(Also, I apologize for the awful quality of this month’s photos – I’m still trying to determine where the best place is to take pictures in our new space!)

This month I burned 4 Candles & 2 Wax Melts!

As far as October goes, this has been the least exciting fragrance-wise in years. I won’t let that discourage me next month though and hope to revive my melting game before the year is over! What was your favorite fragrance of the month? Share in the comments below!

The post Fragrance Empties | October 2018 appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

Pumpkin Cupcake (1-wick, x2) – A delectable fall “favorite” that we all know smells like a spiced vanilla cupcake. These have been the strongest tester candles I’ve had so far throwing around a 5 and burning very evenly!
Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake (3-wick) – This 2016 version of PSC was on the lighter side and had major burn issues. The candle corrected itself but performed much better on the melter.

Spiced Cupcakes – A dupe for BBW’s Pumpkin Cupcake but much heavier on the spice note. It was nice to melt alongside the candles, but nothing I’d purchase again.
Pumpkin Butter Cookies – On cold this pretty much smelled like a spiced cookie with hints of ginger. However, when melting a strong bakery cinnamon note was prominent that I didn’t really care for.
Spiced Pumpkin Swirl – There was very little sweetness to this scent essentially making it a straight up pumpkin bread fragrance, and I adored it. When melting, a salty note seemed to come out and it was really enjoyable. The only problem with AmbiEscents is that the wax doesn’t last very long on the melter.
Moonlit Magic Pumpkin (x2) – At first sniff, you may think this is just another cologne scent. However, when melting, a gorgeous & true pumpkin bread note comes out. It is absolutely incredible and this is coming from someone who doesn’t enjoy cologne fragrances. I highly recommend picking this up and myself have already stocked up!
Perfect Pumpkin Ale – I did not enjoy this as much as I did back in 2016. It definitely smells straight up like a pumpkin beer, but the ale note is much more prominent. Beer drinkers would probably love this but I am no longer a fan.
Pumpkin Patch Maze – This is such an authentic pumpkin fragrance with a hint of earthiness yet still some creaminess. I found that melting it by itself was a bit overwhelming, but mixed with Vanilla Cookie Crunch it was divine. I have already stocked up for next year!

Boardwalk Vanilla Cone (hand sanitizer) – This smells identical to the hand soap; delicious, buttery, and sweet! It really is the perfect scent to use all year round. I really hope BBW brings this back next Summer so I can stock up on more!
Pumpkin Cupcake (wallflower) – I was able to get whiffs of this during the first couple weeks, but it really wasn’t that strong. I probably won’t be picking anything else in the fragrance up again going forward unless it’s on a crazy good deal.
Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake (wallflower) – There is a reason I got a ton of these wallflowers for 75% off during a past SAS – it’s very odd when plugged in. It’s not a bad fragrance, I just don’t expect to get a white chocolate note from it. This faded out over the first couple of weeks too.
Pumpkin Pie (wallflower) – This was a wonderful pumpkin background fragrance that I got whiffs of all month. I wish it was a bit stronger but would hands down repurchase if BBW brought it back again.
Golden Autumn Day (hand soap) – A fragrance that’s very reminiscent of crisp fall air; there is definitely more of a citrus note in this but overall pleasant.
Pumpkin Apple Cider (body lotion) – An incredible apple fragrance that smells like an authentic cider when applied and a pie when dried. It lingers and is worth the eBay purchase as it’s a retired scent.
Salted Caramel Pumpkin (body lotion) – Before applying, this is identical to the beloved Summer Marshmallow from 2016. Yet, when applying there is a spice note that becomes more prominent as it dries.

While it wasn’t the best burning month, it was definitely a great October otherwise. I may not have gotten through my entire burn list but I still enjoyed a plethora of pumpkin fragrances. I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit more as it gets cooler in November and digging in to some of my transitional scents soon!

What did you burn in October? Share in the comments!

The post October 2017 Candle Empties appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

My husband and I are currently enjoying the last couple days of our honeymoon and we should be getting home just in time to celebrate Halloween. To get in the spirit, I figured I’d share some of my decorations (that I’m currently missing here in Florida) and our traditions that we’ll hopefully be able to still enjoy in the midst of our crazy schedules!

Being the first year in our new home, we haven’t fully furnished the space and just decorated where we could. Using little knick-knacks and pumpkins that I’ve collected over the years, I tend to put together little vignettes as feature pieces. I’m also a huge fan of decorating with candles (obviously) and am obsessed with the dreadful drips from Yankee Candle; such a creepy addition to your decor! Finally, I enjoy sprinkling little statement pieces around the house like the towels seen above.

We’ve unfortunately never lived in a community that has any trick-or-treaters, so we’ve had to make some of our own traditions. Usually the weekend leading up to the holiday, we put on our favorite Halloween movies, have a marathon, and carve pumpkins in front of the TV. It’s so simple yet we look forward to it during the entire month of October.

I’m excited to expand our Halloween traditions in years to come so we have something in place to share with our future kids when the time arrives. I know when I was a child, I always looked forward to my mom getting out her decorations and feeling the spooky vibes in the weeks leading up to the big day!

