DROPPIN CANDLE KNOWLEDGE/WALK N SNIFF-ISH REVIEW - Winter 2020 Candles ~ (Ol' School) Returning Scents

This post is mainly for any recent newbies to BBW with no recollection of their staple winter/holiday fares. Normally in my WALK N SNIFF REVIEWS, I focus on the new stuff with the expectation that my readers, old and new, already know what the returning staple smell like and so I don't have to waste time talking about them but that's not always the case. As I said in my last post/review, in my recent visit to BBW/WB, I only sniffed the new stuff as I didn't want to go touching and sniffing too much or store in the store longer than necessary, for obvious reasons. So far this review, I'm going strictly by scent memory for from experiences with these scents... so whether or not a scent's formulation has been tweaked or if the cold throw is weaker than years past, I couldn't tell you. Any scent that I have previously bought/burned/reviewed in the past, I'll link to the candle's name. 

ADDENDUM: I did originally intend on writing one whole post but after realizing just how many returning scents there were this year proved to be too much a daunting Herculeanian labor. Moreover I couldn't subject you readers to a War & Peace-ish novel about candles. For the sake of brevity, I've split this post into 2 - this post being candles from The Golden Age and before and the 2nd half about candles from recent years.

ADDENDUM: For those of you wondering, The Golden Age (as I  call) were 2011-2014 - the years when BBW was at their all time best, scents were interesting, there was tons of newness, it was the highest height of test candle mania and unicorn candle madness. 

Champagne Toast

BBW was kinda late to the game as far as a "champagne" scent was concerned as other candle companies had one in their arsenal. We finally got one in 2013/2014 and it's been a staple ever since (although I must say, BBW recent habits putting in multiple Christmas collections and not just in a New Years one). Now let's just get to the real - it doesn't smell like champagne - if it did, it would be would be more (green) grape-y with some fruit (pear, apple, peach) and wood. I said this all time - CT smells more like a mimosa because it's so citrus-forward (heavy on the orange and nectarine). So I still have a CT from 2015 (that I only burn on New Year's Eve night) and I bought a new one last year - the formulation has changed, it's a lot more sweeter and the effervescence isn't nearly as strong.

ADDENDUM: While we tend to call all sparkling white wines "champagne", technically sparkling wine is considered/called "champagne" if the wine was in the Champagne region of France with grapes from that area; out of the US, there are strict rules about what can be called champagne

Cinnamon Caramel Swirl

This first came out in 2013 (and the following year as "Pumpkin" Caramel Swirl" for fall) and it's been coming out consistently ever since...why I'm not sure why as it's a very basic and underwhelming scent and there have been better caramel scents on market. Again, not much to say description wise - it's cinnamon and caramel.

Evergreen

The same way Pumpkin Carving/Patch is overshadowed by Shit Cinnamon Poopkin despite it being the superior, Evergreen is overlooked compared to Fresh Ballsack despite its authenticity. While FB feels a lot more crisp/cool with an outdoor vibe to it, Evergreen feels a bit more warmer and indoorsy; I always describe as a Christmas tree you just brought inside and is ready to decorate. You get all of the piney notes with a cedarwood base, a bit of mint freshens and cools them while a bit of clove warms them all up. One whiff and you can smell the needles and the sap and the trunk. Despite being a pine scent, Evergreen feels more cozy and inviting than FB. I also think Evergreen feels more Christmasy; I've recently gotten in the habit/tradition of burning Evergreen when my partner and I decorate our tree.

   

Fresh Ballsack

I will admit, I do give this scent a hard time; it's not a bad scent at all, a little intense but not bad. It's just that BBW re-releases this candle over and over in multiple collections at the same time ad nauseam and it's just annoying. Much like with Shit Cinnamon Poopkin and MaBLAHgony Stankwood, SAs on social media will go out of their way to defend it as a fan fav. Again it's not a bad scent but it's not good enough to be in multiple collections both in fall and winter..and having to audacity to release as a spring/summer scent too. Anyway, rant over. So FB is your classic "pine tree" scent; you get all the wintry evergreen notes - pine needles and fir resin with a cedarwood base. There's a mentholy cooling blast of eucalyptus to give it a bit of outdoorsy "winter air". And believe it or note, there's a little apple thrown in for added crispness. Because of all of those strong, intensely cooling "clear your nose/lungs"  notes, FB feels disinfecting and makes for a good house-cleaning or "clear the air" scent; personally I found the scent a little too intense to burn otherwise and after New Years, I'm not really in the mood for aggressively piney scents 

