THIS IS THE BOMB.COM: Pomegranate Lemonade (2016 vers.)

Products: candle   
Area used in: living room
Time Period: end of May - 4th of July

Description: A fragrance inspired by an ice cold glass of fresh squeezed lemon juice, pomegranate nectar and a touch of sugar

Original Notes: Juicy pomegranate, pink grapefruit and lemon zest blend deliciously and then are infused with rose petals, sheer woods and sugared citron for a refreshing treat.

Trivia: Pomegranate Lemonade was last seen in store spring/summer 2012


As you may (or may not) remember, a bunch of late additions were added to the WB core line last summer and the sat on the shelf full price for the longest time. By the time a decent sale came along, summer was almost over so I bought a few to save for future summers. Fast forward to 2017, it feels like summer outside and I am ready to get my Pomegranate Lemonade on!

So the performance for this bad boi has been amazeballs! The flames are high and the wax pool is deep. And with the hot pink/magenta glass color, it is absolute gorgeous to burn, ambiance throw the roof! And the throw is an absolutely knock-out! Instant fragrnce all over the place! And because it's such high octane citrus scent, it's a great deodorizing scent guaranteed to get rid of household funk.

And now the scent...which in my most humble of opinions doesn't really smell like "pomegranate lemonade" per se but rather the process of making pomegranate lemonade if that makes any sense. In other words, it smells like you've just sliced a fresh lemon and are de-seeding a cut pomegranate in order to make pomegranate lemonade. You get a noseful of bright sparkling effervescence from the melange of mouth-puckering citrus notes; with lemon, the grapefruit and the citron, you really get the juice from the fruits and the peel. Then you get the dark, tannic and almost seductive pomegranate juice which adds to the already present tartness of the blend. And I do get a hint of floral lurking in the background, like dried petals/potpourri this gives this scent a distinct home fragrance vibe. As a whole, PL is just a perfect summer scent; it's relaxing but at the same energizing/revitalizing as well as refreshing. And it totally makes you wanna run into the kitchen and fix yourself a pitcher of homemade lemonade, pomegranate or otherwise.

There have been may PL clones over the years - Pink Sangria, Pomegranate Spritzer, Strawberry Mimosa, Sugared Citrus Sorbet...all are cute in their own way but can't compare to the original. Unfortunately, despite it's popularity and it's credibility as a Slatkin classic, it has not returned. If you see this candle, no matter the year, and it is reasonably priced, don't think about it just get it!       

ON THE FENCE: Driftwood Surf (2016 vers)

Products: candle and wf bulb
Area used in: bedroom
Time Period: end of May - 4th of July

Description: Hear the sound of rustling palm leaves above white sand beaches when you breath in the scent of Caribbean coconut, watery citrus and sea salted driftwood

New Notes: Salty Sea Breezes, White Pineapple, Warm Coconut Wood

As a rule, I tend to prefer manly "cologney" scents in my boudoir and well, manly cologney scents are very few and far in between in the summertime lately. I saw this in the "Beach House" collection last summer and grabbed it out of desperation. I assumed since it was a new, decent, non-basic conceptual scent that wasn't going to come back but sure enough it reappeared in the Ribbed for your pleasure/Times New Roman" collection this summer.

So I was kinda diggin it on cold sniff; definitely can't deny that it's a masculine scent - very bodycare-ish like a summery body spray for men (it also ever so slightly reminds me of the Paris bodycare for men). However it's one of those scents that confounds and I can't exactly pinpoint actual notes. I get the driftwood aspect - oak perhaps, a little teakwood with a salty ozonic sear air vibe. I get coconut but it's not coconut water or meat or milk but rather the husk, like a uncut coconut fresh from the tree. Speaking of trees, I sorta get something green in the background, like palm leaves. Then there's the citrus; the this year's notes mention pineapple...maybe? It's tricky, I guess I can smell that but it may just be the notes playing subliminal games with my nose. Whatever the "citrus" may be, it isn't your typical lemon or lime or orange; I dunno if it's pineapple per se, but it is a sugary sweet summer fruit note.

So yeah, the cold sniff was pleasant enough for me to buy it as it fulfilled what I was looking for - a summery manly scent. However, I started burning it recently and whatever slight satisfaction I had for this scent went right out the window - it's smells like straight up chemicals, almost bug spray-ish. And despite having skinny wicks, the flames were high and burned really quickly. Sometimes you would get small whiffs of what the scent was supposed to smell like but for the most part it just smelled plasticy and chemically and eventually I would have to blow it up. The wf bulb on the other hand is really pleasant; the throw is the strong and the notes are balanced. I will say, even though I'm not a huge fan of earthy brown/tan/sand tones, this candle is gorgeous to burn - amibience out the wazoo! Too bad I'm not a big fan of the scent.