What are some of your Halloween traditions? Share in the comments!

The post Fall Fun Series | Halloween Vibes appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

CANDLES

• Pumpkin Cupcake – “Whipped Buttercream, Madagascar Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice, Freshly Baked Cupcake”
• Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake – “Spiced Pumpkin, Graham Cracker Crust, Whipped Cream Cheese”
• Pumpkin Pie – “Creamy Pumpkin, Vanilla Creme, Fresh Ground Nutmeg, Graham Cracker Crust”

WAX MELTS

• Pumpkin Butter Cookies – “A delectable harvest pumpkin medley interwoven with spicy nutmeg, powdered cinnamon and pure vanilla cream cookie dough sweetened with a sprinkle of rich brown sugar”
• Spiced Cupcakes – “Fresh from-the-oven cake spiced with sugared cinnamon, crushed clove, and bright ginger topped with cream cheese frosting and candied orange zest”
• Spiced Pumpkin Swirl – “Bring the comforting aroma of autumn spices to your home”
• Perfect Pumpkin Ale – A blend of fresh pumpkin and effervescent ale with a hint of fall spices
• Pumpkin Patch Maze – “Fresh harvest pumpkin gently lifted by the woody aroma of turning leaves and woodland bark infused with the earthy evergreen scent of pinecones”
• Moonlit Magic Pumpkin –  “Brilliant bergamot spun with moonlit woods and luminous greens float above clove spiced pumpkin fruit, floriental pumpkin flower, hints of incense and rich wood smoked embers”

Even though I’ll only be around two weeks out of the entire month, I think this is still a reasonable burn list. I’m seriously thinking of bringing wax on our honeymoon just in case the hotel room smells weird. Does anyone else do this? Hopefully I’m not the only wax crazed person out there!

What are you planning on burning this month? Share in the comments!

The post Burn List – October 2017 appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

Amanda at Thrifty Polished
Angela at Angela Kay
Jay at The Candle Enthusiast
Julie at The Redolent Mermaid
Sandra at Finger Candy

1. Fall is such an atmospheric time of year and we all have different reasons to adore the season making this tag the perfect introduction to the series!

1. Have you ever participated in a fall blogging series? What are you most looking forward to this fall?

I do have another lifestyle blog where I’ve posted about fall-related things in the past, but never have I been part of an actual series. This fall I’m looking forward to getting married after being engaged for two years!

2. 2. Crisp fall mornings or cozy fall nights?

That’s like asking me to choose between pumpkin spice coffee and curling up with a good book! I love both but if I HAD to pick it would be cozy fall nights.

2. 3. When do you start decorating for fall?

I try to wait until September 1st but sometimes it’s too difficult to hold off! Like this year. My house has been decked out in autumn everything for the past week.

2. 4. What is your favorite store to visit for fall goodies?

For decor I love visiting Hobby Lobby and for candle related items, Bath & Body Works.

2. 5. If you had to get one fall-themed image tattooed on your body, what would it be? For extra points, where?

Believe it or not, I’m seriously considering getting a pumpkin tattoo. But it’s not as basic as you’re thinking! Being a graphic designer, I illustrated our wedding “logo” for our collateral and it’s two pumpkins connected by a heart shaped vine. This would symbolize so much more than my love for fall but I have no clue where to get it! Suggestions welcome

2. 6. Did you trick-or-treat when you were younger? What was the last costume you wore? What’s your dream costume (whether you actually got to wear it or not)?

I loved trick-or-treatnig so much as a kid I didn’t stop until I went to college, lol! Last year was the first time I’ve dressed up since then for a party though and I actually got to wear my dream constume – Hermione Granger.

2. 7. Favorite fall home fragrance?

Being a candle addict, I obviously can’t choose just one. My favorite apple scents are Leaves, Cider Lane, and Radiant Red Maple. My favorite pumpkin scents are Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake and Pumpkin Pie.

2. 8. Best body care fragrance for fall?

My all-time favorite fall body care fragrance is Cozy Sunday Morning (Soft Chamomile & Bergamot) from BBW. They’ve of course never brought it back since it’s original 2015 release but thankfully I have some sprays still in my stash. If anyone has a dupe for that PLEASE let me know!

2. 9. Must-have nail polish/perfume/makeup for the fall?

I’m not the biggest makeup/perfume fan but I do always need to have a deep red nail polish in my collection. My current favorite is Berry Naughty from Essie!

2. 10. Favorite fall month?

October! That’s when we finally see foliage in my area, have ideal sweater weather, and see spooky Halloween decorations everywhere.

2. 11. What’s the weather like where you live?

In Rhode Island, it’s currently still warm out but once it cools down later in the month it’s perfection.

2. 12. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

Please don’t hate me for saying this, the answer is no. While I am obsessed with pumpkin flavoring, I don’t think it should have the hype it does. Pumpkin spice coffee from Dunkin? Yes please! Pumpkin spice gum? No thanks. Pumpkin spice M&M’s? Amazing! Pumpkin spice peanut butter? Yuck.

2. 13. Favorite Thanksgiving food?

It’s a toss up between cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Can you tell I’m hungry?

2. 14. Briefly describe your idea of a perfect fall day.

