[unpaid/sample] I love to hear about new candle brands – our candle market is so dominated by just a few so any newness is welcome. Crosskey is startup, made in the UK brand from former PR, Howard Crosskey. It’s risen from consequences of the pandemic and is something of a resilience story. We’ve all of us given pause for thought this year, and it looks like Howard’s pause has been very productive.
There’s a great deal of attention to detail in what is at first appearance, a pared back aesthetic. Notice the little colour splash at the bottom of the label and the tiny leaf at the top. Ischia is named for the picturesque island in the Bay of Naples, so it’s fitting that lemon is the star of this fragrance. A dot of tomato leaf adds greener notes, while rose boosts the lemon. The under-notes are woody and balancing.
I like it for its ability to blend into the background – there isn’t anything olfactorily shouty about this… it’s often the case that someone else’s ‘travel inspirations’ are entirely irrelevant to your own so the ability to translate a personal memory into a universally pleasing room fragrance is perceptive and pleasant. Christmas candles aren’t for everyone, and nor are complex layers – Ischia is sweetly aromatic without being pervasive or overwhelming so I’d say it’s best for those who don’t like power scents but would rather have something that just sits with them, happily and cleanly.
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There are two other offerings – Langkwai (frangipani, coconut and lemongrass) and Haputale (waterlily, chamomile and pink pepper) and they’re all £39 each HERE.
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