kicking some demon ass. Stronger than I expected.
Lighting Up & Testing
Pulled out my lighter, thumbed it on, and held the flame to the black wick. Took a few seconds to catch, but then bam, nice tall flame. Watched the wax pool slowly at first. Not bad. Left it burning for a couple hours while I messed around on my PC.
Came back later, sniffed the air. Hmm. The smell was… there? But kinda faint for the size of my living room. Like, you could smell it near the candle, sure, but across the room? Nah, not really. Got closer – yeah, the smoke and leather was clearer, kinda warm and dusty. They nailed the theme feel, I’ll give em that. But the power? Meh.
Tried “Sanctuary Blood Rose” next. Pulled the lid. This one? Roses, yeah, but like… old roses mixed with wet dirt and maybe metal? Weird combo, but actually worked. Lit it. Same thing – looks good burning, smells nice right near it. But fill the room? Nope. “Fractured Peaks Chill” was icy pine and stone. Cold, clean smell. Probably my favorite scent-wise, but again – throw was weak.
What Fans Are Screaming
Hopped online to some forums and discords. Fans are mostly hyped about the theme being spot on. People digging the vibes, the cool jars, the idea. But the complaints? Man, they’re everywhere:
- Dozens posting “Where’s the smell?! Can barely smell mine!”
- People pissed about tunneling – wax not melting all the way across, wasting good scent wax.
- Feeling the price is too high for candles that need your nose glued to the glass.
- Lots of “Looks awesome, smells great close up, but weak AF in the room.”
Kinda felt like nodding my head the whole time scrolling. Yeah, exactly. They got the look and the close-up smell nailed down tight. But making your actual space smell like Sanctuary or Hell? Forget it.
The Real Kick in the Teeth
Why even bother with these fancy collab candles? My wife walked in while I was testing “Fractured Peaks”, took one sniff near the jar, and rolled her eyes. “Smells like pine cleaner and cold,” she says. Then she walks straight past it to the kitchen, lights this cheap vanilla candle she bought at the discount store last month, and bam – five minutes later the whole downstairs smells like a bakery. For like a quarter of the price.
Laughed, but kinda died inside. Here I am, testing these premium gaming candles, and this $5 candle from Big Lots absolutely stomps them in actual scent performance. Feels bad. Fractured Peaks Chill indeed – more like my enthusiasm chilling real quick.