Wake up and have an iced pumpkin spice coffee (extra sugar, extra pumpkin – I’m weird, I know). Take a trip to a local farm and go apple picking. Do some baking with said apples once we get home. Then, finish off the day by opening up the windows and lighting a candle.

Hopefully you enjoyed learning a little more about me other than my usual candle picks. Don’t forget to check out the other girl’s posts too and special thanks to Sandra for our series photo!

The post Fall Fun Series | Festive Fall Tag appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

Forbidden Apple (1-wick) – This medium jar from Yankee was a disappointment; it only threw at about a 2 and I really didn’t like the lack of visibility due to the black jar. It’s a basic apple scent and I will not repurchase if it sticks around next year.
Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake (3-wick) – Don’t be fooled, this fragrance does not have any pumpkin notes in it. It is a wonderful spiced cheesecake scent perfect for October. However, half-way through it started smelly really funky and I couldn’t stomach it any longer.
Pumpkin Pie (3-wick & 1-wick) – I burned through 2 large & 1 small jars of this fragrance and it was wonderful while it lasted. I say that because I had to put them all on candle warmers due to poor performance. This is truly the ultimate pumpkin fragrance that I hope always returns.
Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (3-wick) – This scent was definitely altered from past years but I really loved it! It threw great and burned almost the entire way without issues. Not something to stock up on because BBW will always bring this back.
Pumpkin Spice (3-wick) – A fragrance that is almost identical to Pumpkin Pie but lacking the buttery crust note. It only threw at about a 3 and was completely unmemorable.
Pumpkin Cupcake (3-wick) – What a wonderfully spicy vanilla scent that will forever be perfect for this month. It threw great and was strong but eventually had to be put on the warmer.
Pumpkin Buttercream (3-wick) – I absolutely adore this fragrance on cold sniff – it is pretty comparable to Pumpkin Cupcake. However, it barely threw in my small kitchen which was a disappointment.

Caramel Butter – Goose Creek either does scents really good or really bad and this was one of the bad ones. This smelled like burnt caramel and was just repulsive. I was able to slightly save it by mixing it with Vanilla Cookie Crunch but would never re-purchase or recommend.
Cider Mill – On cold sniff, this fragrance didn’t really impress me but it totally transformed while melting. It was pretty comparable to BBW Pumpkin Apple which is a wonderful mixture of all the best Fall scents. This was nice to have in the background but didn’t last very long – I probably wouldn’t repurchase this one either.
Pumpkin Spice Muffin – This truly did smell like a pumpkin muffin on cold sniff, however it lost it’s bakery note while melting. It was still nice but nothing outstanding to spend money on again in the future.
A Thankful Harvest – A 2015 exclusive scent that was amazing! It was a creamy pumpkin apple fragrance that was amped up in comparison to other fragranced like Cider Mill. I really enjoyed this and if it ever came back out I’d stock up on a few.
Cider House Donuts – I talked more about this amazing fragrance last month and couldn’t help melting another clamshell of it before the season was over! I’ll repurchase as long as it’s available.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Ice Cream – While you would expect this to be a creamy fragrance it just smelled like straight up cinnamon. Another disappointment from Goose Creek.
Pumpkin Roll – This was a comparable scent to BBW Pumpkin Cupcake and really amped up that candle. The major difference is that this wax melt actually has a pumpkin note in it. I’ll probably repurchase this fragrance again next year but it’s still not hoard worthy.
Carrot Cake – Last but not least this was my favorite wax melt of the month – a scent that Goose Creek did really great! This smells EXACTLY like a freshly baked carrot cake with a hint of cream cheese frosting. Amazing and 100% stocking up!

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake (wallflower) – Finally a wallflower that released fragrance for an entire  month – too bad it smelled nothing like the candle. This smelled almost like chocolate which is not what I wanted during October.
Pumpkin Pie (wallflower) – Another wallflower that luckily released fragrance all month long and this was the pumpkin pie scent I know and love. Forever a repurchase.
Pumpkin Cupcake (hand soap) – This is one of my favorite fall soaps and smells just like the candle. I will probably repurchase as long as BBW offers it.
Pumpkin Apple Cider (body cream) – I am not a fan of apple body care scents but this was delicious. It was really a cider fragrance that I couldn’t get enough of! If you can still find this in stores I’d pick it up on sale because BBW probably won’t release it again in the future.
Pumpkin Pie (hand sanitizer) – This form of the incredible Pumpkin Pie fragrance was definitely lacking. It smelled strongly of pumpkin but lacked the buttery crust note.

I’ve always looked forward to pumpkin fragrances every year but I think I’ve come to the realization that apple fragrances are much more enjoyable. There were definitely more scents that I didn’t enjoy in October than I did enjoy. I’ll have to keep that in mind for years to come and really narrow down my collection. Looking back on all my empties my absolute favorite was oddly Carrot Cake which although spicy, I associate with January. (It’s my fiancee’s favorite cake and I always make it for his birthday at the beginning of the year.) No matter, I’m looking forward to burning some more outdoorsy fragrances for this upcoming November!

What did you melt in October and what do you plan on burning in November? Share in the comments!

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