November 2016 Candle Empties

November 30, 2016

November was a tough month for me; a lot of obstacles were thrown my way all the while I was constantly on the go. I’m one of those people that needs their relaxing alone time and I didn’t get much of that this month. It was definitely a slower burning month but I did get through 6 candles and 6 wax melts!

Smoked Caramel (1-wick) – The name of this candle describes this fragrance best – you get an equally strong caramel and smoky scent. It’s a really interesting combination from Target that’s perfect for the Fall. However, this only threw around a 2 even when put on the melter and wouldn’t pool out even when tin foiled. If it had a better performance I definitely would’ve picked up another.
Sweater Weather (1-wick) – Can you believe I’ve NEVER burned this scent before?! I don’t know why I waited so long to experience this candle. On cold it has more of a cologne note but when melting a background apple comes out. Next Fall I’ll definitely be picking up my first 3-wick!
Autumn Leaves (1-wick) – Wow, this was the strongest Yankee Candle I’ve ever burned. Within minutes of lighting this it filled my entire open concept living room. Aside from the great burn, the scent was a fresh Fall fragrance with undertones of apple and cinnamon. Absolutely amazing and I will repurchase again next year!
Cranberry Chutney (1-wick) – This is a nice sweet cranberry scent but only threw around a 3 in my small kitchen. It was nice but way too light (especially for the amount of oils that were visible) for me to ever repurchase.
Autumn Air (1-wick) – I’m still struggling to determine if this is a dupe for BBW’s Marshmallow Fireside or Radiant Red Maple. It definitely leans more towards MF but has a slight apple undertone. Yet this was another Yankee that didn’t throw well. I probably won’t waste my money again and will just stick to the BBW classics.
Chestnut & Clove (3-wick) – This is an absolutely amazing transition fragrance from Fall to Winter. It has a top note of clove, mid-note of chestnuts, and an undertone of vanilla. I usually burn this the week leading up to Thanksgiving and it didn’t disappoint this year. My only issue was that the wicks were off center making it difficult to pool out. Either way this is a hoard worthy one for me!

Brandied Pumpkin – This was a very nice pumpkin fragrance but didn’t have much of a brandy note. I enjoyed it while it lasted but wouldn’t repurchase, like most Kringle products.
Autumn Winds – I think this is pretty comparable to BBW Ski Lodge if not an exact dupe. It was a great bedroom scent but again I wouldn’t repurchase.
Perfect Pumpkin Ale – I enjoyed this much more than I expected to! It definitely had pumpkin (which is always a nice surprise) and you could really smell that ale note. If this comes out again next year I’ll definitely pick it up again – I’m trying to downsize my collection a bit before stocking up on more.
Caramel Pumpkin Seeds – This was a beautiful caramel pumpkin combination on cold sniff but it didn’t translate the same when warm. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was hoping to and would hold off on buying again.
Cranberry Cookie Crumble – This was my favorite wax melt of the month and I went through 2 clam shells! There is a tart cranberry top note mixed with a sweet cookie fragrance. It really is wonderful and I have already bought back ups!

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (wallflower) – Oh my gosh, I think this was my favorite form of this fragrance yet. You don’t get as much “cereal” scent like from the candle making it a delicious sweet fragrance. I hope they release this again next year!
Chestnut & Clove (wallflower) – In wallflower form, the vanilla comes out so much more than the candle. I still enjoy it just as much but it does tend to start having a Marshmallow Fireside feel to it. I wish this was released in this form again because I don’t have anymore in my collection!
Pumpkin Cranberry Cider (hand sanitizer) – Like most BBW products, there is no pumpkin in this. It does have a strong tart cranberry scent and an undertone of cider. It was nice but not my favorite.
Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (soap) – Last year I was dying to get my hands on this soap after using it at my mom’s house. However it did not smell like PPW at all – I wouldn’t be surprised if the wrong label was thrown onto this bottle.
Marshmallow Mittens (hand sanitizer) – This is essentially Marshmallow Fireside in sanitizer form and I’m so sad that they didn’t come out with this again!

