WALK 'N' SNIFF: Winter 2017 Candles Pt. 3 ~ Candy Coated, Chrome and Camp Winter 2.0 *UPDATED
So I went to one store last week while running errands but it only had a handful of the new stuff. Then I went to a different store today as it was the start of the new floorset and everything (except Smoked Birch) was out. A SA in an attempt to be helpful kept badgering while I was sniffing and once SAs do that, it just makes me wanna hightail out of the store; that said, some scents I didn't get a chance to get the batch number. Anyhoo, on with the review...
Blueberry Sugar (7261K3A2) - So this is a total repackage with a twist last year's Blueberry Twist. The blueberry note is less tart and more sweet. And there's smooth vanilla-like creaminess in the background though I'm hesitant to say to there is actually vanilla in the blend. Brown sugar..nope, not so much. Graham cracker...yeah right, absolutely not. It's just straight blueberries and sugar; to me it smells artificially flavored cotton candy or maybe a blueberry pie filling. This one is just marketed all kinds of wrong and I don't know why BBW insisted a releasing this a holiday scent cuz it definitely ain't.
Winter Mint Latte (7275AGA1) - while I did find myself liking this, I am a little disappointed cuz it smells too familiar to another scent. Basically this is a repackage with a twist of last year's Mint Chocolate that popped up during winter SAS. That version smelled really dry for some reason and lacked the creaminess and richness that it had in years' past; that's essentially what I smell in WML. I do pick a small hint of coffee lurking in the background and you have to really huff to get it; it kinda reminds of Espresso Bar/Harvest Coffee/Gourmet Espresso. Though I wonder if this blend is playing tricks with my nose and that the "coffee" is actually just bitterness from the chocolate note. Anyway, in a nutshell, if you took that version of MC and mixed in a hint of EB, that is essentially WML. It's a cute scent but definitely nothing groundbreaking.
Capri Citron (7271M8A1) - ok I need to rant for a second
I'm really totally completely over BBW's latest trend of mixing random scents in seasonal collections where they don't belong ie mixing obviously spring/summer oriented scents in fall and/or holiday collections. And before anyone says that it's not fall or winter everywhere, that's a stupid excuse! No other candle company does this and up until last year, BBW has never done it before. I mean what's the point of having seasonal collections with seasonal themed floorsets if your just gonna throw non seasonal scents in all higgledy-piggledy?! There are soooooo many ol school fall and winter scents that haven't seen the light of the day in years that you can be bringing back...or use what little creativity you have to create new fall/winter oriented scents. Get it the F*** together BBW!
Anyway, back to Capri Citron...I dunno wtf this scent has to do with the holidays; that said I wasn't particularly very enthused about sniffing it. So right off the bat this isn't Limoncello nor any other lemon scents in years past. But like Limoncello and all the others, CC is very generic. It's basically a bright and surprisingly sweet lemon (juice/pulp) with the sourness/tartness toned down and made sweeter by a syrupy gave note. It's a pleasant scent but kinda unnecessary and very out of place; this should've been in Le Francaise candles last spring or in some kind of Summer Sips/Poptails type collection. If this just had to be released in winter, there should've been some mint like Snow and Slopes or juniper like Holly Wreath or something make it more wintery.
Star Anise (7276M8A1) - I friggin HATE/LOATHE/DESPISE the smell/taste of black licorice - black Twizzlers, Sambuca, Jaegermeister, fennel and star anise..hate em all. I can only handle star anise in Chinese 5spice and Vietnamese pho. So when I heard BBW was coming out with a straight star anus...I mean star anise candle, I was like "Why?!!!" Having sniffed, I have to say it's not nearly as stank and vomit inducing as I thought it would be. So despite the name, it's surprisingly woodsy; I dunno what woodsy notes were used to make the "smoked firewood" in the description but I get an intense cedar note. Smokiness..eh, I guess; a hint of smokiness. Brown sugar...I guess..there is an earthy sweetness that could be brown sugar. As for the star anus..yes, you do get it but it's not nearly as intense as you would think based on the name but I smelled enough it to make me immediately put it back on the shelf after one sniff. So basically in a nutshell, ST smells like Fireside with licorice instead of leather.
