Scentsationals Scented Wax Melts - Early Spring 2016 Scents Review

Scentsationals Scented Wax Melts - Early Spring 2016 Scents Review

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This is a review of the new ScentSationals scented wax melts scents that came out in January-February 2016. This is an update of the review I posted on January 30, 2016, since I found other new ScentSationals scents since then. I bought Pink Velvet, Himalayan Pink Salt, Iced Lemon Sugar Cookies, Day Dream, Egyptian Cotton, Rainy Day, and Love Letters from http://www.scentsationals.com, and I found the other scents shown here the following week at Walmart. These scents may also be available at other stores such as Meijer's and Kroger stores.

Violet Sugar
Notes: A blend of rich crystalized violets, laid upon light white jasmine floral notes and succulent grapefruit, all mingled in with sweet creamy vanilla
This smells a lot like ScentSationals Blackberry Cider, but with some different notes, like maybe a barely noticeable smidgeon of floral and citrus. If you're not familiar with Blackberry Cider, it doesn't smell like cider at all. It's a very warm almost ambery sweet scent with maybe a hint of blackberry, if at all. Violet Sugar is not quite as sweet and ambery. It's a fantastic fragrance! But sadly, throw isn't very good, maybe a 2 or 2.5, and the scent fizzled within 2 hours. UPDATE: I tried another one several months later, and the throw was fantastic, 3.5 or 4 out of 5, and scent lasted all day! Maybe I got one from a bad batch the first time?

Isla Bonita
Notes: A blend of amber sweet mandarin, juicy orange, wild flower honey, macadamia rose and freesia. A sensual base of cedar, sandalwood and musk adds a rich depth.
This one is different. It's definitely a tropical fruit scent, but not sweet, more savory and sour, and no coconut notes that are often found in tropical scents. Mandarin smells like orange, but I don't smell any orange or citrus. And if there's a wildflower note, I don't really smell it although it may be way in the background. This one is hard to describe, I guess it's basically a sour fruit, which sounds bad, but it actually doesn't smell bad. I'm not sure if I really like it or not. I think this is one that people will either like or hate. I've heard from other people that the throw on this one is light, but for me throw was excellent, around a 4 out of 5.

Passion Fruit Coconut
Notes: A lush passionfruit coconut, fused with cassis and sun-kissed oranges.
I smell coconut and a slight fruity note, but also a clean, fresh air note as well as a hint of amber that warms it up and gives it a bit of a foody quality. It's not a harsh coconut, and it's not a typical tropical scent either. I really like this scent, but the throw is not very good, maybe a 2 out of 5.

Petal Showers
Notes: A splendid mixture of apple blossom, jasmine and gardenia, infused with light notes of citrus and plum.
This is a fruity floral but I can't pick out the individual notes. It smells a little like scented toilet paper, but that's not a bad thing. It's a nice scent, a little generic, and I don't smell citrus or plum. Throw was terrible, maybe a 1 out of 5 if that.

Tropical Fuse
Notes: A blend of amber sweet mandarin, juicy orange, cassis, wild flower honey and macadamia rose. A sensual base of cedar, sandalwood and musk adds a rich depth.
This isn't nearly as tropical as the name and picture suggests. It's a sour tropical fruit scent, but the sourness is tempered by a floral background, although it's not really sweet and the floral is not really noticeable as it's more of a "green", natural type floral rather than perfumey. Melted, it's very similar to the new SS Isla Bonita, with that slightly sour fruit note. But although the throw is good, at around 2.5 or 3 out of 5, it's not as good as Isla Bonita.

