Ashland Wax Melts Reviews - Winter 2017 (Michaels) - Christmas Candle Collection

Ashland Wax Melts Reviews - Winter 2017 (Michaels) - Christmas Candle Collection

Click to enlarge

Reviewed separately
(Click to enlarge)

Video:

---

Alpine Garland

Notes: Top: Apple, pear, seneca grass;  Middle - Lavender, plum, spearmint; Bottom - Amber, oak moss, fir balsam, tobacco, tonka bean, sandalwood

A super fresh apple scent with a men's fresh body wash note. It's a fantastic scent, although based on the name and the picture of a wreath on the label, I expected something with pine. But there are already enough pine scents in this collection.

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

---

Cinnamon Sparkle
(added 11/7/17 - not in video)

Notes: Top - Sweet hay, lavender sprig; Middle - Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cumin; Bottom - Fir Balsam, vanilla, oud wood, leather, oak wood

Fantastic slightly sweet cinnamon scent. On cold sniff it's not a Big Red or cinnamon candy scent; it smells like real cinnamon powder mixed with just a little powdered sugar. Melted though, it does take on a bit of that cinnamon candy note. I'm not a fan of straight cinnamon scents, but this one is actually quite nice.

Throw: Medium, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

---

Frosted Bayberry

Notes: Top - Fallen snow, sparkling citrus, winter winds; Middle - Ice capped balsam, triple mint, sterling spruce; Bottom - White cedar, agave nectar

This smells like a green plant of some kind, like grass, with maybe a little bit of a fresh air note, and a smidgen of basil although this is not a savory or pungent scent at all. It has just a smidgen of sweetness, although I don't smell that when melted. When I think of bayberry, I think of a piney type scent with a little sweetness and nutmeg and a hint of patchouli and a smidgen of berry, but the real bayberry plant (without the added spices) is actually a green scent with a bay leaf note. On cold sniff I didn't really smell mint, but when melted, I do get that sinus clearing effect when I put my nose close to it, and I do smell the mint, although it's more like mint leaves from the garden. But I don't smell mint unless my nose is right up to the warmer. I didn't care for this scent, as it's a bit too green and bland.

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

---

Frosted Evergreen

Notes: Top - Dewy grass, eucalyptus, orange peel, frosted leaves; Middle - Spearmint, peppermint, galbanum; Bottom - Ylang, pine

I smell a slightly smoky pine mixed with a soapy note, not a Pine-Sol or industrial cleaner type of soap, more like a Dove or Ivory bar soap that only has a little bit of a soapy scent. There's also a hint of spearmint, but it's subtle. And there's a fresh note that makes it smell a little bit like bathroom cleaner (but not in a bad way) or even body wash (although it's not sweet enough); that fresh note might be a hint of citrus, like grapefruit. It's not a sweet scent at all. At first I didn't like it, but it's actually quite nice.

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

---

Fruit Garland
(added 11/7/17 - not in video)

Notes: Top - Green apple, pineapple, frosted mint leaves; Middle - Cinnamon, fir needle, plum rose; Bottom - Cedarwood, sweet musk

I love this scent! It'a a perfect combination of pine and sweet fruit. Looking at the scent notes, I do smell fruit but I thought maybe it was cranberry; I don't smell apple or pineapple per se. I also don't smell rose. But musk, perhaps, since it does have a bit of sweetness although it's not a perfumey scent at all.

Throw: Medium, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

---

Ginger Cookie

Notes: Top - Cardamom, Nutmeg, lemon leaf; Middle - Ginger root, coriander seed, sage leaf; Bottom - Red molasses, cinnamon bark, almond milk

It's gingerbread, and it smells fantastic, and super strong on cold sniff! It's slightly sweeter and richer than some other gingerbread scents I've smelled, which is good.

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

---

Holiday Frosting

Notes: Top - Citron zest, orange rind, raw cinnamon sticks; Middle - Turbinado sugar, apple halves, buttercream; Bottom - Tonka bean, whipped musk, vanilla extract

This scent might easily get passed over because it sounds like it could be just another vanilla scent. But it's not. It smells like a sweet buttery almond nut shortcake cookie. The almond is not overwhelming, and I can smell the actual warmth of the cookie. It's very similar to last year's Winter White Cookies trio, especially the brown scent from that trio, and might in fact be the same scent, although I think those scents were slightly more nutty. Fantastic yummy scent!

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

---

Joy Peppermint

Notes: Top - Peppermint, Spearmint, Eucalyptus; Middle - Vanilla Sugar, Coconut, Butter, Anise, Caramel; Bottom - Vanilla Cream, White Musk

This is a super sweet vanilla buttercream scent with just a subtle note of peppermint. Very nice! If you don't like peppermint scents, you might still like this one because the mint is not strong at all. It reminds me of buttermint candies (https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/dessert/butter-mints).

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

---

Silver Fir

Notes: Top - Winter berry, green apple, orange rind; Middle - Clove, orange flower, fir needle; Bottom - Cedarwood, sandalwood, pine, fir balsam

A pine scent with a little bit of a smoky note. This smells almost exactly like the new Woodland Pine scent, although I think there's a very slight difference. I believe this is the same scent as Hanna's Candles' new Sparkle & Joy scent "Through the Woods".

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

---

Vintage Holiday

Notes: Top - Bergamot, fresh linen, vanilla flower; Middle - Black pepper, amber, brushed suede; Bottom - Tobacco flower, caramel, musk, lavender

This smells a little bit like the new Goose Creek scent "Jingle Bells", which is why I love it. It's not really a holiday/winter scent, and can be melted any time of the year. It's a sweet perfumey scent, but not a floral perfume, and it might have some cashmere for warmth. But I also smell a sweet pear syrup note, with maybe a bit of blackberry for richness, so this scent also has a little bit of a fruity note. There might also be a hint of vanilla.

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5, and the scent lasted all day (at least 9 or 10 hours)

---

Woodland Pine

Notes: Top - Fir needle; Middle - Cedarwood; Bottom - Musk

This might be the same scent as Hanna's Candle's Woodland Pine which is on their website at http://www.candlemart.com. It's a pine scent with a smoky note. On cold sniff it smells just like Silver Fir. But when melted, Woodland Pine is a little smokier and richer than Silver Fir; in fact, it's almost too rich and strong, so it's best for a large room.

Throw: Excellent, 5 out of 5, a scent monster that took over the entire house

---

Yuletide Cheers
(added 11/7/17 - not in video)

Notes: Top - Citrus, Apple; Middle - Sweet Spice; Bottom - Orange, Cinnamon

Apple cider with mulling spices and a little bit of a sour note.

Throw: Strong, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

---

Want to discuss this review and other store bought wax? Just join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/scentedwaxretail.

Also, I offer a FREE review service for U.S. wax melt companies (retail, indie/vendor, and direct sales), where I review and promote your wax melts on this website (6,500 new visitors per month), YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. It's a great way to promote your brand and get more customers! If interested, just leave a comment below with your contact info, or under my video on YouTube.