ADDENDUM: just an FYI in case you didn't know; "fir" isn't "pine". if a twig has needles in groups/clumped together, it's a pine tree. If a twig's needle is singular and easily rolled in your fingers, it's a fir. Balsam are any trees/shrubs that releases a resinous sap; balsam fir (or Abies balsamea) is type of North American fir tree.

Fireside

BBW has been a little fickle with this classic OG (pre- Golden Age) scent; for years it was a winter/holiday staple and then all of a sudden it wasn't. Despite it being around for years, I didn't try it for the first time until 2013 and of course I loved it however I didn't stock up as I assumed it would be back...I was wrong. I would have to wait another 6 years for it to come back. So this scent is a little polarizing among candlefans - folks either love it or hate with no in-between. The reason is because it's such an authentic and genuine intensely fiery/smoky firesidey scent with no sweetness (be it vanilla/marshmallow or spices or fruit) to tone it down. You get sandalwood and cedarwood wood notes and amber (found in a lot of "fireside" scents) with clove gives a warmth and illusion of burning wood (the note descriptions never mentions it but I think there might be some incense and/or patchouli for added smokiness). And all of the notes are held together with a manly animalic    leather note. Typical of most pre-Golden Age scents, Fireside is a unique and sophisticated blend; you really feel like you're lounging in your leather armchair, a cigar in one hand and a glass of cognac or brandy in the other and listening the crackle of burning logs in the fireplace. 

Flannel

Came out of nowhere back in 2014 (and for some reason is one of most read posts) and has been a fall staple ever since (which is odd for a mandle). Lately BBW has gotten in the habit as a winter/holiday..which I personally don't understand besides it being a money making ploy. So the scent itself isn't really supposed smell like flannel itself (as it would smell like nothing) but rather the man underneath - your fantasy lumberjack husband back home from chopping down trees..or rather, chopping down a Christmas tree since it's a holiday scent now *eyeroll. So you get a smooth polished wood base - mahogany, maybe some oak, an perhaps a little bit of sandalwood. There's a hint of a bitter and slightly metallic, citrusy bergamot (a frequent note in BBW mandles). There's also an odd unexplained drippy and almost cloying sweetness - some sort of berry as well as some kind of tree sap/resin. Whatever that sweetness is, it gets sweeter every year..which is probably some many people (and by people, I mean ladies) like it so much.

Fresh Sparkling Snow

So the hand soap and hand sanitizer of this has been around for yyyeeeaaarrrss. In fact, it was my favorite go to scent for winter. That said, how excited was I when there was to be a candle version of it...such wide eyed innocence. I naively believed the candle what be as a good, if not better, than the soap/sanitizer. Yeah, not so much. Sooooo intensely sweet and fruity and oddly summery. Such a disappointment...it would be one of many (I'm looking at you Crisp Morning Air)  

Frosted Cranberry

This badboi has been around for YEEAAARRRS; at least mid to late 2000s, maybe even earlier, not sure. It's a fan fav and a winter staple that comes out year after year, though like the aforementioned FB, BBW insists on both bringing it out of hibernation in fall and putting it in different collections. Now while it is basic straightforward "cranberry", it's not as simple as it seems/smells and there are more notes involved to round it. Now BBW tends to play loosey-goosey with the note descriptions and they differ year to year people (candle reviewers in particular) are quick to point out what note they smell and don't smell. THERE'S MORE TO A FRAGRANCE THAN THE 3 NOTES IN THE DESCRIPTION AND JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T SMELL ANYTHING ELSE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT IN THE BLEND. Cranberry in and of itself isn't exciting smell-wise so there are some other dark berries in the mix for added sweetness and juiciness - dark phenolic currant (a classic wintery fragrance note) and raspberry (and I swear I get a bit strawberry too). There's a little peach and apple lurking in the background, more like smelling the skin of said fruits fresh off of the tree. Speaking
of tree, there's some kind of woody basenote that gives an outdoorsy "fruit on the tree" vibe. And I don't know how but there is a "frosted" aspect; the scent feels "cool" to the nose; you really get the image of snow dusted cranberries on a tree in winter.

