WALK 'N' SNIFF: First Phase of Fall 2017 Candles

So I know I'm super late to the party but I FINALLY got to sniff some fall stuff; I feel like I'm one of the few people on the continent who haven't yet. My schedule has changed a bit recently so alas I haven't been able to hit up any WB stores in my area. However, as I was nearby, I did hit up a BBW store and was able to get my sniff on as well as take advantage of the recent BOGO sale (all I bought was Leaves). So anyhoo, I'm just gonna go down the list of everything new/new-ish that I sniffed

Pomegranate - so everyone on social media has been losing their proverbial shit over this candle and I really dont really understand why! As you know, contrary to what the notes suggest, this isn't a new scent and is a repackage of the (failed?) test scent Wild Huckleberry. So right off the bat I get no pomegranate at all and the orange and eucalyptus notes that are listed are pure BS. Well that's not entirely true, I do get a hint of citrus-like peel/rind lingering in the background but I can't say that it's orange. Also do get a hint of greeniness but I'm hardpressed to say that I smell eucalyptus. So basically what you get is tart fresh dark berry notes ie black currants with an added greeniness that conjures images of berries growing wild in a bramble patch. Normally BBW's dark berry scents are super sweet to the point of smelling like candy or punch but this smells pretty natural and accurate. It's a pleasant enough scent but so not worth the hype.

Incense - again, yet another scent that is getting overly hyped on social media and I just don't get it. The name is a little misleading cuz it doesn't particularly smell incensey or Oriental or even smoky. As far as I can tell, unlike the other Elements candles, this is a new scent however it smells very familiar. I was hoping it would be close to or repackage of Black Pepper Bergamot but nope; it's very similar to Tobacco Flower aka Mad About Madrid. It's a ....."cologney" scent - very heavy on the black pepper with dash of very earthy patchouli. It's mellowed out by other unmentioned notes - amber maybe, some sandalwood. My problem with this scent is that there is something really sharp amongst the notes and it instantly burned my nosehairs. I dunno what the note is but iut reminds me a lot of Cashmere & Oak, one of the few cologney scents I ever brought back to the store. 

Vetiver Sandalwood - so this a repackage of the very elusive Sandalwood & Suede candle that popped up in some stores last fall. Alas I never ever got to sniff that one but according to a buddy of mine, it smelled like..and I quote.."sweaters in the men's section of Macy's. And that's exactly what this smells like; go to Macy's or JC Penney's or Sears, head to the men's section where the sweaters and flannel shirts are and take a big whiff of the air nearby. It's basically a blend of very earthy masculine notes - sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver,  tonka bean to mellow things out and add a little sweetness. And the "sweater" aspect is coming from the blone wood notes ie suede/cashmere. It's very unassuming and unoffensive manly scent...in other words it's very blah.

Golden Citrus - total repackage of Autumn Sunshine 

Autumn Woods - there's been a lot of intrigue about this candle and it certainly seems to be the popular scent in this collection. The name and notes did certainly pique my interest...until I smelled it. It's not a bad scent by any means but it wasn't what I expected. It smells extremely similar to XOXO/Seaside Mist. It's a..."cologney" scent - it's wood heavy blend with a hint of astringent lavender. The difference is there is a sweetness to the blend, some kind of sweet wood; the notes mention "walnut" but I'm thinking maybe hickory or mahogany, perhaps some tonka bean. The sweet wood (*giggles) reminds me a little bit of the original Tailgate   . AW is just ok, not very exciting or groundbreaking and certainly not very autumnal

Bourbon Maple - this scent has been throwing a lot of people for a loop - is it new or is it a repackage? It is NOT new and it IS a repackage but it's a repackage of scent from a entirely failed collection from last fall - Sunkissed Maple . Despite what the name suggest, I really didn't get maple so much as I did caramel; that said, it's very similar to Bourbon Sea Salt Caramel. You get the same dark, sweet, ooey gooey boozy caramelness with a hint of woodsy action (ie oak or teakwood) and a little hint of something nutty. It's a cute scent but not very exciting or even necessary

Sunlit Cedar - I am 99.9% percent sure that this is a repackage of Autumn Sky  - a very citrus (bergamot?) heavy un-autumnal cologney scent. It's a very pointless scent because it's sooo smiliar to Crisp Morning Air..which smells like a very citrus heavy un-autumnal cologney scent

Heirloom Apple - for whatever reason, this year's version smells undeniably different - it went from a marshmallow-y pear-ish scent to basically a watered down repackage of Farmstand Apple

Bourbon Butterscotch - the same BB from Fall 2014's Artisan Collection, extremely similar to Hot Buttered Rum.

