Showing posts with label yankee candle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yankee candle. Show all posts

Monday, July 21, 2014

Swift & Supersonically Snappy Short Review #23: A Bunch of Yankee Candle Tarts

I have a few Yankee tarts that I have been meaning to use up recently, so I am going to quick-style review them for you now. I remain unimpressed, unfortunately, because I want to like Yankee.
Like delicate keepsakes from the sea...the lovely scent of tuberose, lily and hyacinth blossoms balanced with soft watery notes.
Yankee Candle's Beach Flowers
Cold Rating: 6/10
Lit Rating: 5.5/10
Throw Rating: 5/10
Overall Rating: 5.5/10; look at this adorable label! Do not be deceived, that's how they suck you in to buy your products. This was just okay, one of the highest rated of the set I melted. Unfortunately, this only had a slight beach-powdery scent and nothing discernibly flowers. Medium throw, and this was crumbly for some reason! Usually, they come out of the wrapper really easy, but this was such a pain. I left this in the warmer because I was too lazy to change it out, but it didn't matter.
Artisanal honey is savored by those in search of flavors that delight on many levels. In that same way, this beautiful blend of flower nectar, honey musk, freesia and woods makes this rich fragrance both full and delicate. Don't be surprised to find its muskily sweet fine fragrance lends itself to delight afternoons of daydreaming.
Yankee Candle's Honey Blossom
Cold Rating: 6/10
Lit Rating: 6/10
Throw Rating: 5.5/10
Overall Rating: 6/10; the best of a very depressing bunch. Sweet floral but didn't leave much to the imagination. It sort of smelled like something LUSH-y, like something I've smelled in the past. Throw still not stellar or above average. Cute packaging again. Still, low throw, had to be in the bathroom to smell this. Lasted 4 hours.
Yankee Candle's Fresh Comfort
Cold Rating: 4/10
Lit Rating: 2/10
Throw Rating: 3/10
Overall Rating: 3.5/10; NOPE. This smelled like some sort of medical cream combined with the aroma of a thousand bathrooms. Nothing about this was towels or comfort or clean, it was just awkward to smell. Lowest throw of the bunch, but the cold sniff was off-putting. When I would lean in to smell this while melting, I got that weird cream scent. UGH, nasty. I only melted this for an hour because I wanted to move on.
Remember those sweet summer days of childhood innocence when the backyard was big enough to hold all your adventures? This nostalgic fragrance, with its warm breeze of soft flowers and fresh green fields will bring you back to those happy days. The fresh, green notes call to mind the outdoors and remind you slow and appreciate life's little moments. This scent, with its sweet, young floral essence, is anything but old-fashioned despite its nostalgic tendencies.
Yankee Candle's Summer Wish
Cold Rating: 4.5/10
Lit Rating: 4.5/10
Throw Rating: 4/10
Overall Rating: 4.5/10; AGHHHHHH, THEIR LABELS ARE SO CUTE. I am such a sad sucker when it comes to cute labels or designs. *blush* Anywho, this was nice, but light. I liked it because it really did smell like a field of greens and flowers with Yankee's really good dewy scent, but again, the lightness contributed to it not being awesome. It's disconcerting when you pay money for a lot of tarts and they just suck, you know? This stayed in the warmer for 5ish hours.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Random Picture Post: Non-Waxy Photos From the Last Few Weeks #5!

