BBW $11 Spring Candle Haul

Bath & Body Works $11 Candle Haul

Bath & Body Works has been functioning a bit out of whack this year, to put it lightly. Their collections have been both off-season and boring. Mix that with their oddly higher priced sales and it’s just pushing me away. They did randomly have an $11 candle sale online last weekend, most likely to get rid of inventory, so I decided to take part since I had a coupon. Each candle came to $8.80 in the end which resulted in a total savings of $78! Here’s what I hauled:

Watermelon Lemonade – This is definitely an overplayed scent, but a good one for Summer none the less. I surprisingly didn’t have any in my collection so this was an obvious pick.

Lavender Macaron – A new favorite scent of mine this year which will most likely never come back. Making sure I have many back-ups for years to come!

Island Margarita – I’ve always liked this fragrance but never enough to buy one. At $8.80 it finally felt like the right time to give it a try.

Tea & Lemon – After falling in love with the wallflower it was only right to pick up the 3-wick.

Mocha Latte Swirl – The best coffee scent BBW has created to date that’ll most likely never be seen again. Another favorite I’m stocking up on when they’re at the right price!

I know there’s not much excitement over these fragrances anymore, but you have to admit it was a great deal! Hopefully this purge from the BBW warehouse will make room for some better collections later this Summer and especially Fall! What’s the cheapest you’ve ever bought a BBW candle for? Share in the comments!

April 2016 Candle Empties

Hey, melters! April was the month of constant burning for me as you can tell by the empties photo. I really wanted to start making my way through some older candles in my stash, especially if they had been previously burned. I’m proud in a way to see how much I actually got through; I’ve never melted so much within one month in my life!

April 2016 Candle EmptiesParis Lavender Macaron (3-wick candle) – So far in 2016, this is my favorite candle that BBW has released. It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but I adore it. If you’ve ever smelled the companies Black Currant Vanilla scent, this is a lighter version with a bakery note. In my opinion it’s lovely but due to some sooting I had to finish it on the warmer.

Raspberry Peach Macaron (3-wick candle) – It was a sad day when I finished this scent off on the candle warmer. This was one of the best candles BBW ever came out with in Spring of 2014. Why they haven’t brought it back baffles me. If they ever do, I will be hoarding about 20 of these beauties.

Pumpkin Pecan Waffle (3-wick candle) – Any wax connoisseur knows all about PPW and how well it performs time and time again. I finished off my Fall 2014 edition on the candle warmer and it was wonderful.

Blueberry Muffin (1-wick candle) – Shawn from Hearth and Soul nominated this as a candle of the year nominee, so of course I had to try it out. The scent was way too light for me, it struggled to pool out correctly, and I could only get whiffs of it in my bathroom. Not a scent I want to smell in my bathroom. If I ever gave this fragrance a chance again it would be in melt form.

Lavender Macaron (3-wick candle) – This was a nice scent from Woodwick, but it only threw in my small bathroom. Even more disappointing was that I only burned this twice before the candle became empty. I would never purchase this again; at least I’ve got the cute dish to repurpose though!

Lavender Lemonade (1-wick candle) – I picked this little guy up from Target a couple years back. It was very refreshing but I can’t say it was anything too special.

Lemon Drops (1-wick candle) – This was another one of the fragrances from BBW’s 2014 Spring line. It was a nice background scent that I had on a warmer in my bedroom. I’m not mad it hasn’t made it back into stores since then.

April 2016 Wax Empties

Iced Lemon Sugar Cookies (wax melt) – This was one of those scents that smelled great on cold but I hated when burning. I tried mixing it with the beloved Vanilla Cookie Crunch, but that didn’t help much. With so many other great lemon scents out there, I wouldn’t bother picking this up again.

Sugared Lavender Twist (wax melt) – This was a really nice scent that threw great in my bedroom. With that being said, it wasn’t anything spectacular. I’m not sure I’ll be stocking up on this anytime soon.

