7 evenings with the black candle: our honest verdict
We sell this set, which is exactly why we tested it the way a customer would, over seven evenings, as honestly as we would want it done for us. A tried-and-tested piece from the Secrets of Life journal. With one caveat.
Our verdict after 7 evenings
The effect that lasts: the day has an ending again.
What won us over
- Lighting it draws a line under the day, noticeably, from evening three
- Twenty guided minutes, nothing you have to be good at
- 99 EUR one time, no subscription, nothing to cancel later
What you should know
- The candle does nothing on its own, you have to press play
- The first two or three evenings feel long
99 EUR one time. No subscription. 14-day returns.
Why we tested it in the first place
- Clocked off on paper, but your head never got the memo
- The thought-carousel starts the moment the day ends
- Tired but wired
- "Just a quick look at my phone", and suddenly it is 11pm
We know these four lines rather too well. So: seven evenings, logged honestly.
Seven evenings, the log
- Evening 1. Candle lit, phone turned over, play. A calm voice, no schmaltz. We kept waiting for it to turn twee. It did not.
- Evenings 2 and 4. Unremarkable: twenty quiet minutes, nothing to report. Which is rather the point.
- Evening 3. The first evening nobody checked the clock.
- Evening 5: skipped. Something on that night, no chance. We are putting that down because the report would be worthless otherwise.
- Evening 6. The surprise: you start to look forward to the match. To that one sound that ends the day.
- Evening 7. The verdict is simple: the candle does nothing to you. You do something, the moment it is lit.
What is in the box
- 7 slim black candles, hand-poured in small batches. Matte, unscented, no print
- 7 guided evenings in the app, about 20 minutes each
- 1 month of app access included, then nothing is charged
No screen. No subscription. One match. The matte black box arrives gift-ready, wrapped in crinkled cream tissue. What surprised us most was not the twenty minutes, but how fast that one sound becomes the signal that the day is over.
Run the same test yourself.
- 99 EUR one time. No subscription.
- 7 candles + 7 guided evenings + 1 month of app access
- Free worldwide shipping, 14-day returns
- We cover the return postage
For a sense of scale: a single premium scented candle from the posh-candle counter runs 50 to 70 GBP, and all it does is smell nice. Here, 99 EUR buys seven evenings plus a month in the app.
99 EUR one time, VAT included, free shipping, nothing to pay at the door. The ceramic holder shown is not included in the set.
What we wanted to know before buying
"I do not have twenty minutes in the evening."
"I cannot meditate."
"Is there a subscription hidden in here?"
"How fast does the set arrive?"
"Which devices does the app run on?"
"Why 99 EUR for candles?"
"Do I need a candle holder?"
"Is the candle scented?"
Whether it works the same for you, there is only one way to find out.