RANT OF THE DAY: Over-rated Holiday Candles
This post was inspired by Shawn/Hearthandsoul's "Least Favorite Holiday Candles" vid. I myself also did a fall list back in the fall and wanted to do a holiday/winter list as well.
As much as I love burning candles during Christmas time, BBW has never really been the best with holiday scents nor do they have the variety that Yankee and Kringle has. And the quality and variety of scents have gone downhill in the past 2-3 years; it's the same scents over and over and over ad infinitum. The ones I'm about to mention are scents that that have little to nothing to do with the holidays and wintertime in general yet for whatever reason they pop up every year like a cold sore.
10. Mahogany Balsam - let's take "fan favorite" Mahogany Stankwood and mix in Fresh Balsam and we can make it a holiday scent..let's call Mahogany Balsam..bitches will cream their Christmas theme panties! Yeah no! It's lazy, cheap and uninspired! A Christmas tree doused with cheap cologne..that certainly puts me in the holiday spirit..not!
Replacement - Sleigh Ride
9. Cinnamon Caramel Swirl - first of all, this scent is basic as basic can keep be. Secondly, what does it have to do with the holidays? Third, we already have both Salted Caramel and Hot Buttered Rum both which in and of themselves disgusting, do we honestly yet another ooey-googey diabetes causing caramel scent?! Keep this mess in the fall!
Replacement - Cinnamon Frosting
8. Merry Cookie - Ok, MC isn't bad...but it's not all that good either. And let's just be real with ourselves - can you tell me that this scent actually smells like actual warm baked freshly made cookies and not cookie batter-ish plastic? So many people like it but I think people like for the sake of nostalgia as it is a throwback scent and not because it actually smells good
Replacement - Vanilla Shortbread or Snickerdoodle
7. Sparkling Icicles - again, this scent isn't bad..but it's not good either. It's a cologney scent, plain and simple and not up for debate..Acqua di Gio in a jar. My problem with it is it is NOT a holiday yet since it's debut circa '12, it's been marketed as a holiday scent. And there's nothing even remotely wintry about the scent despite the marketing department's earnest efforts ("holiday moss...really)
Replacement - Snow & Slopes
6. Peach Bellini - so backintheday this scent was always a spring/summer. Then for whatever back in 2012, they started releasing it as a winter scent for New Years. no, just no! And with Cranberry Pear Bellini and especially Champagne Toast, there is absolutely no need for PB to ever be released in winter.
Replacement - Woodland Berry
5. Vanilla Snowflake - so this a fan fav and I honestly do not understand why. How does the combination of vanilla and mint and coconut can make anyone think of wintertime?! To me this always smelled like warm mayo, which is friggin gross and as far from winter and the holidays as you can get! If this was called something like "Holiday Macaroon" and marketed as a holiday treat..eh, maybe. But to call it "Vanilla Snowflake"..nope, I'm not buyin it
Replacement - Snow Day
4. Cinnamon & Clove Buds - So I wanna say backintheday it was released as a fall scent for awhile but I guess since most folks associate spicy scents with the holidays, BBW started releasing it as a winter scent. It's just so intense and red-hot, - it's not warm, it's not cozy, it's not smooth - it's you just snorted Hot Tamales or Atomic Fireball candy.
Replacement - Vanilla Spice or Creamy Nutmeg
3. Spiced Apple Today - ....it's straightup Leaves! Less musky, more apple...but still Leaves! I LOVE Leaves but I don't wanna smell after fall is over
Replacement - Holiday Pomander or Cranberry Cider or Cinnamon Tea
2. Vanilla Bean Noel - ...you mean Vaguely Air Noel..cuz that's what it smells like...straightup air..if you're lucky. Just because a bodycare or soap is popular doesn't mean you should make it a candle...especially if every year it's guaranteed to be unscented
Replacement - Eggnog/Eggnog Cheer
1. Winter Candy Apple - oy friggin vey. I've never understood why this scent ever existed and BBW insists on pushing it in our faces every year for almost a decade. The bodycare isn't even all that good...unless you have the taste of a prepubescent girl. And riddle me this..what the actual f*** is a "winter candy apple"?! When has this EVER been a thing in the history of EVER?!
I am willing forgo all of the candles in this list but please, for the love of all thing holy..let WCA GO?!!! Think of the baby Jesus!
Replacement - Candied Sugarplum (not Sparkling Sugarplum) or Holiday Gumdrop or Snow Apple Mint
As much as I love burning candles during Christmas time, BBW has never really been the best with holiday scents nor do they have the variety that Yankee and Kringle has. And the quality and variety of scents have gone downhill in the past 2-3 years; it's the same scents over and over and over ad infinitum. The ones I'm about to mention are scents that that have little to nothing to do with the holidays and wintertime in general yet for whatever reason they pop up every year like a cold sore.
