Ashland Winter 2016 Christmas Candle Collection Scented Wax Melts Review

Ashland Winter 2016 Christmas Candle Collection Scented Wax Melts 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. These 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 (which were discontinued). Hanna's also makes the Aldi's Huntington Home wax melts that come out three times a year.

When new Ashland scents come out (generally seasonally... spring, fall, winter, and maybe summer), they cost $3.99, which is pricey. But within only a few weeks, they go on sale for 40% off. Michael's often has other sales, so some of these melts I was able to get for $1.19 each during a 70% off sale!

I bought all the new Christmas Candle Collection scents except Cinnamon Orange, which smells like orange pomander, a scent I don't like (soapy spicy orangey scent).

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O' Christmas Tree
Typical pine/spruce scent, but with a woodsy and slightly eucalyptus note, and maybe a smidgeon of smokiness. It's a nice Christmas Tree scent. Throw is quite good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5, although most pine scents have excellent throw. Scent fizzled within 2 hours.

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Glistening Snow
Mint with a slight pine note. This is not a sweet mint, and has some spearmint notes that give it a slight toothpaste quality which I don't like. But the pine note saves it. Not my favorite scent, but it definitely has a chilly snow quality! Throw is excellent, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

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Vanilla Frost
On cold sniff this smells like plain vanilla with a bit of a sweet liqueur note in the background. I expected to smell mint based on the name, but I don't detect any mint. Melted, it's just a nice sweet vanilla scent, nothing special. Throw is good, around a 3 out of 5.

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Winter Apple and Balsam
On cold sniff, this smells a little like mulled apple cider, but there's a slightly sour note in the background, and I think I smell a bit of a balsam note. On cold sniff it really just smells more like a fake fall type apple scent than anything. But it smells a little better melted, like sour apple and leaves. It's very similar (if not an exact dupe) of the Huntington Home Falling Leaves scent that was sold at Aldi in the fall of 2015 (Hanna's Candles, the company that makes the Ashland wax melts, also makes the Aldi wax melts). Throw is excellent, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

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Merry Berry Clementine
This smells like a typical cranberry scent with a smidgeon of spices. It's a nice fall scent. Throw is very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

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Candy Land (triple melts)

red scent (picture of red & white mint candies) - This smells like peppermint candies or a candy cane. Throw is very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

white scent (picture of white mint candies) - This is a sweet creamy mint with a vanilla note, like creamy mint candies. It smells fantastic! Melted, I don't smell as much of the mint as I do on cold sniff. Throw is very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

orange scent (picture of gingerbread) - This smells like gingerbread and cloves on cold sniff. When melted, I just smell woodsy cloves. Throw is only fair, maybe a 2.5 out of 5.

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Country Lodge (triple melt)
All 3 scents are orange, so I'll have to go by the pictures on the front label.

picture of cinnamon sticks - On cold sniff it smells like straight cinnamon with a bit of sweetness. But when melted, more of the sweetness comes out so the cinnamon is not harsh like a Big Red type cinnamon would be. It's more like a cinnamon roll, and I think I also detect a very slight bakery note. Throw is very good, around a 3.5 out of 5.

picture of a tree - Sugary cinnamon scent with a little bit of cloves. Throw is very good, around a 3.5 out of 5.

picture of orange and pinecones - Sweet cloves with maybe just a hint of cinnamon. Throw is excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

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Shimmering Noel (triple melt)

white scent - I thought this was the same scent as Glistening Snow above because it's white, but it's not. It's a nice warm woodsy scent with a slight eucalyptus note and a smidgeon of mint. It doesn't have that sinus clearing quality that a straight eucalyptus scent would have, but it smells wonderful. Throw is very good, around a 3.5 out of 5.

light blue scent - This one is not very strong on cold sniff. I smell cloves and just a hint of mint or menthol. Up close, I can smell the sinus clearing effects of the menthol. It's a nice scent, and throw is very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

light green scent - This is the same scent as Glistening Snow (reviewed above).

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Twisted Citrus and Spice (triple melt)

orange scent (picture of orange & cinnamon) - This smells like a combination of pomander and apple mulling spices with a hint of brown fall leaves. Definitely a fall scent! Throw is very good, around a 3.5 out of 5.

magenta scent (picture of cranberry & orange beverage) - On cold sniff this smells like very tart cranberry, but when melted it smells like red wine, with a little bit of that sour fermentation note that I don't like, but a little bit of sweetness that tempers some of that sourness. It's actually a pretty nice scent, and throw is excellent, at least a 4 out of 5.

green scent (picture of apples) - This is a sour apple scent which is similar to the Winter Apple and Balsam scent (reviewed above), but not as sweet. It's too sour or bitter or something, so I'm not a fan. Throw is good, around a 3 out of 5.

