NEWNESS UPDATE: Spring 2015 Scents
I know I'm super late to the game as far as this subject is concerned but as they say, better late than never!
So back in the good ol days, spring scents would pop in test stores in December. And every blogger worth his or her salt would have a list of the upcoming scents for those unfortunates not living near a test store. Right after the end of SAS, those scents that made the grade would start trickling into stores and people would let out a sigh of relieve. Yeah..those days are over. BBW this go round is doing some strange strange things. At the very beginning, not a single test store saw any spring scents. However they have been appearing...IN CANADA!!! Dafuq?!!! Only recently have they started to appear in a few stores, regular stores not test stores and most of them have now appeared online? So are scents no longer being tested (I never agreed with the whole testing thing in the first place) or are they now being "tested" in Canada only? I don't think we'll ever know they answer. What I do know is that I am sick to damned death with all of unnecessary and pointless secrecy and mystery! Stop excluding people and muthaeffing give the people what they want!!!
Antyhoo, so what do we have to look forward to for spring?
Well first off, we'll have the usual standard floral scents from White Barn. So far we've only seen Lilac Blossom, Honeysuckle, Eucalyptus Mint and Lemon Mint Leaf (ugh, please retire this scent, it aint all that!). I wonder what else will be part of that collection - Spring? Garden Party? First Bloom?
Then we have the same tired Tropical/Beach collection that we've seen for the past 3-4 years...
Oceanside, Beach Cabana, Island Margarita, Coconut Leaves, Tiki Beach, Caribbean Escape, and Pineapple Mango.... BOOOOOOOORIIIIIIINNNNNNG!
They only "new" scent in this collection isn't really a new scent, it's Island Waters (aka Sunrise Lagoon from '11) from the Aloha Hawaii collection last spring
Now let's talk about some newness shall we
So as y'all know, every spring there's a collection inspired by some far off destination; last year it was Hawaii and the year before it was Italy. This year we're being taken on a fragrant journey to wild, crazy and sultry Brazil. Don't start samba'ing just yet meus amigos. It's easy to get all dazzled by the names and the ambiguously ethnic oddly Aztec-ian labels design but (as is always the case) they're all repackages, some of which blatantly ripped from the Aloha Hawaii collection.....
Mango Dragonfruit...Mango Dragonfruit
Rio Red Guava...Red Lava Guava
There's also...
Brazilian Blue Waters - Escape to Brazil's shores with notes of ocean waves, sea foam and dappled sunlight (hmm sounds suspiciously like Turquoise Waters from Coastal Cool aka Sea Spray from Spring '11)
Rainforest Gardenia - An intoxicating white floral note with lush green undertones, fresh bamboo and sweet apple water (Now Tinadivalicious theorized in his recent video that this might be White Orchid Lei, a failed test scent from the Aloha Hawaii collection. Possibly..or it could be Garden Party from last spring (garden roses/pear blossoms/soft musk) or even First Bloom/Bloom (peony/apple blossom/plumeria). Hmm...)
Amazon Falls - The scent of fresh water, green rainforest fern & a hint of sunlight, inspired by the breathtaking beauty of a lush waterfall in the remote Amazon (hmm, this one has thrown me for a loop; this could be completely new. Although there are some possibilities... Island Waters? Rainforest Sugarcane? Fresh Bamboo?)
Black Teakwood - An elegant blend of rich black teakwood, soft sandalwood and crisp lavender (come on, do I have to say it cuz it's pretty damn obvious. Mahogany Teakwood. And I've already talked to folks that have confirmed it
Spiced Pineapple Samba - A hint of spice revs up the tempo in this blend of golden juicy pineapple soaked in brown sugar. Let's dance! (now this scent might still be testing; few a seen this one in stores and it isn't online. Be all accounts, this smells similar to and may be a repackage of Tropical Spice from waaaaay back in the day)
Copacabana Beach - Rio's most fashionable spot to sun and swim comes to life in a beachy blend of sun-kissed coconut, ocean-washed driftwood and Tonka (ok, this kinda sounds disgusting...I wonder if it's that sperm candle from the Aloha Hawaii collection, Lanikai Coconut)
Now I don't know for certain if this is true but their may be a special collection coming out around Mother's Day. It seems to be mish-mash of floral and gourmand scents. We'll see old standbies like Paris Daydream, French Lavender and Lemon Verbena. New scents include...
