This month I burned 8 Candles & 8 Wax Melts!

Every sweet scent that filled my home in February complimented each other so well. I was most surprised by Magic Cookie Bar and let down by Nutty Butter Cookie Bars. My hands-down favorite though was Chocolate Pistachio – I could’ve burned only this for the entire month!

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

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This month I burned 6 Candles & 7 Wax Melts!

As you can see, I wasn’t just busy melting this month but also updating my empties format. I’m really hoping you like the new easy-to-read review format! The fragrances that were melted in January were certainly great overall, but my favorite hands down was Around the Campfire. I’m certainly done with these cozier scents and moving on to something much sweeter!

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

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

But first, make sure to check out the other girls in the series if you haven’t already!

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

First and foremost, let’s discuss one of the larger retailers featured on my blog – Bath & Body Works. This company is usually the queen of fall yet this year they really let us down. Aside from the core White Barn candles, BBW only offered two small collections that both featured the same scents. There were only 3-4 new fragrances and they weren’t anything to go crazy over. Rather than giving us 4+ collections like they usually do, they decided to release an essential oil line and move straight into Winter at the beginning of October. This was a major mis-step, leading to hardly any purchases from me; I really hope they revert back to their traditional fall lineups going forward.

In terms of wax, I don’t tend to buy much from vendors and can’t speak for any of their small businesses. What I do tend to purchase quite often though is Scentsy, yet I haven’t done a single haul this fall. The company discontinued some of their best scents, didn’t release anything intriguing for the season, and honestly offers their festive fragrances a month too late in the year. Again, another letdown, especially for their prices and ship time.

Finally, we can’t forget to discuss Wal-Mart’s collection! This was probably the most vast on the mainstream market and had the most variety. At $2 a pop for clamshells, this is honestly the most affordable option, especially if you want to try multiple fragrances. The company really hit it out of the park this season and I found 3 brand new fragrances that quickly made it into my favorites! Harvest Moon, Moonlit Magic Pumpkin, and Pumpkin Patch Maze were absolutely incredible and I highly suggest checking them out while they’re still on the market!

Autumn 2017 may not have been the best year for buying candles or wax, but otherwise is was pretty great. I will always cherish this experience and hold other special memories close to my heart. If you’re new here, make sure to go check out the other posts from this series, here!

What did you think of the candles & wax offered this Fall? Share in the comments!

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Leaves (3-wick) – A classic cider scent we all know and love. This year’s version burned beautifully until there was 1/3 left and then it went on the melter. At first this gave me a migraine with it’s strength but after a while the intensity faded out. Not one you’d ever need to stock up on because it returns every year without fail.
Leaves (1-wick, x2) – The tester candles can really be hit or miss and in this fragrance it was a miss. They were practically unscented even when put on the melter.
Cider Lane (3-wick) – A beautiful caramel apple blend that is one of my absolute favorites. Unfortunatley, the 2017 version was lighter than the past and got a funky smell when burning. When put on the melter it lasted for a couple more days and was a bit stronger.
Warm Apple Pie (1-wick) – Notoriously a light scent that didn’t let me down with it’s reputation. Around the half-way point it threw around a 2 which was it’s strongest point. Great scent, would never repurchase.

Apple Butter – On cold this was extremely disappointing because it smelled like an apple chap stick. When melting though it transformed and a luxurious creamy note came out making it quite enjoyable. Still not something I’d buy again though as there are other scents I like more.
Welcome – Have you ever made play-doh out of Kool Aid? Because that’s what this smells like when melting; a fruit punch DIY play-doh that’s heavy on the apple. Not what I want to be smelling at all.
Honey Crisp Cider (x2) – A straight up dupe for Leaves with a hint more woodiness. A great melt to have on hand to amp up the candle!
Harvest Moon (x2) – If Leaves and Cider Lane were mixed together this would be what it smelled like. When melting it was definitely heavier on the CL nuances and I wasn’t upset about it at all. Go hoard this!
Cider House Donuts – A cinnamon sugared donut scent with some apple cider spices mixed in. It was definitely on the lighter side being a year old but still delicious while it lasted.
Apple Cider Donut – Compared to the Scentsationals version, this smelled much more realistic but was heavier on the cinnamon. After the scent was gone, you could still get whiffs of bakery cinnamon for a few more hours.
Caramel Applewood – Goose Creek’s version of Cider Lane that was very nice to melt alongside the candle. I probably won’t pick up anymore of these in the future though because I’m not a fan of the soft wax formula.
Apple S’mores – This is Scenty’s dupe for Radiant Red Maple that you’ve heard me talk about non-stop this month. Two cubes last 2-3 days and I am so happy I stocked up before they discontinued this scent!
Warm Apple Pie – An absolutely divine pie fragrance that is heavier on the crust note than the filling which I am totally okay with! I will buy this as long as Wal-Mart carried it.

