CANDLE RETROSPECTIVE: My Favorite Candles of 2016
Well 2016 is almost over...thank gawd!!! 2016 was...interesting. And the various collections at BBW this year was...interesting - late arrivals, whole collections missing in action (3 or 4 if memory serves me correct), seasonal collections being released hella early, the scents randomly and haphazardly thrown together under the most tenuous far-fetched themes. Spring was a cacophony of coconut, in Fall BBW seemed to get their act together kind of but was not entirely with wtf moments and winter was just a clusterf***y shitshow.
Anyway, as is my tradition, I like to look back on the shining moments of BBW though the year and highlight NEW nosegasmic scents that I think were the best of the best. I'll start from spring to winter
* means either exclusive or failed test scent
*Prickly Pear Sugarcane - it is beyond a damn shame that this scent wasn't released; it's right up there with Lavender Marshmallow and Summertime Soda...why BBW why?! First of all, it was an entirely new scent which that deserves a standing ovation in and of itself. And it was actually good - it was fresh, it was juicy and it was authentic, it smelled the way it was supposed to smell
Paris ~ Lavender Macaron - probably as close to Lavender Marshmallow as we're ever gonna get
Mahogany Coconut - everyone knows my disdain and loathing of Mahogany Stankwood and the ever growing brood of mixed clones...but this one surprised the hell outta me and I found myself actually loving it.
Sparkling Waves - this one flew under the wire and was very under-marketed and unappreciated which was unfortunate because not only was it a new scent but it was actually good! Of all the water/ocean scents we get inundated with in summer, this in my opinion is the best one!
*Wild Sage & Aloe - ahh, the poor ill-fated Desert/Southwest collection - one of the most tragic wtf-iest moments in BBW history. It's a travesty that this collection wasn't released as it was one of the most unique and anti-basic bitch scents that BBW has ever released. This scent in particular was so unique, so different and so good. Fortunately it's slated to reappear this upcoming spring...unfortunately no one knows if it'll share the fate of its previous iteration and won't go wide
Spiced Pomegranate Cider - yet another new scent that flew under wire and wasn't really spoken about very much. It wasn't very autumnal and in my opinion would've worked better as a winter scent however there's no denying that it was still a unique and creative scent that with better marketing could've been more successful.
Berry Pumpkin Strudel - I went back in forth with whether or not I should mention this scent. First of the name was a total misnomer and very misleading. Secondly it had one of the most atrocious and crappiest burns over. However I did truly love the scent - it was very close to my beloved Spiced Pumpkin Cider and I did like the addition of the berry notes albeit faint.
Pumpkin Fireside - this scent completely surprised me and blew me away. I was not expecting to love this scent as much as I did but I did.Why BBW didn't release this to all stores (but released the wf bulb) is beyond me. It's just so warm and cozy with a beautiful burn; a perfect scent for brisk autumn evening. My only critique as that it wish BBW hadn't put "pumpkin" in the name and threw in the "pumpkin" collection cuz it ain't a pumpkin scent
Hot Cocoa & Cream - by nature, I'm very skeptical of anything that is over-hyped. That said everybody was losing their minds over this scent on social media and it kinda turned me off. However I decided to be open-minded and I bought it...and I'm glad I did because it's amazing. I'm normally not a fan of chocolate scents but love this one. BBW deserves a pat on the back for this bad boi cuz it's so spot on
Winter Mint & Spruce - this is without a doubt one of the most unique, complex and gorgeous scents ever to come out of BBW, it is absolutely beautiful! Granted, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't a repackage of the beloved but sadly forgotten Snow Day however I'm still quite satisfied if not blown away by this scent.
And now a quick shout-out to all the "from the vaults" ol school classics that were brought back this year
Black Pepper & Bergamot, Spring, Amsterdam (Flower Shop), Pomegranate Lemonade, Cucumber Melon, Autumn Day, Cider Lane, Merry Mistletoe, Cranberry Pear Bellini, Mint Chocolate, Creamy Nutmeg, Caribbean Salsa, Pink Sangria and Bartlett Pear
Anyway, as is my tradition, I like to look back on the shining moments of BBW though the year and highlight NEW nosegasmic scents that I think were the best of the best. I'll start from spring to winter
* means either exclusive or failed test scent
*Prickly Pear Sugarcane - it is beyond a damn shame that this scent wasn't released; it's right up there with Lavender Marshmallow and Summertime Soda...why BBW why?! First of all, it was an entirely new scent which that deserves a standing ovation in and of itself. And it was actually good - it was fresh, it was juicy and it was authentic, it smelled the way it was supposed to smell
Paris ~ Lavender Macaron - probably as close to Lavender Marshmallow as we're ever gonna get
Mahogany Coconut - everyone knows my disdain and loathing of Mahogany Stankwood and the ever growing brood of mixed clones...but this one surprised the hell outta me and I found myself actually loving it.
Sparkling Waves - this one flew under the wire and was very under-marketed and unappreciated which was unfortunate because not only was it a new scent but it was actually good! Of all the water/ocean scents we get inundated with in summer, this in my opinion is the best one!
*Wild Sage & Aloe - ahh, the poor ill-fated Desert/Southwest collection - one of the most tragic wtf-iest moments in BBW history. It's a travesty that this collection wasn't released as it was one of the most unique and anti-basic bitch scents that BBW has ever released. This scent in particular was so unique, so different and so good. Fortunately it's slated to reappear this upcoming spring...unfortunately no one knows if it'll share the fate of its previous iteration and won't go wide
Spiced Pomegranate Cider - yet another new scent that flew under wire and wasn't really spoken about very much. It wasn't very autumnal and in my opinion would've worked better as a winter scent however there's no denying that it was still a unique and creative scent that with better marketing could've been more successful.
Berry Pumpkin Strudel - I went back in forth with whether or not I should mention this scent. First of the name was a total misnomer and very misleading. Secondly it had one of the most atrocious and crappiest burns over. However I did truly love the scent - it was very close to my beloved Spiced Pumpkin Cider and I did like the addition of the berry notes albeit faint.
Pumpkin Fireside - this scent completely surprised me and blew me away. I was not expecting to love this scent as much as I did but I did.Why BBW didn't release this to all stores (but released the wf bulb) is beyond me. It's just so warm and cozy with a beautiful burn; a perfect scent for brisk autumn evening. My only critique as that it wish BBW hadn't put "pumpkin" in the name and threw in the "pumpkin" collection cuz it ain't a pumpkin scent
Hot Cocoa & Cream - by nature, I'm very skeptical of anything that is over-hyped. That said everybody was losing their minds over this scent on social media and it kinda turned me off. However I decided to be open-minded and I bought it...and I'm glad I did because it's amazing. I'm normally not a fan of chocolate scents but love this one. BBW deserves a pat on the back for this bad boi cuz it's so spot on
Winter Mint & Spruce - this is without a doubt one of the most unique, complex and gorgeous scents ever to come out of BBW, it is absolutely beautiful! Granted, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't a repackage of the beloved but sadly forgotten Snow Day however I'm still quite satisfied if not blown away by this scent.
And now a quick shout-out to all the "from the vaults" ol school classics that were brought back this year
Black Pepper & Bergamot, Spring, Amsterdam (Flower Shop), Pomegranate Lemonade, Cucumber Melon, Autumn Day, Cider Lane, Merry Mistletoe, Cranberry Pear Bellini, Mint Chocolate, Creamy Nutmeg, Caribbean Salsa, Pink Sangria and Bartlett Pear
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