Scented Wax Melt Reviews

Thursday, October 19, 2017

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

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

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

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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

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Monday, October 16, 2017

Upcoming Wax Melt Reviews

Upcoming Wax Melt Reviews

Within the week I'll be posting the following reviews:

Sonoma from Kohl's (new winter scents)
Ashland from Michael's (new winter scents)
Sassy Kandle Co. (new winter scents)
Quality Scents LLC
Dollar General melts (more scents)
Carolina from Lowe's (new winter scents)

Over the next week or two I'll be posting TWO new Scentsy reviews (30 more scents, just about all of which are brand new scents)

And I "might" also be doing these reviews within the next two weeks:

Mia Melts by Mia Bella's
Root Candles wax melts (new product!)
Designer Wax Co.
Broken Top Candle Co.
Making Scents in AZ
Abboo Candle Co.
Comfort Candle Company
The Scent Galaxy

So keep checking back. It's going to be a busy month!!

Swan Creek Drizzle Melts Reviews - Part 1

Swan Creek Drizzle Melts Reviews - Part 1

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Video:

I've never tried Swan Creek Wax Melts before. They're expensive, but that's because they're almost twice as large as most wax melts, such as those from Walmart. Swan Creek Wax Melts can be purchased on their website at http://www.swancreekcandle.com, as well as some gift shops and stores such as Bass Pro and Tractor Supply.

I found these at Tractor Supply. There were only a few other scents, but none that really stood out, and I didn't want to purchase too many because of the price. They're 4.75 oz. clamshells for $5.99 each. Each clamshell has 6 cubes. If you normally use 1 cube of wax from a regular 2.5oz. package of wax, then you'll need to cut a cube of Swan Creek wax in half. These are 100% soy wax, so the texture of the wax is soft, greasy and messy, and it crumbles easily.

I did another review of 3 different Swan Creek scents on November 2, 2017 at http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2017/11/swan-creek-candle-drizzle-melts-reviews.html.

Bourbon Maple Sugar

Notes: A mild bourbon note blends with a rich aroma of brown sugar and maple

This smells so good I want to take a bite out of the wax! It smells like butterscotch and maple syrup and it's very very sweet and rich. But unlike a lot of caramely mapley scents, it's not salty at all. And I detect another note that does indeed smell like bourbon or some kind of sweet liquor. But unlike other liquor type scents I've smelled, this one does not have that sour fermentation note at all. It's an unbelievably yummy scent. Throw was strong, 3.5 or 4 out of 5, and the scent lasted about 3 hours.

Lavender & Lemongrass
Notes: A lovely spring fragrance with a potpourri twist of lavender and citrus notes.

This is a spa lemon scent with a lemongrass note, a little bit of a soapy note, and just a smidgen of lavender. The lemon is quite strong, like the juicy inside of a lemon mixed with a little bit of the bitter rind. It's a very nice spa scent. Throw was medium, 3 out of 5, and the scent lasted about 3 hours.

Roasted Espresso

Notes: Our all-time best selling fragrance! Pure espresso, a heavy rich coffee throw!

Espresso is right! This is a super strong, super bitter coffee scent with no sweetness at all and maybe just a smidgeon of cream. It's a very authentic espresso scent too, not a fake coffee at all. But it's very strong and bitter. I would have liked it better mixed with vanilla to cut the bitterness a bit. If you're a fan of strong, bitter espresso, this is the scent to get! Throw was bold, 5 out of 5, and I smelled it through the whole house! The scent lasted about 3 hours.

Living Colors Tidings Wax Melts Reviews from Big Lots - Winter 2017

Living Colors Tidings Wax Melts Reviews from Big Lots - Winter 2017

Living Colors Tidings Wax Melts from Big Lots - Winter 2017

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Video:

Cinnamon Stick
I'm not a fan of straight cinnamon scents, like Big Red gum or red hot candies. But this is different, and I really like it. It's a very sweet candy scent with cinnamon, but the cinnamon is not too strong. There might also be a smidgen of a fruity note in there, which makes this scent kind of unique. Disappointly, throw was 0 or maybe 1 out of 5.