Cranberry Woods - I know this isn't a new scent but I had to bring this up. I dunno if BBW is using cheaper fragrance oils for returning Slatkin-era scents or if they are pandering to the basic bitches of America, but this is the same sickening fruit punch sweet mess from last year. There's no "woods" in Cranberry Woods - just sweet cranberry and cinnamon. As my candlebuddy Touchthefiretwice said in a conversation about it, it smells more like Cranberry Cider from backintheday. I say it call it that cuz it's definitely NOT the Cranberry WOODS I know and love. 

No sign of Cinnamon Pretzel, Honeyed Pear, Harvest Pear, Bonfire S'mores, Cider Lane, or Peppered Plum

  

NEWNESS UPDATE: Harry Slatkin's Homeworx Candles

You better watch out! You better not cry! You better not pout, I'm telling you why! Harry Slatkin is coming to town!!!

So as you may (or may not) know, the "King of Home Fragrance" is back in action with his new brand of candles called "Homeworx" just in time for everyone's favorite candle burning time, fall and Christmas. He made his grand debut at midnight last night (July 25th aka Christmas in July) and went into great detail about his new brand of candles on QVC..and there was much rejoicing throughout the land.

His new scents include....

Autumn Pumpkin - Straight from the patch, fresh pureed pumpkin is mixed with autumn spice of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and cardamom topped by a squeeze of fresh orange creating the perfect fall moment.

Top Notes: Pumpkin, Orange, Cardamom

Middle Notes: Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg

Base Notes: Vanilla, Cedarwood

Deliciously Apple - Freshly picked from the orchard, ripened juicy red apples and a touch of tart green apples are combined with mouth watering pear to create an amazingly luscious orchard moment.

Top Notes: Sparkling Citrus, Watery Pear

Middle Notes: Juicy Macintosh, Honeycrisp Apple, Apple Blossom, Granny Smith Apple

Base Notes: Applewood, Red Oak

Harvest Leaves - The essence of Fall on a blustery day is captured with spiced pumpkin, tart cranberry and farmstand apples.

Top Notes: Sparkling Mandarin, Red Pear Nectar 

Middle Notes: Spiced Pumpkin, Tart Cranberry, Nutmeg, Sweet Cinnamon

Base Notes: Applewood, Warm Vanilla

Hot Cider Donut - Still piping hot, warm cider donuts infused with harvest apple and vanilla are baked to perfection and dusted with cinnamon sugar.

Top Notes: Sprinkled Cinnamon Sugar, Vanilla Glaze, Nutmeg

Middle Notes: Harvest Apples, Sparkling Spiced Cider

Base Notes: Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon Stick

Spiced Apple Crumb - Fresh from the oven, red and green apples are tossed with cinnamon spice, mixed with brown sugar and clove and topped with a buttery crumble.

Top Notes: Red Gala Apple, Green Granny Smith Apple, Cinnamon Bark

Middle Notes: Clove, Brown Sugar, Nutmeg

Base Notes: Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon Stick

Banana Maple Pancakes - Sunday breakfast memories, delicious fluffy pancakes are topped with gooey bananas, rich melted butter, sweet maple syrup and just a touch of Madagascar vanilla.

Top Notes: Mashed Banana, Whipped Milk

Middle Notes: Melted Butter, Vanilla Extract, Fluffy Pancakes

Base Notes: Maple Drizzle, Brown Sugar Crystals

Salted Caramel Cake - Rich and decadent, freshly baked vanilla cake is layered with buttercream and drizzled with warm caramel sauce with a touch of orange liqueur and sprinkled with crushed black walnuts.

Top Notes: Grated Lemon Zest, Black Walnut

Middle Notes: Salted Caramel Swirl, Buttermilk Frosting

Base Notes: Fluffy Vanilla Bean, Powdered Sugar

Toasted Vanilla Cupcake - Freshly whipped vanilla buttercream is whisked with caramel and frosted on a delicious toasted vanilla bean cupcake for a delectable treat.

Top Notes: Vanilla, Caramel, Butter

Middle Notes: Vanilla, Sugar, Cream, Cinnamon

Base Notes: Vanilla Bean Maple, Creme Brulee, Sugar Cookie

Trim the Tree - Simmering spices, brandied cranberry and warm roasted apples compliment fir balsam creating a freshly cut tree scent.

