AmbiEscents Scented Wax Melts from Bed Bath and Beyond – Spring 2017 Review – Part 2
These 5 new AmbiEscents scents are all dupes of ScentSationals scents. If you don't have the scents that they are dupes for, and can't find them at Walmart, then you can buy them at Bed Bath and Beyond. But remember that AmbiEscents scents are $2.99, and ScentSationals scents are $2.00 at Walmart. So it only makes "sense" to buy these AmbiEscents dupes if you can't find the duplicate scent at Walmart. As of this writing, I believe ScentSationals Apple Wood, Woodland Magic, and Zen can still be found at Walmart. I'm not sure about Rock Candy. And I think Himalayan Pink Salt might be the only one that you can't find at Walmart, since it was a limited edition that came out last year.
Sugar
This is the same scent as ScentSationals "Rock Candy" which has been around for several years. It's a very sweet fake berry hard candy scent that smells great, and a lot of people love it. Throw is excellent.
Zen Garden
This is the same scent as ScentSationals "Zen", a beloved scent that has been out for years. The notes for ScentSationals Zen are "Blend of eucalyptus, spearmint, white pine, Egyptian musk and smooth sandalwood". To me it smells like a subtle laundry scent with a smidgeon of spearmint, and throw is excellent.
Sonoma Scented Wax Melts from Kohl's – Late Spring 2017 Reviews
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This is a review of the 3 new late Spring 2017 Sonoma scented wax melts from Kohl's that came out in April. These wax for these 3 scents is soft and messy, not like Sonoma's usual wax which is harder.
Ciao Bella "A blend of lavender and pink cyclamen with bursts of mandarin, pear and pineapple"
This is quite weak on cold sniff. I smell lavender with a hint of fruit in the background and some other notes I can't figure out. It's a fresh airy type scent. Looking at the scent notes, there's the lavender and the fruits. I guess pink cyclamen is a type of flower although this is not a floral scent, and it's not sweet at all. Melted, there's a weird zesty, almost vinegary or lemon juice, note in the background that doesn't mix well with the other notes, so I'm not crazy about this scent. Someone in our Facebook group said it reminded them of Noxzema, and I do detect a very faint Noxzema type note. Throw was fair, around a 2.5 out of 5, so this would do better in a small room.
Mediterranean Coast "A relaxing, seaside-inspired scent of sea salt, driftwood, citrus and musk"
This is a nice fresh woodsy slightly peppery scent. Looking at the scent notes, I don't detect citrus, and it's not really a sweet scent. Throw was fair, around a 2.5 out of 5, so this would do better in a small room.
Tuscan Sun "An aromatic blend of sweet pear, crisp apple and sun-ripened banana warmed with creamy caramel and spice"
This is a rich yummy scent that smells like pears and caramel. Looking at the scent notes, I don't detect banana. Throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
Aloha Colada Notes: Juicy, sun-ripe, island pineapple spun with creamy, smooth coconut milk, a hint of sweet vanilla bean and a generous splash of white rum stirred with dazzling sugarcane.
Typical pineapple coconut scent, nothing special. Very strong on cold sniff, and throw was quite good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5 (although based on the strong cold sniff I was expecting this to be a scent monster that would take over the entire house).
Tranquil Island
Notes: Tropical marine waters flow with notes of heady melon flower and sweet, aquatic melon touched by hints of island coconut fused with milky greens, sun-drenched musk and pure white woods
This smells like fabric softener with a tropical fruit note. It's an "okay" scent for me. Throw was good, around a 3 out of 5.
Sweet Apple
Notes: Juicy apple is freshened with sweet pear and fresh sliced orange, while crystallized sugar and raw vanilla bean add a hint of sweetness.
This one was hard to find, and not all Walmarts carry it. It's a sweet fake apple scent, like apple candy. Throw is excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
Soothing Spa
Notes: Bright herbal greens, white eucalyptus and smooth sandalwood gleam with budding lavender blossom, effervescent bergamot and cool whispers of crushed mint.