If you're intrigued with this scent, buy with caution. Hopefully BBW fixed the chemical smell probably with this new version and it's totally possible that my 2016 version was a dud..you just never know. Air on the side of caution when buying this candle and keep your receipt for an exchange.

WALK N SNIFF: Coast to Coast Collection

Well gang, since the start of SAS I have been to 3 BBWs and 3 WBs and have yet to see any Coast to Coast 3wicks despite it randomly popping in some stores across the nation. No one really knows what the deal is with this collection; wf bulbs popped online and should be in most stores yet the 3wicks are only making random appearances a few BBWs and WBs here and there. Also candles with clear tumblers and colored wax have been popping up so obviously there has been a re-pour. So has it failed and stores are getting the remaining leftover rejects? If that's the case, I think it's pretty shitty that it failed and the basic ass Times New Roman candles didn't! Or because there were re-pours, will we see them after SAS is over? Who the hell knows! I know one thing, I'm tired of the games and BS with BBW and testing/failing scents really needs to stop!

Anyway, one of my stores did at least have 1wick testers to sniff so I'd least a got a taste of what the new scents in this collection smell like

Coastal Jasmine - It looks as if jasmine is replacing gardenia as BBW's premier white floral scent du jour. I don't think "coastal" jasmine is actually a thing...unless they are referring to confederate jasmine which is popular in the South and can grow in seaside/coastal areas but let's be real I don't think BBW put that much thought into the name. Anyhoo, I'm about 85% positive that this is a repackage of Jasmine Water from the post winter SAS tropical collection; unfortunately the store didn't have any to compare so I'm only going by scent memory. There's really not much to say about it - it's a heady powdery slightly nectary jasmine note wrapped in music with a cooling ozonic watery note in the background. It's a cute scent if you like jasmine.

White Driftwood - So BBW seemed to really like this scent but really didn't know how to market it. It first appeared in the animal skin/zoo collection as "Wild Cedarwood" and then it appeared in the personalized greetings collection repackaged as "Happily Ever After ~ Blue Lily Water" And now it's back as "White Driftwood". There's really not much to say about this one either - it's a masculine woodsy repackage with a twist of Beach Cabana. Some exact notes from BC mixed with a soft dry cedar note and a hint of sea salt/sea air. It's a nice scent but not really necessary.

Seaside Mist - Like its brethren White Driftwood, this was also repackaged in the greetings collection as "XOXO" and was erroneously labeled as "Jungle Woods" online only to be changed a few weeks later as "Seaside Mist" The scent seemed to befuddle everyone, myself included. The notes sounded suspiciously like my bae Black Pepper Bergamot but it wasn't. Everyone all had the same thing to say about it - "it smells so familiar." Everybody was coming up with repackage hypotheses - Oceanside, Crisp Morning Air  , Blue Sandalwood and Sage...close but no cigar! It took 2 trips to BBW and a consultation with my candle buddies but I finally unlocked the mystery - Whitewater Rush.  It was part of a trio of men's bodycare (along with Mahogany Woods and Alpine Suede) winter 2014. Around the same time,  few stores got a limited supply of 3wicks    of them as well. Obviously this a cologney scent...GASP!!! It smells like a men's cologne of the fresh/watery/aquatic variety. The notes mention mandarin which I call BS on that; what I get instead is bergamot which a) is one of the top notes of WWR and b) it was probably changed because so many BBs complain about too much bergamot and that it smells cologney. It got some Mahogany Stankwood-esque woodsy action - some oak maybe, definitely cedarwood , again one of the top notes of WWR. I'm not sure about the lavender; like it's other cologney comrades Mahogany Stankwood, Villa Bergamot and Black Pepper Bergamot, the lavender note is way pushed down. I'm not 100% sold on this scent; even though I love cologney scents and watery/oceanic scents, SSM isn't a winner for me.

Beach Sage & Mist - When this collection first started testing, this was the scent that I was the most intrigued and knew I had to get my hands on. Fast forward to SAS and everyone and their grandma are posting pics of their BS&Ms that they randomly found in their stores which made me very jealous. After smelling the tester candle (and buying a few wf bulbs despite them not being $3), I decided somehow, come hell or high water, I'm gonna get this damn candle because it is LIFE!!! It is EVERYTHING! This is the of candle that I love - a strong herbal conceptual scent. So basically if you took Cucumber Melon and mixed it with Bergamot Mint    and a hint of Wild Sage & Aloe, that's basically BS&M. Also, think of this as a summery/beachy version of Winter Mint & Spruce; the two have a similar vibe and could totally be twins. You get a basenote of a sweet and watery cucumber/melon blend with a layer of cologney bergamot and melange of earthy sage, cool refreshing mint and some other unlisted herbal notes, possibly thyme (there was a Slatkin era failed test scent called Honeydew & Thyme, I wonder how close BS&M is to that) The mix of all of those random note sound bizarre together but trust me, they blend together perfectly! And does smell beachy (beach sage actually exists but I don't know how close this smells to the real thing). This scent is just great - it's calm, it's relaxing, it's guest friendly; it totally feels like your relaxing in your rented beach house with the ocean breeze on your face and listening to the waves crash.

