Pair with moonlight, satin pj’s and you’re practically under the wisteria garden like Anthony and Miss Sharma.
Two things that within an instant can send me back to a specific moment in time are scents and songs. Having recently finished the shows Beef and the third season of The Bear (fun summer TV), it is fresh in my mind how those soundtracks are, quite literally, the soundtracks of my college years and 20’s. Something I look forward to for different seasons, along with something new to watch, are different candle scents for my space.
The three Catbird candles I chose were very on-brand for us over here at Breaking Biscotti and are all inspired by Mediterranean scents: Neighbor’s Fig Tree (an ode to Italian Americans and Mediterranean Americans of US cities, and I kid you not when I tell you this scent sent me right back to my dad’s fig garden), Summer in Italy (a dreamy vacation and drowsy, romantic days), and Tarot Deck (this one felt like it transported me to past lives of ancient times, definitely a mystical vibe to it).
Summer in Italy
This is one of the best bedroom candle scents. It’s a light, floral fragrance, not overpowering at all. It has strong notes of honey and orange blossom and feels feminine and airy. What stood out for me was the honey. I don’t think I have ever smelled a candle with such a realistic, naturally rich scent of warm honey before. Mixed with the orange blossoms, it brought that particular magical feel that is unique to summer nights and twilight skies. It feels like a romantic evening after a day in the sun and sea. Pair with moonlight, satin pj’s and you’re practically under the wisteria garden like Anthony and Miss Sharma, not in Italy…but you still get the idea.
Neighbor’s Fig Tree
This is easily one of the best fig scented candles I have ever smelled. This one has a special place in my heart. The instant I smelled it, I was transported to late summer/early fall, in my dad’s garden, picking and eating figs right off the tree. Being given figs off someone’s tree is an extra special gift. They take a while to mature and grow and you might not get a big yield that season, so it’s a big gesture. They always tasted best outside, the dark purple outer skin, warm from the sun. The inside was super sweet. The smell was always a mix between that earthy, vine-like fragrance, balanced out with the sweet nectar center. I have no idea how Catbird nailed this…but it is so much like the real thing!
Tarot Deck
The scent of Tarot Deck reminded me of many trips I took in my 20’s down dark stairs or into back rooms and little hole-in-the-wall places where incense was burning, and someone was there to read your palm or have a tarot reading. I loved it. It is heavy, deep and musky. Notes of incense and Turkish rose. It feels sensual and a little eerie in the best way possible. If you ever watched Mrs. Maisel—remember that scene when Rose goes to get her tea leaves read in Manhattan? This candle is how I imagine that place probably smelled. I feel like it should be burning in a room with 1920’s furniture and lots of bold jewel tones and warm amber lighting.
When buying candles online that you haven’t smelled or burned before, it’s always nice to be able to buy smaller sizes. At the time I’m writing this, their larger-sized Catbird candle retails for $38.00, and their smaller, 4oz candles come in a tin with a lid and has a burn time of around 20 hours, retailing for $14.00. I went with three of the travel-sized candles, and before I finish this post, I just might add the large sizes to my cart.
Aside from the scents being on point with their titles, I appreciate that Catbird candles are free from oil-based petroleum, dyes, additives, animal testing, and are locally made in upstate New York.
All three of these fragrances boast different and equally beautiful scents. Check them out if you are looking for authentic candles that can bring a Mediterranean vibe to your space.
Oooh these sound wonderful!! I might have to check them out. How cool that your dad had a fig tree. Did he (or anyone in your family) ever make anything with them?
Def. check them out! We mostly ate them straight off of the tree– never lasted very long. But, my grandmother had an even bigger tree in her yard and yes, my great aunt, her sister, would make the most delicious homemade fig jam.