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