Top Notes: Blood Orange, Fresh Ground Nutmeg and Clove

Middle Notes: Roasted Red Apple, Pine Needles, Brandied Cranberry, Juniper Berry  

Base Notes: Frasier Fir, Cinnamon Stick

Holiday Wishes - A CELEBRATION of the season with sparkling mandarin, fir needles and spiced clove capturing the FESTIVE SPIRIT of the holidays.

Top Notes: Sparkling Mandarin, Snowy Pear

Middle Notes: Spiced Clove, Fir Needles

Base Notes: Balsam Pine,Frosted Moss, Winter Cypress

Deck the Hall - Freshly cut blue spruce and frozen evergreen create a festive aromatic garland perfect for decking the halls.

Top Notes: Blue Spruce, Frosted Green Leaf

Middle Notes: Siberian Fir Needles, Glacial Eucalyptus

Base Notes: Iced Moss, Winter Balsam, Frozen Evergreen

Winter Fireside - Warm sultry smoked firewood and roasted clove buds smolder with exotic incense mulled spices creating a warm holiday moment.

Frozen Balsam - Fresh frozen fir balsam, oakmoss and mountain evergreen come together to create the perfect tree fragrance capturing a snowy day

Top Notes: Bergamot, Frosted Evergreen

Middle Notes: Eucalyptus, Star Anise, White Mint, Pine Needle

Base Notes: Fir Balsam, White Birch , Oakmoss

Merry Merry Cranberry - Ruby red cranberries and tart sweet pink currants are blended with fresh raspberry preserves and sugared clove buds for this fruity creation.

Top Notes: Sparkling Tangerine, Tart Cranberries, Pink Currant

Middle Notes: Sugared Clove Bud, Raspberry Rose Preserves, Rhubarb Sorbet

Base Notes: Cinnamon Bark, Sugarplum

Sugarplum Punch - Ripe juicy plum, sweet sugarcane, and plump pomegranates are swirled together creating the perfect holiday punch.

Top Notes: Pink Prosecco, Mandarin Peel

Middle Notes: Juicy Mirabelle Plum, Raspberry Jam, Dark Pomegranate, Honeycrisp Apple

Base Notes: Sugarcane, Fruit Woods, Vanilla Bean

Candy Cane Kisses - Icy and minty, crystallized sugar and sweet peppermint are kissed with candied vanilla for this holiday treat.

Top Notes: Winter Peppermint, Crushed Cane

Middle Notes: Sheer Spearmint

Base Notes: Crystallized Sugar, Candied Vanilla 

The candles came in either sets of 2 3wicks, a pack of tealights, or 5 votives in a real cute "Storybook" tin container. They are all available to order now but they will not be shipped/delivered until well into September to ensure the wax wont melt during the journey. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY! AND HAPPY SHOPPING!

WALK N SNIFF: Elements Candles *UPDATED

So I was right down the street from BBW and was going to stop by to buy some handsoaps; I was expecting to see any newness so I had every intention on making a short in and out trip. But lo and behold the had the first phase of Elements collection ie the candles with the light colored labels and white frosted glass.

So right off the bat, every single one of these is a repackage with a twist of something or another. They all smell like a particular scent but with a little tweak to give the illusion of being a new scent. Ok so lets begin...

Cinnamon =  Welcome ~ Spiced Autumn Wreath
If you're expecting this to be a sweet Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut scent or a red hot Cinnamon & Clove Buds type of scent, you will be very mistaken. It's definitely closer to SAW as it shares the same wood and pine/balsam basenotes. The only difference is that the cinnamon is slightly sweeter. There's also a weird sharpness from the wood/pine notes that immediately burned my nose and set off my sinuses and it's very similar to relatively unknown and forgotten WB exclusive Cashmere & Oak.

