First Scentsy Score

July 6, 2016

During June, there were a couple unofficial lists of Fall scents testing and coming back to BBW. My absolute favorite, Radiant Red Maple, never popped up on any of these lists. I started really freaking out because I never bothered to buy more than one in 2015 and couldn’t find it during SAS. So when I heard that Scentsy had an exact dupe, I clearly had to give it a try.

I’ve known about Scentsy for quite some time, but the higher prices and consultant based shopping always turned me off. Finding out about the RRM dupe was a total game changer though. My fiancé and I browsed the site, and purchased a small haul of things to try out.

First Scentsy Score - Apple S'mores - Radiant Red Maple Dupe

I purchased three Scentsy bars – 2 Apple S’mores (the dupe) and 1 Bonfire Beach. To my delight, Apple S’mores smells EXACTLY like Radiant Red Maple. Bonfire Beach is pretty comparable to BBW Summer Bonfire with a bit more freshness and citrus. I’m excited to see how strong this brand’s fragrance throws soon and will definitely give a more in-depth review.

We also purchased a Scentsy Buddy – a cuddly stuffed animal that holds fragrance packs. The company was offering a shark buddy that we couldn’t pass up, especially since it came with a free scent pack! After asking Norma’s FB group which scents I should try out, Luna was a clear winner. Luna is a very fresh & floral, almost soapy, scent which is enjoyable. I’m really impressed with the quality of the Scentsy buddy and how well the fragrance comes through.

First Scentsy Score - Steve the Shark - Scentsy Buddy

Even though I only did a mini haul, I can understand the hype around Scentsy. I’m obviously going to be stocking up big time on the Radiant Red Maple dupe and getting more scent packs for my shark buddy soon! 😉 Have you ever purchased anything from Scentsy and if so, what’s your favorite scent? Share in comments!

Rare Finds at Foxwoods

July 4, 2016

Happy 4th of July! To the wax community this great holiday is also signifying the final day of SAS for both Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candle. I don’t know about you but I’m ready for these sales to be over, BBW especially had a disappointing selection in my region. The best purchase I made was actually during the last week of the sale and I am so excited to show you what I found.

I ended up at Foxwoods casino, which surprisingly has a BBW outlet, and there was a beautiful table of overflowing candles. All the usual spring/summer scents and a ton of last winter’s fragrances. Nothing was especially catching my eye at first, but then I saw it. The super rare test candle Key Lime Pie just sitting there waiting for me to buy it.

Rare Finds at Foxwoods - BBW Key Lime Pie Test Candle

There ended up being 4 Key Lime Pie candles hidden on this table and I bought them all. No shame. I’ve since gifted one to my BFF and we both have been going crazy over this treasure. If you’ve ever smelled Yankee Candle’s Key Lime Pie and Vanilla Lime candles, BBW found the perfect balance between the two. Add in a hint of graham cracker crust and it’s just heavenly. The best part? These rang up at 75% and I had a coupon bringing the price to a little over $4 each.

This location also had a small selection of mini Fall candles. I was ecstatic when I saw Pumpkin Pie sitting there – I’m terrified this won’t make a comeback for 2016. I ended up picking up 5 of these little guys and they came to a little over $1 each. SCORE! (Finally.)

Rare Finds at Foxwoods - BBW Pumpkin Pie

When the $10 candle sale popped up later in the week I decided to head back to Foxwoods and try my luck again. This was the only store that had a half-decent selection so the trip was totally worth it. I ended up getting 5 candles (pictured at beginning of post) for $6 each after coupon.

I’m happy that SAS is over so we can begin to discover upcoming collections. (I especially can’t wait to find out what Fall test candles come out in the next week!) At least now I know which BBW location I should head to first for future sales. What was your best score during SAS? Share in the comments!

Burn List – July 2016

July 1, 2016

Okay confession time – I have over 100 candles. I seriously need to de-stash, especially before we move later this Fall! To try burning through as much as possible, I’m going to begin posting a “to burn” list at the beginning of each month. Here is what I hope to burn through for July 2016.

