Haul: Collective Bath & Body Works Haul (Last October through November)!

I have been slowly but surely collecting items from Bath & Body Works that revolve around winter and Christmas.
I figured I'd show them all in one haul instead of multiple little hauls because I said so. ;)
Enjoy!

So apparently, Bath & Body Works has changed their bottles. AGAIN. Good lord, these people change packaging every freakin' season it seems! Their lotion, which I've never really liked, is now filled with 2X the shea, 2X the moisturizer, and 2x the lasting power...I don't buy it, but whatevs. I don't know if these bottles are smaller as far as the amount that they hold, but they look shorter and fatter.

A new perfume! Forever Red was a huge success, if I'm not mistaken, so they have now made Forever Midnight, as well as Forever Red Vanilla Rum (I'm not sure if this it out yet). I smelled this in the store about a week ago and it was alright.

I checked the B&BW website multiple times a day for about 2 weeks to make sure I snapped up these amazingly adorable 3-wick candle pedestals before they sold out. Well, I GOT THEM! YAYAYAYAY!!! I know it sounds stupid, but I am so excited I bought these. I have two of their normal white pedestals on our fireplace mantle anyways, so these just replace those for a month-ish. Also, I picked up a Vanilla Bean Noel PocketBac. LOVE THAT SCENT!!

I bought the Scarlet Pumpkin hard working hand cream several months ago and LOVE the scent. It's incredible and perfect for this time of year! So, when I saw the Scarlet Pumpkin pump soap online, I HAD to get two. I am using this in the bathroom and it's equally as amazing.

Another huge soap hit with us (and with my brother-in-law, who went and bought 5 of these bad boys from B&BW after smelling it at our house) is the Black Cherry Merlot. HOLY WOW, this stuff is so, so good. It's a very deep, dark cherry, and though there's not much "merlot" in this that we can smell, the cherry alone is enough to keep us coming back. I am going to hoard these suckers in case B&BW decides to yank them from the shelves.

Vanilla Snowflake...ehh, I will have a review on this one soon. I wasn't a fan, unfortunately. Also, I'm not sure if Tis The Season was available in soap form last year, but it is this year! It smells pretty similar to the candle, which boasts apple/pine/cider/slight spice notes, but this has a much more toned-down pine note. It's there, but the candle features it more prominently. I have this in the spare bathroom now and it's really nice! Plus, look at the label...how can you go wrong?!

Another scent I have smelled before and decided to try in soap form. Heirloom Cranberries is sweet, but has a touch of spice to it. I have a feeling this will be a good soap for January!

As I've said before on this little blog'o'mine, ANYTHING lemon is good in our book. Well, I couldn't resist the lemon meringue cheer soap, which has another adorable label to it, too. The notes in this are meyer lemon zest, orange blossom, and meringue...sounds too good to be true!

I had my eye on this several months ago online, and when I went to buy it, it was gone. This anchor wallflower, even without a bulb, will look great in our beachy bathroom! Plus, this was on clearance, so I got a pretty good deal.

Finally, we have my most recent candle haul! WOOT! I am happy with 3 our of 4 of these candles, and am willing to try the 4th just to see how is smells when lit. OoOoOoOo, stacking abilities like whaaaaaat!

First, the one I'm not too sure we will like. White Barn's Nutmeg & Spice No. 1 (link is for 4 oz. candle) is not a new candle, it was definitely around last year. The notes I get from this are nutmeg for sure, vanilla sweetness, and some sort of caramel. Something about it is too caramelly for us, though. When I smelled it in the store, it smelled different, much less caramel, much more spice. When I got it in my package, it's the opposite. I'm willing to see how it differs, of course!

Now, I must confess, I have about a half of a candle in this scent from last year left. I KNOW, I KNOW, STOP HOARDING, but I wanted to make sure I got another one in case B&BW decides to yank this, too. SEE HOW SCARED YOU'VE MADE US, CORPORATE????????? Anywho, 'Tis the Season is fresh apples, pine, and hints of cinnamon. I just love this scent, it's so Christmas to me. And again....that label.... ;)

Josh bought me Spiced Apple Toddy last year for a Christmas gift and we fell in love with it. It's the best apple cider/apple drink scent Bath & Body Works has made, in my opinion. The other are lacking what this candle seems to have...maybe it's the plum note in this, but it's just fantastic. Last year, it burned like a charm each and every time I used it, which was A LOT. I'm hoping this year's version will produce similar results. I think this candle is in a new drink line, thus the fancy-pants label, which I love.

You know the scent Blonde Moment in wax, which is a bubbly fruity type of champagney scent? Well, Champagne Toast is the closest thing to that scent I've smelled in candle form. BOY, is this bubbly! I love it, it's really nice! I am going to use thus from late December - February, because I have a feeling it will last a long while. The notes in this candle are champagne and bubbles, some sort of citrus, and maybe another deeper fruit. I get a lot of that citrus note intermingled with the champagne. Hope this one burns!