Pink Velvet
Notes: Sugared lemon, apple and pineapple mingled into a sweet heart of tropical punch and red currant. Sugar cane and vanilla bean in the base deliver a captivating finish.
This smells to me like ScentSationals Pretty in Pink (a light "pink sugar" type scent, like cotton candy with a hint of sweet perfume) mixed with vanilla to tone down the sweetness, plus a hint of lemon and almond, and a smidgeon of raspberry. Kind of a like a grown up, bakery version of Pretty in Pink, or a raspberry macaroon with that hint of raspberry and lemon. Throw is very good, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Himalayan Pink Salt
Notes: A fresh, invigorating blend as eucalyptus, lemon, lime and ginger mingle together with lavender, muguet and bergamot. Jasmine, balsam, ozone and vanilla provide the perfect finish.
This is kind of sweet masculine scent, not a floral. Any floral sweetness is tempered by the eucalyptus, which adds a clean, soapy, masculine, almost peppery note that makes it smell a little like a sweet shaving cream. But it's not a menthol scent, and there's no Vicks Vaporub or minty note at all. There is a slight "salt scrub" note, so I might classify it as a spa scent, although it's also a fresh, clean scent. I just don't know how I'd classify the scent though. It's not a floral. It's "almost" a cologne scent but not really. And it's also a clean scent, but not completely. Maybe even a spa scent, but a little too sweet. I'll put it under "spa" because it does have a very slight "salt scrub" note. Throw is excellent, close to a 4 out of 5.

Iced Lemon Sugar Cookies
Notes: A blend of deliciously baked lemon and lime, blended with pure sweet coconut milk and sugar, with light notes of vanilla extract.
This is a different lemon scent than other ScentSationals lemon scents. It's like a cross between bakery lemon and kitchen lemon. Compared to Living Colors Lemon Bars, Lemon Bars is a little stronger on the lemon, saltier, and slightly more bakery. 
Compared to ScentSationals Lemon Meringue, the Lemon Meringue is more bakery, and even though it's a fantastic scent, it smells more fake and waxy. Iced Lemon Sugar Cookies is a more authentic lemon "confection", like the filling of a lemon meringue pie, with a tinge of vanilla, and not a lot of crust. It smells like the lemon note in ScentSationals Lemongrass Mint. It's also sweet and has a slight "kitchen lemon" (like Lemon Pledge) note, so it should satisfy lemon scent lovers no matter what type of lemon you prefer. Excellent throw, 4 out of 5.

Day Dream
Notes: Hints of vibrant greens lay upon an enticing array of amber, jasmine and rose, meshed with citrus lemon notes and soft musk.
This is a green plant type floral, not overly sweet like a flowery floral, but more like sweet green grass with a little bit of jasmine wafting in the air. It also has a hint of spicy perfume, just enough to make it "not quite" a floral, but somewhere between a floral and a perfume. Ah, I think that other note I detect is a sweet cedar wood scent, which makes this scent smell a little bit like ScentSationals White Sandalwood scent from a few years ago. Throw is excellent, 4 out of 5.

Egyptian Cotton
Notes: A medley of light plump grape, laid upon fresh floral notes of jasmine and white floral. Sandalwood, light musk and warm vanilla give it that warm cozy yet fresh feel.
This is basically a toned down version of ScentSationals Vintage Lace (one of my favorite scents). It's a lovely warm cashmere (a lighter sweeter fabric-y amber scent) mixed with old-fashioned white musk. It's not a laundry scent, as there's no harshness and no clean detergent notes, but perhaps a slight fabric softener note. It smells like ScentSationals Vintage Lace mixed with a little bit of ScentSationals Crisp Linens to temper the sweetness. Throw is fairly good, maybe a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Rainy Day
Notes: Delicate greens and wild springtime bluebells join notes of sugared rose, pure water lily and blushing hyacinth touched by sparkling April rains, fruit nectars and the warmth of white musk.
This smells almost exactly like ScentSationals Bali Shores (from 2014 but still available on the ScentSationals website) and ScentSationals Paradise (also from 2014 but has been discontinued), and may in fact be that exact scent. It's sweet and watery with a hint of musky perfume, but it's more of a fresh scent than a perfume scent. It may possibly have another note in it, maybe a smidgeon of salty soapy clean air. When melted though, I'm 95% sure it's a dupe of the Bali Shores and Paradise scents. Throw is very good, 3.5 out of 5.