This one actually came out last year but only a few Walmarts carried it. It came back this year but is still hard to find. This smells like combination of ScentSationals Zen (light sandalwood with a very subtle spearmint note and a smidgeon of musk and laundry) with a sweet coffee note and a smidgeon of amber. Like relaxing yoga in the morning! When melted, it really smells like ScentSationals Zen and I don't smell as much of the coffee, although it's a richer, warmer, sweeter version of Zen. Throw was very good, 3 to 3.5 out of 5.
Darkest Sandalwood
Notes: Intriguing notes of warm sandalwood and earthy patchouli blend with aromatic tobacco leaf and white cedar wrapped in an appealing hint of balsamic fir and soft vanilla musk.
This one also came out last year but only a few Walmarts carried it. It came back this year but is still hard to find. It smells like smoky tobacco with a very sweet note that kind of makes it smell like barbecue sauce. It's not a men's cologne type scent although there could be a smidgeon of cologne in there. It's a very nice masculine scent with a slightly foodie quality. Melted, it really smells like sweet barbecue sauce. When I left the room and came back a half hour later, I thought someone was cooking! Throw was good, 3 out of 5.
Arm & Hammer Wax Melts from Dollar General - Review
These are new and I've only seen them at Dollar General. They only have two scent duos. The wax is soft and messy like the Dollar General "True Living" wax brand. Therefore, I didn't have high hopes for this wax because I haven't had luck with True Living wax in terms of throw. But I was pleasantly surprised that all of the scents except one threw quite well.
These are $2.50 each for 2 oz. of wax, and there are two scents in the package of 1 oz. each. Each scent can be broken into 4 rectangular cubes, and you put one or more cube into the warmer. You can mix the scents if you'd like, or use them separately. I prefer to melt them separately.
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Ripe Raspberry/Island Breeze
Island Breeze (light pink) is a nice but generic tropical scent. Melted, it smells like a generic tropical scent that might be used in a commercial bathroom. Still a nice scent though. Throw was good, around a 3 out of 5.
Ripe Raspberry (magenta) is a very sweet fake raspberry scent, almost like "pink sugar" or raspberry scented body lotion. It's a very nice scent, not meant to be an authentic fruit scent. Throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5. But scent started dissipating within about 2 hours.
Citrus Swirl/Cilantro Lime
Citrus Swirl (yellow) is a plain but pleasant orange scent with a lemon note. Throw was excellent, 4 out of 5. But scent started dissipating within 2.5 hours or so.
Cilantro Lime (green) is a very nice herbal slightly peppery lime scent. Throw was non-existent when melted, 0 out of 5, and I couldn't even smell it from a foot away.
Goose Creek Candle Scented Wax Melts Review - Spring 2017
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Another great scented wax melt haul from Goose Creek Candle! Almost all of these are new Spring 2017 scents, although there are a couple from Fall and Winter 2016 that I hadn't tried before. There are only maybe 2 or 3 scents in this haul that I don't like or that don't throw well.
A few months ago Goose Creek changed their scented wax melts formula. The wax used to be very soft and messy, but now the wax is hard and much easier to handle.
Balsam Fir
This scent came out during the winter season, but this is my first time trying it. On cold sniff this smells like a typical Christmas tree scent. It's different from Christmas Tree Farm (which has a slight berry and licorice note) and Christmas Tree Cutting (which smells like pine/spruce with a dirt note, in a good way). But when melted, it smells fantastic, like a real fir tree, slightly woodsy and smoky, and it doesn't have that fake biting pine note. This one is a scent monster that took over the entire house, 5 out of 5 throw.
Banana Pudding
This is a bright sweet banana with a vanilla note and no bakery notes. It's a bit of an artificial banana scent, but not in a bad way.
Comparing this to their Sweet Banana Bread scent, that scent is sweeter with a bakery note as well as faint notes of nut and caramel. This scent is just straight banana and vanilla without any other notes. It's a nice scent, and it smells like banana flavored Vanilla Wafer cookies.
Comparing this to Better Homes & Gardens Banana Bread Pudding (which came out in the fall of 2015 but has since been discontinued), the Better Homes & Gardens version is more vanilla with a cookie note and a smidgeon of nut, not as sweet, and with much less banana. That scent actually smells a bit more like the Goose Creek Sweet Banana Bread scent. Throw was excellent, 3.5 to 4 out of 5.