Lemongrass = Lemon Verbena
Straightup Lemon Verbena. It's not as soapy smelling and the lemony aspect is bit more bright and alert but it's otherwise the same

Cypress = Woodland Forest
This one was seriously throwin me for a loop cuz it smelled so familiar but I couldn't pinpoint what it could be. I kept picking up a note that reminded me of green bellpeppers...and that's when it hit me - Woodland Forest, which smelled like green bellpeppers to me. Honestly I can't detect any tweaks just green grass/leaves, moss and well, bell peppers

Rose = Flower Shop
So Tinadivalicious was talking about this candle in a recent review  and I refused to believe him when he said he thought it was Flower Shop but sure enough he was right - it's totally FS! Kinduva bizarre choice as a) there's Winter Rose/Blushing Pink Rose Petals as well as Rosewater & Ivy and b)Flower Shop has NO rose notes and doesn't smell remotely rosy. It seems that they toned down the cut green stem notes and maybe added a little musk but otherwise it's FS. Also, and it could just be nose falling prey to the power of suggestion, I smelled an added note that almost gives the illusion of rosiness but I don't think an actual rose note was added

Bergamot = Sparkling Waves
This one is so bizarre! First of all, it smells like practically nothing; it's so light to the point of being nonexistent and you have to shove the candle up your nostril to get even the most smallest whiff of fragrance. Once you did smell something, you're flabbergasted as it doesn't smell like what you'd expect. To me what little fragrance I got smelled like Sparkling Waves, which did have bergamot in the notes. Also occasionally I'd get hints of Oceanside as well. Very strange candle!

Eucalyptus = Aromatherapy Eucalyptus Spearmint
This isn't even worth talking about so I won't waste your time or mine

Almond = Creamy Nutmeg
To me, Creamy Nutmeg has always smelled like eggnog with amaretto and that's what I get with Almond. The creaminess has been toned down a bit, there's a bit more sweetness and this version smells slightly more bakery than beverage but those are the only difference. I have to laugh about this candle cuz everybody and their grandma are going nuts about this candle on social media and buying buttloadds of it yet the majority of these individuals all slept on, ignored and turned their noses up at Creamy Nutmeg when it made its grand return during last winter's SAS. And that ladies and gents is the power of marketing.

I think it's safe to assume that these should be in your local stores - if not now, then soon. And it seems that the rumours of these candles replacing  the time old Aromatherapy candles are true as I didn't see any of them in the store. So far it's seems like only the light candles are making appearances; no word if the dark ones have failed or if there will be a second phase/late arrivals. Not that theyre anything exciting; from what I've heard, they're all pretty much repackages/repackages with a twist. BTW the remaining dark scents include...

Pomegranate (aka Wild Huckleberry), Lavender (aka French Lavender) and Incense (= ?) have all gone wide with new light glass tumblers). Chamomile (aka Black Chamomile), Juniper (aka Silver Pine & Cedar), Vanilla  (aka Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow) have not, at least for now

(FAILED) TEST SCENT REALNESS: Coconut Palm & Lime *COLD SNIFF REVIEW

Products: candle
Area used in: living room
Time Period: planned for next summer

Description: Island Coconut, Tropical Greens, Fresh Lime Zest

When this collection came out, I was really intrigued with this scent in particular. Of course, the whole collection failed and although these have popped up in random stores across the country, none of the stores in my area that I visited had them. Just when I had abandoned any hope of getting my hands on this candle, an angel of mercy appeared (my candlebuddy @spektorologist, on IG) and gifted me with this rare find. So sweet, right? Now (at the risk of sounding ungrateful, which I'm not BTW) that I finally have this in my possession, I can say with no amount of uncertainty it's not all that great.

First off, I want to talk a bit about the label. Now I'm not one of these individuals who are taken in by labels and only buy candles for the packaging. Moreover, I've always found animal print on anything to be gaudy and tacky. That said, I was initially turned off by the animal print labels in this collection particularly because they had nothing to do with the scents; as usual there's no theme or cohesion and it seems like BBW just slapped on these labels just for the sake of using them and to give off the illusion of upscale-ness. But I must say after seeing this candle in person, I'm kinda impressed with the label. It's not just matte wraparound photo, the label actually has texture; it feels like (fake) snakeskin and there's a smooth shiny polish to it. While impressive, it is unfortunate that so much time and effort was wasted on a somewhat mediocre scent that ended up not going wide.

So when I first smelled it, it immediately made me think of Palm Leaves & Mango; the two could be twins as they both similar and share base notes - just replace the mango note and lime. It's also extremely similar to the now forgotten Coconut Lime Breeze and Coconut Lime Verbena. The first note that you get is creamy sweetened coconut milk followed by a subtle soft creamy wood note, sandalwood and/or cedar. Behind that is wet, lush greeniness ("palm leaves") that gives the blend a tropical and summery outdoorsiness. Finally there's the lime note or rather lime-esque note as it doesn't smell like actually lime zest or peel or juice. It's reminds me of the "lime" note that's in Tequila Lime Cupcake (which harkens back to the Coconut Lime Verbena, which the two are so close to point of being borderline dupes). It's not actually lime but rather a blend that smells vaguely lime-esque - my guess is citron  with maybe some verbena (which can smell lime-y depending on variety). Lime can be a potent fragrance note so perhaps BBW went the citron route as it's less intrusive and more guest friendly. Who knows!

