FAQ
Choosing a Fragrance
What does One & Only smell like?
One & Only is our interpretation of the Creed Aventus profile — a bold, elegant blend of blackcurrant from Corsica, Italian bergamot and French Calville Blanc apple, drying down to smoky Louisiana birch and musk. It has been our best seller for over ten years, and is available as both a reed diffuser and a 220g soy candle.
Which fragrance should I choose?
We group our range into three families so you can shop by the kind of scent you like rather than by product:
- Woody & Oud — Byron Bay, Dubai and New York 540. Warm, grounded and built on sandalwood, cedar, amber and oud.
- Fresh & Green — Lime Basil Mandarin, Tuscan Fig and Nordic Forest. Led by citrus, herbs, fig leaf and pine.
- Spiced & Fruity — One & Only and Pomegranate. Rich and layered, opening bright and finishing deep.
What is the difference between Byron Bay and Dubai?
Both are woody, but they behave differently in a room. Byron Bay is the softer of the two — creamy sandalwood, cedar and soft cardamom, understated enough to live with all day. Dubai has far more presence: oud-style woods, amber and musk lifted by bright citrus. Choose Byron Bay for a bedroom or home office, Dubai for a hallway or living room where you want the fragrance noticed.
Do you have a Christmas scent?
Yes — Nordic Forest, available as both a candle and a reed diffuser. Blue pine, eucalyptus and fresh green notes over a base of fir balsam, sandalwood, cedarwood and guaiacwood. It is the closest thing we make to the smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree.
Are your fragrances suitable for men and women?
Every fragrance we make is unisex. We build them around notes rather than around who we think should be buying them.
Can I get the same scent as both a candle and a diffuser?
Yes — most of our fragrances are available as both a 220g soy candle and a reed diffuser, and each product page tells you which formats that scent comes in. Many customers keep a diffuser running continuously in a hallway and light the matching candle in the evening.
Reed Diffusers
How long does a reed diffuser last?
Up to 12 weeks. The exact life depends on how many reeds you use — all eight will give a stronger scent that runs down faster, while four will last noticeably longer.
How many reeds should I use?
Use all eight for maximum fragrance throw in a larger or open-plan room. For a subtle background scent, or in a small room like a bathroom, start with four and add more until it feels right. You can always add reeds later — you cannot easily take the fragrance back out of the room.
How do I set up my reed diffuser?
Remove the cap, push out the inner paper seal, replace the cap and insert the reeds. Allow roughly 24 hours for the reeds to fully saturate before judging the scent strength — a diffuser almost always smells weaker on day one than it will on day three.
Should I turn the reeds?
Flip them once a week. This refreshes the fragrance and keeps the scent throw consistent through the full life of the bottle. If your diffuser seems to have faded, flipping the reeds is the first thing to try.
Where should I place my diffuser?
Somewhere with gentle natural airflow — near a doorway or in a hallway works far better than a sheltered corner, because moving air carries the fragrance through the room. Keep it upright on a stable surface, out of direct sunlight and away from radiators or other heat sources.
Do you sell refills?
Yes. Refills are available across our reed diffuser range, so you keep the glass vessel and simply replace the oil and reeds. Get in touch and we will arrange it for you.
How big are your reed diffusers?
Each diffuser is a 7cm round glass vessel and stands roughly 25cm tall once the reeds are in, so it sits comfortably on a shelf, console table or bathroom counter without dominating the space.
Candles
How long do your candles burn?
Our candles are 220g and give up to 100 hours of burn time. That figure is not a marketing number — it comes from the wax-to-fragrance ratio and the wick gauge we use for a 220g vessel.
Why do you use soy wax instead of paraffin?
Soy burns cleaner and slower than paraffin, which means a longer, more consistent fragrance throw without black soot marks on your walls or jar. It is also biodegradable. We pair it with a cotton wick for an even burn.
How do I stop my candle tunnelling?
The first burn matters most. Let the melted wax reach the full edge of the glass before you put it out — usually two to three hours. Wax has a memory, so if the first burn leaves a narrow well, every burn after it will follow the same path.
How should I look after my candle?
Trim the wick to about 5mm before every burn to prevent smoking and soot. Burn for no more than three to four hours at a time, keep it away from draughts and on a stable heat-resistant surface, and stop using it once around 1cm of wax remains in the base. Never leave a burning candle unattended, and keep it away from children and pets.
Ordering, Delivery & Returns
How much is delivery?
UK delivery is free on every order. There is no minimum spend and no threshold to reach — the price on the product page is the price you pay.
How long will my order take to arrive?
We hand make everything in small batches, so we only hold a limited amount of ready-made stock. If your fragrance needs to be poured to order, this usually adds around a week before dispatch. All of our candle and diffuser components are sourced from UK suppliers.
Do your products come gift wrapped?
Every product arrives in a signature William Alexander gift box, ready to give with no additional wrapping needed. This applies to candles and diffusers alike.
Can I return an item?
Please contact us before sending anything back — in many cases it is quicker for us to credit or replace the product instead. Full details are on our Returns page.
Do you supply shops and retailers?
Yes. We supply independent retailers, gift shops, boutiques, garden centres and florists across the UK. See our Trade & Wholesale page for stockist information and to submit an enquiry.
Where are your products made?
Every William Alexander candle and reed diffuser is hand poured in our Leicestershire studio — never mass produced and never outsourced. We use UK suppliers for our components, which keeps us a genuinely British brand rather than one that simply labels itself as one.
William Alexander — Elevating Everyday Living.