Now, on the last two candles, they feature this really pretty lid. I know that the lid doesn't matter whatsoever, but I thought it was cool enough to share. I am a sucker for cool packaging!

And those are my Bath & Body Works hauls from late October through November 2013! I didn't partake in the Black Friday sales because I am an idiot. I should have bought Vanilla Bean Noel, a newly discovered love of mine, when I had the chance. Oh well, there's always after Christmas! Have you boguht anything from B&BW lately? Let me know!

Weekend Wax Review: February 22-24

Another week has come and gone. Oh my it's almost March! Yikes, time is flyyyyyyyyying by! Another weekend means more tartage! Follow me!

I started out Thursday night with Lavender Serendipity from Ollie's Soaps. I have never had any lavender from her, and this was nice, but the serendipity was very muted. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 5.5/10. The throw was a 5/10, for a total of 5.5/10. Not my favorite from Ollie's Soaps and I doubt I would repurchase it, so...

I decided to add Vanilla Lavender from Crabby Candle Co. I have had this tart for quite a while and have been looking for an excuse to melt it. This upped the lavender amount, making a really nice sleepytime tart! On cold sniff, 5/10. While warming, 6.5/10. The throw was a 6/10, for a total of 6/10, slightly rounded up. It lasted all through the night, and then a tiny bit when I woke up. I would probably repurchase this.

Yes, that's a Star Wars poster, and yes, that's an X-Files poster in the background. We are dorks. Anywho, in the living room this week, I have been constantly burning the 14.5 oz. 3-wick White Barn No. 3, Renew & Refresh candle from Bath & Body Works. This candle is freaking AMAZING. Renew and refresh is right!!

I started it on Friday last week and finished it Friday morning. It was like a constant This is the very first candle I have ever finished on its own from B&BW! I usually change so much that they never get done. Well, this one was so good, I bought 2 more during the 2/$22 this week. On cold sniff, 7.5/10. While warming, 8/10. The throw was a 6.5/10, for a total of 7/10, and an already made repurchase! So nice!

The first tart of Friday morning in the bedroom was More Trix Up My Sleeve from Candles By Victoria. I just don't get it. I don't know what I am doing wrong. These scent shots DO NOT WORK FOR ME.

I upped the light bulb in my Scentsy warmer to a 40 watt bulb on the advice of the CBVAU Facebook group, and it STILL didn't work! This is after 1 hour of melting, and it's barely even made a dent in it. Any other damn wax melt would be completely finished by now, but NOT CBVs! I don't get it. This was a lemony cereal type. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 4.5/10. The throw was a 2.5/10 because you had to be right on top of it to smell ANYTHING and I AM FRUSTRATED WITH CBV STUFF. Someone HELP me!! The total is 4/10. Ugh. It only lasted 2.5 hours before I dumped it out in anger.

Next, I had a fluted tart (not shown above, but this is the photo I found of the tart in my folder!) in Sugar Mint from The Scented Princess. This lasted 4 hours and I would repurchase it. Click this line to view my other thoughts on this scent!

Friday's nightly melt: Rosemary Mint from Back Home Scents & Suds. I have never heard of this company and I got this tart from my Simply Sensational Sampler February box. It was really strong at first, but fizzled fairly fast. I woke up at 2am (after falling asleep at midnight) and couldn't smell anything. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 5/10. The throw was a 5/10, for a total of 5/10! I might repurchase this scent, but I am looking forward to making a purchase from this company anyways!

Saturday morning I woke up and wanted something creamy, so I decided on Candles From The Keeping Room's Coconut Marshmallow. I have heard a lot about this scent, and I enjoyed it, but it's not my favorite scent ever. I melted this one for about 3 hours and I would repurchase this to blend. It was creamy, toasted coconutty, and you could really smell the fluff of the marshmallow. On cold sniff, 5.5/10. While warming, 7/10. The throw was a 6/10, for a total of 6/10!

Continuing the creamy trend, I grabbed for Front Porch's Country Cinnamon, one of my favs. It's very spicy, very creamy, very wonderful. On cold sniff, 6.5/10. The warm throw rating it 7.5/10. The throw on this one is a 6/10, for a total of 6.5/10! Great spicy scent, and I recommend that if you like spicy, you will like this scent! I will always repurchase this, and it lasted about 4 hours.

Next, we've for Front Porch's Cake Shoppe...and I was not a fan of this. It smelled like buttery maple frosting. It just wasn't my thing and I would not repurchase it, but if you're into suuuuper sweet bakery scents, you'll dig this. It lasted about 2 hours in our bedroom before we needed some air. On cold sniff, 5.5/10. While warming, 4/10. The throw was a 6/10, for a total of 5/10.

Keeping with the Front Porch kick, I found Mimosa & Mandarin in my wax bin and figured, why not? This was veeeeerrrry bubbly and effervescent. The orange almost takes a backseat to bubbles. Not a fan, and it only lasted an hour. It was giving Josh a headache. Not a repurchase. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 4/10. The throw was a 5.5/10, for a total of 5/10. Meh.

