RANT OF THE DAY: My 10 All Time Favorite Must Have Scents
So this post was inspired by Shawn aka Hearth and Soul's recent video about his top 10 scents...I didn't feel like doin a video, so here we are. So my top favs have changed dramatically since I first posted about that when I started this blog; my taste in scents have definitely changed and matured over the years. Now I found myself struggling a little bit coming up with an updated list; some scents that were total favs/must haves I recently found myself not enjoying as much as I have in the past. Moreover there were newer scents that I could not get enough of. Therein lies the question..."what constitutes a scent being one's top 10?" I say they should be scents that...
a) gave you an instant nosegasm in the store
b) you have to burn with reckless abandon
c) have "repurchability"
d) you feel compelled to stock up, whether it released the following year or not
That said, my top 10s are...
Southern Sweet Tea (2015) - I was not a big fan of London Calling but I loved/still love SST. Many complained that it was too bitter and astringent but I loved that aspect of it. It's tart and refreshing and nostalgic; I totally makes me think about to childhood summers back in the South
Bowties and Bourbon (2015) - OMG..can you say love at first sniff?! As y'all already know, I love me some cologne scents and we haven't had a real sexy classy high end cologne scent in a really long time. And then came B&BT and gave everybody (myself included) the vapors. It's sweet without being candy-ish, woodsy without being too intense and there is that dash of bergamot that's a lot of cologne scents.
Boathouse Row (2013) - yet another amazing cologney scent. Unlike it's brethren in the Lakeside collection (except maybe Lakeside aka Verbena Waters), it was surprisingly sophisticated and high end. It was a very classy blend of herbs and woods with deep watery notes and a hint of pepper. Sadly there is no sigh of this scent returning and you can't find the candle anywhere; I still kick myself for not stocking up.
Garden Party (2014) - There was a time when I was not a fan of floral scents at all..but I gotta say I've come around. Now this choice was a little hard as I was torn between this and Floral Shop, the ultimate floral scent. I gotta say, I'm leaning more towards GP. GP is more fresh and dewy than FS and there is that lovely pear blossom note that adds a natural sweetness. It's really like you just stepped into a rose garden and sniffed a tea rose still covered in dew. Sadly like the aforementioned BR, it made its debut and farewell the same year, hopefully BBW will bring it back.
Apple Crumble (2011) - best apple/fall confection bakery scent EVER!!! Utter perfection! Fallgasmic! So for whatever reason, they've been releasing AC as an SAS exclusive but it has not appeared in an actual fall collection since 2012...and I don't understand why cuz it's amazing! It's sweet without being cloying, bakery smelling without smelling doughey, not heavily spiced like most fall bakery scents and has a spot on green apple note. This definitely my one of my all time fav/must have fall scents.
Sweater Weather (2012) - I remember back when it was test scent and everybody was hyping this up. This, Chocolate Bacon Cupcake and Blueberry Pumpkin Patch became underground hits and you weren't considered cool unless you had at least one of those in your collection. Imagine my delight when SW went wide the following fall. I admit when I first smelled it, I didn't get the hype but after I lit...oh it was on! What I love about SW is that it captures the essence of fall with out the typical fall notes - cinnamon, pumpkin, apple etc. The eucalyptus is crisp, the juniper is cooling and the sage, although faint, is there and gives the blend an added greenness without smelling acrid or heavily herbal. SW totally makes me think a walk in Central Park in fall in my favorite sweater. I do wish they would stop with the autumnal wax colors though; it's a fresh outdoorsy green scent, the wax should be green!
Leaves (2009?) - umm need I say anything?! HELLO, FALL IN A JAR! Leaves is the one scent that is a seasonal must have; throughout the year I play around with scents..but I have to have Leaves for fall without a doubt and no questions asked, period! I was afraid that we weren't gonna have Leaves this year and I was ready to riot. But thankfully it's here in all of it fallgasmic glory!
French Lavender (2014) - I am a total lavenderphile, lavender is by far my all time favorite kind of scent ever! For awhile, BBW didn't have a straightup lavender scent, just blends ie Lavender Vanilla, Lavender Chamomile, Lavender Market (spearmint), French Garden (peach), Lavender Macaron (caramel), Fleur de Provence (verbena), etc. Finally in the Provence collection, I finally got a straightup unbashed amazing lavender scent. It's calming, not too herbal, not too astringent. Just perfection. C'est bon!
Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut (2011) - I was not a fan of bakery scents and avoided them like the plague...that is until I smelled CSD. Though this scent has been around for awhile, I didn't get on board until it appeared in the Sweet Shoppe collection. CSD totally changed my disdain for bakery scents, though with that said (with very few exceptions), I've yet to smell anything quite as authentic. You smell the dough, you smell the cinnamon sugar, you even smell the grease. But leave it to BBW to eff up a good thing; they ruined it when it came out last spring in the White Barn Market collection, not nearly as authentic smelling. Yo BBW don't fix what isn't broken!
And now saving the best for last...my bae, my number one
BLACK PEPPER BERGAMOT (2012) - OMG..O..M..G..BPB, how do I love thee, let me count the ways?! This is the first candle ever to give me nosegasm right there in the store. It is sex in a jar, candle Viagra, a total panty-dropper scent; if this candle doesn't get you dripping wet, something is wrong! It's so sophisticated and sensual and lusty; you wouldn't think the notes (black pepper, bergamot and lavender) would go together but they blend together harmoniously. My bf and I were like crack addicts for this scent, we could not get enough; we would stock up every chance we got. And then it disappeared. For awhile we were pretty stocked but sadly I only have 2 left. BBW please, I'm begging you, bring this scent back PLEASE!
Now for the scents that were on the list but got bumped off..
Spring - Spring was my jam, it was the only floral scent I liked at the time - spring in a jar, totally reminded me of Easter. I first got it back in 2012, and it came back the following year but BBW effed it up; it made me and bf very sick so back to the store it went. Spring hasn't been in rotation in the past 2 years for whatever reason (there has been Winter and Autumn, but no Spring?) and honestly I haven't missed it
Cranberry Woods - there was a time when this was a fall staple, second only to Leaves. My bf and I were hooked on it. Sadly like Spring, it hasn't been in a major fall collection in the past 2 years (though it was in the core White Barn collection last year). Moreover the scent got remarkably weaker over the years, it used to be super strong back in the day. Its become another scent I've grown not to miss.
Tis the Season - for years, this was my Christmas jam - Christmas in a jar! I'd burn it with reckless abandon every December. Then I burned it back in this past July (Christmas in July) but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it. I dunno what changed since last Christmastime but it just didn't give me warm Yuletide fuzzies as it did in the past.
Island Margarita - this was a must have for years, the perfect transition late spring to summer scent and the perfect Cinco de Mayo scent...until recently. I bought the latest one and I burned it only once and I found myself bored and over it.
And now for the honorable mentions...and there's a lot of em...
Winter Garland, Fleur de Provence, Summertime Soda, Lavender Marshmallow, Cherry Blossom Sangria, Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade, Lemon Verbena, Flower Shop, tie between Sparkling Mojito and Lime Granita Margarita, Flower Shop, Merry Mistletoe, Snow Day, Champagne Toast, Caramel Apple, Verbena Waters, Cucumber Melon, Espresso Bar, Villa Bergamot, Tuscan Herbs, Pear, Bloom, Nectarine Green Tea, Mango Cilantro/Peach Cilantro Twist
And now, what I'm sure will cause some controversy...my all time LEAST favorite scents
Winter Night (2012) - this just smelled like a musty old Catholic church with a priest swinging incense during mass. It shouldve been called Catholic Guilt
Oceanside (2011) - there's nothing oceany about it, just old cheap dry ass body spray
Snap Peas - I really wanted to love this one and I gave it the good ol college try but in the end it smelled too much like wet earthworm ridden soil for me to like
Caribbean Escape - this one is just weird and I never understood the hype. Just a whole bunch of random fruit notes fighting for supremancy. I want an escape from this scent!
Pumpkin Sugared Doughnuts - Pumpkin Dugared Manfeet more like it! I know what the hell I smelled and what I smelled was toejam
Mahogany Teakwood - I loathe this scent for one reason, it's overhyped! For whatever reason, BBW keeps shoving this in our faces year after year. What once was a fall scent has become a summer scent and then a winter scent and on top of that it's been repackaged twice! MT ain't all that; there are sooo many better cologne scents out there!
Watermelon Lemonade - again, another scent that is over-hyped and is shoved in our faces year and year. Its been in a grand total 7 different collections back to back! It's so sweet and artificial, no genuine notes whatsoever - total mass appeal. Like MT, I could've grown to like it if I didn't see it so much. Over it officially!
Japanese Cherry Blossom - Attention BBW, it is no longer the 90s!!!
Pumpkin Pecan Waffles - I do not get the hype with this candle, everybody loves it...why?! There's no pecan, there certainly is no pumpkin and it's stretch to say that you smell waffles. You just get a generic bakery note with a hint of maple and maybe a dash of spice. I've never gotten this candle and I never will.
