UPDATE & RANT OF THE DAY: Spring 2014 Test Scents

Well ladies and gentlemen, BBW as it at again. It's not even Christmas..nay, it's not even technically winter yet and BBW has released its test scents for the upcoming spring. On the plus side, BBW seems to have gotten its proverbial shit together (this winter's lines of scents was just a random hot mess) as they seem to be releasing well thought out, unique and interesting lines with (seemingly) very few repackages with something for everyone's tastes. My issue is that it is waaaayyyy too early to think about buying and burning spring candles in my opinion. And as usual, after learning what these new scents were, people went apeshit and started foaming at the mouth. And there's a schism between those who are fortunate to live near test stores who can readily get these scents and those (like myself) who live nowhere near one and either hope that Customer Relations can give them the hookup or wait patiently with bated breath to see what will go wide in the upcoming months. It's a vicious cycle and BBW loves every minute of it.

Anyway, let's talk about this scents.  

The Prestige Collection
With this line, BBW seems to be harkening back to the days when Harry Slatkin was in command and was releasing classy and sophisticated looking and smelling candles with blends of very high end notes. With that said, these candles are very fancy schmancy which each scent conjuring various images of a trip to a winter ski lodge. And much like a trip to a winter ski lodge, these candles are expensive - a whopping $30!!!! Hopefully these candles are worth the price; if so, better stack up on your $10 of $30 survey coupons! 

The scents are...
Ski Den ~ Leather and Sweet Tobacco: The handsome? of a classic den with antler accents and a deep leather sofa that's perfect to sink into after a day on the slopes inspired this warm and ruggedly elegant fragrance. Experience the relaxing blend of fine leather, sweet tobacco and a beguiling note of caramel that conjures up apre-ski bliss (repackage of Havana Heat)
Wine Cellar ~ Mulled Wine and Spice: This outstanding blend of mulled wine and spices was inspired by a collection of outstanding vintages in wine connoisseur's hideaway. Let piquant notes of red fruit, Indonesian patchouli, and a touch of precious saffron transforms a room into an elegant entertaining space, sure to please the most discerning palate
Mountainside Suite ~ Cashmere and Sandalwood :  The cozy softness of a plush mountain suite in a mountaintop suite inspired this fragrance. A room with sweeping views of snowcapped peeks and a bed covered with sublimely luxurious linens come to life in notes of refined vanilla, extraordinary sandalwood and opulent musk. Relax in its beauty. (repackage of Vanilla Sandalwood)
Great Room ~ Fireside Pine: Inspired by the Great Room in a first class lodge, with amountain high ceiling framed by wooden beams, this fragrance evokes a natural, easy style and a sense of soaring escape. Make this blend of elegant pinewood, earthy vetiver, and the perfect touch of pepper to focal of your own Great Room 
Winter Terrace ~ Alpine Spruce Air: Notes of forest air, rich birchwood, and fir balsam capture the beauty of spending evening on a mountain lodge terrace. It's the perfect place to gather and swap stories after a day of outdoor adventure. Share this peak experience

Sweet Shop Collection

Much like the Pumpkin line back in the fall and the Home Tradition line this winter, BBW is catering to the bakery lovers' sweet tooths. And much like with those two lines, bakery/gourmand/sweetey lovers nationwide are creaming their panties over these new sugary sweet candles. These candles seem to be confections perfect for Easter or spring picnics. And although I'm not a sweetey/bakery/gourmand lover by any means, I must applaud BBW for experimenting with some new scents.

Scents include... 

Strawberry Sorbet: A cool, new treat to delight your senses, sorbet made from the sweetest, sun-ripened strawberries, spun sugar and a touch of vanilla! (repackage of Strawberry Picnic) 

Raspberry Peach Macaron: The ultimate French cookie is celebrated in a unique blend of ripe raspberries, juicy peach and almond cream! (repackage of Sweet Macaron/Gelato?)

Lemon Drops: That magnificent mouth-puckering mixture of sweet and tart is captured in this blend of fresh lemon zest, sugar crystals and a hint of vanilla! (repackage of Limoncello or Lemon Gelato?)

Pineapple Creampuff: Delicate puff pastry and rich cream meet tropical pineapple in a fragrance inspired by a classic, hand-made confection!

Honey Cinnamon Crumb Cake: Today’s special – an irresistible baked treat made with fresh soft cake, local honey and a hint of cinnamon! (repackage of Sugar and Spice?)

Lavender Marshmallow: The merging of two unexpected flavors – lavender and marshmallow – make this mouthwatering blend a special treat!

Pink Bubblegum: A fragrance you can really sink your teeth into with notes of pink sugar cane, juicy watermelon and a hint of vanilla!

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake: A delicious combination of two classic bakery treats - includes notes of freshly squeezed lemon, rich cake and ripe raspberries!

Returning favorites include...

Frosted Cupcake: A true sweet tooth’s delight – fresh vanilla bean, sugar, cake batter and rich buttercream frosting mix it up and create an irresistible scent! (of course this was coming back. I swear FC is like a friggin zombie)

Watermelon Lemonade: Quench your thirst for long, summer days with this refreshing mixture of watermelon ice, sparkling water and freshly squeezed Meyer lemons!

Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut: Share the delight of a freshly-baked vanilla cake doughnut covered in sugar crystals and crushed cinnamon! (SAY WHHAAAAT?!)

Destination Line

BBW is releasing yet another Destination line. This line compared to the ones in the past seem more unique with very few repackages and with more locale inspired scents from every continent. I think, compared to the lines released in the past, this one might be my favorite.