In conclusion, CP&L is a cute scent but it's nothing special. It's a little disappointing that it's both familiar smelling and slightly underwhelming but that's par for the course with BBW lately. If like me you're intrigued with this scent, don't be. Don't bother looking for this on the black market or asking a candlebuddy to mail you one, it's not worth it.

ON THE FENCE: Ocean Therapy ~ Ocean Mist & Citrus *COLD SNIFF REVIEW

Products: candle
Area used in: n/a
Time Period: n/a

Description: White-Capped Waves, Bright Pomelo Zest, Sun-Bleached Woods

Trivia: repackage of Waterfall Oasis from Zoo Collection


So this and Salted Oak Bonfire were the only candles from this collection that I was remotely interested in. This scent in particular had my name written all over it - a oceanic watery manly "cologney" scent; you know I love my fresh watery scents and I love my cologney scents. For awhile none of my stores had them and a few people on social media were asking me what I thought about this scent but I couldn't give an answer. Finally on a recent visit to BBW, I spotted some and was able to sniff. I went back and forth on it but ended up buying one. Having smelled it at home with clear head and nose away from the all the distractions, I have a case of buyer's remorse as I'm leaning towards not liking it.

So there's two things that this scent reminds me of ...

1.) Ocean bodycare for men (which, besides Paris) is only men's bodycare that I like. The bodycare and this candle both share similar notes - ozone, white woods and citrus

2) Nantucket Sails from summer 2015's "there once was a a man from Nantucket" collection, which was basically Black Tie mixed with grapefruit and sea salt. This and OM&C are sooooo similar, they can be twins. BBW does this all the time - why create a "new" scent that smells similar to an already existing scent? BBW should've just re-released NS and called it a day!

Ok so first of all, despite what the name suggests, I didn't find this scent to be very oceanic. There's no ozone, no cucumber/melon action, nothing that suggests wetness..just salt. Secondly, they were not kidding about the citrus - it is intense. You get an instant noseful of tart pomelo grapefruit... in fact it smells like the old Pomelo Grapefruit from 2014's Fresh Picked; it's like they took that candle and added sea salt and herb notes..which brings me to my next point. There's definitely a herbal note in this, my guess is lavender (common in watery scents) that adds fresh, almost minty astringency. And lastly there's faint hint of woods, a driftwood accord. Oak perhaps and maybe a hint of cypress and or vetiver.

I'm a little disappointed as a scent like this is usually right up my alley but there's something in the blend that is rubbing my nose the wrong way and I think it's the pomelo grapefruit note. It's so sharp and intense and almost comes across slightly ripe musty armpit-ish to me. It's really throwin me for a lopp marketing-wise - to me it's less ocean waves and sea air and more healthy breakfast of grapefruit sprinkled with salt. I think if this had been marketed as a spa resort scent with no mention ocean, perhaps it could've tricked my mind into liking this but then again, I dunno if I could get my nose past the pomelo note. Perhaps if there wee an accompanying wf bulb, I might have tried that instead cuz I don't think I could commit to a whole 3wick candle. So yeah, I think this may be going back to the store to be exchanged. All this said, I can see some folks liking this; this could be a nice lounging in the bathtub kind of scent. So go ahead and sniff this for yourself cuz you may enjoy it but this one is just not for me.

NEWNESS UPDATE: Fall 2017 Test Scents Pt. 2

Oh you thought we done with testing fall scents? Think again! Thanks to my candle homegurl @tinybubblesfloating, we got to see even more fall test scents!

So the third testing collection is you standard fall collection with all of the fall fan favorites. Remember the infamous Times New Roman candles? Well imagine those but with fall scents instead and autumnal images on the labels. As usual BBW has found a gimmick and is running with it though it seems the marketing dept. learned their lesson and have opted for a (FF Trixie) typewriter font instead of Times New Roman. Anyhoo, there are 2 "new" scents in this collection...