One more icky one from Front Porch, unfortunately...I'm not trying to get rid of anything, just trying new stuff. Welcome Friends started out as a nice, spicy scent, but drifted into weird "prim" territory. I am finding I don't like "prim" anything in mah tarts. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming 3.5/10. The throw on this was a 5.5/10, for a total of a reluctant 5/10. It only lasted an hour before headache inducing spices kicked in and I WON'T repurchase this.

Just in case you haven't heard by now, Closet Full of Wax is having a FREE SHIPPING sale until the end of February. OMG! She has some really great scents on her list, so if you're looking to try a new vendor, try out Michele's shop! I have been obsessed with her Bedtime Bath scent, so this was Saturday's nighttime melt. It's so nice, so soothing, lavender, chamomile, and...some3thing else. It's a Johnson & Johnson dupe for a shampoo or bath product, I think? Amazing, lasted most of the night, will repurchase again! On cold sniff, not too much, 5/10. While warming, 7.5/10. The throw was alright, 6/10, for a total of 6/10!

Sunday morning I was in a spicy mood, so I decided on Sweet Fixations' Cozy Home. This was just not good. It had all the reminders of a kitchen cupboard, and not in a good way. I swear I got a hint of curry in this tart. I dumped it out after about 30 minutes after I got up (7am). Not a repurchase and not a good start to the morning. On cold sniff, 5/10. While warming, 3/10. The throw was a 5/10, for a total of 4/10, rounded slightly down.

I picked a winner with this scent, though! Tiffany Candles' Apple Cinnamon Spice is easily one of my favorite scents from her. I have this in a 3-pack in her new wax, so if it's as strong and nice as this one, then yay! This lasted about 5 hours. Perfect blend between apples and spices. Always a repurchase, and maybe even in candle form! On cold sniff, 6.5/10. While warming, 7.5/10. The throw was a 6.5/10, for a total of 7/10, rounded slightly up.

As I've said before, I've been loving Closet Full of Wax lately! Bahama Mama was not my favorite scent, but it was nice. I ended up adding a tart in Coconut Lime Verbena from Tiffany Candles to give it a change in scent. This lasted 3 hours. I would repurchase Coconut Lime Verbena, but not Bahama Mama. On cold sniff, 5/10. While warming, 5.5/10. The throw was a 5/10 as well, for a total of 5/10. With the coconut lime verbena, it'd get bumped up to a 6/10.

Currently, I have CFTKR's Pink Sugared Fluff melting. It has been on 2 hours without a sign of stopping. It's very pink and very sweet, but I enjoy it thoroughly! It's got medium-strong strength. I would definitely repurchase this, I think this is one of my favorite scents EVER. On cold sniff, 6.5/10. While warming, 7.5/10. The throw is a 6.5/10, for a total of 10/10. The numbers don't matter here, folks, this is a definitely one of the best!! Delicious!

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Happy melting, y'all! Any highlights from your weekend? :)

Review: Slatkin & Co.'s Spiced Apple Toddy

Around our house, the spicier, the better...
...well, in terms of cinnamon, that is.
I personally LOVE spicy food. If you're talking about habaneros, jalapenos, or hot sauce, then Josh is not a fan (for me, stuff can't get hot enough!)...
...but if we're talking about cinnamon, we're both there with nostrils ready for sniffin' and our mouths a'ready for eatin'. We can't get enough of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg...you know, baking spices.

Josh bought me the 14.5 oz, 3-wick Spiced Apple Toddy candle from Bath & Body Works as a Christmas gift. I was reluctant because, when I was in the store, I smelled this candle and thought it smelled way too caramel-filled. What I think happened was someone switched the candle and lid because this scent is brilliant! It is a great mix of mulled cider, a slight alcohol note (brandy), tart cranberry, (plum, too, but I don't necessarily get that note) and a hint of spices. The apple in this is so strong!

Luckily, I have not had any issues with this candle, as you can see, the wax pool is deep and even, and the wicks have been alright, even though they are pretty thin. Overall, I would repurchase this a thousand times! It was a very lovely fall and winter time of scent. I have been trying to burn it to finish it, so I burn it when we are in the living room for long periods of time, and it always lasts at least 4 hours. Love it!

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Slatkin & Co.'s Spiced Apple Toddy
Cold Rating: 7.5/10; you get all of the notes individually on cold sniff: apples/cider, spices, cranberry, a hint of alcohol...just great on cold sniff, super strong!
Lit Rating: 8.5/10; marvelous! Everything has come together nicely on each burn! I have had no problems with this candle. One of my favorites and I didn't even know it!
Throw Rating: 8/10; this candle lingers throughout the entire house while warming AND once it's extinguished! It consistently overpowers whatever I've got going in the bedroom (if we're in the living room, or vice versa).
Overall Rating: 8/10; I am happy to report this is one of the best scents I tried of what I purchased/received from Bath & Body Works last year! I will definitely repurchase this...I am so impressed! Going to finish it up today or tomorrow, and I'm kicking myself for not buying more when they were on sale this weekend (BAN, ugh!). Try this one! :)

Weekend Wax Review: December 27-30

Waking up on the morning of December 22nd, 3 days before my favorite day of the entire year, I felt that all too familiar itchy and scratchy rawness in the back of my throat...
"...oh no," I thought, "I'm going to be sick on Christmas..."
...yup.