Peppered Suede (7278G3A12) - this one really intrigued me cuz it sounded... "cologney". Having sniffed, it's not at all what I expected. It's soooooo close to Autumn Woods from this fall; it also reminds of Seaside Mist/XOXO from over the summer...which was essentially a summer/oceanic version of Autumn Woods. Anyhoo, it's a warm sensual woodsy scent. I don't get bergamot at all; just woods and herbs. Amberwood - yeah there is a resinous vibe that adds a smoothness and warmth to the blend. The peppercorn is isn't spicy but does add brightness and more warmth. The lavender adds an herbal astringency as well as fresh, crisp coolness that tones down the warm notes. Unfortunately, there wasn't an AW to compare but based on scent memory, PS is extremely similar; to me PS is just AW with pepper..and I wonder if the "pepper" is just a power of suggestion mind/nose trick. So yeah, if you love and miss AW, this is the next best thing.
Vanilla Spiced Pear (7278K3A2) - so right off the bat this is NEITHER Harvest Pear or Brandied Pear; this is indeed (as far as I can tell) a new scent that is actually better than those two. The pear is pretty authentic but not like a pear off the tree but rather a baked or poached pear; the cooking process brings out the sweetness and is dripping with juice. There is a creamy vanilla note, like whipping cream flavored with vanilla bean. To say there is the word "spiced" in the name, the scent itself isn't very spicy; there's surprisingly subtle blend of cinnamon and maybe nutmeg and/or allpsice. Now this could be the power of suggestion but I do get some kind of sweet dark booziness; it doesn't smell like the actual alcohol itself but rather artificial rum extract. And this is gonna sound weird but bear with me.... I dunno if it's the combination of the vanilla, the spice blend and the "rum" but this scent kinda reminds me of Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding / Banana Pumpkin Muffin; like they took that candle and replaced the banana with pear. I'm sure that's not the case but that's what this candle reminds me of. I'm not a big fan of gourmand scents but I'm diggin this one; it's warm, its comfy, it's decadent and it's one of the few new scents this holiday season that feels appropriate for the holidays
Smoked Birch (7277K3A2) - there have been varying opinions on what it's similar too - Fireside, Smoked Vanilla...SNOW DAY. I wholeheartedly disagree with the Snow Day assessment (and that individual needs to put down the crackpipe)...but I do agree with Fireside/Smoked Vanilla comparison as this scent is definitely in that smoky family. Think of this scent as a more toned late winter version of Fireside, less fiery, more cool and without leather. SM has the same manly woody notes as Fireside (don't believe me, look at the original notes for Fireside -. I don't really get incense per se but there is a smokiness with a tinge of spice. The birch note has been amped and gives the blend an almost mint-like coolness. If you like woodsy/smoky/fiery scents or want to try Fireside but you're too scared too, then this scent's for you.
Winter Sage (7265G3A11) - I was REALLY hoping this would be the grand return of the long since forgotten Snowed In but alas it is not. And as far as I know, it doesn't remind of any other sage-heavy scents from over the years so yay, newness. Unfortunately it's nothing really exiting. It smells like straightup sage, like you've picked the velvety leaves off of the stem/bush and that earthy smelling oil is on your fingertips. Juniper..eh not so much; if there is some, it's super subtle and wayyy in the background. People on social media have been saying that they get eucalyptus...I don't get that at all; all I smell is straightup sage.
Patchouli - it just smells like straightup patchouli; dank, earthy, green with a little bit of woodsiness. It's not bad, it's not good, it's just patchouli. Why BBW felt the need to not only create this scent but place in the Camp Winter 2.0 collection and not the Elements collection or Aromatherapy collection is beyond me.
Winter Woods (tester) - I was initially intrigued with this one as it sounded like the kind of woodsy/cologney scents that I tend to enjoy. Unfortunately I sniffed it and was quite dissapointed. I'm 99.9% positive that this is a repackage of Cashmere & Oak - a post-SAS WB exclusive from 2016. You get a soft blonde wood accord aka "cashmere" made even softer with a blend of amber and musk. And there's a woodsy and almost acrid oak note and maybe some mahogany that grounds that blend and keeps it from smelling light, airy and feminine. I owned C&O at one point and burned it once before bringing back to the store to exchange; there's a nose-burning sharpness that immediately set off my sinuses, perhaps from the blend of oak and musk. I get the same nostril hair singe effect from WW. If you're at all curious or intrigued with this one, don't be; it's just ok.