Lakeside Sunrise (wallflower) – My fiancé is obsessed with this fragrance but I’ve never been able to smell it. However, this wallflower really surprised me. It was fairly strong and I got whiffs of it all month long!
Leaves (wallflower) – For a scent that is know to be extremely strong and induce migraines, the wallflower is so light it’s practicallyundetectable. It’s really unfortunate and I hope BBW eventually works on the formula in this form.
Cider Lane (wallflower) – This form of Cider Lane was INCREDIBLE! The apple note wasn’t very prominent, but the unique caramel and vanilla blend was strong. If you’ve ever been to Mystic Village in CT this is exactly what the general store smells like. Highly recommend and I have stocked up like a mad woman!
Leaves (hand soap) – Let’s be real here, this soap smells nothing like the iconic Leaves candle. That is until you are actually washing your hands. It’s odd that the scent activates at a certain point and I’m assuming that’s why it wasn’t brought back again this year.

The fall months are more about enjoyment rather than quantity when it comes to candles for me. I have an internal battle of wanting to downsize my stash but don’t want to burn through my favorite scents too fast! However, if I thought September went by fast, October is definitely going to go by in the blink of an eye with all of our upcoming plans. Stay tuned for more details!

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

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

Let’s start out with my Fall wax stash. All together I have 47 clamshells ready to be melted. Granted 16 of those wax melts are Scenty’s Apple S’mores but that is due to them discontinuing the fragrance. Aside from those, would you believe I only had about 12 other Autumnal wax melts prior to this August? When Wal-Mart releases their new collections I tend to go a little crazy.

Moving on to the entirety of my Bath & Body Works collection, I only have 8 mini candles tucked away. I’ll probably try to burn these versions of Pumpkin Pie before moving on to my 3-wicks since it did not return this year. On the other hand I’ll probably never burn Spiced Pumpkin Cider from 2013. I really wish BBW still carried these miniature guys alongside all their scents rather than just the Halloween line.

Next up, I have 9 tester candles from Bath & Body Works. These are the medium jars that you sniff when deciding on which wallflowers to pick up. You normally can’t purchase these until SAS and even then it’s hit or miss. If you are able to get your hands on these, sometimes they’ll throw even better than a 3-wick while other times they’re practically unscented. I typically just use these to amp up whatever else I’m burning.

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for – the entirety of my fall large jar collection! All together I (only) have 20, 3-wick candles from Bath & Body Works. Out of these 20 candles, there are only 9 individual fragrances. It comes down to me knowing exactly what I like, being a seasonal burner, and certain candles bringing me nostalgia. Not only that, but several of these candles seem to return almost every year so I don’t necessarily hoard them. Except Cider Lane, obviously. Traditionally I burn apple fragrances in September, pumpkin in October, and November tends to be a transitional month.

Judging by my entire candle & wax collection, it’s pretty obvious Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I know exactly what I want to burn at every point in the season and look forward to it the rest of the year. While some might see this as excessive, I see this as a practical hobby. It’s also pretty great when someone enters my home and the first thing they say to me is that “it smells so good in here!” Happy fall everyone and enjoy it while it lasts!

How many fall candles do you have? Share in the comments!

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CANDLES

• Leaves – “Crisp Red Apple, Golden Nectar, Warm Clove Spice”
• Cider Lane – “Warm Caramel, Granny Smith Apple, Dark Brown Sugar, Ground Clove”
• Warm Apple Pie – “Baked Granny Smith Apple, Melted Brown Sugar, Flaky Homemade Crust”

WAX MELTS

• Honey Crisp Cider – A mixture of fall spices and freshly made cider
• Apple Butter – Fresh picked apples and creamy butter
• Welcome – “Spiced apples and pumpkins”
• Harvest Moon – “Pumpkin kisses & Autumn wishes”
• Caramel Applewood – “Cooler weather is on the horizon and a caramel drenched apple is all you will need.”
• Apple S’mores – “Harvest apples, cinnamon glaze and a drop of coconut milk lend a tantalizing twist to classic toasted marshmallow, vanilla crème and warm cedarwood.”
• Apple Cider Donut – “Cider and Sugary Pastry”
• Cider House Donuts – A blend of sugared donuts with apple cider glaze
• Warm Apple Pie – Buttery pie crust with hints of baked apple

I look forward to September every year so I can melt these scents so I’m beyond excited to get started! I really wish I had a back up of Radiant Red Maple so I could burn that too but will just have to settle for it’s Scentsy dupe. Don’t be surprised if in my empties later this month you see multiples of several of these apple fragrances!