...I'm fairly certain I've infected given my cold to every single person I've ever met, so, if I saw you in person this week and you're reading this now, I'm sorry in advance for giving you the plague.

Needless to say, I didn't melt ANYTHING until Thursday night, thus, the extra day in this weekend wax review.

So, Thursday night, I was digging through a bag of single wax tarts when I found Ollie's Soaps' Sinus Relief. DUH, why didn't I do Sinus Relief SOONER in my sickness?! This one was r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s-l-y STRONG! It really helped with my stuffy nose. In fact, it was a nice, soothing scent, with a bit of medicinal note underneath. On cold sniff, 7/10. While warming, 7/10. The throw was a 6.5/10, for a total of 7/10!

I got my Haley's Heavenly Scents order on Christmas eve, YAY for early waxages (this is what I call a package of wax...Josh thinks I'm nuts, but he says it now, too, HA!)! However, due to the cold, I could not smell anything until the weekend. Friday night, we melted Snow Angels, which was a nice creamy mint scent. I couldn't place what it was while melting, but it smelled like butter. Josh didn't smell the same thing, though, so I chalked it up to my sickness. I don't like to check scent descriptions until AFTER I pour out the wax, so I can see if my ol' sniffer is/was on the right track. Sure enough, this was a buttercream mint Yankee type. On cold sniff, 6/10. While warming, 6/10. The throw wasn't too strong, 5/10, for a total of 6/10.

Blur city up in this picture...but anywho, Tiffany Candles' Snickerdoodle was a sample I've been sitting on for a few months. I was feeling like a cookie scent this morning, so I popped it in. WOW, this one was very pleasant! I'm generally not a cookie type of gal, but this was really, really nice! There was a rich, buttery note mixed in with a cinnamon sugar. On cold sniff, barely anything, 4.5/10, just the faintest hint of cookie. While warming, 6.5/10. This is in the old wax blend, but it was surprisingly strong with a 6.5/10. Overall, 6/10, and I'd love to try this in the new wax blend!

Last, but certainly not least, we have Sniff My Tarts' Pink Coconut Vanilla Butter Fudge...man, oh man, this was simply amazing. Between the creaminess of the coconut, the butteriness of the fudge, and the sweetness of the pink sugar, this has got to be one of my top 10 scents of the year, it was that good. WOWZA. On cold sniff, 7.5/10. While warming, 9.5/10. It was strong, too, 9/10. Grand total is 9/10. If you get a chance to order from this company, TRY. THIS. SCENT. It's incredible how these ladies can blend fragrances together to creating something fantastic!!

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Enjoy your week, everyone! :)

Review: White Barn's Black Pepper Bergamot 14.5 oz 3-Wick Candles

It's okay to want to smell a man sometimes, right?

Not the unshowered, stinky foot scent of a man...(wonderful visual for a Saturday afternoon, eh??)

...I mean the fresh, musky, clean, aftershavey, sort of sexy and cologned scent of a man.

You know, how Robert Downey Jr. would probably smell if he happened to walk by you on the street.
Like a million dollars....

No?.....no?????

I'm of the opinion that, given the right type of masculine scent, this line of thinking is perfectly acceptable, dare I say normal.
...Plus, Robert Downey Jr.

Black Pepper Bergamot...where to begin. This is a 14.5oz candle, 3 wick, with plenty of problems. The scent is masculine, sexy, and peppery. I enjoy it thoroughly. I have had this candle since, oh I don't know, September? October? Well, I finally started burning it...

...and this is what I've gotten performance-ly speaking both times. A VERY uneven burn, no full wax pool whatsoever, and barely any scent throw. The photo above was taken 2.5 hours into the burn.

I am disappoint. This is fabulous scent marred by poor performance. As I have stated several times in this post, this is what I imagine Robert Downey Jr. smells like and now...I'll never know...

*cue long, deep gaze into a vast space of nothingness*

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White Barn's Black Pepper Bergamot
Cold Rating: 7.5/10; strong and sexy, you can really smell the pepper mixed in with bergamot.
Lit Rating: 2.5/10; pithy scent throw, uneven wax pool, no full wax pool, thin white wicks of death.
Throw Rating: 3/10; upper level strength, but not the strongest thing I've ever melted.
Overall Rating: 4/10; "Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance; Another heartache - another failed romance; On and on...Does anybody know what we are living for?" /end Queen's "The Show Must Go On." High hopes and shattered dreams. No Robert Downey Jr. sexiness.

Dud Candles!