Evergreen Forest
It's a nice pine scent. What else can I say? You can never go wrong with pine. Throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Frosted Pine
This is a pine scent with another note I can't figure out. "Frosted" makes me think mint, but I don't detect mint. I do smell cloves, and maybe a woodsy slightly smoky scent in the background, and a smidgen of something salty, like salty lemon, but I can't be sure. It's not a sweet scent at all. It smells quite nice. But throw was pretty much non-existent, 0 out of 5. When I stuck my nose a few inches away after a half hour, the scent was almost gone.

Sugared Berries
On cold sniff I smell sweet raspberry and tart cranberry, and maybe even a little bit of blackberry and/or blueberry. It's a very nice scent. It's very sweet but it definitely has a tartness. When melted though, it took on a whole new dimension! It smelled like sweet cat pee or even worse, a sweet rotting corpse. I'm not even kidding; my roommate has his windows open and told me he thought there was a dead animal outside! But throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Vanilla Wishes
Sweet vanilla buttercream with nutmeg, which gives this a little bit of a pumpkin pie note. There may also be a hint of ginger. Although I do smell the vanilla, it's not really a vanilla scent. Very nice! Throw was poor, 1 out of 5, and might not even do well in a tiny room.

Winter Woods
On cold sniff this smells like sweet pine scented soap with a slight floral note and maybe some kind of berries. Melted, I don't detect floral or berries, and it smells more like sweet soapy pine or bayberry scented bathroom cleaner, but not in a bad way, and it's not a Pine-Sol type scent at all (so it's totally different from the Living Colors Harvest Wreath scent that came out in September). Throw was good, 3 out of 5.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Sam's Smell Goods Wax Melts Reviews

Sam's Smell Goods Wax Melts Reviews

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Video:

Sam's Smell Goods is a small scented wax melts vendor based in Virginia. Her wax melts are a parasoy blend, all handmade and made to order, with zero additives or artificial colors. And all the melts are white, so no dyes to stain your warmer. Her wax comes in a couple of different shapes, including the regular rectangular clamshells, as well as flower and heart shapes.

I received my order very quickly, and Samantha was a breeze to work with. She stayed in close communication with me, and was professional and friendly at all times. I really enjoyed working with her.

Sam's Smell Goods can be found on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/SamsSmellGoods, and her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/samssmellgoodsetsy/.

She has a coupon code for 10% off 25 or more melts that's good through October 31, 2017. The code is HALLOWEEN10.

Basil Sage & Mint

Notes: An exhilarating blend of cool mint, refreshing basil and earthy sage enhanced with a sparkle of citrus and underscored with white musk and woods.

This smells a little bit like Dawn dish detergent (but not in a bad way at all) or a nice shampoo or body wash (but it's not a cologne or perfumey scent). It's fantastic! It's clean and soapy and a tiny bit herbal, with a little bit of sweetness and there might be a smidgen of sweet kitchen lemon. I also smell a hint of spa type mint, although it's barely noticeable, but it gives this scent a tiny bit of a ScentSationals Zen type note. Looking at the scent notes, the smidgen of lemon I smell is the citrus, and the slight sweetness is the white musk. I don't smell basil or sage, and this is not an earthy or savory scent at all. Throw was very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Notes: A luscious buttery bakery accord leads to the blend of wild blueberry and cheesecake filling at the heart of this fragrance. Sweet vanilla bean creates gourmand appeal for the fruit dessert.

This smells yummy. It smells like sweet blueberries with a bready note, so it's more like a blueberry muffin scent than blueberry cheesecake. Throw was fair, 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

Falling Leaves

Notes: A wonderful blend of orange slices, peaches, and apples surrounded by crushed cloves and ground cinnamon with a warm background of tonka and sweet vanilla.