Blue Orchid - A rare blue orchid blossom mixes with soft amber and blonde woods in a elegant springtime fragrance (ummmmm, I got nuthin! Well not exactly...for some reason the notes make me think of Sundress from last spring though the notes sound like Sensual Amber/Sparkling Amber)
Vanilla Bean Macaron - A luxurious treat featuring notes of Tahitian vanilla bean, creamy ganache and a dusting of sugar (I'm gonna go with Vanilla Bean Noel)
White Pear Champagne - Liven up the room with a bubbly blend of sparkling white wine and juicy spring green pears (I'm really hopin this isn't that Green Apple Champagne mess)
Black Raspberry Merlot - Dark lush raspberries layered over velvety merlot grapes create a sophisticated fruit forward blend (Hmm, this could be anything... Blackberry Bramble Tea? Sundrenched Vineyard? A candle version of Black Cherry Merlot? Dark Kiss?
Peony Petals - A quintessential spring flower, the delicate and fragrant peony combines with garden blueberries in a fresh twist on fruity florals (Ok, this has gotta be Tokyo Petals from Destinations. Why this? Why not Flower Shop or Garden Party?)
And now the collection that is setting everybody's coochies on fire; sweetie lovers nationwide are foaming at the mouth. Even I, the ardent stalwart virulent gourmand hater that I am is becoming more and more intrigued... this year's "Sweet Shoppe"-ish collection
It has three favorites - Peach Bellini, Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut and the scent that refuses to die, Watermelon Lemonade (big shocker right?!)
And it sports this most "new" scents than any of the other spring collection. They include...
Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade - A spring market favorite- scrumptious marmalade made from hand picked garden strawberries and rhubarb (I was excited to hear about this one as I do enjoy actual strawberry rhubarb jam. And apparently it doesn't smell like that hot mess Strawberry from Fresh Picked back in the day)
Sparkling Limeade - Refreshing with a sophisticated touch of citrus, this fragrant blend of juicy limes, sparkling water and a hint of sugar quenches your thirst for spring (Hmm, the notes online are quite different - lemongrass, effervescent tonic water and smooth gin. A gin&tonic candle, don't mind if I do. This is the scent I'm most excited about. I thought at first that it was a repackage of an old Slatkin scent that I've ardently wished could be brought back , Sparkling Mojito but it ain't!)
Cherry Blossom Sangria - Celebrate spring with the sweet scent of sangria made from fresh cherry nectar, crisp apple slices and a hint of wild raspberry (like many, the name threw me for a loop but apparently cherry blossom sangria is an actual thing. Anyhoo, there is no doubt in my mind that this is gonna be a repackage/repackage with a twist of Pink Sangria from the good Slatkin days. No one has confirmed though)
Vanilla Bean Marshmallow - A comforting vanilla fragrance that evokes the sweetness of a homemade marshmallow (I keep getting conflicting opinions about this; some say it smells just Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow while others say it smells similar to Frosted Cupcake)
Now there was an Ice Almond Chai in the mix, I'm guessin that one has "failed" cuz absolutely NO ONE is talkin about it
And lastly a surprised dark horse in this collection has appeared online thanks to Miss Christina Makar and has been spreadin like wildfire all over Facebook and Instagram....Tequila Lime Cupcake. Like Cherry Blossom Sangria, the name has everyone doin a Scooby-Doo.."AH-URRRR?!"but like Cherry Blossom Sangria, it's actually a thing . Anyhoo, no notes have appeared...surprise surprise! I've already ranted and raved on Facebook about people posting pics of candles but never the notes and it's quite annoying. Anyway, despite what the name suggests, I have a funny feeling that it's a repack of failed test scent Pink Lemonade Poundcake. Now I know what you're thinkin "Uuum, lemon and lime smell totally different!" and you'd be right. However NONE of BBW'Ss "lime" scents actually mentioned lime.
Island Marg - mandarin
Sparkling Mojito - pomelo
Sparkling Limeade - while it mentions lime on the bottom, online it says instead "lemongrass"
That said, forgive me if I stay suspiscious; I'll be highly surprised if this is an actual lime scent
So yeah, that's we have to look forward to for spring. I wonder what other surprises BBW has in store....
