DOUBLE BOMB.COM: Citrus & Spice and The Perfect Christmas

So, I fully intended on writing two separate reviews as I ended up burning and enjoying both candles. However I've been really busy and getting ready for my upcoming flight to the UK to spend the holidays with the in laws so I just haven't had enough time. I had thought about not writing a review at all however both of this scents warranted and deserved one so for the sake of brevity, I decided to combine both reviews. Without further ado, let's get started!

Products: candle
Area used in: living room
Time Period: throughout December


This candle has completely overlooked, underappreciated and slept on by the candle community. And I'll admit, the name, notes, and look of this candle didn't initially draw me in. When I saw it in stores, I was prepared to sniff solely for a review and move on however once I did sniff it, my initial indifference immediately became joy and rapture. I immediately recognized as a repackage of a scent that's near and dear to my heart.

Let me briefly talk about the performance. *sigh it was kinduva hot mess. It initially take a ridiculously long to pool out during the first burn. After that, it wavered between high dancing flames and wimpy stubs. I was willingly to overlook the inconsistent flame levels because I enjoyed the scent but there was another disappointing problem - the throw; it was so light! It's shocking how light the throw was compared to the original candle cuz that was a knockout....not particularly surprising as most returning candles aren't nearly as strong as when they originally appeared. Ordinarly, a candle like this would get an immediate "HOT MESS AWARD" from me but I did enjoy the scent and it's a repackage of a classic from way backintheday.

Like I said earlier, I recognized it immediately after one sniff. I happened to have said candle in my collection and when I went back to the store, I brought it with me to compare. I was correct! That was Holiday Pomander from 2009!

2009 is a little bit before my time and I only heard of this candle a few years ago. I managed to snag one of the black market and burned it reckless abandon once I randomly found another (both for reasonable prices). Once I knew it was back newly repackaged (and there were wf bulbs which I wished Holiday Pomander had too backintheday), oh it was on like Donkey Kong in a thong!

I'll skip the sniff part review; you can just read the review of Holiday Pomander as they smell exactly the same notes-wise. The only difference is a noticeable lack of strength. This said, C&S is definitely better suited in a small room like your bathroom or bedroom. It's kinda said cuz it's a lovely scent with an old fashioned Dickensian/Victorian Christmas

So is this worth buying? Hmmm... that depends on your tastes. If you're a bit of candle nerd/historian and are pleased as punch at the repackaged return of an ol school classic? Then yes! Do you lean more towards conceptual scents? Again, yes! Do you prefer your Christmas scents to have a classic old fashioned old world vibe to them? Absolutely yes. If none of that applies to you. C&S is definitely not for you. Because it's new-ish and unique (and there's no marshmallow, cinnamon, mint or balsam involved) I doubt it'll be back so stock up if you haven't already.

 
 Products: candle
Area used in: bathroom and bedroom
Time Period: throughout December

Unlike C&S, our friend here The Perfect Christmas receive notice and high praise on social media..which immediately made me skeptical. I was annoyed at this "The Perfect (fillintheblank)" BBW/WB has been in lately - The Perfect Autumn, The Perfect Spring, The Perfect Summer (aka Suntan).... none of those smelled..well..perfect. I thought the same apply to The Perfect Christmas; is this scent deserving of such a high claim and lofty title/name? Actually, yes! I was highly and pleasantly surprised when I first sniffed it and waited patiently for Candle Day to get my hands on it...although by then. stores were already running out of it; luckily I was able to snag 2, one of which I burned on and off since then.

First of all, So the performance for this badboi has been FLAWLESS! Super high dancing flames, consistent deep pools, decent full reaching throw. The throw has the beloved "warm blanket" throw that caresses and envelops you with instant fragrance; personally I'm glad the throw is medium-strong-ish; a sweet/spicy blend could get really intense and headache inducing if it was too strong...which segues perfectly to the scent review.

When it first heard about this candle and saw that the notes, I thought for sure it was a repackage. Like the aforementioned C&S, I was convinced that it was a repackage of another rare now forgotten classic one hit wonder from backintheday - Vanilla Spice  

 

Based on these notes, you probably would've come to the same conclusion. I happen to have had a Vanilla Spice in my sniff only collection which I brought to the store (the same time as C&S vs HP) and dared to compare.

The verdict? Similar vibe but not the same. Like Santa Claus in the US and Father Christmas in the UK - kinda the same but not really. Both have a warm and inviting old fashioned/old world Yuletide vibe to them and the notes are quite similar to each other however the execution of the blend are different.

So what does TPC smell like? First of you get a powdery soft vanillic note that does give the illusions of marshmallows that turns more creamy and fluffy once the candle is burned. I was a little worried about the spice as I'm not a fan of red hot piquant Cinnamon & Clove Buds-esque spice in holiday scents. It's actually surprisingly subdued and melts in vanilla. And you do get traces of balsam dancing in and out in the background. All of the notes play nicely with each other and blends gracefully into a really gorgeous conceptual scent. It doesn't smell like a particularly thing but rather it conjures scenes and images. Like C&S, it makes me think of old fashioned Christmases of yore!

ADDENDUM: You may or may not have noticed that the notes are Christmas colors - WHITE Marshmallow, RED Cinnamon, GREEN BALSAM)

This candle is just beautiful in every way! The scent is great, the performance is great, the throw is great. And talk about ambience - the candle melts into this crimson pool and with the label, the flames give off a ruffy glow, all adding the over all warmth. Despite having intense notes, the blend itself isn't intense at all; the marshmallow isn't cloying, the spice isn't piquant and the balsam isn't astringent; the ratio is balanced and the blend itself is quite guest friendly. It's just so warm and inviting and comfy and cozy; if TPC doesn't get you into the Christmas spirit, I dunno what will! If you overlooked this candle cuz you didn't find the name or notes appealing, honestly you are missing out. Because this candle is in the WB "The Perfect fillintheblank) series, this will most likely be back; finger cross it will not only come back but remain a holiday staple!

I probably won't be posting anything between now and Christmas while on vacation. With that said, I wish all of my readers a Happy Holiday - Merry Christmas to you and yours from me!