Iced Lemon Poundcake (wax melt) – Now this lemon scent was AMAZING. I actually hated it on cold, but when it warmed up it was magnificent. Especially when mixed with Vanilla Cookie Crunch. Wow, just wow. You need to pick this one up at Wal-Mart ASAP; I’m definitely stocked and ready for next Spring already!

Vanilla Lime (wax melt) – For some reason, I was craving a key lime scent this month. Vanilla Lime from YC was a quick fix and threw quite well. I’m not rushing to buy it in candle form though.

Sugared Lemons (wallflower) – For a wallflower in my living room, this performed great. I got whiffs of it throughout the month and it blended well with everything else I was melting.

Fresh Water & Sea Salt (wallflower) – I had no idea how great this scent was. This was SO strong in my bedroom. I’m a bit upset that it’s no longer available in wallflower form because I’d probably have this plugged in throughout the year. Crossing my fingers it’ll be back later this year!

I think it’s safe to say that April was the month of all things lemon and lavender. I definitely started giving my wax warmers more love and really enjoyed it. My absolute favorite scent this month was Iced Lemon Poundcake mixed with Vanilla Cookie Crunch; I think I could burn this year-round! What did you burn through this month? Share in the comments!

Goose Creek Haul & First Impressions

Goose Creek Haul & First Impressions

Can you believe that I’d never heard of Goose Creek until this past month? I heard rave reviews from multiple people in the wax community about one particular scent, so naturally I had to have it. This prompted my first GC haul which consisted of 10 wax melts that were luckily on sale. Below are my initial reactions to each fragrance upon cold sniff.

Blueberry Cake Donut – YUM! I’ve actually already melted this and it’s exactly how I wished every blueberry scent would smell. It has the absolute perfect balance of blueberry and bakery.

Watermelon Patch – Very fruity and fresh. Will go great with YC Juicy Watermelon.

Blackberry Parfait – An unfortunate disappointment. On cold sniff this was 100% a cologne scent. Upon melting it you get a hint of that fruitiness but it’s not at all what I expected.

Sipping Tea – Wow, this is a great one! It’s essentially BBW Tea & Lemon, minus the heavy lemon note. I can’t wait to melt this on a relaxing morning.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake – I couldn’t really decipher this scent on cold, so I’ve melted it. I barely get a bakery scent and there is only a hint of lemon. Mainly a “fake” strawberry fragrance which I’m not a fan of.

Goose Creek Haul & First Impressions

Peanut Butter Sugar – The infamous scent that pushed me to make a purchase! (I had already planned ahead and ordered two of this one.)  It smells wonderfully sweet with a mixture of waffle cone and peanut butter. Will try melting this ASAP!

Caramel Applewood – OMG! This is hands down a BBW Cider Lane DUPE! I’ve been looking for a dupe of CL for the past two years. Beyond excited.

Carrot Cake – Another wow! This actually smells like a freshly baked carrot cake and I’m in love. When is it appropriate to burn this spicy scent? All the time? Okay.

Campfire Marshmallow – An exact dupe for BBW Marshmallow Fireside. I don’t need to say anymore.

Overall, I’m already impressed with Goose Creek’s products. Every scent seems to be equally strong cold and when I burned the first few, they did not disappoint. Out of the three fragrances I’ve tried so far, they all become even more enjoyable when warm. I’m excited to discover more of this brand and stock up on some of my already favorites soon! If you’re a GC fan, what is your favorite scent? Share in the comments!

Candle Melting 101

If you have never melted a candle, rather than burning it, you are missing out! Melting is not only hassle-free but comes with some serious benefits. I purchased my candle warmer in March and since then it has changed my life! (My super important wax-loving life that is.)

There are different types of candle warmers; some look like hot plates while others a small croc. I have a “hot plate” warmer that also came with a dish to melt wax in. You can find these fairly cheap on Amazon and sometimes on sale at Yankee Candle.