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

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

Berry Vanilla Bean (3-wick) – This candle smelled like a mixed berry buttercream frosting. It was a really nice spring fragrance but I hoped a bakery note would come through while burning. It threw really well in our new space and had a strength around a 7. It burned flawlessly and I recommend seeking it out during SAS if this is a type of scent you’re interested in.

Blueberry Muffin – This truly smelled like a fresh baked muffin with a slight blueberry undertone and I really enjoyed it in melt form. I would absolutely repurchase if the price was right; Kringle’s melt prices are a bit steep for such a small amount of wax.
Blueberry Cake Donut – On cold this was an amazing blueberry icing fragrance with a donut bakery base. However, I think this melt was a bit too old because it smelled like a sweet crayon when melting. Probably wouldn’t bother repurchasing.
Strawberry Swirl – A really sweet strawberry milkshake fragrance from Scentsy that I wish I could still get my hands on! By itself it was too light but was totally amped up when mixed with Vanilla Cookie Crunch. A blend I wish I could melt for much longer!
Wild Berry Cheesecake – In the past I’ve described this as the best berry scent every created and I still stand by that. I honestly don’t need any other mixed berry scents for the future aside from this one, that’s how good it is. Go to your local Wal-mart and sniff it out for yourself!

Berry Vanilla Bean (wallflower) – The wallflower version of the scent was even heavier than the candle and I didn’t care for it much. After a few weeks it became really discolored so I just took it out before all the oil evaporated.
Lemon Mint Leaf (wallflower) – This fragrance was so light that I hardly smelled it at all. Once the oils became discolored it started emitting an awful rotten scent. I wouldn’t repurchase this again in any form factor and will probably use anything left in my stash as decor.
Golden Autumn Day (hand cream) – Being the second hand cream in this scent that I’ve finished up within the past six months, I think it’s safe to say I adore the scent and formula. It’s very refreshing with apple undertones and is long-lasting. Hoping they’ll bring this back again in the fall!
Sweet Lemon Buttercream (body cream) – A really soft & creamy lemon fragrance perfect for the spring! I’m already stocked up and highly suggest picking some up during SAS!
Lemon Buttercream (hand soap) – Like the last soap in this fragrance that I used in March, it had hardly any lemon notes and was very astringent. Happy not to have anymore left in my stash and will be very weary of lemon soaps in the future!
Cotton Blossom (hand soap) – This was a repackage of Sea Island Cotton which is my favorite hand soap. It’s fresh, clean, and the scent lingers. Hands down will always repurchase this fragrance no matter what it is called!

May was definitely a slow burning month and I have a feeling June will be very similar. I’m still trying to find the optimum place to burn candles for maximum throw and honestly don’t have a burn list planned. What scents do you think I should melt next month to get out of this slump? Share in the comments!

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Yankee Candle – Crunchy Pistachio Vanilla – This pistachio fragrance is definitely unlike the other two because it has more of a bakery note. It smells like an almond shortbread cookie with an undertone of pistachio. It’s a great scent but better suited for the winter holidays.

Wal-Mart – Salted Pistachio Sorbet – Now this is a pistachio fragrance! You immediately get a nutty pistachio note and then a base of sweet cream. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it smells like sorbet and actually think I’ll melt this in August as a transition into fall based on the slight saltiness.

Scentsy – Pistachio Ice Cream – Out of the 3 pistachio scents, this is the truest to it’s name. It has a perfect balance of a realistic ice cream and pistachio nut. It’s definitely close to the Wal-Mart version but has less of a salty note and more authentic creaminess. As someone who worked in an ice cream shop for years, I can attest that this will be a beautiful option for the middle of summer.

While all three pistachio fragrances seem almost identical when you smell them separately, they are very different when side-by-side. I think it’s great that each can identify with a different season if you’re a hardcore pistachio fan. If you’re not a seasonal burner, I’ll tell you that my favorite was Salted Pistachio Sorbet from Wal-Mart. I personally prefer a more prominent pistachio note rather than the sweet. I hope this guide will help you decide which version is best for you based on your preferences!

Have you melted any of these pistachio fragrances? Which is your favorite? Share in the comments!

The post Pistachio Scent Guide appeared first on Melting With Michelle.