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin - ugh, this bitch! This is the scent that turned me off to all things pumpkin. I hated it when I first smelled it years ago and nothing has changed. It just smells like a overly spiced burnt frozen pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Carving is far more superior.
Summer Boardwalk - if this isnt the most overly-hyped mass appeal scent ever! Everytime I smell this I get sick to my stomach. If it was just a creamy caramel apple or just creamy caramel popcorn, I could get on board. But the two mixed together, no maam!
Frosted Cupcake - This is the herpes of BBW, it refuses to go away. And if that's not bad enough, there are bastard versions of it, ie Pumpkin Cupcake, Red Velvet Cupcake, Cinnamon Frosting, etc. It's just waxy and plastic and just all kinds of wrong.
ANYTHING WITH COCONUT (except Tiki Beach and Island Colada) - over-rated, over-hyped and over-used, the worse being Vanilla Snowflake aka Pumpkin Milkshake
ANYTHING WITH RED HOT CINAMMON (Holiday, Spice, Cinnamon and Clove Buds, Cinnamon Frosting) - they assault my nose in the worst way
ANYTHING WITH PEACH (Market Peach, Harvest Peach, Springtime in Provence etc) - they either smell mushy and/or rotten or they smell like sweaty armpits
ANYTHING WITH CARAMEL (except Caramel Apple, Cider Lane and Pumpkin Caramel Latte) - ugh, just ugh!
And the absolute WORST scent ever...
THANKSGIVING - Dis-friggin-gusting!!! Absolutely revolting!!! It nearly made me throw up in the store. It was just wrong on soooo many levels! It smelled like straight up generic no brand instant mashed potatoes in a box in cold water sitting on the stove. just UUGHHH!!!!
So BBWers, what are your top 10 favorite candles?
a) gave you an instant nosegasm in the store
b) you have to burn with reckless abandon
c) have "repurchability"
d) you feel compelled to stock up, whether it released the following year or not
That said, my top 10s are...
Southern Sweet Tea (2015) - I was not a big fan of London Calling but I loved/still love SST. Many complained that it was too bitter and astringent but I loved that aspect of it. It's tart and refreshing and nostalgic; I totally makes me think about to childhood summers back in the South
Bowties and Bourbon (2015) - OMG..can you say love at first sniff?! As y'all already know, I love me some cologne scents and we haven't had a real sexy classy high end cologne scent in a really long time. And then came B&BT and gave everybody (myself included) the vapors. It's sweet without being candy-ish, woodsy without being too intense and there is that dash of bergamot that's a lot of cologne scents.
Boathouse Row (2013) - yet another amazing cologney scent. Unlike it's brethren in the Lakeside collection (except maybe Lakeside aka Verbena Waters), it was surprisingly sophisticated and high end. It was a very classy blend of herbs and woods with deep watery notes and a hint of pepper. Sadly there is no sigh of this scent returning and you can't find the candle anywhere; I still kick myself for not stocking up.
Garden Party (2014) - There was a time when I was not a fan of floral scents at all..but I gotta say I've come around. Now this choice was a little hard as I was torn between this and Floral Shop, the ultimate floral scent. I gotta say, I'm leaning more towards GP. GP is more fresh and dewy than FS and there is that lovely pear blossom note that adds a natural sweetness. It's really like you just stepped into a rose garden and sniffed a tea rose still covered in dew. Sadly like the aforementioned BR, it made its debut and farewell the same year, hopefully BBW will bring it back.
Apple Crumble (2011) - best apple/fall confection bakery scent EVER!!! Utter perfection! Fallgasmic! So for whatever reason, they've been releasing AC as an SAS exclusive but it has not appeared in an actual fall collection since 2012...and I don't understand why cuz it's amazing! It's sweet without being cloying, bakery smelling without smelling doughey, not heavily spiced like most fall bakery scents and has a spot on green apple note. This definitely my one of my all time fav/must have fall scents.
Sweater Weather (2012) - I remember back when it was test scent and everybody was hyping this up. This, Chocolate Bacon Cupcake and Blueberry Pumpkin Patch became underground hits and you weren't considered cool unless you had at least one of those in your collection. Imagine my delight when SW went wide the following fall. I admit when I first smelled it, I didn't get the hype but after I lit...oh it was on! What I love about SW is that it captures the essence of fall with out the typical fall notes - cinnamon, pumpkin, apple etc. The eucalyptus is crisp, the juniper is cooling and the sage, although faint, is there and gives the blend an added greenness without smelling acrid or heavily herbal. SW totally makes me think a walk in Central Park in fall in my favorite sweater. I do wish they would stop with the autumnal wax colors though; it's a fresh outdoorsy green scent, the wax should be green!