Candle Melting 101

There are MANY benefits to candle warmers. Not only will this method provide a much stronger throw, but it will also make the candle’s fragrance last longer too. I usually burn my candles until they start having problems; at the first sign of soot, I put my candle on the warmer. Once on the warmer, your candle will have an even pool and overall become less messy. The best part is that you can leave your candle melting while you’re not home!

Please do keep in mind that if you melt a candle, you can never burn it again. The wicks will release off the bottom of the jar and will not perform as they should anymore. Also, don’t light your candle while it’s on the warmer. That creates the risk of the glass jar overheating and shattering.

Candle warming is very hassle-free and ultimately more enjoyable in my opinion. Do you melt your candles? Share your thoughts to this method in the comments!

March 2016 Candle Empties

March 2016 Candle Empties

Hey there, melters! March, to me, means I can finally start burning fresh and fruity fragrances. This past month I also realized I needed to start burning through my stash quicker than I have in the past. Low and behold my first empties post! Let’s get started and first talk about 3-wick candles.

March 2016 Candle Empties

Pomegranate Prosecco Punch (3-wick candle) – This scent was released in the Holiday 2015 BBW collection, but the fresh & fruity fragrance was perfect for the beginning of Spring. About half way through, the candle had issues fully pooling out so I put it on the candle warmer to finish it off. While I liked it, I probably wouldn’t pick it up again – I’d rather stick with Champagne Toast.

Happy Easter (3-wick candle) – I’ll be honest, if there wasn’t so much hype around this candle I wouldn’t have indulged. It’s not exactly my type of scent but I did enjoy it while it lasted. This was another that had burn issues – I eventually lost my patience and finished it off on the candle warmer. Next year I probably won’t give into the hype. 😉

Blueberries & Creme (3-wick candle) – My fiancé was the fan of this scent which is the only reason I gave it a chance. The candle was way too light for me and I didn’t enjoy it. To top it off, there were some burn issues so I put it on the candle warmer as well. I would never purchase this or any repackage again.

Espresso Bar (3-wick candle) – I finally finished off Espresso Bar from the 2013 BBW Italian collection. It did have a bit of soot which resulted again in the candle warmer. Can you tell I like using my candle warmer? While I adored this scent, it did make me sneeze quite a bit. I’ll stick to Mocha Latte Swirl in the future.

March 2016 Wax Empties

Pink Velvet (wax melt) – Wow, this wax melt is amazing. I’m sure you’ve heard just about everyone in the wax community review this scent so I won’t bore you with the same old story. I have hoarded quite a few more clamshells for years to come. Hopefully this will be a returning scent each Spring!

Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla (wallflower) – I finally finished off this wallflower but wouldn’t consider it a Spring scent at all. It lasted quite some time and threw wonderfully, but I would only plug this in again during the Winter months.

Gelato (wallflower) – I have been hoarding the last of my Gelato wallflowers for years. I finally caved and was shockingly displeased. It barely threw and didn’t smell at all like the candle did.

Tea & Lemon (wallflower) – Last but certainly not least, this wallflower was absolutely amazing. I’ve never had a wallflower this strong until the very last drop of oil evaporated before. I hope to find more of these at SAS in a few weeks because I will be hoarding for sure!

I’m pretty excited to have made a dent in my stash. It’s quite clear that I favored the candle warmer this month and my definite favorite was the Pink Velvet wax melt from Scentsationals. What was your favorite scent that you burned this past month? Share in the comments!

Michelle’s Candle Favorites

Melting with Michelle - Candle Favorites

Hello and welcome to my new blog, Melting with Michelle! My candle obsession began back in 2012 when I moved into my first apartment. I started out storing my purchases in a small cubby but by 2014, I transitioned into four bins organized by seasons. Fast forward to 2016 and I’ve been forced to move my candle collection into a large trunk due to it’s vast size.

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!