WALK N SNIFF: "Online Exclusive" Candles
So my bf and I are going on vacay back to NOLA (first time back in my hometown in years) as sort of birthday celebration (my bday's next week...VIRGO IN THE HOUSE). Long story short, I was in Manhattan running last minute pre-trip errands..including stopping at BBW to pick up some bits and pieces. I wasn't expecting to see anything interesting as the stores in Manhattan are, in a word, lame and are often tardy to the party as far as getting in stock. Much to my surprise, they had all of the "online addition" candles from the Pumpkin collection.
I haven't heard any reports of Pumpkin Pie popping up in stores and I didn't see it today in BBW or past few times I was in WB. The fact that it was an online exclusive in the first place was utter BS. It's not like it's new; at's at least 4 years old now. And as lovely as Pumpkin Pie is (and it is), it's not that exciting or groundbreaking of a scent to be an overhyped online exclusive. The fact that quite of few sub par unworthy borderline stank candles got the greenlight to go wide (*cough cough Peach Cobbler) and yet Pumpkin Pie remains in online store purgatory is an unjustifiable mistake.
And speaking sub par unworthy borderline stank candles, let's delve into this ungodly trio of online exclusives - Banana Cream Pie, Sugared Snickerdoodle and the grand poobah of them all, PB&J. Now obviously I'm being overly dramatic for comic effect. These 3 candles aren't as bad as I'm making them out to be HOWEVER they aren't good either. As forever is the case with social media induced overhyped candles, I'm always disappointed post-sniff and this time was not the exception. The overhype over the candles based solely on the fact that they were online exclusives thus inconvenient and not readily available was UNREAL! You hear these folks on social media ohh-ing and ahh-ing over these damn candles and you would've thought they made by angels and one whiff would send you to an olfactoral paradise - nosegasms to end all nosegasm, as if your nostrils were gently made love to by kitchen fairies. That most certainly is not the case. All 3 candles are just blah and no amount of social media gushing is gonna make me change my mind.
Sugared Snickerdoodle (9220AGA3/9219AGA3) - there's really not much to say about this one as it isn't new. We saw it last year in one of the winter collections and it was confirmed to be a repackage of failed test scent Snickerdoodle from 2014. So basically if Pumpkin Pecan Waffles and Cinnamon Sugared Doughnuts had a lovechild, it would be Sugared Snickerdoodle. It's a vaguely cookie-ish bakery base with cinnamon sugar blended in; maybe some nutmeg and allspice as well. To me, it smells like cookie dough, think Pillsbury instant cookies that you've just put on a metal tray and are about to put in the oven as opposed to hot fresh cookie just taken out of the oven. It's a cute enough bakery scent but nothing exciting.
Banana Cream Pie (9212M8S1B) - real talk, I can't with banana scents so I wasn't particularly enthused to smell this one and it kinda smelled like I thought it would. A lot of folks have made comparisons to Banana Split Milkshake and I kinda have to agree. The banana is very similar to the banana note in BSM; it also kinda gives me Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding/Banana Pumpkin Muffin vibes (which I dunno why BBW didn't just release either of those instead as they're much better than BCP). Out of the banana scents we've been inundated with lately, the banana smells a bit more authentic and not quite as Laffy Taffy/Runts smelling. You also get a sweet and creamy vanilla that gives the illusion of whipped cream as well condensed milk in the pie filling. There is also a slight but noticeable Pumpkin Peanut Brittle-esque salty peanut butter note..which is odd as I didn't think people put peanut pie in banana cream pie filling. I do get a hint of something bakery but it doesn't smell like crust, almost smells bready. Honestly, this smells less like a banana cream pie and more like an Elvis sandwich . In my most humble of opinions, BCP just feels unnecessary; again BBW should've just gone with either Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding or Banana Pumpkin Muffin which is seasonally appropriate (ish) and smells more authentic and true to name.
PB&J - *SIGH *DEEP CLEANSING BREATHS
BBW almost got me! I found myself caught up in the hype! I LOVE me some peanut butter and strawberry jelly sammiches and have been saying for years there needs to be a candle of one. Lo and behold, BBW delivers..or so I thought. They decided to snatch my wig and made it an online exclusive. For weeks, whenever the stars and planets aligned and there was a sale AND decent coupons, I would himandhaw over buying PB&J. Something in my gut just kept warning me not to - "gurl, dont do it!" it said. Sure enough, it started popping in stores and now was the moment of truth - was it worth it? The verdict - HELL NAW, of course it's not worth it. Thank GAWD I decided not to let curiousity kill this cat cuz I would've been too mad.