Tropical Pina Colada (melt)
Watermelon Lemonade
Juicy Watermelon
Wild Berry Cheesecake (melt)
Storm Watch
Suntan
Summer Bonfire
Bonfire Beach (melt)
Heirloom Tomato
Basil (melt)
Snap Peas

I know this list might seem unrealistic, but a few candles have been previously burned which will hopefully assist in accomplishing my goal. The only candle I don’t expect to fully get through is Heirloom Tomato and I’m fine with that. I’ll also be burning Tailgating occasionally throughout the month, but that’s another I won’t finish. What are you planning on burning this month? Share in the comments!

June 2016 Candle Empties

June 29, 2016

Even though June was a hot month in Rhode Island, that didn’t stop me from burning through a good chunk of my stash! The summer solstice definitely influenced what I was burning and I ended up melting 7 candles, 6 wax melts, and 2 wallflowers. Here is the complete list of empties:

Midnight Blue Citrus (3-wick candle) – I posted an in-depth review of this at the beginning of the month so I won’t go into too much detail now. Long story short, this was the perfect candle to kick-off my Summer seasonal burns. I really enjoyed it while it lasted but I don’t necessarily need it in my collection.

Island Margarita (3-wick candle) – I really liked this scent on cold in the store and figured it would help get me in the Summer spirit. I actually really didn’t like this candle when burning though. All I could smell was the salted rim of a tropical drink and it just put me off. My fiancé enjoyed it though so when it got puny wick syndrome, I finished it on the warmer. I’ll never repurchase this scent in any form again.

Bahama Fizz (3-wick candle) – This was one of the first candles that started my obsession back in 2012 & I made my first tarts with it. You could almost smell the rum mixed into this fruity fragrance! If BBW ever re-released this I’d probably pick it up again.

Mocha Latte Swirl (3-wick candle) – This is my favorite coffee fragrance to date and I’ve been working on this candle for several months now. It’s the perfect mix of bitter espresso, creamy caramel, and a hint of cocoa. I have hoarded several more already!

Summer Trio (1-wick candle) – This trio candle from Yankee included Summer Scoop, Merry Marshmallow, and Salted Caramel. I loved that it looked like neopolotin ice cream but hated that it barely threw. This definitely was far from my favorite.

Watermelon Lemonade (1-wick candle) – A tried and true scent that we all know and love. I’ll always repurchase but never hoard it.

Seashore (1-wick candle) – Another scent I picked up back in 2012 and really enjoyed this past month! It had a slight undertone of suntan lotion but blended perfectly with salty beach air. It really reminded me of my high school beach days 😉

Fresh Pulled Taffy (wax melt) – This was a scent I was SO excited about. It was a beautiful balance of sea salt, caramel, and strawberry. The melt was very sweet but didn’t throw. I could barely smell this in my small bedroom which was a major disappointment. Glad I gave it a try but won’t repurchase due to the performance.

Sevn’ Up Pound Cake (wax crumbles) – For the past 2 months, I’ve been searching for the perfect lemon-lime scent and this is it! Not only is the balance between citrus and bakery notes done SO well, but you even get a slight fizziness mixed in. I honestly can’t get enough and am thinking of doing a major haul next time Wax Crumbles is stocked!

Blueberry Cheesecake (wax melt) – This is an exact dupe of Wild Berry Cheesecake and the throw was equally amazing. I’ll stick with WBC in the future though due to accessibility and wax texture.

Peanut Butter Sugar (wax melt) – YUM! I also posted an in-depth review for this lovely scent a couple weeks ago. Without too much detail, this was the perfect balance of salty peanuts, warm vanilla, and a waffle cone. Will repurchase forever.

Country Breakfast (wax melt) – This was a nice scent to burn on weekend mornings. It had notes of maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and a hint of apple. While it was pleasant enough, I’m not in a hurry to repurchase.

Watermelon Patch (wax melt) – I love anything and everything watermelon during the Summer. This was an equally delicious fruity scent but definitely had a grassy note mixed in. Compared to other fragrances on the market this was a refreshing & unique blend. I still have plenty other watermelon candles to get through next month though so I’ll hold off on repurchasing.

Caribbean Escape (wallflower) – A great fruity scent that got me in the mood for Summer, but I could barely smell it. This is a Slatkin era version and had trouble evaporating.

