WALK N SNIFF (PANDEMIC EDITION): Winter 2020 Candles ~ Newness only

 You ever wake up and just felt that something momentous was gonna happen? Well yesterday (Saturday Nov. 7th depending on when you're reading this), I woke up to the news of Joe Biden winning the presidential election! So many emotions - relief, joy, comfort, excitement, optimism. After taking some deep breaths and taking the news in, in a split moment I decided in celebration to throw caution to wind and have a bit of an adventure...I was going to BBW/WB for the first time since the pandemic started!

When I heard there was going to be wf refill sale, I hemmed-and-hawwed about actually going in person. Buying online is expensive and I really didn't want to spend extra money on shipping and handling for wallflowers that I might not end up liking. At least if I go in person, I can (as safely as possibly) sniff around and buy what I actually like. I had almost talked myself out of not going until Saturday morning when I heard the news which gave me a boost and some pep in my step and I decided to do the damn thing.

I got to my nearest mall fairly early, there was hardly anyone walking around and the BBW/WB was practically empty..thank goodness! Normally I would take my time sniffing around so I could review more accurately but I really wasn't trying to linger around more than was necessary. I only sniffed the new stuff (which I picked up using a glove and sniffed under 3 layer mask), got the wf refills I wanted and hightailed it out of there.

That said, take this particular review with a grain of salt as it's not up to my usual in depth standards/calibur given the circumstances. As I mentioned earlier, I sniffed things thru a mask and tried not to really huff too much and I moved around quickly so I could leave ASAP. Without further ado, let's start the review!

Peppermint Sugar Cookie (0269AGAF) - I initially was not particularly interested in this candle at all - while I'm not as anti-bakery as I used to be, "cookie" scents are kinduva hard sell. Furthermore, I'm not the biggest fan of mint notes in bakery/gourmand scents.  That said, this pleasantly surprised me. Now there was talk on social media that this very similar to Peppermint Marshmallow...and I have to agree. The top notes share the same not quite marshmallow/vanilla buttercream/sweet peppermint/odd unmentioned cocoa vibes that Peppermint Marshmallow has. Now, here's the difference - there is a cookie aspect. Lingering at the bottom, is a buttery, slightly salty, vanillic bakery note (the "cookie" note kind of reminds me of Lemon Lavender Shortbread). I was not expecting to like this but I'm kinda diggin it and I personally think it's better than PM. 

Frosted Forest (0275AGA6) - I do love a good piney scent so I was excited to give it a sniff. I heard someone on social media say that it was very reminiscent of Evergreen..and it kinda is on a basic superficial level; let's say the 2 are related, very much cousins. The piney-ness is there, both the needles and sap with a possible base of cedarwood. There's a blast of cool Fresh Ballsack-ish eucalyptus that sorta wakes the blend up. There's a heavy bit of spruce, which tends to be a little on the sweeter side...and that's kinda why I'm not 100% on board with this scent. FF is surprisingly sweet for a pine scent and I think it's because the pine sap along with spruce; it's in the same sweet drippy pine scent family as Alpine Cheer, Frosted Pine, and Tree Farm. I also don't get much of an outdoorsiness and any coldness that would suggest a "frosted forest". Overall it's slightly on the verge of smelling generic, like any "Christmas tree" candle you'll find in any store during the holidays. If you are interested in trying out pine scents but find Evergreen or Fresh Ballsack too intense, this would be a good scent to experiment with...though I'd recommend you get the wallflower refill over the candle as the cold throw was on the weak side (and I've heard the warm throw is practically nonexistant) 

ADDENDUM: Awhile ago I was chatting with a candlebuddy and she confirmed this a dupe of Evergreen Wreath from the ill-fated Woodland/Nordic Evergreen collection

Frosted Spearmint (0252AGA5) - this one I was particularly intrigued with as I heard was a dupe of a very ancient and long forgotten scent from the late 2000s. Having sniffed, I'm sure it might indeed be that very scent - Snow Apple Mint. Now this scent was before my time so I'm not sure how popular it was but during my later treasure hunting days, I happened upon a wf refill on the black market (that I ended up selling some time after as I didn't really like it). The name seemed odd and I didn't really get the point or appeal of the scent after sniffing it. It seems BBW spin-doctored this scent by giving it more generic sounding customer friendly name although the new name and the actual fragrance don't really add up. First of all, there's mint but it's more of a toothpasty garden mint/peppermint than spearmint. The apple note comes out of nowhere and is very apparent. There could be sandalwood but I get more musk than anything else. It's soothing, calm, and pleasant scent (good for the bathroom or bedroom) but odd; like the original SAM, it doesn't particularly feel very Christmas-y. 