Not only is this candle straightup GARBAGE but it has the nerve to have to batch variances
9212AGA2 - this batch is probably the truest to name version of them all. There's a bakery yeasty note that kinda gives the illusion of white bread. There's a faint (and I mean faint) hint of jam; it smells like a strawberry but I also get raspberry, almost like the jam note in Raspberry Peach Macaron. That jam note is sooooo light, you really have to huff to get it. Then I picked up what could be honey (why is there honey again? who puts honey on a pb&j sammich?!) but that may just be the power of suggestion. And then finally there's Pumpkin Peanut-esque peanut butter note; it's nutty (obvi), salty/savory and crunchy (if that makes any sense).
9212AGA1 - this batch is just weird and I think this might be the off version that folks got when they ordered online awhile back. So take the A2 and take all of the notes except the bread note. This version smells awfully bready. And there's something weird mixed in but I don't know what it is; it almost smells woody. Many of folks have been saying that they smell cologne or bodycare...I personally don't get that per se but there is a strange and unexplainable non gourmand/bakery note that just smell wrong.
9212AGA4 - honestly, this just smelled like straightup bread to me with an odd sweetness could possibly be a drizzle of honey. No PB and no J...WHAT'S THE POINT?!
Sigh!
Yall, I'm tired of overhyped candles! I'm tired of BBW creating hype but making candles online exclusives...and I'm sure they have to know what they're doing and purposefully sweeping the candle fandom in a whipped up wide eye foaming at the mouth frenzy. I am also tired of the overhype of social media - the superfluous gushing over candles that aren't worth it. And you never know if folks genuinely do enjoy these candles or are just ohh-ing and ahh-ing for attention and likes.
Not a single one of these are candles are deserving of the amount overhype they received. Again none of these are bad...well that one batch of PB&J was bad, but they just aren't good. The sheer blah-ness of these 3 candles are so disappointing. If any of you reading this were interested in any of these, all I can say take what you hear with the tiniest grain of salt and sniff them with no expectations. And for my friends abroad, PLEASE do not waste your money buying any of these from third parties, it just isn't worth it.
I haven't heard any reports of Pumpkin Pie popping up in stores and I didn't see it today in BBW or past few times I was in WB. The fact that it was an online exclusive in the first place was utter BS. It's not like it's new; at's at least 4 years old now. And as lovely as Pumpkin Pie is (and it is), it's not that exciting or groundbreaking of a scent to be an overhyped online exclusive. The fact that quite of few sub par unworthy borderline stank candles got the greenlight to go wide (*cough cough Peach Cobbler) and yet Pumpkin Pie remains in online store purgatory is an unjustifiable mistake.
And speaking sub par unworthy borderline stank candles, let's delve into this ungodly trio of online exclusives - Banana Cream Pie, Sugared Snickerdoodle and the grand poobah of them all, PB&J. Now obviously I'm being overly dramatic for comic effect. These 3 candles aren't as bad as I'm making them out to be HOWEVER they aren't good either. As forever is the case with social media induced overhyped candles, I'm always disappointed post-sniff and this time was not the exception. The overhype over the candles based solely on the fact that they were online exclusives thus inconvenient and not readily available was UNREAL! You hear these folks on social media ohh-ing and ahh-ing over these damn candles and you would've thought they made by angels and one whiff would send you to an olfactoral paradise - nosegasms to end all nosegasm, as if your nostrils were gently made love to by kitchen fairies. That most certainly is not the case. All 3 candles are just blah and no amount of social media gushing is gonna make me change my mind.
Sugared Snickerdoodle (9220AGA3/9219AGA3) - there's really not much to say about this one as it isn't new. We saw it last year in one of the winter collections and it was confirmed to be a repackage of failed test scent Snickerdoodle from 2014. So basically if Pumpkin Pecan Waffles and Cinnamon Sugared Doughnuts had a lovechild, it would be Sugared Snickerdoodle. It's a vaguely cookie-ish bakery base with cinnamon sugar blended in; maybe some nutmeg and allspice as well. To me, it smells like cookie dough, think Pillsbury instant cookies that you've just put on a metal tray and are about to put in the oven as opposed to hot fresh cookie just taken out of the oven. It's a cute enough bakery scent but nothing exciting.