The scents are...

South Beach Sun: Revel in a tropical blend of coconut water, orange blossoms and lemon inspired by the Sunshine State’s most famous hot spot. Let’s party beach side!

Mahalo Maui: Go an instant vacation with a blend inspired by our favorite Hawaiian island featuring notes of passion fruit, white flowers and a hint of soft musk. Let’s luau!

Havana Heat: Visit the intoxicating city of Havana with this rare blend of sweet tobacco, amber and spice! Cha cha cha the night away!

Bermuda Break: Cruise to a pretty pink sand beach on the island of Bermuda with this blend of juicy peach, tropical jasmine a hint of sandalwood. Blue waters, green fairways! (repackage of Southern Magnolia?)

Emerald Isle: Escape to a Country that’s simply greener than anywhere else in the world with the fragrance of fresh clover, emerald grass and a touch of woody moss! Discover the Spirit of Ireland!

Mad About Madrid: A lovely blend of dark cedarwood and soft musk gives way to the perfect hint of Spanish pepper. Ole!

Fleur De Provence: A very French blend of lavender buds, verbena and vanilla that conjures up a walk through fields and fields of flowers. Escape to the South of France!

Sunny St. Tropez: An internationally glamorous blend of neroli blossoms, creamy vanilla and sandalwood transports you to the best beach club in St Tropez. Revel in the beauty of the French Riviera! (repackage of Suntan/Poolside)

The Greek Isles: An epic blend of fresh figs, green cypress and juicy melon takes you on a Greek Isle getaway. Island-hopping adventure awaits!

Electric Tokyo: An exotic combination of Japanese iced sake, delicate cherry blossoms and a hint of berries! Arigato Japan!

Sydney Harbor: Experience Australia's most beautiful harbor city with a blend of salt waters, exhilarating eucalyptus and bamboo wood. Visit the land down! (repackage of Seashore/Renew&Refresh)

Returning favorite includes

London Calling: A royal blend of tea, lemon and sugar. Great traditions from across the pond!

Paris Daydream

Fresh Picked
Well kids, it looks like Fresh Picked is here to stay. Here's the new spring line...which is sooooo much better than last spring's lackluster release. This one is very similar to the first original Spring Fresh Picked line back in '11 with combinations of exotic, unique and somewhat unusual blends.

The scents are..

Pink Passionfruit: The amazing juiciness of an island fruit inspired this combination of vine-ripened passion fruit, guava and sugarcane!

Pomelo Grapefruit: The ultimate citrus lover’s delight – a blend of tart grapefruit, sweet pomelo and juicy orange!

Heirloom Greens: Escape to the garden with this cheerful blend of heirloom greens and tomato vines!

Wild Berries: The fun of picking sweet local berries is celebrated in this blend of juicy, red raspberry and tart blackberry

Lemon Cucumber: Clean, crisp cucumber and zesty lemon create a refreshing fragrance perfect for spring!

Snap Peas: Bright green peas with the perfect amount of snap are the centerpieces of this green blend!

Sweet Spearmint: Enjoy the bright scent of freshly cut spearmint leaves sweetened by sugar crystals!

Returning favorites include
Garden Strawberry: Simple and pure, sun ripened strawberries are highlighted by mango nectar and soft peach blossoms! (Strawberry aka Strawberry Patch)

Lemon Mint Leaf: Freshly cut lemon balm and spearmint leaves give a refreshing lift to a blend of vetiver and citrus!

Honeysuckle Bouquet: The scent of early spring contained in a bouquet of sweet honeysuckle and pink peony with a touch of creamy vanilla! (Honeysuckle)

Market Peach: Fresh from the stand peaches strike a juicy note in a blend of vanilla featuring hints of citrus and raspberry!

Lilac Blossom:

Tropical Collection

Of course, BBW is gonna release its insanely popular Tropical collection again. Dunno if anything new will be added to the roster

Island Margarita
Coconut Leaves
Tiki Beach
Ocean Side
Peach Bellini
Beach Cabana
Caribbean Escape

Aloha Candles
It seems that BBW is releasing a second "tropical" line inspired by Hawaii. I'm guessing this is the new locale line of scents like the Parisian line and Italian Villa line.

Pineapple Palm Grass: A fresh tropical fragrance inspired by the beautiful pineapple fields & exotic green foilage of the Hawaiian Islands.
Lanakai Coconut: Be transported by a blend of sweet, coconut , milk seawater, & palm tree leaves inspired by Hawaii's beautiful Lanakai Beach.
Island Waters: Dive into the an invigorating mix of water notes, lush green palm leaves & a hint of fresh cut bamboo.
Hawaiian Hibiscus: Experience an island getaway with this fragrant blend of hibiscus Hawaii's native flower, combined with creamy coconut & jasmine notes....
Rainforest Sugarcane: Venture into Hawaii's rainforest,with an intriguing mixture of fresh lime,raw sugar cane, and rare vanilla orchid.
Black Sands: Visit Hawaii's dramatic black sand beach with an unforgettable blend of ocean mist & exotic amber finished with creamy cedarwood.
White Orchid Lei: A lei , a symbol of beautiful flowers that is a Hawaiian symbol of love inspired these exsquite notes of lush orchid petals & a hint of melon.

All info came from SweetkelleyXOXO, Ciapinkpumpkin, Kevin St.Marie and Touchthefiretwice. And do check out Touchthefiretwice as he has several fabulous video reviews of many of these candles 

http://www.youtube.com/user/TouchTheFireTwice/videos