• Harvest Pear - Sweet Roasted Pear, Cinnamon Sugar Crumble, Freshly Whipped Buttercream (I am hoping and praying to the candles gods that this is my beloved Apple Crumble or something similar)
• Bonfire S'mores - Campfire Woods, Homemade Graham Cracker, Honey (this could be Pumpkin Fireside, maybe even Salted Oak Bonfire, but I have a sneaky suspicion that it's Toasted Graham Latte)

Returning scents include Autumn, Leaves, Sweater Weather, Sea Salt & Maple Popcorn, Marshmallow Fireside, Pumpkin Apple, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, Cranberry Woods and Flannel

The fourth collection that's testing is fancy schmancy group of outdoorsy and/or woodsy smelling autumnal scents with wrap around polished wood textures to fit the woodsy/outdoorsy theme. All of you anti-cologney scents haters out there, this collection is not for you for there isn't a single bakery scent in this. Scents include... 

• Autumn Woods - Dark Walnut, English Lavender, White Amber (Iced Vanilla Woods?)
• Vetiver Sandalwood - Vetiver Grass, Velvety Sandalwood, Warm Musk (Wild Vetiver/Vanilla Vetiver?)
• Bourbon Maple - Barrel-Aged Bourbon, Sugared Amber, Maple Wood (Caramel Woods? Sunkissed Maple? Sea Salt Bourbon Caramel)
• Golden Citrus - Sparkling Mandarin, Warm Cedar, Golden Amber (I wish this was the now forgotten Mountain Leaves but I think this might be Autumn Sunshine)

Returning scents include Mahogany Apple and Leaves 

Here's part 1 if you missed it!

NEWNESS UPDATE: Summer Miscellaneous and FALL 2017 TEST SCENTS *UPDATED*

OK I have a LOT of info to throw at you guys so fasten your seatbelts and hold on tight cuz here we go!

First of (I don't know when but soon) we'll be seeing additional "greetings" candles. And of course they're all repackages. They include...

• Aloha Beaches = Aloha Kiwi Passionfruit
• Good Vibes Only = Fiji White Sands
• HAPPY BIRTH-YAY (dafuq?!) = Midnight Blue Citrus (again, dafuq?!)
• Hooray = possibly Pink Apple Punch or Green Apple Champagne 

There's a final one called "Love Live Lake" which hasn't made any appearances yet as no is talking about it. As much as I would LOVE this to be Boathouse Row or Lakeside/Verbena Waters, I have a funny feeling it's just gonna be Bergamot Waters as BBW loves rehashing seemingly popular scents; plus BW was called "LAKEside Sunrise" at one point)

The next collection we should be seeing soon is called "Elements" and I've heard rumours that the Aromatherapy candles (Lavender Vanilla, Eucalyptus Spearmint, etc) are going to be phased out with these Elements candles replacing..don't quote me on that as it is a rumor. The candles all focus on one particular aromatherapy note -

• Cinnamon - Clove & Nutmeg (Cinnamon & Clove Buds? Spice? Kitchen Spice?)
• Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus & Peppermint (no word if this is Eucalyptus Spearmint/Eucalyptus Mint or not)
• Lavender - Lavender & Lavadin 
• Chamomile - Bergamot & Orange (this sounds more like Earl Grey than Chamomile)
• Lemongrass - Lime & May Ching  (this may be interesting)
• Pomegranate (word on the street this failed test scent/late addition Wild Huckleberry)
• Juniper - Cedarwood & Eucalyptus (possible repackage of Silver Pine & Cedar) 
• Rose - Lemon & Orange (huh?) (This is neither Winter Rose or Rosewater & Ivy)
• Incense - Black Pepper & Bergamot (I will be highly surprised if this isn't Black Pepper Bergamot)
• Vanilla - Nutmeg & Star Anise (ohhh,that's interesting. You don't see star anise too much in BBW scents)
• Almond - Almond & Sandalwood (I got nuthin)
• Cypress - Lemongrass & Thyme (ohh, this sounds intriguing)

And now the part that everyone has been waiting for...FALL SCENTS

The first testing collection is a bakery themed one..which I'm sure will make sooooo many people happen. And it's yet another "greetings" collection cuz you know BBW, once the find a gimmick, they run it into the ground til it's a fine powder. And the labels...oh boy. The labels have caused quite a stir on social; most people hate them while a few love them (with those who love them are angry at those who hate them). I'm in the hate camp - they just look cheap and unpolished with nothing autumnal about them. I'm not one to wax poetically about packaging but one of the great things about BBW's fall candles are fall themed pictures and labels. And I get it - the labels are supposed to look like blackboards at a coffeehouse and that is a cute idea but the execution i just all wrong;it literally looks construction cutouts you see on elementary/grade school classroom walls. At any rate, the labels aren't important, the scents are. For the moment, there are 2 new scents...