Banana Cream Pie (9212M8S1B) - real talk, I can't with banana scents so I wasn't particularly enthused to smell this one and it kinda smelled like I thought it would. A lot of folks have made comparisons to Banana Split Milkshake and I kinda have to agree. The banana is very similar to the banana note in BSM; it also kinda gives me Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding/Banana Pumpkin Muffin vibes (which I dunno why BBW didn't just release either of those instead as they're much better than BCP). Out of the banana scents we've been inundated with lately, the banana smells a bit more authentic and not quite as Laffy Taffy/Runts smelling. You also get a sweet and creamy vanilla that gives the illusion of whipped cream as well condensed milk in the pie filling. There is also a slight but noticeable Pumpkin Peanut Brittle-esque salty peanut butter note..which is odd as I didn't think people put peanut pie in banana cream pie filling. I do get a hint of something bakery but it doesn't smell like crust, almost smells bready. Honestly, this smells less like a banana cream pie and more like an Elvis sandwich . In my most humble of opinions, BCP just feels unnecessary; again BBW should've just gone with either Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding or Banana Pumpkin Muffin which is seasonally appropriate (ish) and smells more authentic and true to name.
PB&J - *SIGH *DEEP CLEANSING BREATHS
BBW almost got me! I found myself caught up in the hype! I LOVE me some peanut butter and strawberry jelly sammiches and have been saying for years there needs to be a candle of one. Lo and behold, BBW delivers..or so I thought. They decided to snatch my wig and made it an online exclusive. For weeks, whenever the stars and planets aligned and there was a sale AND decent coupons, I would himandhaw over buying PB&J. Something in my gut just kept warning me not to - "gurl, dont do it!" it said. Sure enough, it started popping in stores and now was the moment of truth - was it worth it? The verdict - HELL NAW, of course it's not worth it. Thank GAWD I decided not to let curiousity kill this cat cuz I would've been too mad.
Not only is this candle straightup GARBAGE but it has the nerve to have to batch variances
9212AGA2 - this batch is probably the truest to name version of them all. There's a bakery yeasty note that kinda gives the illusion of white bread. There's a faint (and I mean faint) hint of jam; it smells like a strawberry but I also get raspberry, almost like the jam note in Raspberry Peach Macaron. That jam note is sooooo light, you really have to huff to get it. Then I picked up what could be honey (why is there honey again? who puts honey on a pb&j sammich?!) but that may just be the power of suggestion. And then finally there's Pumpkin Peanut-esque peanut butter note; it's nutty (obvi), salty/savory and crunchy (if that makes any sense).
9212AGA1 - this batch is just weird and I think this might be the off version that folks got when they ordered online awhile back. So take the A2 and take all of the notes except the bread note. This version smells awfully bready. And there's something weird mixed in but I don't know what it is; it almost smells woody. Many of folks have been saying that they smell cologne or bodycare...I personally don't get that per se but there is a strange and unexplainable non gourmand/bakery note that just smell wrong.
9212AGA4 - honestly, this just smelled like straightup bread to me with an odd sweetness could possibly be a drizzle of honey. No PB and no J...WHAT'S THE POINT?!
Sigh!
Yall, I'm tired of overhyped candles! I'm tired of BBW creating hype but making candles online exclusives...and I'm sure they have to know what they're doing and purposefully sweeping the candle fandom in a whipped up wide eye foaming at the mouth frenzy. I am also tired of the overhype of social media - the superfluous gushing over candles that aren't worth it. And you never know if folks genuinely do enjoy these candles or are just ohh-ing and ahh-ing for attention and likes.
Not a single one of these are candles are deserving of the amount overhype they received. Again none of these are bad...well that one batch of PB&J was bad, but they just aren't good. The sheer blah-ness of these 3 candles are so disappointing. If any of you reading this were interested in any of these, all I can say take what you hear with the tiniest grain of salt and sniff them with no expectations. And for my friends abroad, PLEASE do not waste your money buying any of these from third parties, it just isn't worth it.
I was beyond disappointed in PB&J. The batch that we have in our store (haven't checked the number) is so goddamn light it practically smells like nothing. No one has bought any of them yet because it's so disappointing.
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