Holiday

This came out in 2012, appeared off and on for while before disappearing. It reappeared in 2018 and has been released consistently since then. Here's the thing, Holiday has not smelled the same since it's 2018 release. The old Holiday was a very generic red-hot cinnamon scent, typical for a holiday scent but there was a prominent bergamot note that give the scent a very odd (and in my opinion, off-putting) "old" smelling mustiness. I'm not sure about this year's version but the 2018 and 2019 versions didn't have that, just a basic Cinnamon & Cloves-esque holiday spice blend...meh

MaBLAHgony Stankwood

.....

Marshmallow Fireside

This came out in 2011 and was...is..a runaway hit. Some years later, the formulation changed and stayed consistently the same since..not many people noticed (kinduva shame was the original, while it a favorite of mine, was better). Capitalizing on its popularity, BBW started selling in winter as a holiday scent..which doesn't make sense as wtf is burning marshmallows at winter or for Christmas. Anyway the scents smells like what the suggests - smoky woody notes (presumably sandalwood, cedarwood and/or oak) with amber accents with sweet, slightly powdery vanilla/marshmallow notes.

Merry Cookie

This was originally an OG fan fav called Homemade Cookies. I believe it was winter 2012 when it made it revamped debut as the renamed Merry Cookie. Overall it's a very basic and straightforward scent - vanilla sugar cookie dough, like Pillsbury cookies laid out on baking tray and ready to put in the oven. Betwixt you and me, I've never been the biggest fan of this one; I tend to avoid straightup vanilla scents as it almost always too cloying for me and MC (like a lot of BBW bakery vanilla scents) smells a bit too waxy. However people swear by this candle and itcontinues to be a fav so there ya go. 

Peach Bellini

Yet another OG pre-Golden Age scent that was originally marketed solely as tropical beachy late spring/summer scent. Then in 2012, BBW made the odd decision to market this holiday New Years' celebration scent alongside Cranberry Pear Bellini in place of a "champagne" candle..and BBW has been doing that ever since. It's a straightforward blend that smells like what the name suggests - a heavy peach top notes with middle notes of bright juicy orange (maybe nectarine too), a bottom layer of blackcurrant (BBW's go to note to invoke a wine/champagne like effect) and some effervescence, which gets weaker and weaker every year. It's a pleasant scent, very zesty and juicy; perfect for summer, not so much for Christmas and New Years.

ADDENDUM: A "Bellini" is a cocktail containing peach puree or syrup topped with Prosecco; it was created in the 30s in Italy by famed bartender Giuseppe Cipriani as a SUMMER aperitif

Spiced Apple Toddy

Another pre -Golden Age OG. Let's just address the elephant in the room - this is just Leaves, plain and simple. It's Leaves with the muskiness removed and more emphasis on the apple/cider. Leaves has been around FOREVER (maybe from the 90's or early 2000s) while SAT came out (I believe) in late 2000s (2009 I think). I'm guessing since Leaves is a mulled cider based scent, I guess BBW figured it could used as both a holiday equivalent to Leaves as well as a hot appley beverage.

ADDENDUM: A "hot toddy" is a hot drink with any brown liquor with lemon and honey (cometimes cinnamon) topped with a hot water; you can use spiced or regular heated apple cider in place of hot water.

Sweater Weather

I've talked about this a buttload of times on this blog as it's one of my all time favorites scents. Started as a failed test scent, went wide the following year, became a fan fav...yada yada yada. Then in 2016, BBW made the odd decision to market it as a holiday scent. Here's the thing...IT'S NOT A WINTER SCENT! It's a fall scent because because "sweater weather" is in FALL!!! The whole point is the temperature (50/60 degrees) no longer feels summery and is too cool to wear short sleeve shirts so you wear light jackets or SWEATERS. By the time it's Christmastime (in most places depending where ou live), it's already cold and you need more than a sweater..cuz it's winter! Anyway, SW is herbal heavy blend of eucalyptus and sage (perhaps a tiny bit of mint) with a cooling alpine-y juniper note.  