While it was a slower month for melting I had some pleasant surprises like Autumn Leaves from Yankee Candle and Cranberry Cookie Crumble from Better Homes and Garden. I’m excited for some sweeter scents to get in the holiday spirit in December, I think my first pick will be Marshmallow Fireside – it’s usually the candle I melt while I decorate my Christmas tree!

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

October 2016 Candle Empties

October 31, 2016

October, the month of pumpkin everything. It was definitely another busy month for me; between seeing Harry Potter in theaters, visiting the Jack-O-Lantern Spectactular, trying on wedding dresses, carving pumpkins, and doing other Halloween activities I still had a mountain of work to catch up on too. Through all of that I managed to burn 9 candles and 8 wax melts.

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!

September 2016 Candle Empties

September 30, 2016

September has come and gone in the blink of an eye it seems. Maybe it feels that way because I was extremely busy all month, which is also why I haven’t been posting much here or on Instagram. Either way, I still managed to burn 10 candles and 12 wax melts!

Leaves (3-wick) – Leaves is an essential Fall scent for me and every September 1st I light it up. I burned through two candles of it early this month and it did not disappoint. There were no issues with the burn and it threw at about an 8. Wonderful and a forever repurchase!
Cider Lane (3-wick & 1-wick) – I am SO happy BBW brought this back again, Cider Lane was the scent that started my candle obsession back in 2012. An incredibly delicious blend of apple & caramel. It threw about a 7 then unfortunately got puny wicks half-way through, but still nonetheless hoard-worthy!
Apple Cider Donut (1-wick) – This is a gorgeous bakery scent from Kringle that I couldn’t wait to burn. Too bad the throw was only a 1 – and that’s being generous! I had to tinfoil it as well to get it to pool out. Overall an unfortunate disappointment and I won’t be buying anymore candles from this company.
Radiant Red Maple (3-wick) – I am so sad to have burned through this backup from last year since it did not return. An amazing blend of marshmallow and apple that I seriously can’t get enough of. I finished this on the melter to get every last drop of fragrance oil out of there. BBW – PLEASE return Radiant Red Maple for 2017!
Pumpkin French Toast (3-wick) – On cold this smells like Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake with more maple and it didn’t transform much while burning. I liked it enough to burn it until the puny wicks kicked in, but I didn’t bother even putting it on my melter because I wasn’t a fan. One and done for me!
Pumpkin Caramel Latte (3-wick) – This version of Pumpkin Caramel Latte is from 2012 and the fragrance is very sentimental to me. But that’s not the reason I hadn’t burned it yet, in the past 4 years I could only light it for 30 minutes before having an allergic reaction – no doubt it threw at a 10. However, this year there was absolutely no throw and it didn’t bother me at all. I pretty much gave up on it and said my goodbyes. If BBW ever brings this back again I might get a wallflower and that’s it.
Warm Apple Pie (1-wick) – I didn’t even try burning this candle since I’ve heard such horrible reviews. I did put it directly on my melter though which usually gives these little guys a pretty high throw. Not this scent, it was throwing at possibly a 1 or 2. Won’t repurchase.

Apple Pie (wax melt) – Delicious scent on cold, couldn’t smell a thing melting. With so many other bakery apple scents out there I’ll pass on this Kringle going forward.
Apple Cider Donut (wax melt) – I was luckily able to get some fragrance out of this wax melt compared to the candle. It was still just too light for me though and I quickly melted through the 3 I had.
Apple Bobbin (wax melt) – This is a very nice, crisp apple scent with a hint of caramel mixed in. I enjoyed it, especially since it played off of all the candles I was melting very nicely. Nothing to go crazy over repurchasing though.
Warm Apple Pie (wax melt) – This Scentsations fragrance really surprised me – it was 75% bakery bread and 25% apple. I really liked the ratio and found that it would be nice to melt this throughout the entire year since it mainly smells like bread baking. Absolutely hoard-worhty.
Cider House Donuts (wax melt) – This is an exact dupe for Kringle’s Apple Cider Donut fragrance, except this actually throws! It smells like a cinnamon sugared donut with some apple cider spices mixed in. It’s delicious and I recommend you try to pick this up if it hasn’t already sold-out.
Caramel Applewood (wax melt) – This is 100% an exact dupe for BBW Cider Lane. I melted this at the same time I burned the candle and there’s literally no difference. Get your hands on this and stock up.
Apple Butter Frosting (wax melt) – I was really excited to try this fragrance from Scentsy but was ultimately let down. I LOVED how this smelled on cold but when it was warming the fragrance was just overpowered by cinnamon and not really balanced or enjoyable. I’m not sure if I got a bad batch or what but I’ll pass in the future.
Apple S’mores (wax melt) – Last but certainly not least, this is Scenty’s dupe for Radiant Red Maple. Thank the candle gods I’ll still be able to have this fragrance in my life. It’s definitely in my top 5 of all-time. I’m already stocked up but I may purchase more in January during the 10% off sale!