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Enchanted Fruits

red scent (picture of mulberries) - This smells like apples and berries with a woodsy note and a little bit of sourness. It's not very strong on cold sniff. Melted, it's a bit too tart for my liking. Throw is good, around a 3 out of 5.

green scent (picture of apple with cinnamon stick) - This is the same as the green scent in the Twisted Citrus and Spice triple melt. I don't care for the sour bitter note. Throw is excellent, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

magenta scent (picture of cranberry beverage) - This is the same scent as the magenta scent in the Twisted Citrus and Spice triple melt.

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Winter White cookies
These three scents smell very similar, and they're my favorite scents out of all of this year's Christmas Candle Collection.

tan scent (picture of powdered sugar crescent cookies) - rich buttery shortcake cookie scent with an almond note. Throw is good, 3 out of 5.

ivory scent (picture of powdered snowball cookies) - This smells a lot like the tan scent above, although the nuttiness is pecan or walnut instead of almond, and it's more buttery. Throw is excellent, a 4 or 4.5 out of 5.

beige scent (picture of plain vanilla cookies) - Super buttery cookie with slight nutty (pecan maybe, but not almond) and milky notes. Not as nutty as the other two scents. Throw is excellent, a at least a 4 out of 5.

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Goose Creek Candle Scented Wax Melts Review - November 2016

Goose Creek Candle Scented Wax Melts Review - November 2016

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This is yet another review of Goose Creek Candle scented wax melts. These 10 scents are relatively new, from the past few months. At this poit I've pretty much reviewed every available Goose Creek wax melt scent. Although these can be found at some stores, I haven't seen them in my area so I order them from Goose Creek's website at http://www.goosecreekcandle.com.

Please also read my other Goose Creek scented wax melt reviews at:
- http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2016/03/goose-creek-candle-scented-wax-melts-0316.html 
- http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2016/04/goose-creek-candle-scented-wax-melts.html 
- http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2016/06/goose-creek-candle-scented-wax-melts-review.html

Goose Creek has a lot of sales, often every few weeks, and it's usually a 50% sitewide sale, or 20 wax melts for the price of 10. It's best to wait for a sale rather than buy them full price.

Mulberry
"Sun sweetened mulberries blend beautifully with light notes of cherry and an undertone of vanilla."
This smells a little like cherry but with that cherry cough syrup note, which is nice. There's also a hint of bitterness that makes it more of a wild berry type scent. It's a nice scent, although not my favorite. Throw was fair, maybe a 2.5 or 3 out of 5, but scent started dissipating within an hour and then it took on a chemical note.

Auburn Lake
"Fruity notes of black currant, Sicilian bergamot and mandarin that blend into a heart of fir balsam, peach nectar and black orchid. A warm base of patchouli, dark chocolate, tobacco leaves and Tahitian vanilla finish this serene fragrance."
On cold sniff I smell sweet wood with cloves or tobacco and just a smidgeon of smokiness. It almost has a bit of a barbecue sauce vibe. Looking at the scent notes, there's black currant which makes scents smell classy. I don't smell fir or balsam at all, although that might be the smokiness I detect. There's tobacco and patchouli. I don't smell any chocolate at all. Melted, it's definitely a woodsy tobacco clove type scent and does smell a bit like barbecue sauce. Throw is fair, maybe a 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

White Coral
"This beautiful rich aroma combines black currant, peach and orange. The heart blends light notes of rose, orange blossom, jasmine and freesia. The bottom is a warming vanilla, sandalwood and light musk."
This is a very sweet perfumey scent with maybe a hint of coconut and perhaps a smidgeon of some kind of fruit, and maybe a little amber for warmth. It's similar to Scentsy Luna and ScentSationals Blackberry Cider. Looking at the scent notes, there's black currant which gives this scent a rich classy feel. I guess I do smell peach just a little, but not orange at all. I don't smell rose, but I think I smell jasmine, and the musk gives it that warm perfumey note. Throw is good, around a 3 or maybe 3.5 out of 4.