RANT OF THE DAY: Exchange Policy ~ Too Much of a Good Thing?

We as human beings have ingrained in our DNA the innate talent of messing up a good thing. Throughout our history on this floating dirtball, whenever there is something awesome in our lives, people will inevitably screw it up and ruin it for everyone. If there is any possible way to get over and take advantage, folks will find a way to do it and their hubris and selfishness blind them to the fact that their actions are wrong. And is always the case, the good suffers for the bad and that awesome thing is nothing more but a mere memory.

We've seen this over the years at BBW. Perfect example - phone orders. Back in the good ol days, you could call a test store, order a few test scents and have sent to you with $5.99 shipping...awesome, right?! It was great but then as usual, people had to mess it up. You had greedy bastards ordering 10-20 candles at time and not just one of everything but 10-20 of ONE SCENT! Or you had lying assholes saying that their order wasn't delivered and the store would have no alternative but to send replacements so these assholes got double the candles. Meanwhile the stores were running out of candles to sell to customers who were actually in the store. Corporate said "screw this"  and sent a mandate to stores saying no more phone orders all because of people's greediness and dishonesty. In 2014 they brought phone orders back but thru Customer Relations but people were pulling these shenanigans again and after a few months phone orders were no more and this time for good.

What else have we seen disappear over the years? Survey coupons...BBW Insiders program...free candle giveaways...3day grace periods. It's easy to scream and yell, gnash your teeth and shake your fist in the air angrily while declaring that BBW is being unfair. However, perhaps we should save our self righteous ire for the unscrupulous members of our candle community instead.

Which brings me to the point of this whole rant - exchanges. As you know, BBW has a lovely exchange policy - if you're unhappy with your candle for whatever reason, just bring it back and exchange for another candle that is more to your liking. Sometimes the SA will ask you for a receipt and your ID, but for the most part they SA will graciously do an exchange for you no questions asked. But as always, people try to get over and pull a fast one. You have folks...

• bringing in a completely burned candle to exchange and because of the return/exchange policy, SAs have no choice but to (begrudgingly) do an exchange

• exchanging 10-20 candles all at the same time   

• the newest trend - buying candles (especially if there is a glitch online) that they have no intention on burning and keeping them to do an exchange when a new collection comes out and/or there is a sale

I personally don't do any of this. In all the years I've been shopping at BBW, Ive returned maybe 4 or 5 burned candles and they were only burned once not all the all way to the bottom. The most I will return is 3 candles at a time and even then, I kinda feel a little guilty about it so I'll buy something after the exchange - whether its another candle or soap or even a pocketbac just to make my conscience feel better. Plus the SA gets some commission action - win win situation. And ALL of my returns are candles that I have already bought and are chilling in my collection.For every candle I buy, I keep the receipts (in chronological order) in a manila folder just in the off chance I decide to exchange something. I say all of this not come off holier than thou and sanctimonious but rather I just like the feeling of doing the right thing.  

Also have you ever heard what happens to candles that have been exchanged?

• Candles in a current collection in stores are put back on the shelves
• Candles from old collections no longer in stores are boxed up and kept for SAS 
• Burned candles are destroyed and thrown away

The point is no money being made!

Here's the problem - sure, you're getting all of the candles you want, so you're happy. That's all well and good for you but what does BBW get it out of it? What money is being made from all of your exchanges? Where's the profit, the revenue? You forget BBW is a company and business and for a company/business to maintain itself, it needs MONEY! BBW is bleeding money with all of these crazy exchanges! And do you know what the after-effect is? PRICE INCREASES!!! BBW has to make up the cost somehow! It's easy and convenient to vilify BBW  and say they're being greedy (and to a certain degree they can be) and lord knows I was one of many ranting and raving about that... but now I get it. Exchanging candles ad nauseam isn't solely to blame for price increases but there is no denying that it is one of the major causes!

My biggest issue with folks doing these exchanging tomfoolery is that they're bragging about it on social media! "I got all these candles and didn't have to pay anything" Yeah you sure did...at BBW's expense! SHUT THE F*** UP!!! STOP RUNNING YOUR MOUTH AND BLABBING! YALL TALK TOO DAMN MUCH! First of all, everybody is seeing this and thinking it's ok for them to do as well! Furthermore, do you honestly think BBW isn't paying attention to this candle chicanery? Trust me they are highly aware of what folks are doing and eventually at some point, they are gonna do something about it.