10. Mahogany Balsam - let's take "fan favorite" Mahogany Stankwood and mix in Fresh Balsam and we can make it a holiday scent..let's call Mahogany Balsam..bitches will cream their Christmas theme panties! Yeah no! It's lazy, cheap and uninspired! A Christmas tree doused with cheap cologne..that certainly puts me in the holiday spirit..not!
Replacement - Sleigh Ride
9. Cinnamon Caramel Swirl - first of all, this scent is basic as basic can keep be. Secondly, what does it have to do with the holidays? Third, we already have both Salted Caramel and Hot Buttered Rum both which in and of themselves disgusting, do we honestly yet another ooey-googey diabetes causing caramel scent?! Keep this mess in the fall!
Replacement - Cinnamon Frosting
8. Merry Cookie - Ok, MC isn't bad...but it's not all that good either. And let's just be real with ourselves - can you tell me that this scent actually smells like actual warm baked freshly made cookies and not cookie batter-ish plastic? So many people like it but I think people like for the sake of nostalgia as it is a throwback scent and not because it actually smells good
Replacement - Vanilla Shortbread or Snickerdoodle
7. Sparkling Icicles - again, this scent isn't bad..but it's not good either. It's a cologney scent, plain and simple and not up for debate..Acqua di Gio in a jar. My problem with it is it is NOT a holiday yet since it's debut circa '12, it's been marketed as a holiday scent. And there's nothing even remotely wintry about the scent despite the marketing department's earnest efforts ("holiday moss...really)
Replacement - Snow & Slopes
6. Peach Bellini - so backintheday this scent was always a spring/summer. Then for whatever back in 2012, they started releasing it as a winter scent for New Years. no, just no! And with Cranberry Pear Bellini and especially Champagne Toast, there is absolutely no need for PB to ever be released in winter.
Replacement - Woodland Berry
5. Vanilla Snowflake - so this a fan fav and I honestly do not understand why. How does the combination of vanilla and mint and coconut can make anyone think of wintertime?! To me this always smelled like warm mayo, which is friggin gross and as far from winter and the holidays as you can get! If this was called something like "Holiday Macaroon" and marketed as a holiday treat..eh, maybe. But to call it "Vanilla Snowflake"..nope, I'm not buyin it
Replacement - Snow Day
4. Cinnamon & Clove Buds - So I wanna say backintheday it was released as a fall scent for awhile but I guess since most folks associate spicy scents with the holidays, BBW started releasing it as a winter scent. It's just so intense and red-hot, - it's not warm, it's not cozy, it's not smooth - it's you just snorted Hot Tamales or Atomic Fireball candy.
Replacement - Vanilla Spice or Creamy Nutmeg
3. Spiced Apple Today - ....it's straightup Leaves! Less musky, more apple...but still Leaves! I LOVE Leaves but I don't wanna smell after fall is over
Replacement - Holiday Pomander or Cranberry Cider or Cinnamon Tea
2. Vanilla Bean Noel - ...you mean Vaguely Air Noel..cuz that's what it smells like...straightup air..if you're lucky. Just because a bodycare or soap is popular doesn't mean you should make it a candle...especially if every year it's guaranteed to be unscented
Replacement - Eggnog/Eggnog Cheer
1. Winter Candy Apple - oy friggin vey. I've never understood why this scent ever existed and BBW insists on pushing it in our faces every year for almost a decade. The bodycare isn't even all that good...unless you have the taste of a prepubescent girl. And riddle me this..what the actual f*** is a "winter candy apple"?! When has this EVER been a thing in the history of EVER?!
I am willing forgo all of the candles in this list but please, for the love of all thing holy..let WCA GO?!!! Think of the baby Jesus!
Replacement - Candied Sugarplum (not Sparkling Sugarplum) or Holiday Gumdrop or Snow Apple Mint
Love this list! On a semi related note, I grabbed a bunch of wax melts the other day and WCA was one of them. My 3 year old daughter asked to smell them all. When she got to WCA she told me it was yummy so I asked her what she thought it smelled like and she thought for a second, looked at the package and said "birds!"
ReplyDelete😂😂😂
LOL Birds?! Well that's..interesting. And cute at the same time
DeleteSparkling Iclicles was actually originally a spring scent. It launched in 2012 as a Slatkin aromatherapy candle called "Flirt". Source: TouchTheFireTwice
ReplyDeleteYep, I know ;) Touchthefiretwice and I are buddies and have talked about this candle plenty of times
DeleteIt started as "Flirt" was renamed "Paris Daydream" and put in French themed trio back in '12 I think and brought back in '13 in the Destinations. Then it was reformulated and called "Oceanside" and then reformulated again as "Sparkling Icicles" for the holidays later in '12
Trust me Rachel, I know my shit when comes to Slatkin/BBW candles; I wouldn't have a blog all these years if I didn't
I love this list! Vanilla snowflake smells like warm mouldy wool mittens sprayed with vanilla body spray. It's so yucky
ReplyDeleteAGREED!!!
Delete