Random photo post time! :)
I found this photo on the Balboa Park Twitter page and HAD to share it. Look at this gorgeous sky and that rainbow! In case you don't know, Balboa Park is one of the best places in San Diego for photography. There are so many plants, old buildings, trees, amazing scenery all around. Just stunning!
I got this shampoo and conditioner sample from a Sephora order I placed for some nail polish a few weeks back. I used it and wanted to give my feedback. I don't know what or who BB is, but they are rich. Between BB creams and BB shampoos and such, they must have tons of dough. I didn't like this at all. While it did thicken my hair, it made it almost unbearable to work with as far as putting it up in a clip or ponytail. Good to know, I guess. PS: Bumble makes me think of Rudolph, and Rudolph makes me think of Christmas. YUP, YUP, it's almost that time again!!!
We had Chinese food the other day for dinner, and this was Josh's fortune. How sweet, huh?.....
........this was my fortune, LMAO! What kind of fortune is that?!........
........apparently a good one, because Josh came home with these cupcakes, LOL. Insanity! Look at the cool colors! ;)
Don't mind the sheet at the cloth at the top of the bed, ha! Freddo is out of his cone! YAYYYY!!! He was in desperate need of a haircut, but he was soooo freaking glad to be able to get under the bed...
...this is what he looks like now! His fur was so matted from his accident that the groomer had to shave everything off entirely. He looks like a brand new pup! He's been loving the cooler 'do for the end of summer. I just love this picture. :)
During our time without a fridge, we tried Bronx Pizza, a popular New York style pizza join here in SD. I really like thinner crust pizza, and this was no exception. I thought it tasted awesome!
Ok...so once again, a wax related photo on a non-wax photo post. OH WELL YOLO. Josh found these at Target and bought them for me! Fall Hayride is very interesting and complex, while I don't like Pumpkin Spice so much, neither did he. Orchard Apple Cinnamon smells very basic but nice. We shall see how these perform!
I won another giveaway, this one was from Sincerely Kelley XOXO. I have really come to love her blog in the last few months, and I like her YouTube channel as well. She was doing a giveaway for the VS Fresh Sorbets in Frozen Apple * Sparkling Cassis body souffle. This stuff smells INCREDIBLE!!! Along with that, she send 2 Yankee Pure Radiance Candles in the scents cinnamon scone and sugar flower, which both smell amazing. I really enjoy the sweet rose! She also sent a lotion from  Bath & Body Works in Mandarin Blossom (which is going to be awesome in the spare bathroom in case people need lotion...another winner in the "smells good" department!) as well as a Black Cherry Merlot foaming hand soap. Not pictures are two Baby Lips chapsticks and a scent shot from CBV in Vanilla Cake Pops. I cannot get over her generosity, it was so sweet of her to offer a giveaway, but then to go above and beyond?! WOW, I was floored. Thanks again to Kelley!!
Nails of the Day: China Glaze's Bottoms Up. I LOVE this color, it's a neon pink, which usually isn't my style, but it's really pretty. Fun for the end of summer!
I will leave you with the weirdest Jeopardy! mash-up in the history of the world. I love Conan.

Have a nice weekend, friends! :)

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Review: Yankee Candle's Rainbows End

........Yankee??????????
I know you must be thinking to yourself...
...Lauren?
Is that you?
Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo?
Has your bloggy blog been taken over by corporate overlords?

No, my dear waxy friends, it has not.
I have about 20 Yankee tarts just sitting and collecting dust. I figured, maybe if I used my 12W one-piece Yankee warmer, I might get some performance out of them (as opposed to my 24W hot plate.
AND I DID!
I was so surprised to find I actually: A) got a scent throw from this, and B) enjoyed it a lot!
Rainbow's End is a sort of masculine, fresh, and bright scent. It has hints of freshly rained on Earth, crisp air, and simmering citrus. Lovely, but again, not earth-shattering. It is good to know I will be able to use these tarts!

How do YOU burn your Yankee tarts and votives?

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Yankee Candle's Rainbow's End
Cold Rating: 4/10; there are small hints of crisp air through the plastic, and once you remove it, you do get some smell from this tart, just not a lot.
Lit Rating: 6.5/10; very nice smell! I like this a lot: slightly masculine, slightly citrusy, but mostly airy freshness. Lovely!
Throw Rating: 4.5/10; the throw is here and there, but mostly not
Overall Rating: 5/10; something other than nothing, which I got used to! Good to know I can use a small wattage warmer and get results. Wanting to see a rainbow. Missing the rain. Drizzle. Fog. Coolness. ~*RAINBOW~*

PS: Have a great week!! :)

Monday, April 22, 2013

Lightning Round Reviews #5!