I can't tell people what to do as that is not my place. All I can do is spill some T and hope folks gather around to take a sip. Everyone exchanging 10+ candles or buying candles to exchange later, you are NOT being as crafty as you think you are and bragging about it on social media is only gonna hurt you in the end. Stores have already started implementing "if you don't have a coupon, you have to pay the difference " rule..which I was totally against at first but now I am all for it! It's a great deterrent cuz I'm almost positive most folks doing these crazy exchanges are not bringing in their coupons. Y'all keep on playing around and corporate is gonna make this rule official for all stores. Or worse..corporate will get rid of the exchange policy permanently!

WALK N SNIFF: Summer Boardwalk/Times New Romans Candles PT2

So yesterday the bf and I planned a shop til we drop day. Of course because it's SAS, I had to check out WB though I must admit I was a bit pessimistic about finding any goodies and as it turned, my pessimism was right; the store didn't have SHIT! Needless to say I was ever so slightly annoyed. And it didn't help that we were accosted by quite possibly the most obnoxious SA ever! She spoke to both of us as if we were stupid - gurl I don't need you to tell us that BBW and WB are connected and we can walk thru the middle to get to either side! Really bitch?! And of course because my bf and I are both men, she immediately starts pushing the new men's bodycare in our faces and practically shoving the Bourbon shower gel up our noses. She couldn't pick up any hints that she was truly pissing both of us off!

*deep cleansing breaths Dear SAs,

1. DON'T TALK TO CUSTOMERS LIKE THEY'RE STUPID! And never EVER assume that every customer that walks in has never ever shopped there before!

2. NEVER ASSUME THAT ALL MEN LOVE COLOGNE SCENTS. I've ranted about that shit before, it is sexist AF!

Anyway, since we there we decided to make the most of it and buy some; the bf bought some candles and a few wf refills for work and I bought some soaps

The schlep to WB wasn't a complete waste as they did have the second phase of Times New Roman candles and I have to say that the new scents pleasantly surprised me (I didn't see Ocean Therapy ~ Ocean Mist & Citrus.)

Sweet Sunset ~ Orange Creamsicle - Now you would think this would be a repackage of last summer's Sunny Coconut which actually did smell like an orange creamsicle. Nope! As for as I can tell, it's a new scent and it's actually nice! There's really not too much to say it's a pretty straightforward scent - you get a blend of juicy orange notes with a hint of lemon zest to brighten and perk things up. And there is a slight sweet vanilla creaminess following after the orange-ness. And I don't know how but there is a cooling effect that does gives the impression of a citrusy frozen treat. I can easily see this scent being very popular for summer.

Surf's Up ~ Coconut Bay - As you know, me and coconut are not the tightest of friends and most coconut scents at BBW just smell super generic to me and this is most certainly not the exception. I'm almost certain that this is repackage of one of BBW's myriad of coconutty summer scents but don't ask me to say which one. You get coconut, a little hint of citrus and some saltiness. If that sounds appealing to you, go for it!

Beach Glow ~ Salted Oak Bonfire - While I was quite disappointed that this wasn't a repackage of Summer Bonfire, I'm glad BBW played around with a new conceptual outdoorsy and woodsy scent with no traces of sea salted coconut, mango, driftwood or mahogany. I would say the best way to describe this scent is think of it as a summer beachy version of Marshmallow Fireside; it also reminds me of last fall's Pumpkin Fireside. So right of the bat, you get instant wood notes; the notes mention oak but I pick a lot of cedar. There is some warmth which I can only assume if from amber which is usually added to fireside/bonfire scents to give the illusion of fiery embers. And there is a smooth and rich marshmallow like sweetness, some vanilla and maybe a bit of sandalwood; that said, I can totally get the Beach Night body care reference that everybody on social media has used to describe it. And it could be my nose playing tricks on me but I get faint hint of some citrusy, like a orange peel; unless your nose is super sensitive, you may not pick it up. Overall, it's really pleasant; you do get the sense of being out at the shore at your beachhouse timeshare roasting marshmallows with your friends in front of fire watching the waves crash. It's warm, calming and comforting; a good relax and read book scent. If you're intrigued with this scent, I would suggest you stock up cuz weird but nice conceptual scents like this always tend to disappear.  

WALK 'N' SNIFF: New Ribbed "Times New Roman" Candles

So I went to BBW today to take advantage of the now rare 2/24 sale; buy some stuff, exchamge some stuff, yada yada yada. I was feeling a little pessimistic about the new ribbed for your pleasure/Time News Roman 2.0 candles as they have been sporadically released all over the country; some stores said that they wouldn't have them til the start of SAS. So I was just looking around and lo and behold hidden away with the rest of the old ribbed for your pleasure candles were the news so I was finally able to get my sniff.