Bahama Fizz (wallflower) – Another Slatkin era wallflower that I could hardly smell and barely evaporated. So over it!

Out of everything I melted this past month, Sevn’ Up Pound Cake was my absolute favorite scent! I’ve gotten through the majority of my fruity fragrances and am looking forward to burn some other favorites in my collection next month. What did you melt this month and which was your favorite? Share in the comments!

Fragrance Review – Peanut Butter Sugar

June 15, 2016

Goose Creek Peanut Butter Sugar Fragrance Review

I am super late to jump on the Goose Creek bandwagon but am nevertheless happy to have discovered the brand. Since placing my first order in April, I’ve melted 5 different scents and each have been enjoyable. My favorite fragrance from Goose Creek so far is Peanut Butter Sugar. While this isn’t anything new, it’s an amazing discovery that has made it’s way into my all-time favorite scents.

What does this smell like? Together warm vanilla, salty peanuts, and a “buttery” bakery note are combined which results in a deliciously sweet scent. The balance of fragrances is divine and I haven’t smelled anything similar elsewhere. Overall appeal is an 8 on cold but 10 when burning.

Does it throw? I first tried out this scent in my office area where it only threw around a 4. Disappointed, I stopped burning it for a few weeks. I gave it another chance in my bedroom and what a different it made. In this smaller confined space Peanut Butter Sugar threw around a 9.

This salty-sweet fragrance is getting filed into my 2016 favorites. I will absolutely be re-purchasing more wax melts during the next sale and may even try my first Goose Creek candle in this scent! Have you ever burned Peanut Butter Sugar? Share your thoughts on this scent in the comments!

BBW Spring 2016 SAS Haul & Rant

June 10, 2016

I have been psyching myself up for Bath & Body Works semi-annual sale for the past month. I created a list of candles and wallflowers I was looking to haul and almost took the day off of work. You would think since BBW has this loyal of a fan-base that they’d offer the same products everywhere. Wrong. I have not found a single 75% off candle at the closest 7 stores in a 2-hour radius.

After speaking with some other girls in the New England area, it seems that RI & MA did not get any of the 75% off treasures the rest of the US received. This is SO disappointing. Can you imagine if I actually took the day off of work only to find that nothing special was being offered around me? I may not be the biggest fan of Yankee Candle’s products, but at least the store is fair and offers the same scents everywhere. It’s not like my stores even sold-out before I got there. They never received ANYTHING from the previous Fall or Winter lines. To everyone who’s been able to find last year’s awesome scents that most likely won’t be available ever again, I am so jealous!

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, here are the only purchases I’ve made during this Spring SAS. Day 1 which was online only, I ordered 11 wallflowers and 1 candle. I was most excited about the Lavender Macaron scent coming out in wallflower form – so naturally I went a little crazy.

I did manage to find 75% off wallflowers in the scent Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake and stocked up. At the same time I luckily found one of the amazing fall body care fragrances from 2015 and picked up a couple shower gels. (Shown at top.) At another store, I wanted to reach $40 to use my coupon and the only notable items included in that purchase were 2 more candles and 2 more wallflowers.

Even though I’m disappointed with this SAS, I have gotten a few good deals. I’m officially putting myself on a wax ban until Fall fragrances come out – I’ve got a lot to burn through in the next couple months! In the meantime, let’s hope BBW will step up their game for Winter SAS and stop re-packaging the same boring scents nobody cares for! 😉 Have you been one of the lucky ones to find some treasures during this SAS? Share your haul in the comments!

Massive Yankee Candle 2016 SAS Haul

June 3, 2016

What a nice surprise it was for us all to learn that YC was starting their semi-annual sale two weeks early! I had not mentally prepared for this. As a result, I ended up making not 1, but 3 SAS purchases in the matter of one day. While I clearly have a serious problem, I just couldn’t pass up the incredible prices and hard-to-find fragrances!

Haul 1 – Online Order – 75% off (Saved $125)

The first haul was all about accessories. I loved the Easter line and ordered the chick plate, candle shade, and matching tea light holder. For the holder, I got the pretty Pink Peony tea lights. Pictured above in the first image, I also bought the hanging pumpkin candle holder, two Christmas illuma-lids, and two falling leaf candle shades. Can you believe ALL of this came to $28?!