Leaves (wallflower) – This wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped it would be, I only got whiffs here and there throughout the month. The oils completely evaporated though which was surprising.
Lakeside Sunrise (wallflower) – This is a light fragrance to begin with and I could only smell it if I to a whiff of the wallflower plug itself. It’s also Brian’s favorite scent and he didn’t even notice I’d plugged it in.
Golden Autumn Day (hand soap) – I really enjoyed this! If you know what BBW’s Winter smells like, this smells like a mix of that and crisp apples.
Beach Nights (body wash) – Summer Marshmallow was the hit fragrance from BBW this past Summer. I loved using this body wash but the scent didn’t linger much at all. I prefer the body cream from this line anyway!
Boardwalk Vanilla Cone (hand sanitizer) – O M G, I wish I could smell like this all the time. It’s just absolutely divine. I’m thanking my past self for stocking up on these before the summer ended. If this fragrance comes back during SAS I’ll be hoarding it.

September is clearly the month dedicated to apple fragrances for me! I look forward to them all year long and am so happy to have been able to enjoy so many wonderful scents. It’s too difficult to pick a favorite fragrance for the month but I was definitely most surprised by Scentsationals Warm Apple Pie. I hope you had a great September, now let’s move on to our favorite pumpkin fragrances!

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

August 2016 Candle Empties

August 31, 2016

August was all about the transitional scents! All together 10 candles, 17 wax melts, 1 wallflower, 1 soap, and 1 body lotion sum up my month. It was a great fragrance month and here is everything I melted!

Summer Boardwalk (3-wick) – One of my favorite fragrances of all-time; salty popcorn mixed with caramel apples. Will absolutely repurchase for as long as it’s sold.
Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding (3-wick) – Absolutely amazing transitional scent and will repurchase as long as BBW offers it. It’s now labeled as Pumpkin Banana Muffin though.
Sparkling Pear Riesling (3-wick) – Really great effervescent white wine fragrance. Even though this is still on shelves I’ll wait to repurchase next year if it’s re-released.
Spiced Pomegranate Cider (3-wick) – This was an okay scent that was enjoyable but not repurchase worthy; 1 and done!
Bourbon Butterscotch (3-wick) – A fragrance that came out in 2014 and unfortunately smelled burnt when I lit up the last half. While it smells great, I’m not sure I’d repurchase.
Autumn Day (3-wick) – What an amazing fragrance this is. Too bad it had the worst burn problems of any BBW candle, ever. I tried 2 different versions of this candle and both had puny wick syndrome on first burn. On the melter it went and out of my collection it will stay.
Vampire Blood (1-wick) – Definitely a transition scent and not a Halloween scent in the slightest. This was all together fruit punch. Enjoyable, but not my thing.
Orange Dreamsicle (1-wick) – True to life fragrance in adorable packaging from Cracker Barrel, but no throw. I actually made it into wax melts but even then it barely threw.
Sugar Plum (2-wick) – My first McCall’s candle and it smelled delicious, but the throw was on par with YC. One wick ended up drowning and I finished it off on the melter, where I still didn’t smell it. Probably won’t buy from this company again.
Crisp Apple Strudel (1-wick) – I don’t have any other apple scents in my collection like this one. You could actually smell the sugar crystals that would be on top of this divine dessert. As much as I love it, I won’t repurchase due to lack of throw.