So I won't waste your time and mine to talk about Vanilla Beach Flower, Pineapple Palm Grass, Caribbean Escape and Tiki Beach as everyone should know what all of those smell like

Driftwood Surf - for those who don't remember, this one appeared in the Beach House Collection last summer. Just click the link and read my review from last year.

Sugared Citrus Sorbet - I was really and truly hoping that BBW finally brought back that old Slatkin classic Lemon Gelato but of course it's not. I also thought it might Raspberry Citrus Swirl aka Pink Lemonade Punch as that would the only logical scent to repackage but nope. It's new-ish but extremely familiar smelling...and doesn't smell at all like a sorbet. There's no iciness or creaminesss; all you get is a bright sparkling effervescent citrus blend with a hint of a vague berry blend. It's in the same family as Pomegranate Lemonade and Pink Sangria and extremely close Strawberry Mimosa. If you have any of those scents, there's is absolutely no need to pick SCS.

Berry Vanilla Cone..... sigh...I need to rant for a second

I am extremely leery and skeptical of scents that are over-hyped on social media. Every other picture on my IG newsfeed is of Berry Vanilla Cone with everyone and their grandma exclaiming how it is sooooo wonderful and amazing. Having sniffed it finally, I can say with no amount of uncertainty that is neither wonderful or amazing! I often find that these candles that seem to break the Internet ends up not living up to the hype which makes me wonder.... are all these people on the 'Gram buying this candle because they truly love it or are they buying because everyone else is buying it and they want to show off and fit in? I'm leaning towards the latter as too many individuals in the candle community are too quick to jump on the candlewagon. If you love a certain candle, that's great however if you're just following the next candle trend, I'm not here for that and I can not in good conscious take you or the candle in the question seriously. Ok, rant over, onto the review...

So I, like everyone else thought for sure that it would be a repackage of last Christmas's Berry Vanilla Bean... it makes sense and Lord knows it would make a better summer candle that Christmas/New Year's candle. Surprisingly it is not! Like its brethren SCS, it is  "new-ish" but extremely familiar smelling. It has notes that smell like other various scents. a veritable Frankenstein's Monster of candles. It has surprisingly accurate waffle cone note that smells extremely similar to Pecan Pumpkin Waffle; it also kinda smells like the crust note in Pumpkin Pie and Warm Apple Pie. The vanilla is faint and slightly Vanilla Bean-ish. It has dark berry blend similar to Berry Pumpkin Strudel....and like Berry Pumpkin Strudel, I pick up an apple note...which harkens back to the Warm Apple Pie reference. So basically...

Pecan Pecan Waffle + Warm Apple Pie + Vanilla Bean + Berry Pumpkin Strudel = Berry Vanilla Cone

I can see why this would popular; it's a scent that would certain make all of the bakery lovers cream their panties. But just because a scent is popular doesn't mean that it's actually good. In my most  humble opinion, BVC does NOT live up to or deserve the hype. That said, if you are interested in it, go into your store with no expectations. You may end up liking it but if your tastes are anything like mine, you'll leave it right on the shelf as I did.      

NEWNESS UPDATE: Summertime Madness *UPDATED*

Thought BBW was done? Think again. There's quite a few things headin our way for summer

So a very mysterious collection popped up on social media recently; thanks to Lifeinsidethepage, we got a sneak peek of them. People have dubbed them the "cactus candles" as they seem to have a cactus/succulents theme going on. At first glance, it seems to be a watered down version of the ill-fated Desert collection; my guess is this is a feeble attempt to appease the conceptual lovers who were pissed that the collection didn't go wide yet are basic enough to lure in customers with less discerning tastes. The labels look cheap as hell, like CVS/Rite-Aid/Dollar General cheap but at least the names sound intriguing. Now I'm guessing that these have only hit a few locations as almost everyone I've talked to did not see them in their nearest test stores; I haven't even seen these on Ebay or Mercari. And for whatever reason, the few who have seen them are being very tight-lipped about the notes and such. a discreteness you very rarely find in the candle community when it comes to newness/test scents. Anyhoo, enough prattling on; here they are...

• Blue Agave - Dewy Aloe, Fresh Agave Nectar, Cactus Fruit (I was hoping this is Desert Rain but it sounds like Palm Leaves)

• Moonlit Lily - Mariposa Lily, Night Blooming Gardenia, Warm Desert Musk (Cactus Lily?)