Haul 2 – Local YC Store – 50% off

After making my first SAS purchase online, I ended up heading to my local store to see if they had any of the rare fragrances in stock. I was SO happy to find Carrot Cake which is a beautiful bakery spice blend with a cream cheese note. I additionally found the holiday hurricane which matches the votive holders I picked up back in December. And because I couldn’t resist, I treated myself to a new car fragrance in Vanilla Lime.

Haul 3 – Outlet YC Store – 5 for $50 (Saved $90)

White Chocolate Apple – I’ve seen this around for a while but never indulged. My fiancé begged me to give it a sniff in the store and I fell in love. This smells EXACTLY like a candy apple from either a Fall festival or Halloween. So lovely.

Merry Mint – This past holiday season I had my heart set on this fragrance, but never found it during a sale. I jumped for joy when I saw this in the store! It’s a milk chocolatey mint combination which is heavenly.

Key Lime Pie – I’ve been on the hunt for this retired fragrance the past couple of months and was ecstatic to find it. It’s a very tart lime scent perfect for late-Spring and Summer!

Tailgating – This is such a unique scent and was really hard to pass up. On cold, it smells exactly like an outdoor BBQ. Whenever I take a whiff I immediately think of hotdogs on the grill. This will be wonderful during the Summer months!

Candy Cane Lane – I’d heard some great reviews of this candle and it really is the perfect holiday mint! When I saw the abundance of oils gathered throughout the jar it went straight into my basket.

I think it’s safe to say that I’m officially on a wax ban! At least until BBW SAS of course. 😉 After this massive haul there’s definitely going to be a re-organization soon and maybe even a de-stash. What have you found during this SAS so far? Share in the comments!

Midnight Blue Citrus Candle Review

June 1, 2016

When I discovered that several White Barn exclusives were released at Bath and Body Works nation wide, I rushed to my local store. I smelled all the most-talked about scents and really wasn’t impressed. As I was walking out of the store a gorgeous teal jar caught my eye – Midnight Blue Citrus. It was love upon first sniff.

Before I begin telling you what this actually smells like, I need to make sure you are aware of something. I am not a fan of cologne, fresh, or maritime candles. That is essentially what this candle is. The first note you get from Midnight Blue Citrus is a fresh orange citrus. That combined with the tropical maritime note creates a beautiful fragrance. There is a hint of musk in the mix too which makes it slightly cologne-esque.

I am amazed that a candle with these notes has impressed me so much. It’s just so well balanced and absolutely perfect to burn at the beginning of June. Not only that, but it threw amazingly! I’d give it a solid 8 – during the third burn I could smell it throughout my entire apartment. The only downfall was that about 2/3 of the way through, the performance plummeted. Puny wick syndrome has struck again.

Nevertheless, I adored Midnight Blue Citrus and felt that I burned it at the perfect time. I would HIGHLY recommend this scent and if you see it on sale during SAS, make sure to pick it up! Have you smelled this candle before? Share in the comments what you think!

May 2016 Candle Empties

May 30, 2016

Each year, May signifies the start of allergy season for me. This also means I usually go on a melting hiatus since I can hardly smell anything. With this in mind, I chose to burn through any half-used candles or scents I wasn’t too fond of this past month.

Winter (3-wick candle) – I burned through most of this back in December and it had puny wick syndrome. Rather than keeping this locked away for another 6 months, I finished it off on the melter. Despite it’s burn issues, this scent will always be a must-have for the colder months.

Marshmallow Fireside (3-wick candle) – Ahh, the amazing MF. The perfect balance of sweet and woodsy that I can’t get enough of during the winter months. This was another I used back in December and finished on the melter during May.

Red Velvet Cheer (3-wick candle) – Another candle from Decemeber that had puny wick syndrome. A delicious scent that was finished off on the melter.

Banana Cream Cake (1-wick candle) – I’ve had this candle for years and was determined to finish it off at last. This only threw in my small kitchen and smelled exactly like a ripe banana. It was enjoyable while it lasted but I’m not upset that it’s a retired scent.

Mango Sorbet (1-wick candle) – This was a delicious fruity scent that I picked up from Target years ago. It only threw a couple days on the melter and I wouldn’t recommend if it ever popped up on shelves again.