So back in the good ol days, spring scents would pop in test stores in December. And every blogger worth his or her salt would have a list of the upcoming scents for those unfortunates not living near a test store. Right after the end of SAS, those scents that made the grade would start trickling into stores and people would let out a sigh of relieve. Yeah..those days are over. BBW this go round is doing some strange strange things. At the very beginning, not a single test store saw any spring scents. However they have been appearing...IN CANADA!!! Dafuq?!!! Only recently have they started to appear in a few stores, regular stores not test stores and most of them have now appeared online? So are scents no longer being tested (I never agreed with the whole testing thing in the first place) or are they now being "tested" in Canada only? I don't think we'll ever know they answer. What I do know is that I am sick to damned death with all of unnecessary and pointless secrecy and mystery! Stop excluding people and muthaeffing give the people what they want!!!
Antyhoo, so what do we have to look forward to for spring?
Well first off, we'll have the usual standard floral scents from White Barn. So far we've only seen Lilac Blossom, Honeysuckle, Eucalyptus Mint and Lemon Mint Leaf (ugh, please retire this scent, it aint all that!). I wonder what else will be part of that collection - Spring? Garden Party? First Bloom?
Then we have the same tired Tropical/Beach collection that we've seen for the past 3-4 years...
Oceanside, Beach Cabana, Island Margarita, Coconut Leaves, Tiki Beach, Caribbean Escape, and Pineapple Mango.... BOOOOOOOORIIIIIIINNNNNNG!
They only "new" scent in this collection isn't really a new scent, it's Island Waters (aka Sunrise Lagoon from '11) from the Aloha Hawaii collection last spring
Now let's talk about some newness shall we
So as y'all know, every spring there's a collection inspired by some far off destination; last year it was Hawaii and the year before it was Italy. This year we're being taken on a fragrant journey to wild, crazy and sultry Brazil. Don't start samba'ing just yet meus amigos. It's easy to get all dazzled by the names and the ambiguously ethnic oddly Aztec-ian labels design but (as is always the case) they're all repackages, some of which blatantly ripped from the Aloha Hawaii collection.....
Mango Dragonfruit...Mango Dragonfruit
Rio Red Guava...Red Lava Guava
There's also...
Brazilian Blue Waters - Escape to Brazil's shores with notes of ocean waves, sea foam and dappled sunlight (hmm sounds suspiciously like Turquoise Waters from Coastal Cool aka Sea Spray from Spring '11)
Rainforest Gardenia - An intoxicating white floral note with lush green undertones, fresh bamboo and sweet apple water (Now Tinadivalicious theorized in his recent video that this might be White Orchid Lei, a failed test scent from the Aloha Hawaii collection. Possibly..or it could be Garden Party from last spring (garden roses/pear blossoms/soft musk) or even First Bloom/Bloom (peony/apple blossom/plumeria). Hmm...)
Amazon Falls - The scent of fresh water, green rainforest fern & a hint of sunlight, inspired by the breathtaking beauty of a lush waterfall in the remote Amazon (hmm, this one has thrown me for a loop; this could be completely new. Although there are some possibilities... Island Waters? Rainforest Sugarcane? Fresh Bamboo?)
Black Teakwood - An elegant blend of rich black teakwood, soft sandalwood and crisp lavender (come on, do I have to say it cuz it's pretty damn obvious. Mahogany Teakwood. And I've already talked to folks that have confirmed it
Spiced Pineapple Samba - A hint of spice revs up the tempo in this blend of golden juicy pineapple soaked in brown sugar. Let's dance! (now this scent might still be testing; few a seen this one in stores and it isn't online. Be all accounts, this smells similar to and may be a repackage of Tropical Spice from waaaaay back in the day)
Copacabana Beach - Rio's most fashionable spot to sun and swim comes to life in a beachy blend of sun-kissed coconut, ocean-washed driftwood and Tonka (ok, this kinda sounds disgusting...I wonder if it's that sperm candle from the Aloha Hawaii collection, Lanikai Coconut)
Now I don't know for certain if this is true but their may be a special collection coming out around Mother's Day. It seems to be mish-mash of floral and gourmand scents. We'll see old standbies like Paris Daydream, French Lavender and Lemon Verbena. New scents include...