• Hey Honey ~Honeyed Pear - Warm Poached Pear, Buttery Caramel, Honey Nectar (I'm really hoping this is Brandied Pear from the Slatkin days . This could also be Home~Sweet Caramel Comfort aka Caramel Apple )  
• Spice it Up ~Cinnamon Pretzel Twist - Fresh Ground Cinnamon, Homemade Pretzel, Vanilla Cream Icing (apparently it's not Cinnamon Sugared Doughnuts but actually new. Still this could be a repackage - Kitchen Spice? or Brown Sugar Allspice? 

Returning scents include....

• Hello Sugar ~ Warm Apple Pie
• The Homeamde Goodness ~ Pumpkin Cupcake
• Always a Fall Favorite ~ Hot Cocoa & Cream
• The Best Fall Treat ~ Cinnamon Caramel Swirl
• Life is Sweet ~ Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow

Lastly, we'll be seeing fall additions to the WB core collection. At the moment there 3 "new" scents..

• Spiced Coconut Milk - Warm Toasted Coconut, Fresh Cream, Ground Nutmeg (of course BBW has throw in a coconut scent in fall. No word whether this is Pumpkin Coconut or Toasted Coconut)
• Autumn Apricot - Harvest Apricot, Mango Nectar, Sugared Musk (I was intrigued with the apricot but lost me with the mango. This could be Harvest Peach from a few falls ago but I have a funny feeling it's Christmas's Peach Meringue)
• Peppered Plum - Sweet Plum, Fresh Saffron Spice, Black Peppercorn (I'm very intrigued with this one! I think (and hope) this might Plum Wine Amber from the Slatkin days

Return scents include

• Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
• Marshmallow Fireside
• Cranberry Woods
• Crisp Morning Air 
• Cider Lane

Now before anyone gets indignant about not seeing your fall favs, calm your coochies and be patient! This is NOT everything we'll be seeing fall, this just the beginning!

For pics of the current testing candles, checkout Lifeinsidethepage or my gurl @_scentsgalore on IG

Here's part 2

CANDLE SPOTLIGHT: Beach Glow ~ Salted Oak Bonfire *BF PICK*

Products: candle
Area used in: living room or bedroom
Time Period: whenever

Description: Wave-washed Oak, Glowing Embers, Sea Spray

This is another candle that my bf picked out and bought however unlike the last candle, this was one that I was initially intrigued with and actually enjoyed post sniff and post burn. So when this scent made its debut on social media, I was really hoping it would be the grand return of summer '15's Summer Bonfire..which was such a weird scent but I really like it. Sadly it wasn't that but it actually turned out to be an entirely new scent which is always a welcome surprised. I probably would've picked this one up at some point however I'm glad my bf was interested in this one enough to give it a try; he and I both enjoy woodsy/bonfire scents so it was a win-win situation.

So we've been burning this off and on on the weekends recently. The performance has been pretty decent so far - the flames have been high and there has been a consistent deep and even pool. The throw is shockingly light for scent of this kind. The scent will get lost and dissipate in a big room so it's better to try it in a smaller room like the bathroom or your boudoir.

So this is one of those confounding scents to describe as it's both simple yet complex. The best way I could describe is it's a summery/beachy version of Marshmallow Fireside. Imagine Summer Bonfire and Pumpkin Fireside making love on the beach with SOB being the end result. I get a little bit of both of those scents in this one - I get a creamy wood with salty air vibe from Summer Bonfire and embery woods with a hint of dark sweetness from Pumpkin Fireside. The notes mention oak...I mean I guess. It's not mentioned in the notes but I get an intense cedar note that definitely evokes Fireside/Marshmallow Fireside/Pumpkin Fireside. There's amber that gives the woodsy notes some warmth - amber is common in most bonfire/fireside scents. There is a beachy salty ocean air vibe, almost borderline laundry detergent/fabric softener-esque. Finally there's a bunch on unmentioned notes floating around in this scent which makes me wish BBW would be more honest with their notes. I get Summer Bonfire-esque citrus, like a orange peel and/or orange blossom/leaves. I also get a dark sweet spicy nuttiness like nutmeg or candied chestnuts which makes me think of Pumpkin Fireside. Lastly, the main thing I get (and I'm flabbergasted why BBW didn't mention it) is unavoidable and very detectable marshmallow; it's so pronounced and in your face that it's really bizarre that it's unmentioned and ignored. You can't get around it or avoid; many on social media have picked up the marshmallow aspect and have compared it the Beach Nights bodycare     with it's top notes of marshmallow.