Candles should come with the following warning label:

"We fully intend on getting your hopes up, only to drown them in a perfectly tunneled pool of melted wax and dud wicks."

Well, okay, not ALL candles, but some should have this warning.

It seems as if I have been having a lot of trouble with my White Barn, Slatkin, and Bath & Body Works candles. From dud wicks to tunneling, I have now had to return/exchange a total of 5 candles. Luckily, Bath & Body Works has a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee return policy, so if you have a dud or just don't like it, then you can exchange or return the product.
-SIDEBAR- DO NOT burn a candle almost all the way to the bottom and then exchange them...that's basically stealing and you should be ashamed. Scoldy McScoldScold.

THIS IS NOT TO DISSUADE ANYONE FROM BUYING! Just letting you know.
...and I'm not the only one having these problems! TONS of people all over the internet have noted the same exact issues.

So, my friends, have you had this issue with your candles, regardless of where you purchased them? Let me know, and if you have any tips or trick to fix bad burns, measly wicks, or smoky candles, please let me know!

Review: White Barn's Cranberry Woods 14.5 oz 3-Wick Candle

Very few things define fall and winter together. Pumpkins are mainly for Halloween, Christmas trees are, obviously, spoken for with Christmas...

(another terrible photo! What the heck is going on with my phone?!)
...but what about cranberry? Cranberry works for both fall AND winter holidays! They have earned themselves a place on the Thanksgiving table are often used in Christmas decorations. These little berries bring much joy and delight, to those of you who enjoy them.

Cranberry Woods combines a rustic, woodsy scent with cranberries and a very, very small amount of cinnamon to make one uber-powerful candle! I'm not sure what blackcurrants smell like, but there's definitely another subtle fruity note to this fragrance. The only disappointment about this candle is, on a second day burn, my candle sort of dudded out; luckily for me, it turned itself around! I really enjoy this candle, and Josh did too. I would absolutely repurchase this again!

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White Barn's Cranberry Woods
Cold Rating: 7/10; surprisingly strong cranberry scent that is not too overpowered by the woods aspect.

Lit Rating: 8/10; a true delight for either fall OR winter! Super strong, although my particular candle had performance issues several times.

Throw Rating: 7/10; definitely traveled throughout the house, permeated the air, and it was as if we were picking cranberries in the wilderness...no, really!
Overall Rating: 7/10; a solid contender for one of my favorite fall fragrances!

Weekend Wax Review: November 2-4

I melted quite a few things this weekend.

Part of me wants to go through my stash of Tiffany Candles as slow as possible because I looooooooooooove their products. I have not found one scent from them that I haven't been in love with! This weekend, I melted: Hocus Pocus (caramel apple mixed with candy corn, very sweet but very fruity, too), Mulled Cider (a fantastic mix of apples, oranges, and spices, mainly clove and a hint of cinnamon, I think), and I burned my 4oz. jelly jar of Stress Relief some more.

From Bath & Body Works, I burned my 'Tis The Season candle, as well as Snowed In, and Leaves, which is always a great choice.

Yankee Candle also got a little bit of action this weekend: I burned my large tumbler of Midnight Jasmine for a few hours as well.

...I guess this weekend wax review includes Friday, too!

Ollie's Soaps got some love this weekend, too! Josh suggested I try Sinus Relief, since he was having allergy symptoms.

Finally, I melted a couple successful scents from Front Porch, which included Pink Peppermint, a newly discovered favorite of mine. Lavender Marshmallow, however, is my first negative experience with this company...it smelled like sweet bug spray to me! I guess you run that risk being a lavender fan!

Anywho, this is a day late and a dollar short, but have an awesome week! Happy melting!

Review: White Barn's Sweater Weather

YouTube is quickly becoming my favorite site for all things scented.

Many, many YouTube users have talked about placing "test store orders" for Bath & Body Works, White Barn, and Slatkin candles. Apparently, these stores get items before they are released nationwide, to test them out on a small population to see how they sell and perform. One of them was somewhere in Ohio..

...and, well, I placed a test store order about two months ago. I know, I know, this thing I have with candles and wax seems to know no bounds. JUST KEEP IN MIND, I never pay full price for anything as a means of thriftiness, and always use one, two, heck, maybe even three coupons in any transaction (if they let you stack coupons, and most places don't anymore). I pride myself on getting the best deals possible. Plus, if you know you can't find a specific fragrance anywhere else, it's justifiable...or so I tell myself. :)

I'm not sure Sweater Weather made it to a nationwide release, so I'm glad I snagged it while I had the chance to do so. The performance of this candle was so-so.The first time I burned it, I got uneven wax pools around each of the thin, white wicks; for those who don't know, B&BW's thin, white wicks are T-R-O-U-B-L-E because they produce shoddy, uneven, off-kilter burns with (sometimes) minuscule wax pools. This, however, is the little candle that could. One a second-day burn, I got better results and an even, deep pool of wax! YIPPEE!!