Love Letters
Notes: A delicious blend of floral notes floating upon a light and airy amber, fragrant jasmine, and fresh succulent greens
A nice cashmere/amber type scent with a perfumey note and something else kind of milky, can't put my finger on it but it's not a dupe for any other SS scents that I know of. Now that I see the scent notes, OK I guess the milkiness is the almond and I guess I can detect a smidgeon of cedar. Throw is not good, maybe a 1.5 or 2 out of 5, but would probably do okay in a small room like a bathroom.

Dazzling Sky Duo - Sky Lantern + Amethyst Sky
Notes: A mixture of opulent sandalwood, oriental amber and pure incense, embracing a sweet dark plum and blackcurrant complex lifted by floral orange blossom, white cedar and milky vanilla bean. The spicy warmth of green cinnamon bark combines with black oud and pure sandalwood, enhanced by sultry amber, oriental vanilla bean, earthy patchouli and opulent musk.
Amethyst Sky (the pink side) is a nice warm ambery scent with zero throw. Sky Lantern (orange side) is a beautiful ambery cedar scent.

Secret Garden Duo - Rainy Day and Petal Showers
Rainy Day and Petal Showers, side by side (see reviews of each scent here).

Tropical Beauty - Passion Fruit Coconut and Isla Bonita
Passion Fruit Coconut and Isla Bonita, side by side (see reviews of each scent here).


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Candle Warmers Etc. Scented Wax Melts Review

Candle Warmers Etc. Scented Wax Melts Review

 

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This is a review of Candle Warmers Etc. Scented Wax Melts, which can be found at http://www.candlewarmers.com/candles/collection/wax-melt-collection/2-oz-wax-melts-collection, as well as some stores and gift shops.

I always compare scented wax melts to ScentSationals and Better Homes & Gardens brands which, for the most part, are fantastic, can be found at your local Walmart, and cost $2.00 for the same 2 or 2.5 oz. sized clamshells. I had mixed results from the Candle Warmers Etc. wax melts. Granted, seven scents is not going to be indicative of ALL their scents. But I would not purchase these again unless they were on sale, as they're $3.49 each from the website.

Cherry Blossom
"Elegant blend of cherry blossoms and white cashmere"
Light floral and vanilla with a light amber note and a hint of cherry. I find that Cherry Blossom scents from almost all companies tend to be weak. The throw on this one was actually fairly good.
Throw: 3

French Currant
"Bold red currant, blood orange, and fresh fig"
An orangey almost satsuma (a small orange with a pungent lemony citrus scent) type scent with a soapy note and a hint of woods. The other notes temper the pungency of the citrus. I don't know what a currant smells like, but I'm sure that's one of the other notes I'm smelling. This is not a sweet scent, and not very fruity. If I "had" to pick out a main note I'd probably say orange, although it's much more complex than that. It's elegant and classy, like most fig-based fragrances.
Throw: 4.5

Pepperberry Wreath
"Fresh cut pine, winter berries, and a spicy blend of clove and cinnamon"
Strong Christmas tree scent with a slight bayberry note. I don't smell clove or cinnamon. This is similar to Woodland Pine, but more piney, not as sprucey/smoky, and less berry. They smell very similar when melted.
Throw: 4

Vanilla Pear
"Anjou pears and french vanilla cream"
Pear and vanilla with a hint of amber, but it smells very cheap and artificial, like something you would spray in your car. It's not awful, but I don't care for it.
Throw: 1.5

Woodland Pine
"Fresh pine, cassis, and tonka with vine-ripened blackberry highlights"
I smell pine/balsam, fig, cedar I think, and a slight bayberry type note (there's no bayberry in this scent, so it's probably the blackberry/cassis combination). There's also a slight zestiness. I don't smell vanilla (tonka). Cassis is a type of currant, similar to fig, with slight cedar, clove and patchouli notes, so that explains the cedar and fig notes in this scent. I don't smell clove or patchouli. I'd say the main notes in this scent are pine and bayberry, and this is a more complex fragrance than Pepperberry Wreath.
Throw: 3