All in all, SOB is a very pleasant scent. I do think it was marketed all wrong as well as misnamed. Despite BBW ignoring it, there is an obvious gourmand aspect to this scent; it smells less like a roaring fire at the beach and more like roasting marshmallows or making s'mores at the beach. Anyway, I do think this is a scent worth trying; the wood notes aren't intense enough to scare away bakery lovers and the sweetness isn't obnoxious to drive off the outdoors/woodsy lovers. Now is this a stock-up-able scent? Ehh, no not really. It's a nice scent but not enough to want to burn all the time; just pick up on or two and you should be good.

CANDLE SPOTLIGHT: Bourbon Sea Salt Caramel *BF PICK*

Products: candle
Area used in: living room
Time Period: whenever

Description: Barrel-aged Bourbon, Soft Caramel, Coarse Sea Salt

So ladies and gents, this is a special edition of "CANDLE SPOTLIGHT" as this is a candle my bf specifically sought and bought.

My bf is OBSESSED with anything salted caramel; whether it's a coffee drink or ice cream or even home fragrance, he goes nuts for it. That said, when he spotted this at our last trip to WB, he was drawn to it like a moth to a flame and immediately put it in his basket to buy. As you already know, I despise most caramel scents and avoid them like the plague with very few exceptions so I grimaced when I saw him huff it with reckless abandon and then place it his basket. Fast forward to about a week or so again, we're having a relaxing weekend at home and we decided to give this sucker a burn. The bf was absolutely loving it, me..not so much.

So burn-wise, this candle started out a little on the iffy side. On the first initial burn, it took waaaaayyyyy too long to pool out and I thought for sure it was going to tunnel but it didn't. After a few hours, it finally pooled and it's be burning correctly ever since. The throw on this badboi is so friggin intense. Caramel in and of itself is never subtle and most scents with that note is like a sticky suckerpunch to the face and this scent is not the exception. The throw is incredible and sort of sits in the air like a heavy fog. Those who enjoy sweet/bakery/caramel well certainly enjoy such an all encompassing scent but for me, it makes feel sticky and want to take a bath. And it lingers in the air for hhoooouuuurrrs, typical of caramel scents; I burned it one night, blew it out and went to bed and had to open the window the next morning cuz I could still smell it in the air.

There's some contention online as this scent smells familiar and must be a repackage of a past scent. Most say that this is a straightup dupe of Hot Buttered Barf..I mean Rum because both are caramel scents with dark sweet alcoholic note in the background. For a hot second, I thought these folks were right...until I burned it; I'm 90% sure this isn't HBR. Some suggested it might be Bourbon Butterscotch from fall 2014's Artisan collection but I don't think it's that either. I personally thought it Toffee Glazed Popcorn from fall 2012; I deferred to a candle buddy who had one in his collection and let me know that it wasn't that either. My final opinion is that while that may smell familiar, I don't think this is a repackage of anything years past.

So scent-wise, you do get warm, overwhelmingly sweet, gloopy, ooey-gooey salted caramel. And in the background there is an aged woody brown liquor note that adds a darkness to the blend and intensifies the sweetness. Lastly...and I thought I was imagining things but other candle buddies of mine admitted that they smelled it too..I smell almonds/amaretto but I dunno if there is an actual almond note or if its the accord that's replicated the "bourbon" playing against the caramel. Whatever the case is, it's strange but I don't mind it.

In conclusion, I don't really understand why this scent exists or more importantly, why BBW felt the need to throw it into the Mixed Materials collection..what is mixed? If they threw in a wood note or something musky like leather or cashmere or suede ie Havana/Havana Heat/Ski Den, that would make sense. Couldn't BBW have waited and release this in the fall? Anyhoo, this scent is sooooo out of my wheelhouse and had my bf not picked it up, I wouldn't have even thought about trying it. It's not a bad scent and bakery/caramel lovers  will enjoy it, but this scent is just not for me. But the bf is happy with it so that's all that matters.              

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 receipt, 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 receipts. 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.