WALK N SNIFF: Winter Wooodland Collection

The bf and I went to a WB for the first time in awhile, just to have a look around and see what was there. Sure enough the store had all of the Winter Woodland candles...

So everyone knows what Flannel, Evergreen and Hot Cocoa & Cream smells like.

Spiced Apple Toddy as you (should) know is just a watered down Leaves with booze instead of nectar 

Maple Cinnamon Pancakes...sigh..I need to rant about this one

I'm seeing a lot of people on social media cream their panties over this candle and I honestly don't understand the hype.

"mmmm, this smells so good!"

"omg, I so have to buy more of this one!"

To quote from the immortal documentary film "Paris is Burning" ..... "Why are you all gagging?!"

First of all Maple Cinnamon Pancakes is far from new; this is the 3rd year it has been around!

Second of all, while it does smell nice, it most certainly does NOT smell like what the name suggests. There is absolutely no maple or pancakes and if you say that you do indeed smell maple and pancakes, you're lying...which brings me to my last and most important point

Third..wanna know why it doesn't smell like maple and pancakes? Cuz it's a friggin repackage of a past scent that has nothing to do with maple and pancakes....

PUMPKIN CARAMEL LATTE 

Stop drinking the Kool-Aid folks!


Anyway, now that that is out of the way, let's get on with the review

BTW My store didn't have Toasted Vanilla Chai which is fine with me cuz it sounds basic and boring as hell. Plus who drinks a vanilla chai latte in a forest on a camping trip?!

Apple Garland (8248AGA4) -So because most newbies and reviewers don't do their research, many on social media assumed this was a completely new scent...WRONG! Apple Garland actually first came out in 2013; the candle tested and failed but the wf went wide. That said, having remembered what the old 2013 version smelled like, this new version smells a bit different. Now a lot of people are saying that this is a repackage or tweak of Autumn...I'm here to tell you, it is not. The 2, both old and new, are very very similar to the point of being siblings, BUT they are most certainly NOT the same.

So both versions of AG are similar to Autumn in the sense that they are a fruity blend, heavy on the apple on top of a piney/cedar blend; the two blends playing against each other did give it a very Autumn-esque vibe. The difference is that AG is missing the darkness and tartness that Autumn has, mainly from the pomegranate and fig playing against the cedar. AG is lighter and brighter and has piney/balsamy notes.

Now how are the old AG and the new AG different? The apple note in the new version is sooooo much sweeter, almost on the cusp of smelling generic and artificial. The cranberry, which added a nice contrasting tartness, is practically nonexistant in this new version. The old one was more heavy on the pine and balsam with an added crispness from the eucalyptus which this new version is lacking. I don't want to to say the scent is completely different cuz there are glimpses of the old one in the blend; it could just be a matter of BBW using cheaper oils to replicate a past scent and the end result being a tad off. I'm not sure honestly. What I do know is that I'm not really a fan; truth be told I didn't like the old version (I had a wf bulb that I bought and plugged in only to unplug and bring back to the store to exchange) but I don't at all like what BBW did to the new version. The apple note is so sweet and in your face and it just doesn't come across less as a winter scent but rather a fall transitional. It's cute but nothing special..and it is not all Autumn.

ADDENDUM: if by chance you're wondering what is an apple garland and what is a apple scent doing in a winter collection, check out this post I wrote 

Campsite Coffee (8242A3A8) - this crap isn't worth me spending too much time on....it's Paris Cafe. I do NOT understand BBW's obsession with this scent and why they are so deadset on pushing it in peoples' faces and cramming it in every collection. Now this version has been tweaked; it could be my nose playing tricks on me but I totally picked up an orange oil/peel/zest note and it's just odd. It doesn't add anything to the mix; it doesn't make it better or worse, it's just there. Please BBW, here my plea - give this damned scent a rest, it's not that good! There are soooo many better coffee scents in the vaults or better yet, make a new one!

Blue Winter Sky (8247AGA6) - now this one really intrigued me; you know I'm a sucker for non-foody conceptual scents, especially if they have really aromatic herbal notes. Now given the notes, you would think this might something along the lines of Winter Mint & Spruce or Peppermint Rosemary or the infamous Snow Day but nope. It is indeed similar to another pre-existing scent and when I heard folks on social media make the comparison, I refused to believe it. However having finally sniffed, folks are right.... it is extremely similar to...wait for it...BEACH SAGE &MINT. I would even go so far as to call it a repackage with a twist. The main and most notable difference is that the mint is different; it's less garden mint and spearmint and more wintery/holiday-ish peppermint. It's not as bright and the citrus is subdued but essentially, the base notes basically smell the same. So yeah basically BWS is a winter version of BS&M...and honestly I'm not mad at it. I sooo would've preferred WS&M or PR or especially SD (OR SOMETHING ACTUALLY NEW), but BWS isn't half bad. It's a cool, crisp aromatherapy type scent; I think it would make a nice candle to burn while your having a hot bath on cold winter night. And that exchanged peppermint honestly does make a difference and gives it a wintery vibe. Does it smell like a "blue winter sky"? *Shrugs
Anyhoo, so if you never got to sniff BS&M but was intrigued or if you did sniff BS&M but the notes rubbed your nose the wrong, give this version a sniff!