• Peach Poppy - Soft Peach, Southwestern Poppies, Fresh Mandarin (sounds like Malibu Citrus Glow/Peach Bellini but nope! Word on the street is this may be Wild Poppies aka Poppy Sunshine)

• Succulents and Sandstone - Sagebrush Leaves, Dark Tonka Bean, Desert Ironwood (sounds suspiciously like Black Tie/Sage & Cedar.  The Desert collection had a scent called Sedona Sandstone, it could be that.)

• Golden Desert Sands - Golden Palo Santo Wood, Palm Husk, Warm Sands (note for note for Desert Heat)

Returning scents include Cactus Blossom and Wild Sage and Aloe


Also, a very random last minute addition was recently thrown into the Mixed Materials collection...

• Wild Huckleberry - Juicy Huckleberry, Ripe Blackcurrant, Green Leaves (oooookay, no clue what this has to do with "mixed materials" but whatever. The theory is that it may be Blackberry Bramble Tea )

Thanks to a reliable source, I heard that another collection is hitting stores. Much like the hot mess that is the infamous "Time New Roman" candles, it's all over the place - no theme, no cohesion. And speakin of Times New Roman, it's back with a vengeance with these candles

• Sugared Citrus Sorbet - Zesty Mandarin, Icy Lemon Sugar, Juicy Red Raspberry (I'm hoping Lemon Gelato from backintheday but it's probably just Pink Lemonade Punch/Raspberry Citrus Swirl or Strawberry Mimosa)

• Vanilla Berry Cone - Sweet Summer Berries, Golden Waffle Cone, Creamy Vanilla (I thought this might be Berry Vanilla Bean from last Christmas, but apparently it's new)

Returning scents include Vanilla Beach Flower, Pineapple Palm Grass, Caribbean Escape, Driftwood Surf and Tiki Beach.

Lastly, SAS is just around the corner and we are getting a lot of throwback. And as this seems to be an ongoing theme with BBW lately, the returning scents are random as hell. As far as I know, the following scents are just wf bulbs, no word on if there will be candles as well...

• Pearberry
• Plumeria
• Juniper Breeze (yay!)
• Fresh Cotton
• Pink Lemonade Punch
• Spring (yay!)
• Lemon Mint Leaf
• Kitchen Spice
• Strawberry Vanilla
• Caribbean Escape
• Brazilian Blue Waters
• Fiji White Sands
• Black Teakwood
• Coconut Sandalwood
• Sunset Beach

There will also be summer additions to the WB Core line - Mango Coconut Cooler, Peach Bellini and Island Margarita...yawn! Hopefully we'll see more than that. 

WALK 'N' SNIFF: House of Blues and Mixed Materials

So last Friday I went to BBW hoping snag some newness while there was still a BOGO sale..alas, no. The SA very graciously brought me some candles out from the back but the computer wouldn't let her sell them to me for the sale price. I thanked her anyway and I left. Apparently this has happened to many others...which I'd like to time out to adress something...

Dear SAs...NOBODY is mad at you for not selling new candles. We get it, it's an edict from corporate that you must follow. When and if you hear anyone complain about this on social media, we are not mad at yall but rather the stupid things corporate makes y'all do!

Anyway, I was running errands today (Monday) and I decided to make a stop at BBW since I was in the area so that I could at least write a review. And so here we are.

Let's start with the House of Blues candles. as per usual, I will only talk about the new candles

Honey & Vanilla - so right off the bat, this is NOT a repackage of Honey & Tangerine or Sweet Honey Bee; as far as I can tell, this is a completely new scent...and it's not what you expect. I LOATHE vanilla scents and I'm not a huge fan of honey scents either so I was expecting to utterly and completely hate this one but I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. So despite what the name suggests, there is absolutely no honey and the tinge of vanilla that's there is not the vanilla you're used to from BBW. As a whole, this scents smells like straightup melted white chocolate, like something you'd dip strawberries into; it almost has a Nestle's Crunch Cookies and Cream vibe to it. The vanilla is not vanilla/tonka bean or vanilla powdered sugar or marshmallow but almost milky; think French Vanilla coffee creamer. All in all, it's a very rich, indulgent and decadent scent; it's a good curl up in your blanket and read a book type scent. I'm a little annoyed at the name and marketing as it's a total misnomer; it should've been something like "Milk and Sugar" or "White Chocolate & Creme" or "French Vanilla White Mocha". Honey and Vanilla does it no justice.

