In 2017 I burned 55 Candles & 91 Wax Melts!

After having so many poor experiences in 2016 with new-to-me candle companies, I was only brave enough to try 2 “new” ones this year; Super Tarts & Sonoma. I’m happy to report that I would gladly purchase from both of them again! The majority of my melting though was with Bath & Body Works candles & Wal-Mart wax.

Favorite Scents of 2016

Chocolate Pistachio // Bath & Body Works
Umbridge // Super Tarts
Key Lime Pie // Sonoma
Berry Waffle Cone // Bath & Body Works
Corpsman // Super Tarts
Moonlit Magic Pumpkin // Better Homes & Garden

Aside from discovering a handful of new favorite fragrances this past year, I’m so happy to have also met several other lovely bloggers who totally get this crazy obsession of mine. My main wax-related goal for the new year is to melt through so much of my stash that I have less than 100 candles in storage. I’d also really like to be able to share the inventory website that my husband and I created too, but that needs a little more work! Enjoy the remainder of your 2017 and have a happy new year!

How many candles did you burn this year & what are your melting goals for 2018? Share in the comments!

The post Year In Candles | 2017 appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

My top 3 apple scented candles all come from Bath & Body Works; Leaves, Cider Lane, and Radiant Red Maple. I always start off September with Leaves which smells like a honeyed apple cider. Then I move onto the deliciously sweet caramel apple fragrance, Cider Lane. I unfortunately only have one more Radiant Red Maple in my collection and refuse to burn it since BBW hasn’t brought it back, but it’s a lovely blend of apples and marshmallow.

I always enjoy amping up my candles with corresponding wax melts and these 3 just happen to be my favorites when it comes to apples. Apple S’mores is an exact dupe for Radiant Red Maple so I luckily can still enjoy the scent. Unfortunately Scentsy just retired this but if you can somehow still get your hands on it, do it! A great dupe for Cider Lane that’s available all year is Goose Creek’s Caramel Applewood. Finally, ScentSationals Warm Apple Pie is an amazing bakery scent with undertones of apple that’s absolutely divine.

The only apple scented body care I’ve ever enjoyed was released from Bath & Body Works last year. Don’t let the name Pumpkin Apple Cider fool you. It’s a straight up mix of apple cider and apple pie that is absolutely incredible. I’m so sad I only have one body cream left and might just head on over to Ebay for some more, it’s that good!

If you live in New England or have ever visited in the fall, you’ll understand why I’m a bit addicted to apple scents. Everything I’ve shared today just embodies Autumn in my area. These scents bring me back to apple picking on a crisp day and the aroma of sweet treats at my local art festival. In my opinion, there’s honestly nothing better than these holy grail apple fragrances of mine!

What is your favorite apple scented candle? Share in the comments below!

The post Fall Fun Series | All About Apple appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

This shopping experience really got me thinking, why does Bath & Body Works seem to retire all of their best scents? For example, here are just a few fan favorites:

Pink Petal Teacake
Radiant Red Maple
Raspberry Peach Macaron
Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade
Winter Garland
Cider Donut
Cranberry Pumpkin

Go on Ebay or Mercari and you will see these fragrances selling for an obscene amount of money. If Bath & Body Works did any sort of research they’d realize if these scents were brought back to the market they’d make a great deal of money for their corporation. Sales couldn’t have been that bad when these candles were initially brought to market if there’s this big of a fan following.

So why doesn’t Bath & Body Works return all of these favorable fragrances? Here are a few of my theories.

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1. Forgotten Formula

I feel like Raspberry Peach Macaron is a prime example of this. The wax community has never been able to find a dupe for this fragrance from any other wax vendors. Is this scent so unique that no one can duplicate it, including the original source? I’ve heard of breweries not writing down their brew formulas and never being able to replicate it, so maybe it’s the same when it comes to our favorite candles.

2. Formula Issues

Again, Raspberry Peach Macaron is another prime example for this theory. Anyone selling this 2014 candle online states that there is crystallization in the wax. Consumers have called corporate regarding this issue and were ensured that ‘this was an ongoing problem for this specific scent and it wouldn’t effect the overall burning experience.’ Maybe the company wanted to bring this fragrance back but just couldn’t solve the wax crystallization issue. However, I haven’t heard of this happening to any other candles.

3. Collection Size

It’s no secret that Bath & Body Works always brings back it’s returning “favorites” each season in multiple collections. Maybe they are well aware that we want the other scents to come back too but know that Marshmallow Fireside, Leaves, etc are better sellers. Having been involved with the process of creating lines of products before, I know higher ups give marketers a specific number of slots to fill with products. It could really be as simple as this; BBW looking at their sales and not having the shelf space or sku’s available for our other rare favorites.

These theories of mine may not be correct at all or maybe it’s a mixture of the three. No matter the reason, it would be nice to see some of the best scents from the past several years brought back again. Even if it’s just one more time in a ‘Fan Favorites’ collection! Or it would be nice if they rotated our their retuning favorites each year. Hopefully one day Bath & Body Works will listen to us and we will be able to get our hands on these fragrances again at a decent price!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works candle that has never returned? Share in the comments!

The post Why Does Bath & Body Works Retire Their Best Scents? appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

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!

The post May 2016 Candle Empties appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

Up until five months ago, I had no idea there was an entire wax community online that shared their finds and sales. Now, I’m subscribed to numerous YouTube channels and part of several Facebook groups. I finally feel like I’m part of a group of people that finally get me! I’m ready to begin giving my input to this community mainly through this blog.

There are so many different types of fragrances such as bakery, floral, and cologne to name a few. It’ll be important to get an understanding of my preferences to know how they’ll match up with your own. Knowing this will help in determining how seriously you should take my recommendations. Without further ado, here are my candle favorites.

Favorite Types of Candles: Bakery

Favorite Candle Brand: Bath & Body Works

Favorite Season to Burn Candles: Fall

Favorite Candles: BBW Raspberry Peach Macaron, Leaves, and Marshmallow Fireside

I’m very excited to make new candle friends and start sharing with you! I’d like to get to know my readers as well, so answer the same four “candle favorites” questions! Can’t wait to read your comments and learn more about you!

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