WALK 'N' SNIFF: Winter '16 Scents/BOGO Sale

So because it was raining all weekend, I didn't get a chance to go to BBW or WB. But today the weather was gorgeous and very sweater weather-y so I took a stroll to my BBW in the city. I had a $20off$50 coupon at my disposal and I wanted see if they had any of the first phase of winter scents and they did!

Sparkling Woods - This one is so strange. It basically smells like a unisex cologne or shaving cream. It's slightly woodsy but not nearly enough to call this scent "Sparkling WOODS". There's a very subdued amber note lurking in the background as well as a bright juicy bodycare-esque citrus fruitiness that could possibly be described as pear. The notes I got the most were bergamot (which is super strong) and as well as patchouli that gives the scent an earthiness and adds to it's cologney/perfumey aspect. I went back and forth liking and disliking it; my problem with this scent was there's something about it that almost comes across as a cleaning product, very Windex-y; maybe it was the pear/bergamot/patchouli mix that gives it that cleaning product vibe. And I don't really know what this scent is supposed to capture or portray - it's not woodsy, it's not foresty, it's not outdoorsy, it's not wintry and it's not holiday-ish. If this was a stand alone women's (or men's) bodycare with an accompanied candle like Magic in the Air, that would be fine. But this does not belong in this collection at all! 

Mahogany Balsam - for those who never smelled it last year, it's basically 70% Mahogany Stankwood and 30% Fresh Balsam with the eucalyptus waaaay toned down. Totally unnecessary and lazy!

Winter Rose - seriously BBW..what the actual f***?! I was uninterested, annoyed and confused when I first saw this scent on social media and I remain so after sniffing it. First of all, it doesn't smell like roses; it's straight up the Peony bodycare from last SAS in candle form. It's dewy peony, a little hit of sandalwood, maybe some lily action and musk. And it doesn't smell wintery - there is no coolness, no frozen element, no mint, no pine/balsam, just straight up springtime flowers. Now if they released this for Valentine's day or as a late winter to spring transitional, it could work...but as a New Years celebration,..no maam! BBW, kindly GTFOH with with bullshittery! Though again, all of the girly girls (and boys) are creamin their panties cuz it's pink and floral and blah friggin blah...and at the end of the day, that's all that matters to BBW.

Holly Berry Balsam - I heard early on that this was a repackage of my beloved Merry Mistletoe...yes and no. It's Merry Mistletoe with a twist. HBB has the same MM base to it but much subdued. And the piney/basalmy notes have been way amped up. It's more musky and there is more intensely sweet citrusy/fruity action. It almost reminds me of Alpine Cheer a little; think a watered down MM with a splash of AC. Honestly I think MM smells better and BBW should've released that instead. There's just not enough a difference to make HBB either new or exciting.

Peach Meringue - again BBW, WTF?!! This is a holiday scent because.....?! I just imagine marketing execs at L Brand throwing scent ideas around at the table and saying something like "what about peach? Bitches loves peaches!" So yeah PM is basically Market/Georgia Peach with an amped up nectarine note and a dollop of vanilla-ish whipped cream. Nothing new or exciting..NEXT!!!

Celebrate - * eyeroll When people were saying that this smelled like Tis the Season, I refused to believe. However, after sniffing it, it totally does! It's Tis the Season without the pine and instead of mulling spices, you get straightup cinnamon bark. And there's just a tiny splash of orange that adds a brightness and intensifies the apple notes. I just can't with you BBW..seriously, why the everlasting F*** would you create a "new" scent that smells borederline exactly like an already existing scent in another another collection. Stupidity, plain and simple!

Winter Cedar - this is straightup The Original aka Golden Woods aka Fireside Pine...waaaayyyyy toned down. It smells like pencil shavings and cedar chips, more so than the original Original. UNNECESSARY!

Peppermint Marshmallow - ok, so people have been saying that this year's version didn't have that strange, awkward, unmentioned cocoa note like last year's. Maybe my nose is playing tricks on me but I totally smelled that chocolate. Maybe it'll dissipate once lit? Either there are 2 batches of this or people are just smelling what they want to smell. At any rate, PM is just meh; I didn't like it enough last year to get this year's version.

Cinnamon Pinecone - My store didn't have the actual candle but it did have the wallflower bulb. Now reports from folks who bought the candle while it was testing have said that it smelled slightly different from Welcome ~ Spiced Autumn Wreath/Cinnamon Pincone; that it was more cinnamon-y and that there was a orange peel/zest-esque citrusiness. I can't really say that I got all of that with the wf bulb. The bulb smells like a darker, woodsier version of Welcome (which I have the candle and bulb of at home)

(What I ended up getting)