Serene Woods
"Blonde woods, weathering pine, a hint of spice, and lime zest"
I smell light woods, spruce, and sage that almost smells slightly minty. There's a very slight zestiness which may be the lime, although I don't actually smell lime. I don't smell any spices either. This is not a strong woodsy scent, or a Christmas tree pine type scent, and none of the notes are overpowering. This is more of a spa scent than a woodsy scent. When melted, it has a fresh air quality. But unfortunately throw is very weak so it's hard to tell.
Throw: 1

Sea Spa
"Dew-misted clover, tranquil ocean water, and lemon zest"
Salty fresh air scent with a very slight herbal note and maybe a barely noticeable hint of lemon. A little boring, and nothing really stands out. Melted, it smells like there's a hint of mint although it's not in the description. I don't like this scent, and throw is weak too.
Throw: 2


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Sonoma Scented Wax Cubes from Kohl's - Spring 2016 Review

Sonoma Scented Wax Cubes from Kohl's - Spring 2016 Review

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This is a review of the early spring 2016 Sonoma scented wax melts from Kohl's. Most of these scents are from last year, but have been repackaged with an updated label design. Only two of these scents may be new 2016 scents (Be Loved and Be Mine).

Be Loved - Rose & Currant
I think this is a new 2016 scent. I smell sweet and slightly bitter currant fruit, but I also detect rose in the background. This is a nice relaxing bedroom type scent. When melted, it smells like an earthy rose. Throw is fair, around a 2 or 2.5 out of 5, so best for a small room.

Be Mine - Lilly & Vanilla
I think this is a new 2016 scent. Yes, this is spelled "Lilly" on the label, instead of the correct spelling of the flower name, "Lily". And the description is spot on; it smells like a combination of lily and vanilla. It's a nice gentle almost baby powder floral, combined with vanilla. It also has a very slight cashmere/amber note that gives it warmth, and for some reason I detect a smidgeon of citrus? Throw is fair to good, about a 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

Be Relaxed - Lavender Blossom
"The natural appeal of fresh lavender balanced with crisp elements of aromatic thyme, balsam fir needle and dew-covered herbs."
This is a savory spa type lavender, not a sweet air freshener type lavender. It has a very slight industrial soap note, and there's a musty "off" note. Now looking at the scent notes, is may be the fir/pine that I'm smelling. Throw was non-existent, which is interesting because I have this same scent in the older packaging which I bought last year, and the throw on that one is fairly good. This goes to show that there can be differences in throw among different batches.

Be Rejuvenated - Citrus Mist
"Uplifting notes of ripe Tarocco orange, sugared clementine and zesty tangerine combine with juicy mandarin splashed over earthy hints of warm patchouli, soft amber and white woods"
This smells like fake grapefruit with an orangey note, so it's not one of my favorites. I don't detect any patchouli, amber or woodsy notes at all. Throw was "okay", maybe a 2.5 out of 5.

Be Revitalized - Eucalyptus & Mint
"Bright herbal greens, white eucalyptus and smooth sandalwood gleam with budding lavender blossoms, effervescent bergamot and cool whispers of frosted mint"
This is a spa mint scent, like sea salt scrub mixed with mint. It's very similar to ScentSationals Zen scent, but with a slightly saltier note. Although when melted, the salt dissipates and it takes on a slight laundry note. It's not a spearmint or "toothpaste" mint, but a nice relaxing spa mint. Very nice if you like mint and spa scents. Compared to ScentSationals Zen, Be Revitalized is slightly more minty. Throw is very good, around a 3 out of 5. (I should note that when I tried this scent last summer, it had no throw. But it may have been old, possibly from the year before. And Kohl's wax melts tend to get picked over, left open, etc., especially at the end of the season when they go on sale.)