Leaves (2009?) - umm need I say anything?! HELLO, FALL IN A JAR! Leaves is the one scent that is a seasonal must have; throughout the year I play around with scents..but I have to have Leaves for fall without a doubt and no questions asked, period! I was afraid that we weren't gonna have Leaves this year and I was ready to riot. But thankfully it's here in all of it fallgasmic glory!
French Lavender (2014) - I am a total lavenderphile, lavender is by far my all time favorite kind of scent ever! For awhile, BBW didn't have a straightup lavender scent, just blends ie Lavender Vanilla, Lavender Chamomile, Lavender Market (spearmint), French Garden (peach), Lavender Macaron (caramel), Fleur de Provence (verbena), etc. Finally in the Provence collection, I finally got a straightup unbashed amazing lavender scent. It's calming, not too herbal, not too astringent. Just perfection. C'est bon!
Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut (2011) - I was not a fan of bakery scents and avoided them like the plague...that is until I smelled CSD. Though this scent has been around for awhile, I didn't get on board until it appeared in the Sweet Shoppe collection. CSD totally changed my disdain for bakery scents, though with that said (with very few exceptions), I've yet to smell anything quite as authentic. You smell the dough, you smell the cinnamon sugar, you even smell the grease. But leave it to BBW to eff up a good thing; they ruined it when it came out last spring in the White Barn Market collection, not nearly as authentic smelling. Yo BBW don't fix what isn't broken!
And now saving the best for last...my bae, my number one
BLACK PEPPER BERGAMOT (2012) - OMG..O..M..G..BPB, how do I love thee, let me count the ways?! This is the first candle ever to give me nosegasm right there in the store. It is sex in a jar, candle Viagra, a total panty-dropper scent; if this candle doesn't get you dripping wet, something is wrong! It's so sophisticated and sensual and lusty; you wouldn't think the notes (black pepper, bergamot and lavender) would go together but they blend together harmoniously. My bf and I were like crack addicts for this scent, we could not get enough; we would stock up every chance we got. And then it disappeared. For awhile we were pretty stocked but sadly I only have 2 left. BBW please, I'm begging you, bring this scent back PLEASE!
Now for the scents that were on the list but got bumped off..
Spring - Spring was my jam, it was the only floral scent I liked at the time - spring in a jar, totally reminded me of Easter. I first got it back in 2012, and it came back the following year but BBW effed it up; it made me and bf very sick so back to the store it went. Spring hasn't been in rotation in the past 2 years for whatever reason (there has been Winter and Autumn, but no Spring?) and honestly I haven't missed it
Cranberry Woods - there was a time when this was a fall staple, second only to Leaves. My bf and I were hooked on it. Sadly like Spring, it hasn't been in a major fall collection in the past 2 years (though it was in the core White Barn collection last year). Moreover the scent got remarkably weaker over the years, it used to be super strong back in the day. Its become another scent I've grown not to miss.
Tis the Season - for years, this was my Christmas jam - Christmas in a jar! I'd burn it with reckless abandon every December. Then I burned it back in this past July (Christmas in July) but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it. I dunno what changed since last Christmastime but it just didn't give me warm Yuletide fuzzies as it did in the past.
Island Margarita - this was a must have for years, the perfect transition late spring to summer scent and the perfect Cinco de Mayo scent...until recently. I bought the latest one and I burned it only once and I found myself bored and over it.
And now for the honorable mentions...and there's a lot of em...
Winter Garland, Fleur de Provence, Summertime Soda, Lavender Marshmallow, Cherry Blossom Sangria, Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade, Lemon Verbena, Flower Shop, tie between Sparkling Mojito and Lime Granita Margarita, Flower Shop, Merry Mistletoe, Snow Day, Champagne Toast, Caramel Apple, Verbena Waters, Cucumber Melon, Espresso Bar, Villa Bergamot, Tuscan Herbs, Pear, Bloom, Nectarine Green Tea, Mango Cilantro/Peach Cilantro Twist
And now, what I'm sure will cause some controversy...my all time LEAST favorite scents
Winter Night (2012) - this just smelled like a musty old Catholic church with a priest swinging incense during mass. It shouldve been called Catholic Guilt
Oceanside (2011) - there's nothing oceany about it, just old cheap dry ass body spray
Snap Peas - I really wanted to love this one and I gave it the good ol college try but in the end it smelled too much like wet earthworm ridden soil for me to like
Caribbean Escape - this one is just weird and I never understood the hype. Just a whole bunch of random fruit notes fighting for supremancy. I want an escape from this scent!