Blue Orchid - A rare blue orchid blossom mixes with soft amber and blonde woods in a elegant springtime fragrance (ummmmm, I got nuthin! Well not exactly...for some reason the notes make me think of Sundress from last spring though the notes sound like Sensual Amber/Sparkling Amber)
Vanilla Bean Macaron - A luxurious treat featuring notes of Tahitian vanilla bean, creamy ganache and a dusting of sugar (I'm gonna go with Vanilla Bean Noel)
White Pear Champagne - Liven up the room with a bubbly blend of sparkling white wine and juicy spring green pears (I'm really hopin this isn't that Green Apple Champagne mess)
Black Raspberry Merlot - Dark lush raspberries layered over velvety merlot grapes create a sophisticated fruit forward blend (Hmm, this could be anything... Blackberry Bramble Tea? Sundrenched Vineyard? A candle version of Black Cherry Merlot? Dark Kiss?
Peony Petals - A quintessential spring flower, the delicate and fragrant peony combines with garden blueberries in a fresh twist on fruity florals (Ok, this has gotta be Tokyo Petals from Destinations. Why this? Why not Flower Shop or Garden Party?)
And now the collection that is setting everybody's coochies on fire; sweetie lovers nationwide are foaming at the mouth. Even I, the ardent stalwart virulent gourmand hater that I am is becoming more and more intrigued... this year's "Sweet Shoppe"-ish collection
It has three favorites - Peach Bellini, Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut and the scent that refuses to die, Watermelon Lemonade (big shocker right?!)
And it sports this most "new" scents than any of the other spring collection. They include...
Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade - A spring market favorite- scrumptious marmalade made from hand picked garden strawberries and rhubarb (I was excited to hear about this one as I do enjoy actual strawberry rhubarb jam. And apparently it doesn't smell like that hot mess Strawberry from Fresh Picked back in the day)
Sparkling Limeade - Refreshing with a sophisticated touch of citrus, this fragrant blend of juicy limes, sparkling water and a hint of sugar quenches your thirst for spring (Hmm, the notes online are quite different - lemongrass, effervescent tonic water and smooth gin. A gin&tonic candle, don't mind if I do. This is the scent I'm most excited about. I thought at first that it was a repackage of an old Slatkin scent that I've ardently wished could be brought back , Sparkling Mojito but it ain't!)
Cherry Blossom Sangria - Celebrate spring with the sweet scent of sangria made from fresh cherry nectar, crisp apple slices and a hint of wild raspberry (like many, the name threw me for a loop but apparently cherry blossom sangria is an actual thing. Anyhoo, there is no doubt in my mind that this is gonna be a repackage/repackage with a twist of Pink Sangria from the good Slatkin days. No one has confirmed though)
Vanilla Bean Marshmallow - A comforting vanilla fragrance that evokes the sweetness of a homemade marshmallow (I keep getting conflicting opinions about this; some say it smells just Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow while others say it smells similar to Frosted Cupcake)
Now there was an Ice Almond Chai in the mix, I'm guessin that one has "failed" cuz absolutely NO ONE is talkin about it
And lastly a surprised dark horse in this collection has appeared online thanks to Miss Christina Makar and has been spreadin like wildfire all over Facebook and Instagram....Tequila Lime Cupcake. Like Cherry Blossom Sangria, the name has everyone doin a Scooby-Doo.."AH-URRRR?!"but like Cherry Blossom Sangria, it's actually a thing . Anyhoo, no notes have appeared...surprise surprise! I've already ranted and raved on Facebook about people posting pics of candles but never the notes and it's quite annoying. Anyway, despite what the name suggests, I have a funny feeling that it's a repack of failed test scent Pink Lemonade Poundcake. Now I know what you're thinkin "Uuum, lemon and lime smell totally different!" and you'd be right. However NONE of BBW'Ss "lime" scents actually mentioned lime.
Island Marg - mandarin
Sparkling Mojito - pomelo
Sparkling Limeade - while it mentions lime on the bottom, online it says instead "lemongrass"
That said, forgive me if I stay suspiscious; I'll be highly surprised if this is an actual lime scent
So yeah, that's we have to look forward to for spring. I wonder what other surprises BBW has in store....
This is the first and last place I need to look for my B&BWs spring info - thank you! I couldn't agree with you more about the annoying exclusivity of test scents and stores --but that's probably jealousy speaking. From a marketing standpoint --that hype is some good, old fashioned, word of mouth advertising though.
ReplyDeleteNow I want a Canadian boyfriend.
A Canadian friend may do! Yes, a comprehensive list as always, Donovan!
ReplyDelete