Coconut Snowflake (tester) - this scent is really throwing me for a loop cuz it smells so familiar. You would think this would be the very basic Vanilla Snowflake (which I find absolutely repugnant); I don't think it's that but it's similar. What I think it might be is Fresh Mint & Coconut from over the summer. What's throwing me off is the coconut note; it smells like one of the random coconut in winter scents from back in 2015- Snowflakes & Spruce maybe, or Jingle all the Way ? At any rate, it's heavy coconut scent with a hint of mint..there's really not much as to say about it
Here are PART ONE and PART TWO of Winter 2017 candle reviews in case you missed them
Blueberry Sugar (7261K3A2) - So this is a total repackage with a twist last year's Blueberry Twist. The blueberry note is less tart and more sweet. And there's smooth vanilla-like creaminess in the background though I'm hesitant to say to there is actually vanilla in the blend. Brown sugar..nope, not so much. Graham cracker...yeah right, absolutely not. It's just straight blueberries and sugar; to me it smells artificially flavored cotton candy or maybe a blueberry pie filling. This one is just marketed all kinds of wrong and I don't know why BBW insisted a releasing this a holiday scent cuz it definitely ain't.
Winter Mint Latte (7275AGA1) - while I did find myself liking this, I am a little disappointed cuz it smells too familiar to another scent. Basically this is a repackage with a twist of last year's Mint Chocolate that popped up during winter SAS. That version smelled really dry for some reason and lacked the creaminess and richness that it had in years' past; that's essentially what I smell in WML. I do pick a small hint of coffee lurking in the background and you have to really huff to get it; it kinda reminds of Espresso Bar/Harvest Coffee/Gourmet Espresso. Though I wonder if this blend is playing tricks with my nose and that the "coffee" is actually just bitterness from the chocolate note. Anyway, in a nutshell, if you took that version of MC and mixed in a hint of EB, that is essentially WML. It's a cute scent but definitely nothing groundbreaking.
Capri Citron (7271M8A1) - ok I need to rant for a second
I'm really totally completely over BBW's latest trend of mixing random scents in seasonal collections where they don't belong ie mixing obviously spring/summer oriented scents in fall and/or holiday collections. And before anyone says that it's not fall or winter everywhere, that's a stupid excuse! No other candle company does this and up until last year, BBW has never done it before. I mean what's the point of having seasonal collections with seasonal themed floorsets if your just gonna throw non seasonal scents in all higgledy-piggledy?! There are soooooo many ol school fall and winter scents that haven't seen the light of the day in years that you can be bringing back...or use what little creativity you have to create new fall/winter oriented scents. Get it the F*** together BBW!
Anyway, back to Capri Citron...I dunno wtf this scent has to do with the holidays; that said I wasn't particularly very enthused about sniffing it. So right off the bat this isn't Limoncello nor any other lemon scents in years past. But like Limoncello and all the others, CC is very generic. It's basically a bright and surprisingly sweet lemon (juice/pulp) with the sourness/tartness toned down and made sweeter by a syrupy gave note. It's a pleasant scent but kinda unnecessary and very out of place; this should've been in Le Francaise candles last spring or in some kind of Summer Sips/Poptails type collection. If this just had to be released in winter, there should've been some mint like Snow and Slopes or juniper like Holly Wreath or something make it more wintery.
Star Anise (7276M8A1) - I friggin HATE/LOATHE/DESPISE the smell/taste of black licorice - black Twizzlers, Sambuca, Jaegermeister, fennel and star anise..hate em all. I can only handle star anise in Chinese 5spice and Vietnamese pho. So when I heard BBW was coming out with a straight star anus...I mean star anise candle, I was like "Why?!!!" Having sniffed, I have to say it's not nearly as stank and vomit inducing as I thought it would be. So despite the name, it's surprisingly woodsy; I dunno what woodsy notes were used to make the "smoked firewood" in the description but I get an intense cedar note. Smokiness..eh, I guess; a hint of smokiness. Brown sugar...I guess..there is an earthy sweetness that could be brown sugar. As for the star anus..yes, you do get it but it's not nearly as intense as you would think based on the name but I smelled enough it to make me immediately put it back on the shelf after one sniff. So basically in a nutshell, ST smells like Fireside with licorice instead of leather.
Peppered Suede (7278G3A12) - this one really intrigued me cuz it sounded... "cologney". Having sniffed, it's not at all what I expected. It's soooooo close to Autumn Woods from this fall; it also reminds of Seaside Mist/XOXO from over the summer...which was essentially a summer/oceanic version of Autumn Woods. Anyhoo, it's a warm sensual woodsy scent. I don't get bergamot at all; just woods and herbs. Amberwood - yeah there is a resinous vibe that adds a smoothness and warmth to the blend. The peppercorn is isn't spicy but does add brightness and more warmth. The lavender adds an herbal astringency as well as fresh, crisp coolness that tones down the warm notes. Unfortunately, there wasn't an AW to compare but based on scent memory, PS is extremely similar; to me PS is just AW with pepper..and I wonder if the "pepper" is just a power of suggestion mind/nose trick. So yeah, if you love and miss AW, this is the next best thing.
