Review: Tiffany Candles Pink Loops (NEW SCENT) and Sugar & Spice Gourmet Soy Candles Pink Fruit Loops

I was never really a fan of Froot Loops, I was always a Fruity Pebbles kind of gal. However, you can get the best of both worlds with any and all fruit loops scented wax!

Not sure about all of you, but I absolutely love any "loops" scents. I have liked every single one I've tried! Pink Loops from the Tiffany Candles sampler bag I got was no different. The addition of pink sugar into the fruit loops mix makes for a very lovely treat, I only wished I had more of it! I melted this for about 3-4 hours, but it needed a little pick-me-up...

So, I ended up adding a 1.5 oz scent shot from Sugar & Spice Gourmet Soy Candles in Pink Fruit Loops to liven up the scent. These two were perfect together: the pink was prominent, the fruit loops was super strong, and overall, I was extremely pleased with my decision to combine them. Together, they lasted about 8 hours! Josh and I loved them both! Definite repurchases all around!

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Tiffany Candles Pink Loops
Cold Rating: 7/10; good balance of fruit loops and pink sugar!
Lit Rating: 7/10; very nice smell! I had my doubts, just because I thought it would be dominated by perfume, but it's a good balance after a while!
Throw Rating: 6/10; decent strength, but fizzled after about 3-4 hours, so I added the other one!
Overall Rating: 6.5/10; a great scent! Would be a really good "starter" scent if you were just starting to explore the world of wax. Would be good in scoopable wax. Makes me wants cereal.

Sugar & Spice Gourmet Soy Candles Pink Loops
Cold Rating: 6.5/10; heavy on the loops, pink sugar muted, but still noticeable.
Lit Rating: 7.5/10; when combined with TC's Pink Loops, this scent was unstoppable! Just fabulous!
Throw Rating: 7/10; it upped the throw slightly with the addition of this 1.5 oz. tart!
Overall Rating: 7/10; lasted 8 hours total when combined with the other 1 oz. tart. Lovely. Cereal. More cereal, please.

Off Topic Tuesday: The Last Movies You Saw in the Theater

Josh and I are huge movie fans, and by huge, I mean we named our dog after a character in "The Godfather" huge. Every genre, every era, every color scheme...I just love getting lost in film.

Every year when the Oscar nominations come out, we make it our goal to see all the films nominated for Best Picture; we have done this for the last 4 years. We also figured, let's go big! We have a list of all the Best Picture nominees and winners from 1950-2012, and our goal is to see them all! From 1979-2011, there are only 3 films that we have not seen: "Tess," "Atonement" (which I have seen, Josh has not), and "Atlantic City." That's dedication!

Here are the last two movies we've seen on the big screen!

We saw "Django Unchained" about a week ago and MAN was it great! Quentin Tarantino is such a fabulous director, he's probably one of my favorites. The cast was superb (Leonardo DiCaprio at his finest, I'd say), and while it was a bit bloody and overly racist (it is about a former slave in 1858 who uprises against the people who split he and his wife apart), it will definitely be on my list of the best movies of the year...I just know it. When Christoph Waltz teams up with Tarantino, he is unstoppable, his performance completely compelling. I can't say enough good things about this film.  I'd give it an 8.5/10.

I have been looking forward to the new film version of "Les Miserables" for a long, long time. This movie was phenomenal. I cried, I sighed, I was right there with them! It was a tad bit long, just shy of the 3 hour mark. The acting was fantastic, the songs were performed so well, and overall, I thought it got the recognition it deserved. The only thing I will say was I didn't really like the "new" song written for the movie (a bit Oscar-baity, if you ask me). In my opinion, it did the stage production justice, even though I'd like to see it again to compare! Just stellar! 9/10!

So, for this week's Off Topic Tuesday, what's the last movie you've saw in the theater? Let me know!

Review: JMae's Soaps & Candles Love Spell & Lemon Sugar

What IS Love Spell? Is it perfume? Is it good? Is it the plot of a bad 80's movie? It's from V's Secret, right? Well, since I haven't been in that store in a billion years, I guess I wouldn't know what it smells like. I just recently threw away the remaining 3 perfume bottles I bought from there when I was 14, which was seriously 12 years ago. On that note, does perfume expire??
Let this be a lesson to you, Lauren: if you buy fragrance mist of perfume, YOU WILL have it for 12+ years. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my permanent deterrent from buying any more perfume as long as I live...

JMae's Soaps & Candles was having a sale a while ago, with some clearance items. So, I decided to buy just a few things from Jamie. I love the ribbon she uses on her bags!

This is her chunk of Lemon Sugar & Love Spell. I enjoyed it, but it was very heavy on the lemon sugar, which wasn't a problem for me. I melted it all at once, though, because I wanted a huuuge punch. A very nice scent, but I wish I knew what Love Spell smelled like on its own! This definitely had a perfumey smell to it. :)

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JMae's Soaps & Candles Love Spell & Lemon Sugar
Cold Rating: 6/10; heavy on the lemon sugar but you definitely get some perfume in there, too!
Lit Rating: 6/10; very nice smell! I had my doubts, just because I thought it would be dominated by perfume, but it's a good balance after a while!
Throw Rating: 6/10; decent strength, a little overwhelming, but that's my fault because I added all the chunks at once.
Overall Rating: 6/10; made me want to make lemon sugar, as well as try love spell perfume. I am on a mission now!