Apple Spice – I melted 3 of these YC tarts and only 1 of them had a little throw. Disappointed and just trying to get through the last of their tarts in my stash – will never repurchase from them again.
Candied Citrus Pumpkin – This was great; it had the perfect balance of citrus and spice. Not hoardworthy for me though.
Vanilla Lavender – There was something really off about this, it almost smelled like cologne. Will never repurchase.
Apple Cider Donut – The first fragrance from Kringle I can never be without. It performed wonderfully for about 5 hours then slowly died.
Vanilla Cookie Crunch – A mixer scent that must always be in my collection.
Candy Corn – Another YC tart that had no throw.
Kettle Corn – Crossroads wax melts definitely lose their scent rather quickly if not melted. This had little to no fragrance and it’s another company I won’t buy from again.
Cranberry Chutney – Melted 2 of these tarts from YC that yet again lacked throw.
Autumn Rain – WOW, this Autumn foral scent was beautiful. It was actually so strong that I had an allergic reaction; too bad because I would’ve stocked up.
Covered Bridge – A Fall cologne scent, pass on the repurchase.
At the Fair – Stop what you’re doing and go buy this from Wal-Mart. It’s almost an exact dupe of Summer Boardwalk but a little heavier on the apple. I have already hoarded enough for a few years and have no shame.
Brandied Peach Cobbler – The first peach scent I actually enjoyed! Too bad it barely threw and what I did smell was kind of funky warm. I actually returned my second clamshell.
White Pumpkin – Hell to the no, this was disgusting.
Caramel Apple – Another Crossroads melt with barely any throw.

Summer Boardwalk (wallflower) – This version of SB was from the Slatkin era, back in 2012. Either it went very bad sitting in my closet over the years or it was mis-labeled. It actually smelled like BBW’s old Pumpkin Caramel Latte which isn’t bad, just not what I was looking for.
Boardwalk Vanilla Cone (soap) – Wow, this was one of the best soap fragrances ever. It truly smelled like a salty yet sweet ice cream cone. If you can find any left on sale, hoard away!
Summer Marshmallow (body cream) – I have NEVER finished a body cream (or lotion) from BBW in the 10 years I’ve shopped there, until now. I was so impressed with this scent that I’ve hoarded many more. It really reminds me of Peanut Butter Sugar from Goose Creek with more vanilla.

I can’t believe how many home fragrances I went through in August. My absolute favorite was At the Fair from Better Homes and Garden. I’m excited to move on to September now, this is when I burn my 3 favorite apple scents! What did you melt in August and what do you plan on burning in September? Share in the comments!

Wishing it was Fall Haul

August 15, 2016

Hey, fellow melters! I hope the weather has been better where you live lately; in RI it’s been almost 100 degrees with extremely high humidity. It’s safe to say that I’m craving the cooler Fall days at this point. (FYI Dunkin Donuts is releasing their pumpkin spice drinks & treats today so we are one step closer to Autumn!) Luckily, this past weekend our favorite two candle retailers had some really great deals going on which gave me the perfect reason to start stocking up on Fall home fragrances!

Wishing it was Fall Haul - Yankee Candle 50% off Sale

The first stop was Yankee Candle’s friends and family sale where everything (except accessories) was 50% off. I ended up picking up a medium jar of Olive Oil & Thyme, a medium pure radiance jar of Autumn Air, a small jar of Cranberry Chutney, and a new pumpkin shaped illumi-lid. PSA – Autumn Air is almost an exact dupe of Radiant Red Maple! Also, I couldn’t believe how much fragrance oil was dripping from the Cranberry Chutney. All together this purchase came to $35!

Wishing it was Fall Haul - Bath & Body Works 2/$24 Sale

The following day when I realized that Bath & Body Works had a 2/$24 sale, I rushed to the store because Chocolate Pistachio finally came in. I picked up one Pumpkin Spice (a repackage of Nutmeg & Spice) and one Chocolate Pistachio candle. Then, to use my $10 off $30 coupon, I grabbed two Crisp Morning Air soaps that were on sale for $3 each. This purchase came to $21 and with merchandise credit I didn’t pay anything out of pocket!