Let me start by saying: this one is STRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRONG. I took my lil' pup outside, came back in 15 minutes later, and the scent almost knocked me off my feet.  The strength mainly comes from the trio of juniper berries, fresh eucalyptus, and sage, with a tiny bit of woods, sweet spearmint, and dew mixed in. This is what I imagine a damp, dusky forest smelling like: intense, herbal, slightly earthy...these scents work SO well together. It's super fresh without being cheery. It's like pulling your fall and winter clothes out from a dusty, damp attic in a wooden cabin on a rainy morn, in the best possible way. The freshness of this candle is breathtaking, actually, I could breathe it in all day. It makes me want to take a trip to the mountains! If it's not too late, I hope this one gets picked up for nationwide release, though I think most of the general public might not like this. I feel like Josh and I are the only people in the world who don't like sugary, cookie, bakery scents (which EQUAL =/= NOT spicy, nutmegy, cinnamony wonder scents); people tend to lump all these scents in the same category just because spices are used in the kitchen! He's a fruity/fresh kind of guy (HA!) and I am a spicy/fresh/clean kind of gal.

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White Barn's Sweater Weather
Cold Rating: 7/10; damp and earthy smelling, with a hint of subtle spearmint.
Lit Rating: 8/10; this candle has AMAZING performance
Throw Rating: 10/10; HELLOOOOOOOOOOO NURSE! Insane throw (I swear I could smell this outside!)
Overall Rating: 8/10; picturesque mountainside cabin soaked in rain, sage bushes and eucalyptus surrounding the building with juniper berries close by, absolutely brilliant combination!

Review: White Barn's Marshmallow Fireside 14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle

Have you ever been camping?

I have, two or three times, in fact.
...And I know I'm in the minority, but guess what: It's terrible.

On the flip side, my best friend is an adventurer. If it involves hiking, sleeping outside, or the wilderness in general, he'll be there in a heartbeat.

...it might sound like a joke, but I've always maintained that my idea of camping involves a hotel. With nice, fluffy pillows. And an ice machine close by. A spectacular view. Poolside drinks and a bubbling, scorching spa. With room service.

Hey, a gal can dream, can't she?  :)

The only parts I miss about camping are the sights and smells. The picturesque mountains on a dew-filled morning, fresh, damp leaves and tree needles, a roaring fire, crackling every few seconds with delight...yes, these things would get me to camp again.

Speaking of a crackling fire, s'mores are one of my favorite desserts. There's something about their simplicity, yet maintain their ability to be altered that makes me crave them.
Marshmallows in general are the very definition of happiness.

Well, folks, Bath & Body Works carries one of my new favorite candles: White Barn's Marshmallow Fireside. There's a reason this one's a fan favorite: it smells exactly like toasting marshmallows on an open fire at a campsite. Cold, this candle smells heavenly, like you could eat it straight out of its container (except for that whole dying thing...). On the surface, this candle is sweet, but not so sweet that it makes you ill. When lit, you uncover a smokey, woodsy note that cuts the marshmallow sweetness perfectly to create an intoxicating scent memory...
[...even if that memory is one of a camping trip that took place waaaaaay too soon after an all-night, lock-you-in-the-gym-because-we-had-to graduation after"party," on very little sleep, before energy drinks were very popular...]

Sorry, I got sidetracked on reminiscing! Bottom line: this candle is homey, warm, cozy...everything that embodies fall and winter. My particular candle had a bad burn at times, with low flames and bad wax pooling. I wish the throw was as strong as this candle smells when unlit, but it still fills one room really well.

...I am going to make it a point to hoard everything Marshmallow Fireside scented before the products run out after Christmas!

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White Barn Marshmallow Fireside
Cold Rating: 8/10
Lit Rating: 6/10; my candle had a very bad burn at times, but still did a pretty decent job of filling one room with scent.
Throw Rating: 6.5/10; it had its moments of barely any throw.
Overall Rating: 7/10; visions of huddling around a campfire, toasting fluffy, white pillows of decadence, woodsy and slightly burnt deliciousness.

Weekend Wax Review: September 8-9

This has been a pretty uneventful weekend for me. My husband recently started working both Saturday and Sunday, which I think is better because he has two days off in the middle of the week.

Less lines + less crowds + more opportunities to shop and see movies = MUCH BETTER.

Wow, that made me sound like the Grinch.

OOO OOO OOO, speaking of the Grinch, there's only 106 days until Christmas!!

Speaking of Christmas! I got my Yankee Candle tarts in the mail! YAY! I will do a haul and review on some  randomly picked scents later on this week.

Anyway, back to my weekend review!

Saturday: This might sound gross, but we woke up Friday morning and something stunk in our house. IT HAPPENS, OKAY!? It might have just been because we've been running the air conditioner and have not had the back door opened...but ugh. I ran my tart warmer all day with Scentsy's "Clean Breeze," and the same was true until about 1pm on Saturday...then, the mailman arrived! I downloaded this awesome app called Package Buddy and it is AWESOME. I've entered multiple packages at a time and it has always been accurate, from UPS and USPS to FedEx! I peeled back the tape, opened the box, pulled out the stuffing and there were my glorious votives!...now, if I could only get my hands on some more votive holders! I decided to burn Kitchen Spice first. It smells like Constant Comment tea, with top notes of orange and clove, and a hint of cinnamon and ginger mixed in. Glorious! I wish I had this in a full-size jar!