Vanilla Spiced Pear (7278K3A2) - so right off the bat this is NEITHER Harvest Pear or Brandied Pear; this is indeed (as far as I can tell) a new scent that is actually better than those two. The pear is pretty authentic but not like a pear off the tree but rather a baked or poached pear; the cooking process brings out the sweetness and is dripping with juice. There is a creamy vanilla note, like whipping cream flavored with vanilla bean. To say there is the word "spiced" in the name, the scent itself isn't very spicy; there's surprisingly subtle blend of cinnamon and maybe nutmeg and/or allpsice. Now this could be the power of suggestion but I do get some kind of sweet dark booziness; it doesn't smell like the actual alcohol itself but rather artificial rum extract. And this is gonna sound weird but bear with me.... I dunno if it's the combination of the vanilla, the spice blend and the "rum" but this scent kinda reminds me of Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding / Banana Pumpkin Muffin; like they took that candle and replaced the banana with pear. I'm sure that's not the case but that's what this candle reminds me of. I'm not a big fan of gourmand scents but I'm diggin this one; it's warm, its comfy, it's decadent and it's one of the few new scents this holiday season that feels appropriate for the holidays
Smoked Birch (7277K3A2) - there have been varying opinions on what it's similar too - Fireside, Smoked Vanilla...SNOW DAY. I wholeheartedly disagree with the Snow Day assessment (and that individual needs to put down the crackpipe)...but I do agree with Fireside/Smoked Vanilla comparison as this scent is definitely in that smoky family. Think of this scent as a more toned late winter version of Fireside, less fiery, more cool and without leather. SM has the same manly woody notes as Fireside (don't believe me, look at the original notes for Fireside -. I don't really get incense per se but there is a smokiness with a tinge of spice. The birch note has been amped and gives the blend an almost mint-like coolness. If you like woodsy/smoky/fiery scents or want to try Fireside but you're too scared too, then this scent's for you.
Winter Sage (7265G3A11) - I was REALLY hoping this would be the grand return of the long since forgotten Snowed In but alas it is not. And as far as I know, it doesn't remind of any other sage-heavy scents from over the years so yay, newness. Unfortunately it's nothing really exiting. It smells like straightup sage, like you've picked the velvety leaves off of the stem/bush and that earthy smelling oil is on your fingertips. Juniper..eh not so much; if there is some, it's super subtle and wayyy in the background. People on social media have been saying that they get eucalyptus...I don't get that at all; all I smell is straightup sage.
Patchouli - it just smells like straightup patchouli; dank, earthy, green with a little bit of woodsiness. It's not bad, it's not good, it's just patchouli. Why BBW felt the need to not only create this scent but place in the Camp Winter 2.0 collection and not the Elements collection or Aromatherapy collection is beyond me.
Winter Woods (tester) - I was initially intrigued with this one as it sounded like the kind of woodsy/cologney scents that I tend to enjoy. Unfortunately I sniffed it and was quite dissapointed. I'm 99.9% positive that this is a repackage of Cashmere & Oak - a post-SAS WB exclusive from 2016. You get a soft blonde wood accord aka "cashmere" made even softer with a blend of amber and musk. And there's a woodsy and almost acrid oak note and maybe some mahogany that grounds that blend and keeps it from smelling light, airy and feminine. I owned C&O at one point and burned it once before bringing back to the store to exchange; there's a nose-burning sharpness that immediately set off my sinuses, perhaps from the blend of oak and musk. I get the same nostril hair singe effect from WW. If you're at all curious or intrigued with this one, don't be; it's just ok.
Coconut Snowflake (tester) - this scent is really throwing me for a loop cuz it smells so familiar. You would think this would be the very basic Vanilla Snowflake (which I find absolutely repugnant); I don't think it's that but it's similar. What I think it might be is Fresh Mint & Coconut from over the summer. What's throwing me off is the coconut note; it smells like one of the random coconut in winter scents from back in 2015- Snowflakes & Spruce maybe, or Jingle all the Way ? At any rate, it's heavy coconut scent with a hint of mint..there's really not much as to say about it
Here are PART ONE and PART TWO of Winter 2017 candle reviews in case you missed them
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