On Saturday I made a trip to the closest White Barn which is an hour road trip. There I grabbed a 3-wick of Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Banana Muffin. I was also lucky enough to find the Golden Autumn Day soap in-stock (which I have been wanting for the past month) and got the same deal. After using the rest of my merchandise credit I ended up paying $18 out of pocket – well worth the trip!

Wishing it was Fall Haul - Yankee Candle Outlet Sale

On our way back home we stopped at the Yankee Candle outlet in Wrentham, MA. I was itching to use the free large jar candle coupon with any $10 purchase. I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw Tarte Tatin, Rhubarb Crumble, and Paradise Spice sitting on the shelves. I quickly snatched the rare finds up and picked out Sugar Flower as my freebie. This haul amounted to just $28.

I’d say that I’m pretty stocked up for this upcoming season now, at least until Cider Lane is released! It was nice to get out of the terribly hot weather for a bit and do some retail therapy. Did you haul anything during this weekend’s sales and are you excited for Fall? Share in the comments!

Burn List – August 2016

August 1, 2016

The month of August holds fond memories for me; long beach days, trips to the fair, ice cream sundaes, and preparing for the Fall. I like to save some of my favorite Summer candles for this month to bring back some of those distant memories. Here are the candles and wax melts I hope to burn through for August 2016.

Summer Boardwalk
Kettle Corn (melt)
Orange Dreamsicle (melt)
Banana Nutmeg Bread Pudding
Bourbon Butterscotch
Sparkling Amber
White Pumpkin (melt)
Sparkling Pear Riesling

I have no doubt that I’ll be able to burn through these 5 candles and 3 wax melts this month. I’m surprised at the lack of Summer wax melts I have left to melt at this point and won’t be surprised if I dig into my Fall stash early. I may also burn White Chocolate Apple occasionally throughout the month too. I’m excited to start getting back into warmer & comforting scents! What are you planning on burning this month? Share in the comments!

July 2016 Candle Empties

July 29, 2016

Where did July go?! While this entire year seems to be moving at warp speed, this past month really went by in the blink of an eye. Rhode Island was abnormally hot these past few weeks, but I was still able to go through my entire burn list and then some. Here is my complete list of empties:

Storm Watch (1-wick) – I really enjoyed this fresh scent! Imagine walking outside after a rain storm in the Summer – this is what Storm Watch smells like! I have already purchased a large jar since this is now a retired fragrance.

Watermelon Lemonade (3-wick) – By this point, we know what this sweet candied watermelon scent smells like; it’s only been re-packaged about 50 times. The burn on this version was great until the 1/2 way mark, then it got PWS and went straight on the melter.

Suntan (3-wick) – This smells exactly like Yankee Candle’s Sun & Sand. Otherwise known as traditional sunscreen. The burn life on this candle was impeccable; the best I’ve had in over a year! Too bad the throw was only a 5. If this scent wasn’t on sale for $6 I wouldn’t have picked it up.

Juicy Watermelon (2-wick) – If you know what a watermelon flavored Jolly Rancher tastes like, then you know what this candle smells like. I was very impressed with the burn life of this Yankee Candle and it even had a throw of about a 5. It started lightly sooting towards the end so I finished it on the warmer.

Summer Bonfire (3-wick) – I did a full review of this scent earlier in the month so all I’ll say is that this is an amazing fragrance to burn during the Summer. If BBW ever brought this back I would absolutely pick it up again.

Heirloom Tomato (2-wick) – This smelled EXACTLY like a vegetable garden growing in the Summer with notes of fresh tomatoes; this was very reminiscent for me. If the throw had been stronger than a 4 I would have picked up another. I’m excited to repurpose this jar though!

Snap Peas (1-wick) – If you are not a fresh scent person like myself, this is the perfect in-between. Snap Peas from BBW was both sweet and garden fresh making it the perfect Summer scent. I hope they release this again in the future because I will hoard it!