Be Soothed - Green Tea & Cedar
"Calming green tea leaves, steeped black tea and gentle white tea blossom fuse with fresh citrus accents over herbaceous garden sage, ambered cedarwood and smooth vanilla bourbon"
I can't figure out this scent, or if I like it or not. I don't smell cedar, and I'm not sure I smell tea either. There's a green herbal note, and maybe a hint of savory sage and a smidgeon of vanilla and maybe a barely undetectable nuttiness. It also smells like a green plant of some kind. I really can't describe this one. Throw is "okay", about a 2.5 out of 5, so this scent is best suited for a small room.

Be Tranquil - Sea Minerals & Citrus
"Luminous notes of aquatic marine minerals blend with bursts of lively green sea grass, salty seam foam and smooth coastal driftwood touched by sun-warmed accents of ambered sand."
This is a fresh watery sweet and slightly salty ocean type scent. I don't smell any citrus; in fact, no citrus is mentioned in the scent notes. I think there's a smidgeon of fruity floral, or maybe apple, or actually there might be a barely noticeable hint of lemon or orange, but I can't tell for sure. This is a nice fresh bathroom scent. Unfortunately barely any throw.

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Burt's Bees Soy Wax Melts Review

Burt's Bees Soy Wax Melts Review

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This is a review of Burt's Bees Soy Wax Melts. In general, the throw on these is not very good. And the wax is creamy, messy, and hard to get out of the package. A few have decent throw, but in general, there are better deals out there. These are $2.99 each for 2.5 oz. at Target, Walmart, and some other stores. But you can get ScentSationals and Better Homes & Gardens wax melts at Walmart for $2 for the same size, and in general they have better throw, scent quality, duration, and wax consistency.

Creamy messy wax that's hard to get out of the package

My Scent and Throw scores are on a scale of 0 to 5 with 0 being the absolute worst and 5 being the absolute best. Scent score is VERY subjective; you may love a scent I hate, and vice versa. Throw score is not as subjective, although there are a lot of variables that can affect the throw (see the Definitions page). 0 throw means I couldn't smell anything when melted, even with my nose right on top of the wax. 1 is poor throw, 2 is very light throw, 2.5 is light/fair, 3 is good, 3.5 is very good, 4 is excellent, and 5 is a "scent monster" (I can smell it throughout the house and even outside the house).

Fresh Cut Fern
This smells a little like basil, with a tangy slightly green note, but also with maybe a eucalyptus "spa" quality. It has a slight industrial cleaner note. Throw was okay, maybe a 2.5, for about 20 minutes, but quickly disappeared.
Scent: 3
Throw: 1

Lavender Fields
This is the most realistic lavender scent I think I've ever smelled in a wax melt. It's not a sweet perfumey lavender, but more of a slightly eucalyptus "spa" lavender. Very fresh and realistic. Scent only lasted about 2.5 hours.
Scent: 5
Throw: 3.5

Toasted Almond
Scent: This kind of smells like a glazed donut to me. I don't smell almond at all, and there's also a slight chemical note.
Scent: 3.5
Throw: 1

Papaya Guava
Tropical fruit scent but not pineapple and no coconut. Tangy and sour, a little like satsuma (a small orange type fruit with a tart lemony grapefruit scent), but not enough to justify the sourness. Very slightly sweet on cold sniff, but the sweetness disappeared when melted, and it turned into a sour tropical chemical scent.
Scent: 3 on cold sniff, 1 when melted
Throw: 3

Eucalyptus Mint
This smells like a combination of peppermint candy and Vicks Vaporub. It's a nice authentic peppermint scent, with no spearmint or wintergreen notes that would make it smell like toothpaste. Also has a sinus-clearing effect, so would be great if you have a cold! Melted, it did have a very slight "toothpaste" mint scent. Scent dissipated within 2 hours.
Scent: 3.5 on cold sniff, 3 when melted
Throw: 3