Leaves (1-wick candle) – Another loved candle that was half-burned last Fall. I finished this off on the melter in my bedroom and it was great! It definitely has made me start counting down the days until September. 😉

Blackberry Parfait (wax melt) – I was quite disappointed by this scent since it smelled more like cologne than fruit. I melted this in the bedroom and am happy to be done with it.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake (wax melt) – Another GC scent that I was happy to quickly burn through. It lacked the bakery and lemon notes so I was only left with a fake strawberry fragrance.

Archives (wax melt) – When I purchased this from Kringle, I was hoping it would remind me of old library books. It unfortunately was yet another cologne scent. I was impressed by the throw of it though.

Strawberry Cake (wax melt) – This was a birthday gift and not something I would’ve picked up on my own. Another fake strawberry scent that barely threw. Mixing this with Vanilla Cookie Crunch made it quite enjoyable though.

Blueberry Pancakes (wax melt) – I’ve realized that all of Crossroads wax melts pretty much only smell like wax on cold sniff. I’m always impressed once they’re melting though. This was a basic blueberry scent and when warm I could pick up on a maple syrup note. Not something I’d repurchase though.

Wild Berry Cheesecake (wax melt) – WOW. This scent is beyond amazing. I must always have at least 2 backups.

Vanilla Cookie Crunch (wax melt) – While this scent smells lovely on it’s own, it’s a GREAT blending option. Upon melting anything, I try it out with this to see if it’s elevated or not. I finally got through an entire value pack and will quickly be purchasing another!

Sleepy Sloth (wax crumbles) – When I placed an order with Wax Crumbles, this was the free sample it arrived with. I think this was meant to be a relaxing scent but I used it more when my allergies were bothering me. Not the biggest fan but I was happy to try it out.

Watermelon Lemonade (wax crumbles) – I was interested to see how Wax Crumbles version compared to BBW. This wasn’t as tart and did not throw well. I’d rather just stick with BBW.

Sugared Lemons (wallflower) – This was the same scent I had going in my living room wallflower plug last month. However, unlike in April, this didn’t perform well. I only got whiffs of it if I stood right above it.

Island Margarita (wallflower) – This might be the worst performing wallflower I’ve ever owned. I smelled it during the first week and then absolutely nothing. It lost it’s gorgeous green color and barely evaporated.

For a melting hiatus month, I sure did burn through quite a bit. I’m glad to have de-stashed some half melted favorites and other not so favorites. Now I’ll have room for the long awaited semi-annual sales this June! 😉 What did you melt this month and which was your favorite? Share in the comments!

First Ever YC Glitch Haul

May 27, 2016

For the past 7 months, I’ve heard of these infamous glitches that Yankee Candle and Bath & Body Works occasionally have. Essentially, the store starts a new sale but the back end of their website hasn’t caught up. When these glitches occur, you can haul a ton of candles for an insanely cheap price. If you’re quick enough that is. Anytime I’ve heard about a glitch, I’m an hour late to the party and it’s already been fixed. But, this past Monday I was FINALLY able to take part in my first glitch purchase from YC and saved a total of $39! Here are the three scents I bought and my reaction to them on cold sniff.

Bakery Air – Just as the name of this candle states, this truly is a bakery scent. The actual scent description includes notes of creamy butter, maple extract, pecans, cinnamon, clove, and vanilla. To tell you the truth, I mainly pick up on the cinnamon. Hopefully once this is burning the scent will round itself out.

Caramel Pecan Pie – Let’s be honest, I love anything and everything fall related, so I had no doubt I would love this scent. But it is SO light on cold that I can barely detect it. I’ll still give this a chance, but I’m not setting my hopes too high for a stronger candle when burning.

Storm Watch – I normally am not a fan of fresh scents, but this one smells wonderful! It reminds me of both a misty Summer morning and how the air smells after a rain storm. I’m excited to light this up within the next month; hopefully YC will still have large jars in stock if I really like it!

Be on the look out for more detailed post-burn reviews of these in the coming months. I don’t have too many Yankee Candles in my collection so I’m happy this glitch brought some newness into my life! Have you ever burned any of these? If you have, tell me what you think of them in the comments!