Black Sands (1-wick) – This scent from BBW was cologne meets aquatic; it smelled like a freshly showered man during the Summer. It took very long to pool out and had a throw of about 4. Tbh, if I hadn’t picked up this tester candle for $2.50 I would never have given this fragrance a try.

Krispy Kreme Original Glazed (1-wick) – This candle was SO light both on cold and when melting that I could hardly review it. What I could pick up on was a cheap knock-off of BBW Cinnamon Sugar Donut. For $1 from Dollar Tree I got what I paid for and would not recommend.

Tropical Pina Colada (wax melt) – Wow, this was a deliciously strong fragrance! It smelled EXACTLY like a pina colada and it definitely made me thirsty 😉 it was so good I actually burned through it in less than a week.

Wild Berry Cheesecake (wax melt) – The perfect berry scent that has ever been made. I thank the candle gods that this is available at Wal-Mart year-round.

Bonfire Beach (wax melt) – This is a dupe for BBW Summer Bonfire which I also reviewed earlier this month. I am so impressed with the throw of this Scentsy melt and the burn life. I have already hoarded more bars for Summer’s to come!

Fresh Baked Bread (wax melt) – This is a lighter scent that smells pretty odd alone. When it’s mixed with fresh scents, like Basil, it really blossoms into a delicious fragrance. I do have another melt in my stash ready for an Italian dinner night!

Basil (wax melt) – Kringle really named this melt accurately, it smells 100% like fresh basil. This went wonderfully with the Heirloom Tomato candle and mixed great with the Fresh Baked Bread wax. I have already stocked up a couple more of these too.

Storm Front (wax melt) – I was hoping this would be a dupe for Storm Watch, but it’s unfortunately not. It did have that similar freshness but was overpowered by the cologne notes. It performed great in the bedroom (lol) but I wouldn’t repurchase.

Vanilla Cone (wax melt) – Why didn’t I give this scent a try sooner?! It is the perfect combination of sugary vanilla and a salty waffle cone. It goes perfectly with BBW’s Boardwalk Vanilla Cone hand soap and their Summer Marshmallow body lotion. My only wish is that the melt lasted longer. I will definitely repurchase but in a different form.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (wax crumbles) – This scent was just okay and pretty forgettable. It had a sweet note but also a very strong waxy undertone. I will not purchase this or anything else from Wax Crumbles again.

Watermelon Lemonade (wallflower) – Again, by this point we all know what this overdone fragrance smells like. I only got whiffs of these about 1-2 times a week which is a complete disappointment. Additionally the oil barely evaporated. I’m wondering if I need to replace my wallflower plugs – I’ve only had them for 6 months!

Overall I burned through 9 candles, 8 wax melts, and 2 wallflowers in July. In my opinion, that’s pretty impressive! This month was clearly all about the fruity and fresh scents and now I think it’s time to move on to some “warmer” options. What did you melt this month and which was your favorite? Share in the comments!

BBW Radiant Red Maple Dupe

July 20, 2016

If you are candle crazy like myself, you already know that Bath & Body Works has begun testing their Fall collections. We all know that BBW is notorious for not re-releasing fan favorites so I’m ecstatic to see Cider Lane, Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake, and Pumpkin Pie returning. However, my absolute favorite Fall candle, Radiant Red Maple, has not made a reappearance. With only one backup remaining, I became desperate to find something similar.

Radiant Red Maple is one of those scents you either love or hate – I happen to be obsessed with it. If you never had the chance to sniff it last year, it smells like delicious fresh apples mixed with toasted marshmallow. It is definitely a unique combination but heavenly. If you are a fan of Marshmallow Fireside, then chances are you’d adore this fragrance too.

Before you get too upset that RRM isn’t returning, let me let you in on a little secret; I discovered a dupe from Scentsy! Their version of this amazing fragrance is called Apple S’mores and it is almost exactly identical. You get the same apple & marshmallow combination but there is a tad less smokiness. If I wasn’t smelling these two scents side by side I never would have detected any difference.