Fresh Mint & Coconut - Again this was another scent that I was not expecting to like but it totally surprised me. And again, the name totally threw/turned me off - mint and coconut are not notes that I would think go together...then again I did like Lavender Coconut. Anyway, the scent is a little more complex than the basic name suggests - you do get mint, think freshly picked and slightly muddled garden mint/peppermint which gives the blend a freshness and yet it's surprisingly not very menthol-y. And you did get the coconut but it's more like coconut water as opposed to meat or milk. And there are some green grassy notes behind the mint that almost gives the scent a Green Grass/Snap Peas type vibe. Lastly, there is a faint ozonic seawater/sea air/sea spray vibe chillin in the background. I would say think of this as a summer version of Renew & Refresh, same type vibe but with coconut water. Again, BAD MARKETING. This should've been called something vague and conceptual like "Summer Fun" or "Sea Breeze" "Beach Vibes" or "Beach Shore"and put in the Spa Day collection or one of the beachy ones.


And now Mixed Materials, omitting Tea & Lemon (aka London Calling), Bergamot Waters and Rosewater & Ivy (which smells exactly like the wf bulbs albeit slightly less intense)

Vanilla Birch - this one seems to have confused a lot of people, myself included.I thought for sure it would be Peace ~ Iced Vanilla Woods as it was repackaged as "White Birch" last fall. There was also a Vanilla Birchwood back in the Slatkin days but after sniffing this, this can not possibly be that. Right of the bat, this is most certainly is NOT Wild Madagascar Vanilla as people have been saying on social media. After finally sniffing this, I gotta say I kinda surprised if not disappointed that no one figured this out except for Tinadivalicious who talked about it in his recent video   and I am cosigning. Vanilla Birch is a straightup repackage with a twist of Wine Cellar aka Smoked Berries & Incense..without a doubt, there's no denying it, I'm goin down swingin to defend myself on this one. I even sniffed other ones to make sure I wasnt just sniffing a mismatched lid but nope, they all smelled like Wine Cellar. VB is a little lighter, a little less robust and it's more woods than fruit but that's about it. I don't really understand how a spicy fruity wine scent all of a sudden becomes a woody vanilla scent..there's NO vanilla aspect at all. . Once a-friggin-gain, BAD MARKETING! They could've called this "Wine & Spice" "Pomegranate & Saffron/Patchouli" "Red Fruit & Oak" ..hello friggin rename it SMOKED BERRIES & INCENSE!!!

Bourbon Sea Salt Caramel - I initially wrote this off as yet another generic savory ooey gooey sticky sweet diabetic coma inducing caramel scent...it is kinda. It kinda gives me a Hot Buttered Rum vibe as it a rich caramel scent with a hint of salty savoriness and a splash of sweet dark liquor...although I'm hesitant to see it's a repackage/repackage with a twist. For the sake of argument, I'll just say it's new but familiar. And you do get a boozy kick that separates it from all of the other caramel scents over the years. And I dunno if my nose is trippin, but I swear I got a faint hint of almond but not like roasted almonds or amaretto; it's smells like the generic almond scented hand soap you get from dollar stores..which makes me think this may be a repackage of Toffee Glazed Popcorn/Toffee Crunch from 2012. I didn't like that scent nor do I really remember some another candle connoisseur out there will have to prove me right or wrong.

Sweet Spearmint - so there was a failed test scent of the same name in the Fresh Picked collection back in spring 2014. I'm pleased as punch to report that this is the same scent albeit lighter..which is par for the course with BBW. I stupidly passed on this one when I first moved up here and saw it in GSP back when it was still a test store so I'm glad it's back. The scent is straightforward, it's literally sweet spearmint. Think of this as a spring/summer version of Twisted Peppermint, Twisted Peppermint's twin. You get a Doublemint Gum-esque spearmint note, the same spearmint note you get in Winter Mint & Spruce. It's cooling and refreshing and ever so slightly sharp. And it's sweetened and toned by a sugared vanilla bean note, not as creamy as it portrays itself to be. And that's it. This would make a nice cool you down on a hot spring/summer down kinda scent. Again, BAD MARKETING..that seems to be a friggin theme! Why exactly makes this scent "mixed materials"? Shouldn't the name suggest that? "Mint & Sugar" or "Vanilla Spearmint" Personally this scent doesn't belong and should've been in either the Lattice or Hit Refresh or Summer Fresh collection.

TEST SCENT REALNESS/THIS IS THE BOMB.COM: Prickly Pear Sugarcane

Products: candle   
Area used in: living room
Time Period: end of April - June

Description: Bring home a blend of luscious prickly pear fruit and sugarcane inspired by the exotic flavors of Mexico

Trivia: this and Mayan Caramel (aka Cayenne Caramel) were the only failed test scents from what I call the "Taco Bell" collection - because the chosen scents were as authentically Mexican as Taco Bell

Somehow, thru sheer luck, I managed to snag one lone Prickly Pear Sugarcane long after the collection came out and had every intention on keeping it in my "sniff only" collection. However, luck struck again, I was able to snag another one and I just had to burn that sucker. I figured sometime around Cinco de Mayo would be the most apropos time for it and waited patiently to get my burn on...and I'm soooo glad I waited that and that I had an extra one to burn because it is f***ing AMAZING!!!!