Christmas Cider (0281AGA7) - so there was talk of this being a dupe/dupe with a twist of last year's Spiced Chestnuts but after sniffing, I don't think they're the same but I do think they are very similar. This scent is kinda odd to me. For a candle with "cider" in the name, it doesn't smell particularly cidery. There's an apple note lurking in the background that comes across simmered/stewed/baked but I can't say it smells like cider. It's also surprisingly dark for a cider scent as well as a holiday scent; there's something dark and sweet (think brown-sugar) and almost boozy, like rum. And then you get the mulling spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and a bit of clove. It's a pleasant enough scent but I don't think it fits the name; if it was "Spiced Rum" or "Christmas (Rum) Punch" or "Holiday Wassail". Don't expect a bright tangy mulled cider like Spiced Cider or Spiced Pumpkin Cider or Apple Cinnamon Cider, you'll be a bight disappointed. However, if you like Spiced Chestnuts or Evening Hearth, then this bud's for you.

Eucalyptus Snowfall (0263K3S4) - this was actually the scent I was the most excited about for the notes were right up my alley. Speaking of notes, I thought for sure this was a dupe of White Lavender Eucalyptus but a couple of folks who actually had it so that ES was totally different. Having sniffed it, it's not at all what I was expecting. I believe this is newness however it's very familiar smelling. Basically take Frozen Lake and mix in Vanilla Sage (sans the vanilla) and that's ES. It also kinda gives me Fresh Fall Morning vibes, like a "winter" version of that. There's a whole lotta herbal going on in this blend, which is something you don't see too much of during winter/holiday time. For a scent that has "eucalyptus" in the name, I don't get eucalyptus at all in the blend. I do get a crisp astringent lavender possibly mixed with a bit of mint. Now this is interesting - the notes on the candle don't mention it but the notes on the wallflower label/flap do, sage..which could possibly the...*eyeroll "cologne note" folks on social media claim to pick up (by the way, "cologne" is NOT a note). There's an odd sweetness, like maybe juniper berry. There's also a hint of ozone that suggest wetness but come across a "snowfall" or even winter air. This isn't a holiday scent at all and because it's so herbal, it doesn't feel particularly winter. It's similar to Sparkling Icicles in the sense they're both mandles that BBW is really tries to  tenuously market as a winter/holiday scent but really could be used all year around.  

ADDENDUM: someone told me on social media that it smelled like Eucalyptus Rain. Yeah, I don't get that at all, from neither the candle and especially the wf refill. Either this person's nose is picking up something I'm not or there could be a batch variance.

Gingerbread Marshmallow (0254AGA3) - I won't waste my time going in depth about this one as there's really not much to say about it - it's smells like Frosted Gingerbread mixed with Vanilla Bean Marshmallow or even Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow. It's a creamy marshmallow base with "gingerbread" spices. Not sure I get the point of this, especially since Frosted Gingerbread exists. Obviously this is pure marketing; put "marshmallow" in the name and the Basic Bs of America will coming running.

Salted Caramel Eggnog (0254AGA5) first of all, really BBW? Like coconut backintheday, you're obsessed with "salted caramel" and insist on putting it everything.

Secondly who the f*** drinks eggnog with caramel, salted or otherwise?! First of it all, it would be sugary AF. Secondly, you're sure you wanna mix something with salt in a egg based custard-y drink? 

Third, dear lord..the texture; thick ass eggnog made even thicker with caramel.