BBW Radiant Red Maple Dupe - Apple S'mores

I thank the candle gods that I was able to find a comparable option to Radiant Red Maple. If you were a fan like myself, you can definitely get your fix with Apple S’mores. I have already stocked up on enough wax melts and room spray to last me 2 years just in case Scentsy retires their fragrance too! 😉 What is your favorite Fall fragrance? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The Perfect Summer BBW Haul

July 13, 2016

Within the last couple of weeks there have been several new collections at Bath & Body Works causing a lot of excitement. However, it’s not candles that are catching my eye in the newest Perfect Summer collection. For once I’m more interested in the hand soaps, body care, and hand sanitizers! Using an array of coupons with several transactions, here is what I’ve hauled.

The Perfect Summer hand soap collection might be my favorite of 2016 thus far. Lemon Buttercream is a beautiful bakery lemon scent that will be amazing for next Spring. Lakeside Afternoon is a nice fresh scent perfect for Spring/Summer in the kitchen. Finally Boardwalk Vanilla Cone is a delicious scent that smells exactly like creamy vanilla ice cream inside of a waffle cone. I have stocked up quite a few back ups of these scents as they’ve quickly become new favorites.

The Perfect Summer BBW Shark Accessories

I normally don’t purchase too many of the BBW accessories, but I couldn’t pass up the little sharks and the ice cream cone shower pouf! Seriously, look at the sponge sprinkles! I also am not usually the biggest fan of their pocket bacs due to the residue they leave behind, but these fragrances smell exactly like the soaps. Then finally we’ve got Beach Nights Summer Marshmallow body care. Holy crap. I am IN LOVE. To me, this smells like a dupe of Goose Creek’s Peanut Butter Sugar fragrance and I can’t get enough. I may have 3 body cream back-ups already…

Before I knew how much I was going to love the rest of the Perfect Summer collection, I was mostly excited for these wallflowers. Funnel Cake smells like greasy fried fair food and I’m kind of obsessed. I really wish they had this in candle form – it is definitely different than Cinnamon Sugar Donut. Also, for some reason I am not a fan of the Pomegrante Lemonade 3-wick but really enjoyed how the wallflower smelled. Looking forward to seeing how these two fragrances warm up.

Last but not least, I did pick up some candles. Big surprise there, right? For some reason BBW released a small Fall preview at the same time as the Perfect Summer collection’s release. With these “new” scents being on sale, I picked up a couple of the beloved Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake which is a favorite of mine. Then I FINALLY decided to pick up my very first Cinnamon Sugared Doughnut candle ever. I’m not sure why this has never interested me in the past but I think it’s time to give it a try.

I think it’s safe to say I’ve got an addition to BBW and I’m not even ashamed. Between new soap, body lotion, pocket bacs, shark accessories, and a couple candles my house is in desperate need of some organization. At least everything smells great though! 😉 I’m absolutely putting myself on a BBW ban until the Fall items are released in August. Have you fallen in love with anything in the Perfect Summer collection? Share in the comments below!

BBW Summer Bonfire Dupe

July 8, 2016

Okay candle connoisseurs, I have an exciting dupe for you. Remember the Seaside Summer collection that Bath & Body Works released in 2015? It had some great scents and my personal favorite was Summer Bonfire. I’m not really surprised that it wasn’t brought back, but as I burn through my last candle I’ve been desperate for something similar.

If you’ve never smelled Summer Bonfire, it essentially smells like Marshmallow Fireside mixed with salted caramel. The caramel is extremely light but the saltiness is on par with that traditional marshmallow fireside. Since SB is so unique, it has taken a while to find anything that compares. That was until I made my first Scentsy purchase at least.

When I came across the fragrance Bonfire Beach on their site, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try it out. The scent descriptions were almost identical! What a happy surprise it was to receive the Scentsy bar and smell the similarities. After melting BB and SB simultaneously I can safely say this is an almost exact dupe. BB has all the same unique notes BUT with a heavier citrusy fresh layer.

I think I actually like Bonfire Beach more due to that added freshness. I will absolutely be stocking up on these wax melts from Scentsy and recommend any other Summer Bonfire fans do the same! Were you a fan of Summer Bonfire? Share your thoughts in the comments!