Sunday: I didn't really get home until 4ish today, so I decided to five head-first into my White Barn "Cranberry Woods", so that's burning right now. Boy, oh boy, it smells so wonderful. It's woodsy, filled with berries, sweet and smokey all at the same time. I'll be burning this the rest of this night, for sure!

Until next time! I *promise* I will review Marshmallow Fireside, as well as give some helpful hints I've picked up along the way during my time as a scent addict.

Weekend Wax Review: September 1-2

First of all, has anyone seen the movie "John Carter," anyone at all?
No?
There's a reason it flopped, trust me. Steer clear, my friends, it's not very good.

Saturday: Burned a few scents on Saturday. I was trying to finish off a Yankee votive in Cherry Lemonade, but not dice. Met my mom at a shop up the street, then took our pup to her house for lunch. So, I still have half of it left, which is alright, because it smells amazing, just like Fruit Strips gum! When I got home, I burned Yankee Candle Simply Home Beach Towel for a few hours to freshen up the joint because it always makes the house smell better. When Josh got home, I showed him my newly purchased/exchanged White Barn Marshmallow Fireside, and we had that one going for the rest of this night. It made me want s'mores...fabulous, delicious s'mores...review to come on this wonderful fragrance sometime this week.

Sunday: Cleaned the house today, so I needed something clean and floral to brighten up the air! I actually melted Scentsy's 'Awakening' in my tart warmer. If you haven't tried Scentsy, the concept is pretty neat, sort of like AVON but with scented wax; some scents are hit and miss, though, many I've smelled have been artificial (cinnamon should smell like cinnamon, not carnauba wax infused Big Red). You can buy other brands of wax cubes at any number of places online, as well as in-store at placeslike Walmart (Better Homes & Gardens brand, Scentsationals, etc). 'Awakening' is part of Scentsy's Spa collection; it was a great air freshener, and powerful, but did the job! I don't sell Scentsy, so don't think this is a cheap ploy to get you to purchase from me, because it's not. Tonight, we are burning Slatkin's Pink Sangria (4oz) as a change of pace; we wanted something fruity, and this scent is fabulous: juicy raspberries, tangy tangerine, infused with brandy-soaked grapes. Delish, if only I had a Pink Sangria drink in my hand right now!

Have a fabulous Labor Day, everyone, and remember, be safe!

Review: White Barn's Fresh Balsam and Mahogany Teakwood (Bath & Body Works Labor Day sale round-up!)

Behold the bearer of good news! Many shops, online and in-store, are having WONDERFUL sales for Labor Day weekend, WOOHOO!

Bath & Body Works is having a 2 for $20 candle 3-wick candle sale, as well as buy 3 body care items get 3 free! Also, for the past 2 days (and possibly until Monday?), their aromatherapy body washes are only $5, marked down from $13! Not sure how often this sale happens, but it seemed that they were running low on their stock, which is a good sign! Soaps are 4 for $15 and 6 for $20, a deal that happens quite frequently.

...I may or may not have gone to the B&BW up the street from our house to smell all of the fall candles.
 Okay, I'll admit it: I did.

And, I'm sorry to say, I do not like a lot of the candle scents this year. Many of them were waaaay too sweet for me unlit/cold, but it's one of those tricky situations where you're not willing to buy a bunch of candles on a whim, even though they'll probably smell better when lit.

After a short smell-a-thon, I went with 2 candles: the 3-wick Fresh Balsam and the 3-wick Mahogany Teakwood; I lit each one shortly after arriving home with my purchases.

Mahogany Teakwood was up first. Cold, this candle smells musky, alluring, and sexy. There are many different woody notes, such as mahogany (obviously!), cedar, a bit of oak, and some sort of floral note. I have had many a candle that smelled of cologne, but this one was just too much. In fact, that's the problem with both of the candles I purchased, they were too overpowering. While I appreciate an excellent throw and powerful scent, this one did not do it for me. The only thing I can remotely equate it to is some sort of Axe body spray that has been used over and over and over, and not in a good way.

The Fresh Balsam wasn't much better. In fact, it took me the rest of the night to get the scent out of the house, and when we woke up this morning, I swear it was still lingering! Last year during the buy 2 get 2 sale at Yankee Candle, I purchased the Balsam and Cedar 2-wick large tumbler, which, so far, has been my favorite Christmas tree fragrance of any company. Something about B&BW's scent was off-putting to me, maybe there was too much eucalyptus, maybe not enough crackling wood smell, but either way...I returned both of these candles. For the first time, I haven't agreed with the majority of candle reviewers, as both of these scents were top rated on B&BW's website.