Tis the Season

Yet another old classic pre-Golden Age. Backintheday it was called "Holiday Wreath"; it became "Tis the Season" (I believe) in 2011. This is a quintessential holiday - Christmas in jar; I'm not sure but this scent always makes me think taking boxes of decorations down from the attic as kid. The scent itself is very straight forward - red apple/mulled cider and pine with a cedarwood base - kinda conjures images of rustic evergreen wreaths with dried apple slices and cinnamon sticks..hence its original name. Many argue THIS ISN'T a holiday scent as it's apple based, with apples being more of all fall note...which is erroneous; I've already written a post on the history of apples in the tradition of Christmas.

Vanilla Snowflake

This has been a holiday staple since 2012. Like the way Leaves doesn't smell like actual leaves but feels very autumnal, VS doesn't smell like snow or snowy winter air but feels wintery (I don't think it does but other folks swear it does). It's just straight up vanilla and coconut milk; the mint doesn't smell like mint at all but adds a coolness to give the illusion of winter snow/coldness. Here's the thing...I CAN NOT STAND THIS DAMN SCENT! Every year that I have sniffed, my opinion stays the same - this to me always smell like mayonnaise and it just makes me gag.  

ADDENDUM: In 2015, BBW had the nerve to repackage and market this scent a fall treat - Pumpkin Milkshake. It didn't go wide and that year, most if not all failed test scents were sold as WB exclusives.

Winter

Ah, Winter. It's just not the holidays at BBW without good ol Winter. Winter is very nostalgic for me and conjures really good memories; it's one of those scents that I initially hated but in time grew to love. So Winter is an OG, early to mid 2000s, maybe even older than that. Like many ol school pre-Golden Age candles, it's a very complex blend, feels a bit more upscale and high-end and really conjures a mood and image. In my humble opinion, Winter really captures winter during the holidays - you get piney notes with cedarwood and little bit of bayleaf with possibly a bit of mint to mimic crisp winter air, some cinnamon and bright top notes of orange/clementine and cloves - a scent combination that was long associated with traditional Christmases and winters of yore. The annoying thing about Winter is the inconsistencies of the formula - sometimes it's more pine/wood heavy, sometimes the orange/clementine is really prominent/dominated and one (2013 I believe) it smelled like straightup raw bacon. However, when the formulation is right, Winter is perfection. 

Winter Candy Apple/Twisted Peppermint/Vanilla Bean Noel

Oh boy, BBW's holiday trifecta. The signature scent bodycare have been around for yeeeaaarrrs but I believe the candle version didn't come out until the late 2000s (2009 I think). They come back like cold sores year and after year and year but no one really knows why. Traditional obligation probably. Out of the 3, TP is the only scent worthy of being and remaining as a candle... even then, you can still tell it was based on bodycare. And it doesn't smell like candy as the name would suggest but rather straightup peppermint essential oil (I personally only burn it when I'm sick. It's too intense to burn it all the time, honestly does anybody burn TP all the time?) And with Crushed Candy Cane around (which actually smells like peppermint candy), is there any reason to keep Twisted Peppermint around besides traditional obligation? Vanilla Bean Noel is just a hot mess. First of all just just a generic vanilla scent; with Merry Cookie and Butterrum Eggnog, do you really need VBN?Furthermore every single year, folks complain that it burns like crap and the warm throw is virtually nonexistant; honestly what's the point?! And don't get me started on WCA! Like who in this day and age likes and still uses the WCA  bodycare, let alone the candle? And what exactly is a "winter candy apple"? Who is eating candy apples at Christmas or in winter? Does the bodycare or the candle smell like a candy apple? Seriously, I'm asking - does it? I don't think it does. There's no apple, there's no orange, no pear and the body care goes way out of left field with its notes - rose, maple and cinnamon, dafuq?! BBW is always so quick to retires bodycare and candles always disappear left and right; all 3 of these need to go...maybe not TP but certainly the other 2.  

Here's PART 2