Right. The forecast's actually behaving itself, the kids have started asking when we're going camping, and I've just spent forty minutes trying to figure out how my roof tent gets set up again. The outdoor season is officially upon us.
We're heading off this weekend — first proper trip of the year, fingers crossed for dry weather — and I've been packing accordingly. Which, naturally, includes wax melts. Don't judge. Once you've sat outside a camper at dusk with something gorgeous melting away, you don't go back.
So if you're starting to think about garden evenings, holidays, festivals, van trips, or just throwing the back doors open for the first time in months — here's what I'd reach for.
The One That Actually Earns Its Keep
Let's start with the obvious: Citronella & Lemongrass.
I'll be straight with you — there are a lot of citronella products out there that smell like citronella but don't actually do anything about the bugs. Lovely scent, no job done. This isn't one of those.
It's a 100% pure essential oil blend (citronella, lemongrass, litsea cubeba, pine, eucalyptus) and we've added Citrepel — a naturally derived insect repellent that actually works. So you get the bright, zesty, slightly sweet citrus-herbal scent and the practical bit. Pop one in your warmer at dusk on the patio and the midges think twice.
It's the only product in the range with an active repellent ingredient, so it's a bit of a hero for me through summer. We'll have a clamshell on the go in the kitchen with the back door open, and a Wax Pop in the camper. Honestly, the smell alone is worth it — top notes of citronella, eucalyptus and lime, with a soft honey and orange blossom base that stops it feeling clinical. It smells like summer, not like bug spray.
The Morning Mood Setter
Uplifting is what I put on first thing when we're away. It's another pure essential oil blend — lemon, lemongrass, litsea cubeba and geranium — and it's like sticking your head out of the tent into proper sunshine. Bright, zesty, and genuinely energising without being sharp.
It's the one I reach for when I want the day to feel like it's started, not just begun. Brilliant in a campervan in the morning. Equally brilliant in a kitchen with the windows flung open.
The Garden-Evening One
Contented has this completely unexpected note in it: freshly cut grass. I know that sounds like an odd thing to want in your home, but trust me — it's gorgeous. It opens with bright lemon and orange, then the grass, neroli and mimosa come through, all grounded by cedarwood and a touch of ylang ylang.
It smells like a garden in late afternoon. The kind of evening where you've been outside all day, the sun's still warm on the patio, and someone's just mown the lawn three doors down. Genuinely one of my favourites for this time of year.
The After-the-Day-Out One
You know that bit when you've been outside all day, your shoulders are pink, your legs ache pleasantly, and you finally drop onto the sofa (or into the camp chair) at half nine? That's a Restore moment.
It's a pure essential oil blend with orange and bergamot up top, then aniseed, cypress and ylang ylang in the middle, finished with cedarwood and patchouli. The aniseed is the surprise — it splits people, but the ones who love it really love it. Warm, woody, grounding. A "the day's done" kind of scent.
Not Sure Where to Start? Try the Discovery Set
If you've never tried the essential oil range before, the Essential Oil Discovery Set is the easiest way in — three Wax Pops at a friendly price so you can sniff your way around without committing to a full clamshell. A nice one to chuck in the bag for a weekend away, too.
A Few Honest Notes on Burning Wax Melts Outdoors
I get asked this a lot, so for the record: yes, you can absolutely use wax melts outside. A few things worth knowing —
- You need shelter from wind. A gust will blow your tealight out before the wax even warms. Tuck the burner somewhere protected — a porch, a covered patio, the lip of an awning, the open door of a campervan.
- Always on a heat-resistant surface. Same rules as indoors. Never leave it unattended.
- If you want to go properly deep on essential oil melts (how they work, what to expect from the scent throw, why a blend behaves differently to a synthetic), we've put together a full essential oil wax melts guide over on our sister site. Worth a read on a quiet afternoon.
One Last Thing
I'll be back next week with photos from camping (and probably some honest reporting on whether the citronella did its job against the Dorset midges — they're a dedicated bunch). If you're heading off somewhere lovely, send me your photos. I love seeing where Wax Pop ends up.
Have a beautiful weekend, lovely ones. Get outside.