Sweet Banana Bread
"This scrumptious homemade treat folds bananas, sugared pralines and buttered pecans into a sweet mix of whipped honey, caramel swirl, cinnamon and brown sugar. Vanilla creme adds the perfect finishing touch."
This is very rich, more like a sweet banana cake with brown sugar crumbles on top. It smells fantastic! Now that I've read the scent notes, I guess I do detect a nuttiness from the pecans. I don't smell cinnamon, which is good, because too many bakery scents add cinnamon. This smells better than Mainstays Banana Nut Bread and Better Homes & Gardens Banana Bread Pudding (both from Walmart, although the pudding scent has been discontinued). And throw is fantastic, at least a 4 or 4.5 out of 5.

Dark Vanilla Bean
"Classic rich French vanilla cream. A bit of toasted coconut & caramel butter brings warmth & longevity."
On cold sniff this is just a plain milky vanilla, and not very strong. I expected it to be much richer or more exotic or just "different" somehow. Looking at the scent notes, I might detect a smidgeon of coconut, but no caramel or buttery notes. Throw is not good, maybe a 2.5 out of 5.

Cherry Cheesecake
"Sweet notes of vanilla cream cheese, a juicy cherry topping and sugared vanilla."
This one is disappointing on cold sniff. I just smell a fake sweet non-descript berry and it doesn't even smell foodie like candy or cake. However, it does smell better melted. I do smell the cherry (although it still smells fake), and I guess what they're trying to pass off as cheese but kind of smells like white bread or old milk. If it weren't for that note, I would probably like it even with the fake fruit note. Throw is excellent, around a 4 out of 5.

Beach Party
"Fruity blend of lemon, lime, orange, mango, black currant and peach. Sugar, musk and vanilla adds the perfect finishing touch."
This smells fantastic, like sweet lemon and maybe plum. It smells similar to Scentsy Summer Sunset, but more lemony. Throw is excellent, 4 out of 5.

Under the Oaks
"Warm and rustic woods blend beautifully with fresh bergamot, neroli, and oakmoss. A fresh breeze brings warming notes of mahogany, jasmine, and sandalwood."
I smell raw wood but I can't figure out the other notes, maybe a smidgeon of pine. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell neroli or jasmine, although there is just a smidgeon of sweetness which could be one of those notes. When melted, however, I don't smell any sweetness, just a very woodsy scent with a hint of pine. Throw is excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Wildest Dreams
"A fruity mix of bergamot, pear, orange and cassis wraps around a floral bouquet of jasmine, muguet and apple blossom while a sensual base of musk, sandalwood, cedarwood, vanilla, amber and tonka leaves a lasting impression."
On cold sniff it smells like sandalwood and men's cologne. I don't smell fruit, but now that I know it's in there, I might detect a very slight peachy note, but no orange or apple. When melted though, it took on a slight cat pee vibe that I didn't like. Throw is quite good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Day in the Sun
"Enjoy the sunshine with this fruity floral fragrance blending sparkling bergamot, lemon zest, petitgrain and neroli with orange blossom, tuberose and Tahitian tiare. Coconut and musk add warmth and a sense of calm."
This smells just like Coppertone Suntan Oil, like Yankee Candle Sun & Sand. Throw is excellent, 3.5 to 4 out of 5.


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Walmart Scented Wax Melts Winter/Holiday/Christmas 2016 - Better Homes & Gardens & Mainstays Review

Walmart Scented Wax Melts Winter/Holiday/Christmas 2016 - Better Homes & Gardens & Mainstays Review

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Better Homes & Gardens Winter's Sleigh Ride

"Seasonal blend of orange zest, cool winter spices, smoky woods, incense and mountain fir, with a warming base of oakmoss, blue cedar and vanilla bean"

This is a cozy smoky scent with a slight pine note I think. I thought I smelled a hint of mint, but I don't think so; maybe it's the orange zest or the "cool winter spices" (whatever those are). I don't smell orange at all. On cold sniff there's a hint of sweetness which is probably the vanilla, but I don't smell any sweetness when melted. This is similar to Better Homes & Gardens Winter Ski Resort from 2014, and Better Homes & Gardens Wooded Mountain Trails, but with slightly different notes. And it's a scent monster that took over the entire house, a throw of 5 out of 5, and it smells great!

Better Homes & Gardens First Winter Blizzard

"Crushed peppermint leaf, smoked birch wood, fragrant pine and emerald holly leaf glisten with an icy, ozone freshness touched by mistletoe greens"

I barely smell anything other than maybe a slightly sweet woodsy soapy scent. I didn't detect any mint. Throw was maybe a 2 out of 5.