So, I set a few blog posts to release this week, and none of them did. WUT???
I blame these jerks, PS: 'MURICA.
Anywhoozle, here are some lightning round reviews to tide you over. I have finally been melting more than 3 tarts a week in nu haus, so it's safe to start my Weekend Wax Reviews again. :)
Candles From The Keeping Room's Pink Sands
Cold Rating: 6/10
Lit Rating: 7/10 
Throw Rating: 6.5/10 
Overall Rating: 6.5/10 (decent dupe for the popular Yankee scent, nothing more to say about this).
Closet Full of Wax's Pink Sands
Cold Rating: 6.5/10
Lit Rating: 3/10 
Throw Rating: 3/10 
Overall Rating: 4/10 (there might as well of been nothing to this...hardly any throw at all. Disappointing, to say the least).
Candles From The Keeping Room's Spicy Apple & Peaches
Cold Rating: 5.5/10
Lit Rating: 5.5/10 
Throw Rating: 5.5/10 
Overall Rating: 5.5/10 (meh. Finding I don't like peach scents. And this spiciness doesn't really go with the apple and peach well).
Crabby Candle Co.'s Passionate Kisses
Cold Rating: 7/10
Lit Rating: 5/10 
Throw Rating: 7/10 
Overall Rating: 6/10 (was I having an off-week or something? This didn't smell good, either. Too fruity for me, but did have great throw!).
Candles From The Keeping Room's Pistachio Coconut Fluff
Cold Rating: 4.5/10
Lit Rating: 3.5/10 
Throw Rating: 6/10 
Overall Rating: 4.5/10 (slightly rounded down; strong, but not a fan at all...smelled really strange to my nose, maybe too coconut-y. I have another pistachio scent from Carol that doesn't smell like this at all, so maybe it's just the coconut addition).
Molten Melts Cinnamon Celebration
Cold Rating: 6/10
Lit Rating: 3/10 
Throw Rating: 2.5/10 
Overall Rating: 4/10 (slightly rounded up, I guess...the biggest disappointment of the bunch. This is a new vendor, and the first thing I have melted from Molten Melts. This was not strong AT ALL. I had to basically be drowning on top of the wax to smell anything while warming. Will try in a smaller room to see if the throw is consistent between large and small rooms...).
Tiffany Candles Candy Cane
Cold Rating: 6.5/10
Lit Rating: 6.5/10 
Throw Rating: 6.5/10 
Overall Rating: 6.5/10 (a lovely, sweet minty scent! Nice for any time of the year; love the red glitter on there, Tiffany!).
Front Porch's Vanilla Grapefruit
Cold Rating: 6.5/10
Lit Rating: 6/10 
Throw Rating: 4.5/10 
Overall Rating: 5.5/10 (weird B.O. smell coming from this tart, must have been from the grapefruit part because the vanilla smelled nice over the off-note. It was sort of there while melting, but it dissipated quickly. Not super strong while warming, though).
Yankee Candle's Simply Home: Fresh Water
Cold Rating: 7/10
Lit Rating: 8/10 
Throw Rating: 8/10 
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 (an amazingly fresh scent, great throw, but terrible burn most of the way...you can see residue at the bottom. Well, the wick caved in on itself towards the end, so it won't light anymore, but the scent is spectacular. I am lucky I got another one of these from Marshall's when I did!).
Front Porch's Pink Tea
Cold Rating: 6.5/10
Lit Rating: 7/10 
Throw Rating: 6/10 
Overall Rating: 6.5/10 (the "pink" in 97.2651008666% of Front Porch's "pink" scents is virtually non-existent. That being said, the tea note was nice).
Tiffany Candles Summer Creamsickle
Cold Rating: 7/10
Lit Rating: 8/10 
Throw Rating: 7.5/10 
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 (I thought I wasn't an orange fan, but this was amazing! I loved it! I got it for Josh since he is a fan of orange scents...I think the problem is orange bakery, I just don't like them in food or in wax. Yucka. Anywho, brilliant scent, would love this in a candle).

