Carriere FreresCedar Scented Candle, 6.5 oz.

Pretty good.

A few weeks ago, I picked up a solid haul during the Carrière Frères archive sale-Cedar, Jasmine, Verbena, Tomato, Orange Blossom, and Bay Laurel. Right out of the box, all of them smelled great, and none were disappointing. Carrière Frères is owned by Trudon. But unlike Trudon, Carrière Frères tends to focus on single-note compositions. This gives their candles a more straightforward, botanical quality compared to Trudon's more layered scents. That's why I was so surprised when I got to Cedar. It's strikingly similar to Trudon's Ernesto, even though cedar isn't listed as one of Ernesto's fragrance notes. While Cèdre isn't an exact replica, the resemblance is undeniable. It's not as complex as Ernesto, but when you compare them side by side, there's tar more overlap than just a passing similarity. Pricing-wise, Carrière Frères candles retail for $69 for a single-wick, 6.5oz (185g) size, with a burn time of 40-45 hours. The only exception is their votive gift sets, which include three 2.05oz (70g) candles. Trudon's classic-sized candles, on the other hand, retail for around $125 for a 9.5oz (270g) single wick, burning for approximately 55-60 hours. Breaking it down, Carrière Frères costs about $1.73 per hour of burn time, while Trudon runs closer to $2.28. As for throw-not bad for a single wick. I don't get the best performance from Trudon's single-wick candles in large rooms, so l was curious how Cèdre would hold up. I'm a jeweler and I burned it in my office at my store today, which measures about 10' x 25'. While it didn't carry into the showroom, it filled the office nicely. It took burning the candle for about two hours to get a solid throw. You can smell it well within about 10 feet of the candle, but for full-room saturation, a larger multi-wick candle would likely be necessary (which Carrière Frères does not currently offer). Would I repurchase? Maybe-at the right price. I wouldn't pay full retail, but if it popped up in another sale, l'd consider grabbing it again. My main hangup is that I like a heavy throw, and tend to gravitate towards larger, multi-wick candles as a means to that end. I do hope that Carrière Frères considers making larger candles with more wicks in the future. The packaging is simple but elegant-white painted glass with a botanical-inspired label. Overall, I'd rate it a 6.5-7/10. If you're curious about Trudon's Ernesto but hesitant to commit to the price, Cèdre might be worth trying first. If you like Cèdre, there's a high chance you'll enjoy Ernesto as well.