Champagne Toast (1-wick) – I always enjoy kicking off the new year with this refreshing scent, but the mini candle was very light in comparison to the large 3-wick. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it and will always have back-ups in my collection.
Alpine Chalet (1-wick) – Imagine sitting my the fire bundled in a cozy wool blanket with a cup of chai tea and then taking in a big whiff of your surroundings. That is what this candle smells like on cold. It’s very warm and comforting, however didn’t throw at all when burning OR on the candle melter. If you see this at your local Yankee Candle outlet, don’t bother picking it up.
Sparkling Amber (3-wick) – This is a straight up amber candle and was so strong I had an allergic reaction. Around the half-way point it got puny wicks and I could only stand to put it on the warmer once after that. Not a disappointment, just not my type of fragrance.
Tiramisu Macaron (3-wick) – Don’t let this candle fool you, there is no macaron notes detectable. It is however a pretty realistic tiramisu fragrance and threw around an 8. The downfall is that it burns so quickly that you only get about 3-4 short burn before it hits the bottom. Definitely not worth the higher Woodwick prices.
Ski Lodge (3-wick) – To me, this is the ultimate after-Christmas winter fragrance. It is so woodsy yet sweet and exactly what I imagine a ski lodge to smell like. I did notice that I’m only a major fan when there is snow outside – when it was sunny or just raining I didn’t care for it. It throws at an amazing 10 and I luckily still have a few back ups for snowy days to come!
Whiskers on Kittens (1-wick) – This is a clean winter fragrance with notes of sandalwood and vanilla. It is definitely more fresh than sweet and perfect this time of year. It only threw around a 4 in my small kitchen but when I put it on the melter it was fairly strong. If YC ever re-released this I would probably pick it up again.
Vanilla Chai (1-wick) – For some reason I associate chai with this time of year so this fragrance was perfect. It had a base of vanilla, mid-notes of a traditional chai tea, and a top note of cinnamon. On cold the cinnamon was a bit too much which worried me but that thankfully didn’t come through when burning. It only threw around a 4 unfortunately but got a bit stronger again on the melter. While I enjoyed this, I probably wouldn’t need to have it in my collection again.

Pink Currant & Birchwood – I’m not an expert on woodsy fragrance, but this smelled like BBW’s Winter to me with a hint of sweetness. It definitely was a nice way to transition out of the Christmas scents. Nothing spectacular and I wouldn’t repurchase.
Cashmere Cream – This was a cozy & clean scent with notes of sandalwood and amber. It didn’t really throw well and left a dark residue on my melters causing the wax to smoke. Because of this hazard I didn’t finish a full clamshell and returned my backup.
Cozy Chai – An amazingly strong and authentic chai scent that threw at a perfect 10. It was a bit cloying and I ended up mixing it with Vanilla Cookie Crunch to tone it down – highly recommend this combination! I do already have a backup but don’t plan on stocking up anymore.
Sunday Morning Pancakes – This is an absolute delicious maple pancake scent with a hint of saltiness. Every year we burn this in some form on weekend mornings in January only. The wax melt form was great but only lasted about 4-5 hours (I’m assuming because it was old). If I could find this again in stores I would pick it up in a heartbeat.
Bundled in Blankets – Imagine taking out the coziest blankets you own from your cedar closet and combining that with a nice after shave or cologne. That’s what this scent combination smells like and it was great! I melted this mainly in my bedroom and just 2 cubes lasted 2+ days. While I enjoyed this, it’s another I probably wouldn’t get again based on my preferences.
Mochadoodle – For any other Scentsy fans out there, you know this scent is hyped up and a staple. I really don’t get it though. To me, this doesn’t smell like chocolate or coffee. More like a stale piece of sweet candy. Is this supposed to be a mixing fragrance? I ended up combining this with Vanilla Cookie Crunch as well which made it somewhat enjoyable. Definitely wouldn’t repurchase!
Vanilla Cookie Crunch – We all know about this delicious fragrance! I finished up another value pack this month and immediately purchased another.
Peanut Butter Sugar – This is the perfect combination of sweet & salty that I never want to be without!

Winter (wallflowers) – It’s no secret that the quality of wallflowers has been rapidly declining over the past couple of years. However, the 2 Winter wallflowers I plugged in performed great. I actually smelled the fragrance all month and it evaporated to the very bottom.
Winter (hand soap) – I’ve always loved this scent in the past as a hand soap, however this year it wasn’t very strong so I’m glad I didn’t stock up.
Golden Autumn Day (hand cream) – This is a refreshing fragrance with undertones of apple that I’ve been using since September. The scent is long-lasting once applied and the product works great. Super happy to have found more of this at SAS.

For the most part, I did enjoy what I melted this month and am glad to have made a dent in the fresher scents in my collection. While I wish I had burned more, I did get through everything on my burn list except for one small candle that I’ll be finishing next month. Speaking of February, I’m excited to get into some more sweet bakery scents again!

What did you burn through in January? Share in the comments below!

The post January 2017 Candle Empties 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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