This smells like apple cider with a little bit of mulling spices, and maybe a bit of woodsiness in the background. It's a perfect fall scent. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell orange or peach. Throw was good, 3 out of 5.

Lemon Lilac

Notes: A sweet floral combination consisting of rose, lily of the valley, wild jasmine, and sweet lilac flowers blended perfectly with airy lemongrass, citrus oils and juicy fresh accords.

This smells like lemon verbena with a slight citronella note, and maybe a hint of regular lemon, and a little bit of lilac. It's a nice spa type scent. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell as much floral as the notes would suggest. And I don't think I detect rose, lily of the valley, or jasmine. Melted, it's a nice soapy lemony citronella lilac scent. Throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Mandarin Cranberry

Notes: A zesty scent that blends mandarins and golden oranges into a fruit medley of juicy cranberries and plums.

A perfect blend of sweet citrusy orange and tart cranberry. I think I detect a smidgeon of grape, but looking at the scent notes, that's probably the plum. Melted, I smell mostly the orange, like a fruity berry orange punch type scent. Very nice! Throw was very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5, but scent only lasted about an hour.

Mountain Memories

Notes: Rich earth notes blend with dark amber and patchouli for a fragrance that will remind you of snowy mountain caps and a comforting fireplace inside of a log cabin.

I really like this one! It smells like cloves, smoke, black pepper, and maybe a smidgen of pine, in that order. It's a warm fireplace type scent. Throw was excellent, 4 or 4.5 out of 5.

Napa Valley Sunset

Notes: A musky fig tonality blends with a tart fruit scent. The subtle pear juice and gentle white musk nuance blend together to enhance and complete this fragrant accord. Inspired by the BBW scent

I can't figure out what I'm smelling. A sweet peach or apricot maybe, but there's another note in there, almost like pepper. It's a nice, unique scent. Looking at the scent notes, okay it's pear, although I'm not sure where the peppery note is coming from; maybe the musk and fig? Throw was fair, 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

Orange Sherbet

Notes: A bright scent with juicy sweet orange notes, exotic Hawaiian pineapple, and tropical red fruits swirled in a pool of creamy vanilla.

I very nice orange creamsicle type scent. It's not quite as sweet as other orange creamsicle scents I've smelled, but then it's orange sherbet, not a creamsicle. The orange scent was kind of like that powdered orange Tang rather than an authentic orange, but that's okay, as it's a very nice, refreshing scent. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell pineapple or red fruits, but I'm sure they're somewhere in the background. Throw was poor, 1.5 or maybe 2 out of 5.

Peppermint Apple Patty

Notes: This sparkling clean and refreshing fragrance is a classic blend of peppermint with light nuances of warm vanilla on top of a rich combination of green apple, clove buds and red hot cinnamon creates a nostalgic scent of the holiday season.

Who knew the combination of apple and peppermint could smell so fantastic? This is Sam's own blend and it was a fantastic and very creative idea! It smells like an apple scented candy cane. It's sweet peppermint with apple and a little cinnamon and maybe a touch of vanilla. It smells a little bit like Better Homes & Gardens A Wonderful Winter. Throw was good, 3 out of 5.

Watermelon Lemonade

Notes: Watermelon chunks are mixed with iced lemonade in this ultra refreshing scent

Although this scent is weak on cold sniff, I smell watermelon with a hint of lemon. Refreshing! Throw was poor, maybe 2 out of 5.

