Ashland Scented Wax Melts from Michael's - Fall 2016 Review

Ashland Scented Wax Melts from Michael's - Fall 2016 Review

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The Ashland brand is made exclusively for Michael's Arts & Crafts store. The Ashland wax that Michael's used to carry (and still does, although it's the older wax line) was soft and creamy, and many of the scents didn't throw well. The newer wax melts (tall package with harder wax) are made by Hanna's Candles, the same company that used to make the Mainstays brand triple melts from Walmart (the triple melts were discontinued last year). Hanna's also makes the wax that Aldi carries a couple of times a year (usually in the spring and fall), labeled with Aldi's Huntington Home name. I'm glad to see that Michael's has switched their scented wax line, because Hanna's wax is very good in general, almost rivaling ScentSationals.

When new Ashland scents come out (generally seasonally... spring, fall, winter, and maybe summer), they cost $3.99, which is pricey ($4.99 in Canada). But Michael's frequently has 40% off sales, usually within only 2 to 4 weeks after the new scents have come out. However, this year, the new fall scents (called the "Harvest Candle Collection") went on sale as soon as they came out ($2.40 is a much better price!). And they came out early this year, in mid-July!

Search our Scented Wax Reviews website (top right hand corner) for Ashland wax melts reviews from spring, summer, and last fall.

Unfortunately the Ashland triple melts don't list the names of the scents, only pictures, which can sometimes be hard to figure out.


Fall Delights (triple melt)

Caramel Nut Squares
Yummy buttery caramel or butterscotch, with excellent throw, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Caramel or Candied Apples
Apple scent with a slightly caramel sweet candy note. Excellent throw, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Candy Corn
This does smell like candy corn, although it has a rich buttery quality that makes it smell like a rich sweet vanilla type cookie. Very nice scent, and throw is excellent, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.


Destinations Discovered (triple melt)

Vanilla Bean
I can't tell from the picture, but the beige colored wax smells like a rich classy ambery cashmere vanilla scent. Very nice! Throw is good, around a 3 out of 5. This is the same as their Vanilla Bean scent.

Persimmon?
The picture looks like persimmons, which is a very sweet almost apricot type fruit, but this smells sweet with a slightly sour bitter note. I'm not a fan of this scent, but the throw is excellent, around a 4 out of 5.

Fig
I barely smell anything on cold sniff, maybe a slightly woodsy fruity scent. Melted, I still can't figure out what I'm smelling. It doesn't smell like fig, actually it's similar to the Persimmon scent with that sourness, but a little more of a fruity note. I'm not a fan, and the throw is fair to good, maybe 2.5 to 3 out of 4.


Sweet Treats (triple melt)

Almond?
The first picture looks like caramel and peanuts, but the beige wax smells like almond and vanilla with maybe a hint of coconut. Nice scent, and excellent throw, around a 4 out of 5. But the scent sizzled within a little over an hour.

Ginger Snaps?
I think the picture is of ginger snap cookies, and the orange wax smells like sweet frosted ginger snaps. Throw is very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Hazelnut Chocolate?
I see chocolate and hazelnuts in the picture, and the brown wax is very light on cold sniff but I do detect a slightly nutty chocolate note. Melted, it smells really good, like rich fudgy nut brownies. I smell not only the chocolate fudge but the nutty note as well. Throw is good, around a 3 out of 5.


Into the Woods (triple melt)
All 3 of these scents are very similar. They're "ok" scents, but I'm not really a fan.

Fall Leaves?
The first picture looks like a dried up brown leaf, and the brown wax is a nice woodsy scent with a slightly sweet and smoky note. Throw is good, around a 3 out of 5, but didn't last long, maybe an hour at most.

Cloves
The second picture looks like cinnamon sticks, but the red wax in the middle smells like cloves with a hint of smoky wood. Actually, it smells like barbecue sauce! Throw is excellent, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Berries
The third picture shows tiny dark berries but I don't know what they're called. The wax smells similar to the cloves wax but maybe with more wood and a bit of a savory quality. I don't think I smell any kind of berries. Maybe it's supposed to be fall leaves? I can't figure out this scent, and I'm not sure if I like it. Throw is very good, around a 3.5 out of 5, but scent lasted an hour at most.


Patchouli Oak

This one is not very strong on cold sniff. It's definitely patchouli but not as woodsy as the name would suggest. It's a little sweet and maybe a bit perfumey and I think there's a smidgeon of vanilla. Nice scent, but unfortunately throw is not good, maybe a 2 out of 5, but would probably do well in a very small room like a bathroom.


The other available scents they had that I did not buy are Harvest (typical fall spice type scent), Pumpkin Trio (typical pumpkiny fall scents), Vanilla Bean (I already have a lot of vanilla scents, but this is one of the scents in the Destinations Discovered and it's fantastic), Cranberry Compote (typical cranberryish type scents), Orange Cinnamon Clove (this smells like pomander, which I'm not a fan of), Apple Cinnamon (typical generic fall scent), and Pumpkin Spice (typical pumpkin scent).


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