Review: Granny's Kountry Candles' Snowman Poop

The main reason I got this was for Josh...I knew he'd get a kick out of the name. We're juvenile, okay!? (.........do snowmen poop??????)

Unfortunately, this one was gross. It was a weird combination of vanilla (?), some awkward spice, and...something that smelled like medical cream but may or may not be artificial maple syrup????? I only had it in the warmer about an hour before I had to turn it off and take a shot of whiskey to forget its smell.

I have had awful luck with Granny's Kountry Candles, and I would DEFINITELY NOT repurchase this scent. There have been more scents I have disliked from company than one's I have liked...and I am not saying this to be mean. All of my reviews are meant to help companies tweak the way they do things (not that they are reading my blog), so please do not think I am attacking this company in any way. There are many other people who have not had the best of luck with this company, so obviously there are kinks to work out. There are plenty of scents from my favorite companies I have not been a fan of, but that never stopped me from buying from them. I'm willing to give GKC another order, but I might have to do a lot more research before jumping into it.

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Granny's Kountry Candles' Snowman Poop
Cold Rating: 4.5/10; the weird artificial cream smell is too big to ignore, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. The vanilla in there smells just okay.
Lit Rating: 3/10; definitely not a fan...I don't know what it is, but it was not good. The vanilla was muted and pretty much all you end up with is maple-scented cold cream.
Throw Rating: 3/10; hardly any strength, thank goodness. Even though it wasn't strong, I could still smell it since I was laying on our bed watching a movie...it lingered over towards the pillows and yuck.
Overall Rating: 3.5/10; not my favorite GKC scent. Not knowing if snowmen poop. If this is what it smells like, then no thanks. Should have been fun and whimsical but instead it reminded me of something awful.

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! :)

Review: Ten Digit Creations Hansel and Gretel's House

I think I've talked about my love of s'mores on this blog before, and if not, here's a recap. I LOVE S'MORES. Our latest creation is using dark chocolate peanut butter cups instead of a piece of chocolate...it's a billion times better. Anywho, the smell of graham crackers is really nice, wouldn't you agree? Not super sweet, but you can definitely notice a hint of sugar in there!

As you can probably tell, I have been trying to branch out to both new vendors. Ten Digit Creations is a vendor with VERY fast turnaround time, I think I got my order less than 5 days after I placed it? Maybe even 4 days, I don't recall right now. The owners, Ken & Amber, were super sweet, and they are always having sales (check out their Facebook page for news on these sales). I have also been trying to branch out to new scents as well, and Hansel & Gretel's House is about as bakery as you can get: it's a mix of graham crackers, vanilla frosting, raisins and cinnamon. This is exactly what I imagine Hansel and Gretel's House to smell like, toothache inducing sweetness. The only thing I smell in this is maple syrup, even though that's not an ingredient in this! Maybe that's the combining between the graham scent and the vanilla frosting? I don't know, but I did enjoy this one. I melted my candle from Tiffany Candles in Harvest to pump up the spice a bit (after about an hour of straight sweetness), though. Would I repurchase? I personally wouldn't, but don't that dissuade you!

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Ten Digit Creations' Hansel & Gretel's House
Cold Rating: 6/10; very fragrant on cold sniff, mostly sweetness from the frosting and grahams.
Lit Rating: 4.5/10; I just wasn't a fan of this, but that doesn't mean it isn't good! I tried, but it was just too sweet for me. I got no cinnamon and only a faint hint of raisins, too.
Throw Rating: 7/10; very strong one! 
Overall Rating: 5.5/10; while I wouldn't repurchase this, it was good, just not for me. The sweetness made me want a piece of cake...I think I'll go bake one.

Review: Tiffany Candles Kiwi Cucumber Mango (NEW SCENT!)

Kiwis? Delicious and juicy.
Mango? Absolutely. (Cool story: My friend gave me mangoes when I was in a car accident, broke my ankle, and ended up in the hospital...he said they were good luck and a Chinese tradition!)
Cucumber? Well, I sort of like the smell, not the food, but I do love me some pickles. (Another example of my oddness, right there...)

Here's another scent from Tiffany Candles' Sampler Pack! This one surprised me...I am usually not a fan of overly fresh or spa scents (with a few exceptions), but Kiwi Cucumber Mango was just delicious! You could actually smell fresh, juicy kiwis mixed with hints of tropical mangoes under a bed  of cool cucumber! I really, really liked this one. It was super strong and lasted about 5 1/2 hours (I turned it off and saved the disc).

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Tiffany Candles Kiwi Cucumber Mango
Cold Rating: 6/10; you can absolutely smell each individual note in this, with stronger accents on the kiwi and cucumber. Smells great! 
Lit Rating: 7/10; again, I am impressed! I had my doubts at first, but this spa-type scent with fruity freshness makes this a winner. 
Throw Rating: 6.5/10; pretty good throw, I could sort of smell this in the living room if I sniffed really hard. 
Overall Rating: 6.5/10; a solid scent in my book and a definite repurchase for me! Am I becoming a flip-flopper on spa and fresh scents as well? Who knows...we shall see!