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.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Happy Wax Reviews

Happy Wax Reviews

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Video:

Happy Wax is a company based in Durham, NC that makes wax melts in cute shapes, like teddy bears and hearts. The wax is all natural 100% soy and made with phthalate-free essential oils in nice, pleasant scents. The wax is shipped in attractive tins with cute, professionally designed labels. I've also seen them in bags at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Their wax and warmers can be purchased through their website at https://happywax.com, at Bed Bath & Beyond, and some gift shops. You can also visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/happywaxmelts/

Their online price is $12.95 for a 3.2 oz tin. Or you can buy an 8oz. pouch for $17.95. The 2.5 oz. bags at Bed Bath & Beyond are $7.99. The mixes include 3 scents each, and it doesn't appear that there's an exact equal number of each scent in the mix; some mixes had a little more or less of a particular scent.

Each bear is between 1/4 and 1/3 of the size of a regular 0.3 cube, so although you could use 2 bears as instructed on their website (because their warmer trays are small), a standard warming tray (like a Glade 20W warmer) would require a minimum of 3 bears, although 4 is better. 2 bears will not cover the bottom of the tray on a standard sized warmer. 3 to 4 bears equals about 1 cube from a standard sized clamshell.

PROS:

Shipped in attractive tins with cute, professionally designed labels.
Wax comes in cute shapes, like teddy bears, hearts, and Christmas trees.
Wax is all natural 100% soy wax and they use phthalate-free essential oil-infused fragrances.
Nice, pleasant, standard scents
Throw (how far you can smell the scent when it's melting) for most of the scents is good to very good.
They are made locally in Durham, North Carolina, so you are supporting a small business.

CONS:

They are extremely expensive, $12.95 for 3.2 oz. (which works out to $4.05 per oz.) By comparison, wax melts from Walmart are $2.00 for 2.5 oz. ($.80 per oz). So their prices are equivalent to $10.12 for a Walmart-sized clamshell. They're cheaper through Bed Bath & Beyond, at $7.99 for 2.5 oz., although that's still very expensive.
It took an hour or more for some of the scents to start throwing. With most melts, it takes 5 to 20 minutes. Although it's not a deal-breaker, you just have to be patient.

I reviewed each scent separately, and then each mix consisting of all 3 scents melted together.

SPA DAY MIX

Lavender Chamomile (purple bears)

Notes: A soothing, delicate blend of essential oils including cedarwood, chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender, and orange

A pleasant, soothing but fake lavender scent that smells like lavender scented laundry detergent. It's not overly sweet. A nice scent.

Throw: Fair, 2.5 to 3 out of 5

Eucalyptus Spearmint (green bears)

Notes: fresh lemon, sage, lavender flowers, and even parsley

This is a nice relaxing spa scent that smells almost exactly like ScentSationals Zen. I smell a spa mint note (not spearmint, which is good) with a barely noticeable smidgeon of eucalyptus, but without the sinus clearing effects.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Fresh Bamboo (orange bears)

Notes: golden bamboo, night-blooming jasmine, red grapefruit, sparkling bergamot, cyclamen, lily, and wild grasses

A nice pleasant sweet green scent that smells like sweet grass with a bit of a soapy and herbal note. It actually smells like a nice clean relaxing herbal body wash or shampoo.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

All 3 scents mixed:

Mixing all 3 scents (6 bears total, 2 of each scent) resulted in a nice spa scent that was mostly similar to the Eucalyptus Spearmint, but with a hint of the clean herbal body wash note of the Fresh Bamboo. I didn't really smell the Lavender Chamomile in the mix.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

FRESH MIX

Baby Powder (blue bears)

Notes: White cedar, ylang ylang, cypress, and musk. These melts are infused with natural essential oils, including cedarwood, patchouli and ylang ylang.

It's the unmistakable scent of baby powder, a soft, sweet, relaxing scent. This version has a slightly clean, refreshing note.

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

Lemon Verbena (yellow bears)

Notes: The scent begins with tangy lime, grapefruit and lemon. The heart combines lavender, geranium rose & lemongrass. The base is a soft woody musk. These melts are infused with natural essential oils, including citronella, lemon and orange.

