Product Review: Dreadful Drip Halloween Taper Candles by Yankee Candle Company

As I've gotten older, I've started to miss the way my mom used to decorate our house for just about every holiday growing up, and I have been slowly purchasing my own collection of decorative, seasonal items I can use to create a festive atmosphere in my home. I've had absolutely no problem finding lots of Christmas decorations that I love, however, I haven't had as much luck finding Halloween decorations. Yankee Candle Company recently unveiled their Halloween 2007 product line, and one type of candle they are selling for Halloween is the "Dreadful Drip" taper candles, which are white taper candles that drip "blood" (red wax) when you burn them. Intrigued by the idea, I decided to pick up a pair and take them home with me.

Dreadful Drip taper candles, which are sold in pairs for $4.99, are available exclusively at Yankee Candle Company retail stores or from the YankeeCandle.com website. After carefully taking the plastic packaging off of the Dreadful Drip taper candles, I trimmed the wick on each candle (per the package instructions) and placed the tapers in a pair of old candlestick holders that I had lying around my house. Excited to see the "dripping blood" effect, I lit the candles and stared at them pretty intently for about 20 minutes or so. After a short while, I noticed the first drip of red wax down the side of one of the candles, and soon, the white candles indeed seemed to be "oozing" red wax. It was actually really cool to watch.

I showed a couple of my friends the Dreadful Drip tapers, and everyone thought they looked really cool and wondered how they work. (In reality, a "Dreadful Drip" taper is actually a red taper candle with an opaque, outer shell of white wax; as the candle melts, the red wax drips down the side of the candle, creating the "bloody" effect.) The only thing I didn't like about these Halloween taper candles was the fact that the dripping red wax created a big mess. I guess I wasn't expecting the candles to drip as much as they did, and when they were done burning, my candlesticks were covered with red wax and essentially ruined. When I burn my next pair of Dreadful Drip tapers, I will get a bobeche (small, glass dish) to put between the taper and the holder to collect the wax drips. You should also be able to find a bobeche at your local Yankee Candle Company store.

Overall, I think Yankee Candle's Dreadful Drip taper candles make a great Halloween decoration. Not only can candlelight help create a "spooky" atmosphere, but these candles help create fun and excitement for people of all ages with their unexpected "special effect." If you're looking for a decoration that will create a sense of wonder and excitement for your Halloween houseguests, look no further than your local Yankee Candle store and pick up your own pair of Dreadful Drip Halloween taper candles.

(For information about other Halloween candles available from Yankee Candle, check out my previous AC article by clicking here.)