Bath Time
This is a great scent, but it doesn't smell like the name. I expected a sweet bubble bath scent, but this is more of a fresh watery herbal scent. It's not sweet, and actually has a bitter note (I'm finding that bitter note in several of the new scents). But the bitter note works for this scent because it's more of a green herbal scent. In fact, it smells like grass or a walk in the park. When melted, yes, it definitely smells like green grass with maybe some fresh herbs, including a smidgeon of fresh mint. Nice, natural scent like the windows are open. Throw was excellent, 4 out of 5.
Blooming Magnolias
Fantastic scent! This does smell a lot like magnolia flowers, but actually I would call it "lemon flower", since I smell lemon mixed with a sweet honeysuckle type note. When melted though, I don't detect a lemony or honeysuckle note. It just smells like authentic magnolia flowers, not overly sweet, and very natural. Throw was very good, around a 3.5 out of 5.
Caramel Butter
This scent came out last year but this is my first time buying it. This is the newer hard wax as well, even though the scent is older. It's weak on cold sniff, with a smidgeon of coffee I think, but I also detect a plasticy note. When melted, I don't smell the plasticy note, just a rich caramel scent with a smidgeon of coffee. Throw was excellent, 4 out of 5.
Coffee Shop
This is a creamy coffee scent with a hint of sweet hazelnut perhaps. It smells like a lot of other sweet coffee scents from other companies. It's a nice scent, but kind of "typical". Throw was good, around a 3 out of 5.
Cookie Dough Bites
This really does smell like cookie dough with chocolate chips. The chocolate is subtle, like a milk chocolate rather than a strong burnt chocolate. And of course there's the rich buttery cookie dough note. Melted, there's also a subtle note in there that I can't put my finger on, maybe like a bready or yeasty note that I don't care for, but it's not strong enough to detract from the overall scent. Throw was very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.
Gardenia Petals
A lovely sweet gardenia scent with a slightly soapy note and I think a smidgeon of vanilla. Throw was excellent, 4 out of 5.
Lavender de France
This is an authentic lavender scent. It's a little medicinal, but it also has a smidgeon of sweetness that keeps it from being too medicinal. It's not a sweet or perfumey lavender scent. Throw was very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.
Lilac Garden
This is an authentic lilac scent. It has a smidgeon of a "green" note that keeps it smelling natural. It's a little sweet, but not a fake or perfumey sweetness. Throw was very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.
Lost at Sea
At first I thought on cold sniff that this was just another salty watery scent, but it's a bit different in that it has a slight peppery note that makes it unique, and a hint of bitterness that I don't care for. Melted, that bitter note is more pronounced. Throw was fair to good, around a 2.5 or 3 out of 5, so it would be best for a smaller room.
Peanut Butter & Jelly
I didn't think I'd like this. Just the thought of the house smelling like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was a bit off-putting for me. But this scent is fantastic! It smells like their Peanut Butter Sugar scent, but with a grape note added, and not quite as sweet. I smell the rich grape jelly first, and then the salty nutty note. Since I don't smell a bready note, this smells more like a fruit and nut health bar than a sandwich. When melted, it smells almost exactly like their Peanut Butter Sugar scent, with a smidgeon of grape. Throw was good, around a 3 out of 5.
Pure Red Rose
This is not a sweet pretty rose scent. It's not sweet, and in fact, it's very bitter. The bitterness gives it a slightly vinyl-like chemical note. I didn't like this one, but throw was excellent, 4 out of 5.
Sparkling Woods
This scent came out during the winter and was not available in a wax melt, so I bought it in the "Fireflies" format (1.5 oz. candle) to cut up into melts. This is a lovely scent. I smell a little bit of wood, a smidgeon of pine perhaps, but the main note I can't put my finger on, maybe it's fig perhaps, and I think there might also be a warm amber note. Throw was very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.
Snow Covered Bridge
This scent came out during the winter and was not available in a wax melt, so I bought it in the "Fireflies" format (1.5 oz. candle) to cut up into melts. On cold sniff I smell fresh mint with a slight warm musk background and maybe a smidgeon of sandalwood. But when melted, it smells completely different, like raw wood while walking through a forest, with a cedar note and maybe just a smidgeon of balsam. Fantastic scent, one of my favorites! Throw was very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.