A lemon scent with the slightly savory verbena note. It smells like a combination of a spa scent and industrial cleaner, but not in a bad way. The scent is a little bit waxy, with a slight citronella note. Looking at the scent notes, there's the citronella. I don't smell lavender or any floral.

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

Fresh Cotton (white bears)

Notes: Classic cotton notes with a floral and woodsy touch.
These melts are infused with natural clove leaf essential oil.

This is a slightly lemony scent with a hint of soap that smells a bit like lemon scented dish detergent, but in a good way. It's not really a laundry scent, but it's pleasant, clean, and not perfumey or overly sweet. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell clove at all.

Throw: Fair, 2.5 out of 5

All 3 scents mixed:

Mixing all 3 scents (6 bears total, 2 of each scent) resulted in a very nice scent that smelled mostly of the Baby Powder scent, but with a slight clean lemony note.

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

CITRUS MIX

Cucumber Melon (green bears)

Notes: Fruity honeydew melon, green cucumber, tart apples and fresh greens

A green cucumber scent with a bitter, slightly sweet grapefruit note (maybe picked up from the Grapefruit Mangosteen bears). I also detect a hint of cantaloupe (not watermelon or honeydew, since this is not really a sweet scent). And there's a very slightly savory note. Looking at the scent notes, I don't detect apple, but the savory note is probably from the fresh greens. This is a nice fresh pleasant scent.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Citron Mandarin (orange bears)

Notes: Orange, grapefruit, and a hint of lemon. These melts are infused with natural essential oils, including grapefruit, orange, and lemon oil.

A nice combination of grapefruit and orange. I think it smells more like grapefruit than orange, but with the sweetness of the orange. It's not overly sweet or candy-like though. It's very nice.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Grapefruit Mangosteen (pink bears)

Notes: Tangy, ripe grapefruit and mangosteen - an exotic, citrusy fruit with a hint of rich peach flavor. Sharp and punchy at first sniff, the warmer, sweeter notes of peach and mangosteen balance out this full-bodied mixture. These melts are infused with natural essential oils, including orange.

I smell the bitter grapefruit with just a hint of sweetness, but also a hint of something sour and a little savory. This is not really a sweet grapefruit scent. Looking at the scent notes, I guess I do smell a smidgen of peach.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

All 3 scents mixed:

Mixing all 3 scents (6 bears total, 2 of each scent) resulted in a grapefruit scent that smelled mostly like the Citron Mandarin scent, but very slightly more bitter.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

SAVORY MIX

Apple Harvest (pink bears)

Notes: Hot apple pie fresh out of the oven, or a cozy mug of hot apple cider. A true, full-bodied apple fragrance combined with bright fruit notes and just a touch of spice.
These melts are infused with natural cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, orange, and cedarwood essential oils.

This smells just like apple pie, a nice sweet apple scent with a little bit of apple pie scent, and a smidgen of pie crust. Very nice!

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Cinnamon Chai (brown bears)

Notes: Black tea, cinnamon and sweet vanilla, and infused with natural essential oils, including cinnamon leaf, clove bud, and orange oil.

This smells a bit like pumpkin pie, but without the crust, and I think I detect a hint of tea and berry.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Pumpkin Souffle (orange bears)

Notes: Ginger, saffron, cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, nutmeg, clove, and all spice in these delicious-smelling treats. These melts are infused with natural essential oils, including nutmeg and cinnamon leaf.

This smells like pumpkin pie with a very slight marshmallowy note.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

All 3 scents mixed:

I don't think "Savory Mix" is a good name for these 3 scents. "Savory" denotes more of a pungent yet unsweet type scent, like basil. Something like "Fall Mix" is a better name. All 3 of these scents mixed smells like pumpkin pie with a hint of apple.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Hanna's Candle Sparkle and Joy Winter 2017 Scented Wax Melts Reviews

Hanna's Candle Sparkle and Joy Winter 2017 Scented Wax Melts Reviews

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The Hanna's Candle Sparkle and Joy Winter 2017 Scented Wax Melts will be available on the candlemart.com website in the beginning of November, in both the small 1.25 oz. clamshells for $1.49 (these look like the Mainstays packages at Walmart), as well as the regular tall 2.5 oz. clamshells for $2.49. It's a great idea to offer them in both sizes, so you can try them out in the smaller size, and then order the larger packs later if you like the scent.