So right off the bat this sucker is STRONG! Even the cold throw is intense; you pop off the lid and it's an instant KO. A few times I had it unlit and sitting on a table and I can still smell it as if it was lit. When I lit it the first time, the scent throw wasn't as strong however after a few subsequent burns, the throw started getting stronger and stronger. I was a bit concerned as it had the wax covered rope wicks with no post burn mushroom tops and that for sure that it would burn like crap but nope I was wrong; perfect burns every single time. 

As for the scent, it's very straightfoward - it smells like legit prickly pears/cactus fruit. I own a bottle of prickly pear syrup  and the candle smells just likes it. If you don't know prickly pears smells and/or tastes like, think a mix of pear, melon and raspberry...very unique. And unlike what the color of the wax may suggest, prickly pear fruit and meat is actually a bright fuchsia/magenta. The notes mention pear as opposed to prickly pear...kinda of annoying that BBW doesn't know the difference. That said, perhaps whatever pear fragrance oil when mixed with other unmentioned hidden notes creates something that smells like prickly pear...who knows. As for the sugarcane, there is a natural smelling drippy syrupy sweetness to the blend. And I get some wet and lush green notes in the background - definitely sometime cactus and/or aloe and maybe a hint of cucumber/melon. As a whole, the scent is perfectly balanced - it's sweet without smelling like candy, fresh without smelling laundry detergent/fabric softener and lush and green without smelling grassy or outdoorsy. It's crisp and juicy and succulent, its one of those scents that makes you feel a little indulgent and decadent.

This is one of many instances that makes you wanna scream "BBW, what the f*** is wrong with you?!" Why, oh why didn't you release it?! Like all of the other unicorn candles of the past, it was a guaranteed hit and there's no excuse why it failed. And unlike all of the bland and basic scents that did go wide this collection, PPS actually had something to do with Mexican culture; hell prickly pear is actually on the damn Mexican flag! But no, instead you release friggin Pineapple Lily, which was STANK and smelled nothing at all like actual pineapple lilies...which is a good thing because they smell like rotten ass. Furthermore, they grow in Africa not friggin Mexico..which you geniuses in the marketing department would know if y'all actually did research! Anyway, I doubt BBW will ever bring this back as good scents always disappear so if you see this on Ebay or Mercari (and it's reasonable) or you have a friend who will sell you one, don't think about it, JUST BUY IT!!!!

CANDLE SPOTLIGHT: Tobacco Flower

Products: candle   
Area used in: living room
Time Period: end of April - June

Description: Tobacco Flower, Black Peppercorn, Spicy Orchid, Warm Tonka

So this review is gonna be super brief cuz I don't really have too much to say about this scent. I really only bought this scent because I wanted a spicy cologney mandle for the boudoir to go with my current Cinco de Mayo/tribute to Mexico theme...and beacuse my bf liked it.

So the performance is good stuff - sturdy wicks, mushroom tops, deep even pool yada yada yada. The throw is soooooo light; you have to hover it to get any fragrances and what little scent has been thrown dissipates  almost immediately after blow the candle out. Even the wf bulb is light; you really only smell it if you're standing next to it. It's one of those scents that you have to step out of the room and then re-enter to get any semblance of fragrance.

Most folks do know this but TF is a repackage and it's a repackage of a failed test scent that few are familiar with or even remember - Mad about Madrid ~ Under the Spanish Moon from spring 2014 and would later be repackaged for fall Tailgate (totally different from the original 2013 failed test scent version) To be honestly, I didn't really care for then and my feelings/opinions about it hasn't changed now.  As you know, I luv me some cologney scents however there's something about this one that rubs my nose the wrong way. I think it's because it's of the warm and spicy variety which is not the kind of cologne scent or even regular cologne that lean towards (my bf likes the spicy cologne/cologney scents whereas I like the fresh/watery or woodsy/herbal ones). The tobacco and black pepper obvious gives the blend the spice. There's also a drippy, polished, almost drippy cedar note and a hint of musk. As for the orchid and tonka...yeah I can't say that get either of those notes. I get the vibe they were going with this scent (even back in the day as MAM); it is a sort of exotic scent but I dunno if I get a Spanish vibe from this. To me, it just smells like a men's cologne; sometimes it confuses me sometimes and makes me think I have similar smelling cologne on.

I think out of all of the cologney mandles that have been on the market over the years, this is probably one of least offensive and most guest friendly ones; it's sweet and warm and exotic. For those who enjoy the spicier cologney scents or if you're typically anti-cologney scents, this is good scent to experiment with.  And that's really all I have to say about it.