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Lots of stuff in the middle, some stuff on the bottom this time around. I will be back from my apparent and unintentional break now that I have "fixed" the "glitch." Happy melting, y'all! :)

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Weekend Wax Review: February 1-3

This week has been WAAAAAAAAY less stressful than last week. We saw "Gangster Squad," which was really great! We also got to spend time with friends and family. Anywho, let's get to the meltin', shall we!?

Well, before I get started...do you like the way I do things now, a WEEKEND wax review, or would you rather I up it to either 1 or 2 posts a week, for a WEEKLY wax review?? Your opinions are valued! :)
This photo shows 4 cubes, but 2 were used a different time...so I actually finished my clamshell from The Bathing Garden in Sleigh Ride. Either this or Jack Frost was on my project wax, but at one time, I think I might have switched the two?? I don't really remember...anywho, this was a nice minty scent with hints of woods and vanilla. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 6/10. The throw was a 6.5/10, for a total of 6/10. If Shannon makes this one next Christmas, I'd consider repurchasing it.
Orange was a sample I received in a Tiffany Candles order from a loooooooooong time ago, but found it at the bottom of a box somewhere. This one was nice, but not super strong. I'm not really a fan of straight scents (only one scent, nothing mixed in), and this was basically just orange to me. On cold sniff, 5.5/10. While warming, 4/10. The throw was a 3.5/10, for a total of 4/10. Not a repurchase, but would be a good scent to add in a blend, I think!
Yet another sample I received, this time from the Simply Sensational Sampler box (November edition). Pumpkin Spiced Zucchini Bread is actually one of the few zucchini blends I've enjoyed! There was definitely bread in this, but no butter, and not that moist, salty smell I get from most ZB blends. On cold sniff, 5.5/10. While warming, though, it jumps up to a 7/10, great job! The throw was decent with a 6/10, for a total of 6/10, and I think I might try Tiffany's zucchini bread scent again! :)
Celtic Moonspice is one of my absolute favorite scents. Ever. This version from The Bathing Garden is no exception. It's spicy, a touch bakery, a hint fruity...like a wonderful, fragrant and spice-filled kitchen! On cold sniff, 7.5/10. The warming rating is 8.5/10, just fabulous. The throw was pretty good at 7/10, for a total 7.5/10, and an absolute repurch!!
I have been burning my Egyptian Cotton candle a lot lately, too. It's a very fresh and clean scent, like laundry! This was a Marshall's find for only $9.99...why buy from their site anymore? It sort of smells faintly like a candle I smelled at Kohl's called Simply Home Soft Cotton. On cold sniff, 7/10. While burning, 6.5/10. The throw started out measly but grew to a 7/10, for a total of 7/10. The World Journeys candles are AWESOME!
Not a great photo, but I have been melting my stress relief candle a lot lately, too. This is a 4 oz. candle from Tiffany Candles, you can read my thoughts on it here!
Candles By Victoria's Bath Time With Pooh sounded right up my alley. It's a dupe for a Lush soap called Honey I Washed The Kids. I have never smelled this, but I'm sure it smells great. This was the first scent shot I melted from my first CBV order, so as usual, I plopped the entire thing in...BIG mistake. This was so overwhelmingly soapy that we had to turn it off after only 2 1/2 hours. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 6/10, until it got so overwhelming. The throw (for the entire thing) was crazy strong at an 8/10, for a total of 6.5/10, and a lesson well earned.
Bear Claw scents have been hit and miss for me, so I decided to give Carol from CFTKR's version a try. This is exactly how I thought a bear claw should smell: warm, inviting, touches of spice, butter, hints of almond, flaky pastry, and a dash of honey. Delicious. On cold sniff, 6.5/10. While warming, 7.5/10, but super sweet after a while. The throw was a 6.5/10 as well, for a grand total of 7/10! Definitely a repurchase.