Candied Cinnamon

Notes: Top: Orange, Cherry, Cinnamon Leaf. Middle: Sweet Cinnamon, Spicy Clove. Bottom: Vanilla, Woods

A straight cinnamon scent. It's sweet and smells like Big Red gum or cinnamon hard candies. There may also be a hint of clove. There are no bakery notes in this one. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell orange at all. I'm not a fan of straight cinnamon scents, but if you are, you'll love this one.

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

Holiday Shimmer

Notes: Nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and anise blended with juicy orange and ripe cranberry.

This is a nice warm cozy orange pomander scent. On cold sniff, I just smell tart cranberry, slightly sweet orange, and a hint of cinnamon. Looking at the scent notes, I see anise, which is a licorice type scent, but I don't detect that at all. It's an "okay" scent for me, but then I'm not a fan of orange pomander scents in general.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Starry Night

Notes: Top: Ozone, Aromatic Accord, Mixed Fruits. Middle: Jasmine, Rose, Muguet. Bottom: Veiled Musk, Exotic Woods, Golden Amber. Like a hidden treasure, this scent sparkles and shines with an exquisite blend of lush florals, exotic woods and golden amber.

I love this scent! It's the only one of this collection that isn't really a holiday or winter scent. It smells like a combination of shaving cream and suntan oil. Actually it smells a little like ScentSationals Himalayan Pink Salt, but sweeter and better, without that odd offputting note that nobody can figure out, and with more of a Coppertone suntan oil note.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Sugarplum Dream

Notes: Cranberry, clove, raspberry, pineapple, orange, and balsam fir

A nice smoky pine/spruce scent. It's very similar to the Through the Woods scent, but more smoky. On cold sniff I also detect a smidgen of sweetness, but I don't smell that when melted. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell anything except the balsam fir. I expected it to be a fruity scent based on the name.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Through the Woods

Notes: Siberian fir needle oil, Texas cedar wood, sandalwood, spruce, fir balsam and raspberry.

A nice pine/spruce scent with a hint of wood and a little smokiness. It's very similar to Sugarplum Dream, but more "piney" and slightly woodsy, and a little less smoky. This is not the same scent as their Timberwick Pine Meadow scent, although it's similar; Pine Meadow is not as smoky. It might be the same as their Woodland Pine scent (although I no longer have that scent), but the notes listed on their website are different.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5.

Winter Delights

Notes: Buttery vanilla with a hint of honey and coconut.

This is a nice plain vanilla scent with maybe a hint of nut and maybe a slight bakery note, like warm vanilla cookies. It's not an overly sweet vanilla. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell honey. But actually I think I do smell a smidgen coconut, but it's so subtle that if I didn't know it was in the scent notes, I probably wouldn't detect it.

Throw: Like many vanilla scents, throw was not good, maybe 2 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. And group members get a 15% discount for Hanna's orders. We also have contests where companies like Hanna's offer prizes and additional discounts.

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.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Glade Candy Sprinkling Joy Wax Melt Review

Glade Candy Sprinkling Joy Wax Melt Review

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Video:

Glade Candy Sprinkling Joy is a new holiday 2017 scent that should be showing up at Walmart in the next week or so (although Dollar General already has it). It's a tart slightly bitter fruity scent with just a smidgen of sweetness. It smells like cranberry with maybe a blackberry note, and perhaps a pinch of lemon. The notes shown on the label are red berries, pomegranate, and sugar. Throw was excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5, but it fizzled in under 2 hours.