Lastly, to the geniuses who wrote the note descriptions, please consult a dictionary or Google first. You put "dulce de leche" in the notes alongside caramel...you do realize they're both basically the SAME THING right?! Dulce de Leche is essentially caramel made from condensed/sweetened milk as opposed to cooked sugar (with either water or cream)

Anyway, speaking of dulce de leche, I assumed it must be a clue/Easter Egg and that SCE was a dupe of the online exclusive Pumpkin Dulce de Leche; some folks on social media said no while others said maybe. So right off the bat, this isn't Butterum Eggnog mixed with caramel (*retches). The "eggnog" base smells more..well..eggy, if that makes sense. Think a proper custard or a souffle. And you get the typical cloying ooeygoeey caramel you get from BBW. If you like scents like Summer Boardwalk or Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake or Pumpkin Caramel Latte, then SCE is for you.  

Lavender Pine - this is just Lavender & Pine from the Woodland/Evergreen collection. It's really odd that BBW didn't release a candle...as the candle already existed previously. Why just release the wf refill? Also this scent is actually good, it deserves a matching candle! So scent-wise, this pretty straightforward - it's basically Evergreen and French Lavender mixed together. I would not ever think to put lavender and pine together but in a roundabout way, it kinda make sense; lavender is in the mint family and mint goes extremely well with pine. The pine and the cedar (a note that is often paired with lavender) and the lavender all blend harmoniously together. Like so many of this year's holiday scents, this is not a holiday scent; this scent would be good after Christmas and New Years when it's still winter and you want a winter scent but nothing really piney as that feels too Crhistmasy. 

Peach on Earth - so my store only had one out on display with no lid on; I heard thru the grapevine that this was light and this sucker was definitely LIGHT though I'm not sure if it was naturally like that or because it had been sitting out without lid. Anyway, based on the notes I assumed it was a dupe of Harvest Peaches from backintheday; similar vibe but not the same. It is also not Peach Cobbler. There's not too much to say about it as it's a pretty straightforward scent. You get peach (somewhere between Georgia/Market Peach and White Peach) made smooth with creamy vanilla. And then there's cinnamon but it's not red hot nor is it baking spice; it's more like a cinnamon stick or freshly grated cinnamon. It's ok, nothing to throw a parade over. Not quite with this scent has to do with Christmas or why BBW insists making peach scents a thing for the holiday season but whatevs.

My store didn't have Fresh Winter Air.

Since I was there and they were still around, I gave these 2 new fall scents a quick sniff...

Pumpkin Spice Latte (0246A6A4) - there's really not much to say about this one- it's a straight up dupe of Sweet Tiramisu. I mean, it kinda makes sense but it would be nice if this was new or actually smelled like a real PSL

Thanks & Giving (0240M8A0) - this candle caused quite the conundrum on social media. Was this a dupe of the recent Caramel Apple or (as I mused) the ol school Caramel Apple from the Golden Age (2 different scents btw). In my opinion...it's both! I get the straightup Cider Lane-esque caramel apple-ness of the recent CA but I get a bit of nutmeg and  peanuttiness from the old CA. It's nice enough but kinda unnecessary and I'm not sure what it has to do with Thanksgiving.

BTW I did end up getting some bulbs...

  I did wish I had gotten more Lavender Pine and maybe one more Frosted Forest but oh well, I'll manage.

So my overall thoughts/impression...? Meh!

I hate to be a Negative Nancy but what I saw and sniffed were all so underwhelming and unexciting. Besides Lavender Pine and maybe Frosted Forest, the "newness" didn't really do anything for me and the returning scents (with a few notable personal favs/staples) weren't very appealing. While it was nice being in a actual store and getting to smell things in person as opposed to blind buying online and paying extra for S/H, I'm not sure it was worth the risk or the incoming bouts of panic and anxiety. Which makes me wonder how are people so comfortable going to stores over and over while there's still a pandemic raging on? I personally don't get it. Honestly I would be furious spending months being cautious and staying home only to end up getting sick from being in a BBW, especially when the scents I sniffed while there were all kinds of blah. I won't be doing this again so don't expect me to do any WALK N SNIFF reviews until this pandemic passes.