 ...I guess I haven't learned my lesson about zucchini bread yet. I keep thinking I will find one I love and stick with it, but the underlying butter, salt, and moistness of the zucchini bread completely turns me off. On cold sniff, 7/10, I had high hopes. While warming, 4/10, now keep in mind, this is just my opinion, I'm sure you ZB fiends would LOVE this blend, but I find the lemon was completely nonexistent. The throw was a 6/10, for a total of 5.5/10, and while this was a sample, I wouldn't buy it.
 Each night, I find myself wanting peppermint to lull me to sleep. JMae's Soaps & Candles has a really nice and strong peppermint! Well done, Jamie! Ignore this photo, though, I had melted the last 3 cubes at night (I wanted an extra punch, so I added a third cube)...I just forgot to take a photo of my first melt. :) On cold sniff, 6/10, straight peppermint. While warming, 7/10, packs a decent punch! The throw wasn't super strong, a 5.5/10 (though I don't necessarily want a lingering peppermint in the house...), for a total of 6/10! I can't get enough peppermint, lately.
Fruity Fruit Loops is a combination of fresh fruit slices and fruit loops. It was definitely heavier on the fruit slices, but I ended up adding an extra fruit loops tart to this so balance it out. It was nice. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 5.5/10. The throw wasn't too bar or good, at a 6/10, for a total of 6/10.
I have been LOVING my order from Jaimie Lauren Cupcakery & Confections in Wax (JLCCW)...her tarts are ridiculously scented and STRONG. Cinnamon Vanilla + Coffee Cake was a blend she created from my order, and it is so spicy! You get a hint of coffee cake, but mostly a delicious blend of spiceiness. On cold sniff, 7/10. While warming, 7.5/10. The throw was solid, at a 7.5/10, for a total of 7.5/10! Just delicious!
Another JLCCW tart, this time in a blend of Nana's Kitchen + Apple Butterscotch Cake. This one was HEAVY on the apple butterscotch cake, with hints of spices intermingled in there. This is a  fresh apple, not a artificial one. I should also note, these were my samples, but if you purchase these puzzle piece tarts, 100% of the proceeds goes to the Autism Society (Jaimie Lauren, her daughter, is on the autism spectrum). On cold sniff, this one is a 7/10. While warming, 7.5/10. The throw is decent at a 6.5/10, for a total of 7/10! Yum!
Here's a close-up of the piece of wax itself. Very cute, and they help out a great cause! This blend of Serendipity + Vanilla Bean Noel was fantastic, but it didn't last very long for some reason, about 3.5-4 hours. But the smell was amaaaaaazing. On cold sniff, 8/10. While warming, 8/10, but the throw is where it dips a bit, 6/10, for a grand total of 7/10. Loving this company!
Hawaii Five O Cake from Pics, Petals & Scents is a really nice combination of cake (obvs) and tropical notes, like fruits and coconut! It was pretty good! On cold sniff, 6/10, while warming 6.5/10. The throw was a 6/10, for a total of 6/10!
These Root Beer tart sticks smelled EXACTLY like root beer, it was ridiculous! The bubbly aspect of soda was there, too. We really, really liked it! On cold sniff, 7/10. While warming, 8/10. The throw was great at a 7.5/10, for a total of 7.5/10! I need to place an order with PPS sometime!
Frutopia  from Tiffany Candles is a mix of mango papaya and strawberry passion, and unfortunately, it was not a favorite of mine. This barely lasted an hour, but it was the old wax blend. On cold sniff, 6/10, but while warming, 4/10. The throw was a 4/10, for a total of 4/10.
Finally, we've got a combination of pink sugar and love spell, or Pink Panties. This one was VERY wonderful, and lasted a long time, pretty much overnight. On cold sniff, 7/10. While warming, 7.5/10. The throw was a 6/10, for a total of 7/10!

Have a great week, all, and happy melting! :)