Glade often reuses its scents under different scent names, and although I've never smelled this particular scent, it's most likely a dupe of some other older scent, because it doesn't smell like candy at all. It's really nice though! And if you don't care for fruity scents, you might still like this one because it's not too sweet.

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 even direct sales), where I review and promote your wax melts on this website (4,500+ 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.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Trapp Fragrances Wax Melts Reviews - Seasonal Collection (Fall & Winter 2017)

Trapp Fragrances Wax Melts Reviews - Seasonal Collection (Fall & Winter 2017)

Trapp Fragrances Wax Melts - Fall & Winter Seasonal Collection

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Video:

Everyone should have at least a couple of Trapp Fragrances wax melts in their scented wax melt collection. These are high quality luxury melts. They are not scents that you melt in your kid's room or put by the cat litter box. They're meant to be savored, like a fine wine! So get out the champagne, draw a bath, and enjoy your holiday season with the sophisticated scent of Trapp Fragrances wax melts.

For more details about Trapp Fragrances wax melts in general, take a look at my reviews for their regular scents, at http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2017/07/trapp-fragrances-wax-melts-reviews.html.

Fireside Pumpkin

Description: Smoking white birch logs and New England pumpkin create a warm and inviting fragrance.
Notes: New England Pumpkin, Smoky Pumpkin Spices, Glowing Embers

This is definitely not a "typical" fall pumpkin scent. I do smell pumpkin spices and just a smidgen of smokiness (not as smoky as I expected based on the scent name), but there's also a sweet creamy note. Wait, this smells like eggnog! It's not exactly like eggnog, as there's a bit of woodsy note in the background, but it's a fantastic scent.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Golden Cypress

Description: Create a holiday ambience with the intoxicating aroma of fresh cypress sprigs and golden citron fruit.
Notes: Citron Zest, Green Cypress, Siberian Fir

Orange and pine is one of my favorite scent combinations, and this one is fantastic. I smell the pine first, with just a hint of citrus in the background. The citrus note is a very subtle orange rind note rather than a juicy orange. And there's also a little bit of a woodsy note too. Fantastic scent!

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Hearth

Description: Notes of autumn leaves, wild black currant, crushed nutmeg and sweet apricot comfort with feelings of family and memories of home.
Notes: Wild Black Currant, Crushed Nutmeg, Autumn Leaves

I can't figure out this scent. It's sweet and smoky, but not smoky like a fireplace, more like that liquid smoke you put on food. And it's not overly smoky, which is good. There might also be a hint of fruit like strawberry, and maybe a smidgen of cloves. Looking at the scent notes, the fruit I'm smelling is currant, and the cloves I'm smelling is nutmeg. It's an interesting, "cozy" scent.

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Holiday

Description: Cinnamon sticks, spiced raisins and gingerbread make this a vibrant and spicy blend
Notes: Cinnamon Stick, Gingerbread, Bourbon Vanilla

My Review: I'm not a fan of cinnamon scents, but this one is very nice. It's a sweet, rich cinnamon scent with a slight clove note for warmth. It's "kind of" a candy scent, but definitely not a Big Red gum or Red Hot Cinnamon scent. Nor is it a bakery scent. I do smell the vanilla in this one, and I think it's the bourbon that takes it to a different level.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Lemon Sugar Cookie

Description: Tart lemon balances the sweetness of oven-baked cookies drizzled with frosting.
Notes: Lemon Zest, Baked Cookie, Warm Sugar

A nice sweet lemon scent. I don't really smell the bakery notes, so it doesn't smell like a cookie to me, but that's okay. It's a great scent!

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Orange Clove

Description: The classic combination of juicy orange and freshly ground clove warms your senses.
Notes: Juicy Orange, Freshly Ground Clove, Cinnamon

This smells like sweet cinnamon with a subtle orange note. It's not a citrusy orange. I also detect a smidgen of clove. It smells like orange pomander, but a much better version. Pomander scents sometimes have a weird nauseating soapy note, and this one does not. It's very nice!