Better Homes & Gardens Cranberry Cookie Crumble

"Sweet cranberry, cinnamon sugar, caramel swirl and buttered pecan in a heart of sugar cookie and crumb cake"

There's a reason why everyone is raving over this one... It's fantastic, a super rich buttery cookie with a pecan note (like snowball cookies) and a hint of brown sugar, and maybe a slight berry note (although I don't smell cranberry per se). I don't smell cinnamon at all, which is good. Throw is excellent, at least 4 out of 5.

Better Homes & Gardens Bubbly Peach Cocktail

"Peach prosecco, sparkling bubbles and pink champagne blend together to create this effervescent fragrance. Fruity infusion of mango, peach nectar and blush wine swirl in the heart and lead into a sweet, refreshing base of icy vanilla and sugarcane"

I thought I would hate this one because generally anything with "wine" or "cocktail" or "champagne" in the scent name tends to have that sour wine fermentation note. And this scent does have that note, but it's slight. I smell peach and a little bit of creaminess which is probably the vanilla, and just a smidgeon of that sour wine fermentation note. I don't detect any effervescence notes that you sometimes get with fizzy alcohol type scents. It's a nice scent but not my favorite. Throw is pretty good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Better Homes & Gardens Warm Up Winter

"Warm cedar and oriental clove bud with notes of black myrrh touched by shimmering aldehydes, swirls of fragrant wood smoke, spiced amber and herbaceous greens"

I smell the cloves, cedar, and smokiness. It's a cozy scent with almost has a slight foodie quality, maybe because of the cloves. But it's not sweet enough to be yummy. It smells a little like Dr. Pepper soda, and other people have said the same thing. The picture on the label shows a mug of hot chocolate or coffee, but this scent smells nothing like that. I don't care for this one. Throw is very good, around a 3.5 out of 5.

Better Homes & Gardens Sugared Maple and Evergreens

"Fusion of autumn accords including sugared maple, orchard woods, autumn apple and clementine with holiday notes of roasted chestnuts, nutmeg, fresh evergreen, holiday pine and buttered rum"

This smells fantastic, like a mixture of caramel and pine with a hint of nut. It sounds like a weird combination, but it really works. I guess the caramel I smell is the maple and buttered rum. I don't smell apple or any kind of fruit. Throw is excellent, a 4 out of 5.

Better Homes & Gardens Season of Joy

"Balsam and fir adorned with festive red berries join notes of warm woods and oriental amber accented by vanilla caramel and shimmering spice"

This is not a Christmas scent, but a fantastic warm perfumey scent with both an amber and a caramel note. I don't smell any balsam/pine or spices, but maybe there's a smidgeon of berries that I barely detect. It smells a tiny bit like ScentSationals Love Letters. Throw is maybe a 2.5 out of 5, but it might do well in a small room. But when I melted a different one months later, the throw was better, good to very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Mainstays Apples & Evergreen

This is a nice even blend of sweet apples and pine, with maybe just a smidgeon of caramel. I'm not sure which I smell more, the apples or pine. It's a combination that wouldn't seem to make sense, but it works. Throw is excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Mainstays Spiced Cranberry

This is a nice cranberry sauce scent, sweet with a little bit of that bitterness, making it an authentic cranberry rather than a "candy" type cranberry. I think there's some kind of spice in the background but I'm not sure what. This is definitely a fall type scent. Throw is good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Mainstays Pine

This is an authentic woodsy spruce scent. Mainstays came out with an "Evergreen Spruce" scent last year or the year before, and although it smells very similar to the "Pine" scent, the Evergreen Spruce scent is more of that biting artificial pine scent with a smidgeon of sweetness. This new Pine scent smells much nicer. And throw is fantastic, at least a 4 out of 5.

Mainstays Winter Mittens

This smells like Better Homes & Gardens Pure White Woods or ScentSationals Vanilla Wood, and on cold sniff there's just a hint of mint which I smell from close up but not in the room. It's a nice classy light woodsy scent with a hint of sweetness but no smokiness. Throw is very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Mainstays Spiced Orange

This smells like orange pomander, which is orange plus spices. I think cloves is one of the spices, but I don't smell cinnamon. This is a strong, rich, almost savory orange scent. I'm not a fan of this one, or pomander scents in general, as it's a bit nauseating to me. Throw is excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

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