--SIDE BAR--
It seems like I do a lot of complaining about scents I don't enjoy. Trust me, for every one I don't like, there are at least 10 I'm obsessed with. I have never returned a candle once, NEVER; even if I wasn't particularly a fan of the scent, I grin and bear it...but these candles are just too big and expensive to justify keeping if they aren't going to be used.

Upon returning them, I smelled the rest of the ones I missed yesterday and ended up with the same candles I have in mini-form, Leaves (read my review here) and Marshmallow Fireside, review of this one to follow in the next few days because it is AMAZING.

I'm going to try something new: I wanted to start a rating system on my site, and it may take some tweaking, but for now, here's how I'll be rating the candles I review on a 10-scale system (I've also edited old posts with ratings, too!):

Cold Rating: how the candle smells when unlit
Lit Rating: how the candle smells when lit and burning
Throw Rating: the scent distribution, was it good, bad, weak, strong?
Overall Rating: factoring in all of the above, what as the final consensus, with quick notes on what was liked or disliked

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White Barn Fresh Balsam
Cold Rating: 5/10, smells like Christmas, candlefied.
Lit Rating: 3/10
Throw Rating: 9/10
Overall Rating: 5.5/10; missing a key "fiery/crackling wood" component for me, strong throw, underwhelming.

White Barn Mahogany Teakwood
Cold Rating: 5/10
Lit Rating: 3/10
Throw Rating: 8/10
Overall Rating: 5/10; alluring when unlit but too powerful when burning, smells like Axe body spray, headache-inducing.

Review: White Barn's Leaves 1.3 oz Mini Candle

After the disastrous Macintosh Spice incident, I wasn't sure I'd ever find an apple-scented candle that didn't smell artificial.
Since that post, I've been into a few shops looking for the perfect apple spice scent. There have been a few hits, way too many misses, and I just haven't been able to justify spending money (even as little as $2.50 for a mini candle!) if my nose was simply playing tricks on me again. I can't stand another heartbreak, schnoz, I just can't...

I think I have found the very thing I was looking for.

My grandma and I were spending the day together yesterday while her car was being serviced. We stopped into a nearby Bath & Body Works to browse the Fall candle selection. I smelled around, as did she, and eventually settled on Leaves and Marshmallow Fireside.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Leaves is the quintessential fall fragrance, everyone. Unlit, this candle smells like a dream. Between the fresh smell of red, luscious apples, the sweet scent of nectar and fruity berries, and a lingering of cinnamon spice, lighting this candle, even in its mini form, makes me feel as if I am walking through an orchard, with leaves crunching beneath my every step. This is the fall I've been searching for. The throw is mild on the mini 1.3oz size, and I have a hunch that it'll be much more powerful in a larger version. It's hard to make a large bedroom very fragrance using just a mini, but the smell definitely is there!

Rumor has it that Bath & Body Works will be having a 2 for $20 sale on their 3-wick candles starting tomorrow, but wait until they send out an email because they are still full-price online. This is a MUST HAVE for fall and winter, you will not be disappointed (I'm still slightly bitter about the Macintosh Spice).

~~~~~~~~~~
Bath & Body Works Leaves
Cold Rating: 8/10
Lit Rating: 9/10
Throw Rating: 9/10
Overall Rating: 9/10, apple/berry nectar mix with a little twist of cinnamon, true fall fragrance, memories of pumpkin patches and hot apple cider.

Until next time!

Review: Bath & Body Works French Baguette 1.3 oz Mini Candle

I think I might need to contact the crew of Hoarders because my candle obsession seems to know no limits.

After errands today, I wandered into my local Bath & Body Works because I knew the summer candles would be 50% off, plus I had a 20% off coupon. Doesn't get much better than that, now does it?!

Upon smelling many of the fragrances I had on my list to buy, I was unimpressed.
No, it's not them, it's me. Most definitely me.
The candles all smelled fabulous, but...
Maybe it's time I realize that I am just not that into bakery/sweets scents.

Don't get me wrong, I love the smell of freshly baked cookies, cakes, and pies in real life, but ever since the time when I burned the Yankee Candle scent Pancakes and my husband Josh's lip swelled up within 5 minutes to 3 times its normal size, I've made it a rule not to buy bakery candles...

...but does "bakery" include Bath & Body Works' French Baguette candle? Because, if so, I just broke my own rule.
This candle, even in the mini (1.3oz) size, is DIVINE! It truly smells like freshly baked bread! The scent is strong when cold and even decent when lit! The house smelled like a Parisian bakery in no time.
So, forgive me if I went back on my word, dear husband o'mine, but I think you will enjoy this one, too! It sure puts me in the mood to bake homemade bread...I think I will make some this week, provided the heatwave goes away!

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Bath & Body Works French Baguette
Cold Rating: 6.5/10
Lit Rating: 7/10
Throw Rating: 5/10, I think the fact that it's mini-sized is the culprit, here.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10, decent throw, makes me want to go to Paris, bread is love.