Sweet Lemon
Just like the scent name, this smells like sweetened lemon. It has a slight bakery note but also a very slight soapy note that makes it smell a little like lemon-scented skin cream. Melted, I don't smell the bakery note and it smells a little like kitchen lemon and lemonade.
Scent: 4
Throw: 3.5

Raspberry Lemon
Fake raspberry with a sour note and a little bit of zestiness, but not really lemon. This smells weird to me on cold sniff, but I have a feeling it's one of those scents that will improve when melted. I was wrong. Smelled the same when melted, but even less raspberry and more sourness.
Scent: 2 on cold sniff, 1 when melted
Throw: 2

Sweet Pumpkin
I don't smell any pumpkin in this scent. It smells like vanilla ice cream, very sweet and creamy. Maybe a hint of caramel. OK perhaps a smidgeon of pumpkin, but if I didn't know it's supposed to be in there, I wouldn't smell pumpkin. It's a really nice scent.
Scent: 3
Throw: 3

Vanilla Honey
I didn't buy this one, as it was weak on cold sniff. I smelled vanilla and a little bit of honey, but nothing that really blew me away.
Scent: 3 on cold sniff
Throw: Didn't melt

Tropical Mango
I didn't buy this one, as I didn't like the scent. It was an artificial tropical scent.
Scent: 1 on cold sniff
Throw: Didn't melt


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Crafters & Co. Wax Melts from Hallmark Gold Crown card store - Scented Wax Review

Crafters & Co. Wax Melts from Hallmark Gold Crown card store

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This is a quick review of Crafters & Co. wax melts from Hallmark Gold Crown card store. I only purchased 4 scents because they're $3.95 each, which is pricey.

They had 17 scents, and were all sweet "pretty" scents that would be good for a bedroom or bathroom. The scents are rather basic, nothing unique or unusual, and no dark or woodsy scents. The 4 scents I got were probably the most unique out of all the scents they had.

The scents they had are:
Cinnamon Bark, Baked Apple, Dragon Fruit, Sea Salt Blossom, Tranquil Waters, Seaglass Orchid, Eucalyptus Spa, Refreshing Sage, Lemongrass Ginger, Lime & Basil, Wild Sunflowers, White Tea Ginger, Warm Vanilla, Sugar Magnolia, Linen Breeze, Lilac Blossom, and Patchouli & Vetiver

These wax melts are soy based, so I was hesitant to buy them as I don't have good luck with throw from soy melts. However, the wax is hard like paraffin, rather than soft and creamy like pure soy. When melted, two of these had very good throw, and two had almost no throw. Of course a sample of only 4 scents out of 17 is not indicative of the quality of the rest of the scents.

I will not buy the Crafters & Co. wax melts again. At $3.95 each, they are almost double the price of the same sized 2.5 oz. scented wax melts at Walmart (ScentSationals and Better Homes & Gardens), which are $2.00 each. Although the scents are very nice, they're not fantastic enough to warrant the high price tag.

Here are the 4 scents I bought:

• White Tea Ginger
  Tea with a slight floral note and maybe a hint of lemon verbena. Melted, the floral is a little more pronounced than the tea. It smells a bit like soap or bubble bath, in a good way. Nice relaxing bedroom or bathroom scent. Throw is pretty good, around a 3 out of 5.


• Wild Sunflowers
  A bright, pleasant sunflower type floral with a hint of honey. Throw is pretty good, around a 3 out of 5.


• Seaglass Orchid
  Vanilla with a floral note, with maybe a hint of amber. Barely any throw, maybe a 1 out of 5.


• Lime & Basil
  I definitely smell the lime but it's not an annoying overly citrusy lime, more like a very slightly floral lime with a very slight laundry note. I don't smell basil. On cold sniff this smells fairly strong, but I can barely smell it when melted, maybe a 1 out of 5.

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