Pumpkin Sugared Doughnuts - Pumpkin Dugared Manfeet more like it! I know what the hell I smelled and what I smelled was toejam
Mahogany Teakwood - I loathe this scent for one reason, it's overhyped! For whatever reason, BBW keeps shoving this in our faces year after year. What once was a fall scent has become a summer scent and then a winter scent and on top of that it's been repackaged twice! MT ain't all that; there are sooo many better cologne scents out there!
Watermelon Lemonade - again, another scent that is over-hyped and is shoved in our faces year and year. Its been in a grand total 7 different collections back to back! It's so sweet and artificial, no genuine notes whatsoever - total mass appeal. Like MT, I could've grown to like it if I didn't see it so much. Over it officially!
Japanese Cherry Blossom - Attention BBW, it is no longer the 90s!!!
Pumpkin Pecan Waffles - I do not get the hype with this candle, everybody loves it...why?! There's no pecan, there certainly is no pumpkin and it's stretch to say that you smell waffles. You just get a generic bakery note with a hint of maple and maybe a dash of spice. I've never gotten this candle and I never will.
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin - ugh, this bitch! This is the scent that turned me off to all things pumpkin. I hated it when I first smelled it years ago and nothing has changed. It just smells like a overly spiced burnt frozen pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Carving is far more superior.
Summer Boardwalk - if this isnt the most overly-hyped mass appeal scent ever! Everytime I smell this I get sick to my stomach. If it was just a creamy caramel apple or just creamy caramel popcorn, I could get on board. But the two mixed together, no maam!
Frosted Cupcake - This is the herpes of BBW, it refuses to go away. And if that's not bad enough, there are bastard versions of it, ie Pumpkin Cupcake, Red Velvet Cupcake, Cinnamon Frosting, etc. It's just waxy and plastic and just all kinds of wrong.
ANYTHING WITH COCONUT (except Tiki Beach and Island Colada) - over-rated, over-hyped and over-used, the worse being Vanilla Snowflake aka Pumpkin Milkshake
ANYTHING WITH RED HOT CINAMMON (Holiday, Spice, Cinnamon and Clove Buds, Cinnamon Frosting) - they assault my nose in the worst way
ANYTHING WITH PEACH (Market Peach, Harvest Peach, Springtime in Provence etc) - they either smell mushy and/or rotten or they smell like sweaty armpits
ANYTHING WITH CARAMEL (except Caramel Apple, Cider Lane and Pumpkin Caramel Latte) - ugh, just ugh!
And the absolute WORST scent ever...
THANKSGIVING - Dis-friggin-gusting!!! Absolutely revolting!!! It nearly made me throw up in the store. It was just wrong on soooo many levels! It smelled like straight up generic no brand instant mashed potatoes in a box in cold water sitting on the stove. just UUGHHH!!!!
So BBWers, what are your top 10 favorite candles?
Hon, I need your nose.
ReplyDeleteCan you find me a something close to I&O Crimson Velvet? My heart is breaking. Only have about half left!
Hmmmmm.... I can't think of anything close to that one in stores now. Maybe Wine Cellar?
DeleteI will sniff it out. Or be forced to eBay.
ReplyDeleteI found Crimson Velvet & Golden Woods $6 ea @ Past sas. Never would pay regular on them!
In no particular order,
I love:
Winter
SnowDay
Fireside
Bowties & Bourbon
Baltic Black Pearl
Cardamom & Suede /Autumn Night (Sorry hon!)
Crimson Velvet
Black Tie
Sparkling Confetti
Most Cologne scents
Absolute Worst:
Watermelon Lemonade
Lemoncello
Cinnamon & Cloves
Anything coconut
Most bakery scents
And I despise candles with white wax & clear glass.
DeleteI want colored wax & colored glass, & I want lids!!!
Very nice! And I agree about those absolute worst ones
DeleteEvery time I read top ten I always kick myself for leaving something out!! Top ten worthy has to transport to a time or place that makes me smile (corny I know but isn't that what it's all about). I didn't get down on pumpkin sugared doughnut either with that toe jam cheese odor .. Nasty!! I don't like pumpkin sugar cookie from this year because it smells like Crisco and cinnamon sugar on the stove.. Pass
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree. Your top ten should give you tingles and butterflies and warm fuzzies and nosegasms!
DeleteAnd OMG...THANK YOU!!! I'm so glad someone else agrees about Pumpkin Sugared Manfeet! Not cute at all!
LMAO Crisco and cinnamon sugar! I totally get that!