Superfood Acai
Intense grapefruit scent with orange notes and I think I detect a bit of green tea. This one is a scent monster that took over the entire house, 5 out of 5 throw.
Sweet Pea
This really does smell like a Sweet Pea floral, that sweet rich warm almost vanilla floral scent. And throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
White Tea & Bergamot
What a fantastic scent! I smell tea with a salty lemon and herbal note. It's more of a spa scent than a drinking tea scent. Throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
White Teakwood & Moss
I love this scent! It's a sweet cedar wood scent with a natural note that gives it a slight moldy or mildewy note, but in a good way, and that's probably supposed to be the moss note. But when melted I don't smell that mossy note, just the sweet cedar wood, and I think there's a slight tobacco note. Very nice, throw was excellent, 3.5 to 4 out of 5, and the scent lasted all day!
Lemon Vanilla Cake Batter
This is the only new Spring 2017 scent that I wasn't able to get. They were sold out when I placed my order.
I didn't do a text review of these scents, only a video review.
One of these was fantastic and the scent lasted for days! The other had barely any scent at all. Like the Better Homes & Gardens Paper Scent Bursts (which are made by EnviroScent, and which I reviewed at http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2017/03/better-homes-and-gardens-fragranced-paper-scent-bursts.html) these can also be used as potpourri (without a wax burner) and even used in your car! I put one of these EnviroScent Bursts spheres in my car last week, and my car still smells fantastic. When the inside of the car gets warm, and especially when the sun hits the sphere, the scent is super strong! I forgot to mention in the video that the spheres do have a slightly flat end so that it will stay in place.
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April 28, 2017 update - I found the Wild Lavender and Paradise Breeze scents when I went back to Walmart last week. They both smell great. Wild Lavender is, well, a lavender scent. And Paradise Breeze is a very sweet coconut scent with a slight pineapple note, like a sweet tropical drink. Wild Lavender didn't throw very well, but Paradise Breeze did, although not as good as the True Cotton scent, which is phenomenal, and after two weeks in my car I can STILL smell it!
Living Colors wax melts are made by MVP Group International, the same company that makes Mainstays (for Walmart), Colonial Candles, Burt's Bees, and K-Mart & Sears wax. These melts often have very weak throw, but I was pleasantly surprised with the scents below, because most of them threw quite well and smelled great!
Bamboo & Willow
A fantastic scent, like a hothouse gardenia, rich and intense, but not overly sweet. Also smells like an old-fashioned perfume. There's a faint "green" note in there also that keeps it from being too sweet. Throw was excellent, 3.5 to 4 out of 5.
English Wallflower
Fantastic scent that smells like sweet tropical fruit or maybe a very sweet apricot, mixed with a light floral note. Very nice, and not too fruity or too flowery. When melted, I smelled more of the fruit, but within an hour it started to put off a little bit of a cat pee note. Throw was good, around a 3 out of 5.
Floral Rain
A bright artificial watery scent that smells like a bathroom air freshener. This is the one I thought I was going to like the least because of that artificial note, but I actually like it a lot. Throw was very good, around a 3.5 out of 5.
Hydrangea Blooms
This smells a lot like the Bamboo & Willow scent, a nice gardenia scent, but this one doesn't have the intense hothouse note that Bamboo & Willow has. This smells a bit like White Shoulders perfume, but it's not overly sweet. Melted, however, it smells like an authentic lily-of-the-valley flower. Very nice, and throw is excellent, around a 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
Stone Garden
A nice jasmine or gardenia scent, and not overly sweet. There's another note way in the background, maybe a fresh air or watery note, or perhaps a smidgeon of laundry, that tempers some of the sweetness. Actually, it smells a bit like suntan lotion! Very nice scent, but throw was only fair to good, maybe 2.5 or 3 out of 5, but would do well in a smaller room.
Water Lily
This is a fresh watery scent with a little floral. It also smells like body wash or shampoo. A great scent for the bathroom. Throw was very good, around a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.
Wild Poppies
Fantastic scent, like a fresh fruity floral herbal shampoo. Throw was fair to good, around a 2.5 or 3 out of 5.