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

White Fir

Description: White fir essence fills your room with the refreshing, cool sensation of a winter forest.
Notes: Frasier Fir, Balsam Wood, Cool Ozonic Notes

A nice Christmas tree scent with a hint of smokiness.

Throw: Excellent, 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 even direct sales), where I review and promote your wax melts on this website (4,500+ 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.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Scentsy Bar Reviews - September 2017

Scentsy Bar Reviews - September 2017

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Video:

My other Scentsy reviews (so far) can be found at:

- http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2017/06/scentsy-wax-bars-reviews-june-2017.html

- http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2016/06/scentsy-wax-bars-reviews.html

- http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2016/05/scentsy-wax-bars-review-from-user-not-seller.html

And I might be doing another Scentsy review in a few weeks.

Berry of Paradise

Notes: Sugared strawberry, bird of paradise and vanilla bean

I smell strawberry with maybe a honeydew melon note, and a smidgeon of tropical and floral. Looking at the scent notes, bird of paradise is a flower that has a tropical scent, which is where I'm getting that slight tropical note.

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

Cherry Almond Pie

Notes: Graham crackers, sweet almond, cream, and cherries

This is super strong on cold sniff. OMG it smells incredible, just like almond and maraschino cherry, with a sweet rich creamy vanilla note. This is different from the well-known vendor scent "Serendipity", which is generally just cherry and coconut, sometimes with orange added, occasionally with almond added. This scent smells better to me than Serendipity.

Throw: Excellent, 4 or maybe 5 out of 5

Clothesline

Notes: Crisp greens, orange flower, creamy violet and a hint of white wicker basket

I love this scent! It's a sweet fabric softener scent, but not overly "laundryish". It's also rich and warm, with maybe a slight berry note and maybe even a smidgeon of lemon. It's very similar to the Downy Unstopables "Spring" wax melt, which I reviewed at http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2017/03/downy-unstopables-wax-melts-review.html. Looking at the scent notes, it's the orange flower that I probably think is the berry and lemon. When I sniffed the melting wax from up close, it cleared my sinuses, but it's not a minty scent at all. So I think it's the chemical combination that cleared my sinuses, which freaked me out a little. If you like this scent but can't find it, check out the Downy version at Walmart. It's $3.97, so cheaper than Scentsy (which is now $6.00). And the Downy version was a scent monster that took over the entire house.

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

Cranberry Garland

Notes: Sweet-tart cranberry, grounded by sage and earthy pine cones

On cold sniff I smell sweet cranberry with just a hint of tartness, mixed with a little bit of pine. When melted, the cranberry is definitely the predominant scent, but I still smell a smidgen of pine. Very nice scent!

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

Huckleberry & Clementine

Notes: Huckleberry preserves, clementine and a sprig of strawberry vine

Fantastic scent, similar to Scentsy Luna with that sweet plum/blackberry note and a warm slightly perfumey cashmere note, but this scent has a much stronger sweet fruity plum/blackberry note and is much more rich, dark and intense. Looking at the scent notes, yes, I do smell strawberry. Clementine is a citrus scent that smells like tangerine rind with a floral note, but I don't smell any citrus in this scent.

Throw: Excellent, 4 or 5 out of 5

Jumpin' Jelly Bean

Notes: Apple, pear, lemon, and lime melange

This smells like sweet honeydew melon flavored candy. I also smell pear or maybe a little bit of apple. Looking at the scent notes, I'm surprised I don't see melon. I don't smell lemon or lime on cold sniff, although when melted maybe there's a smidgen. This doesn't smell like jelly beans to me, although it's a nice scent. It's nice on cold sniff, but it's fantastic when melted!

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

Mandarin Toffee Treat

Notes: Sugared mandarin and sugar cane drizzled with creamy toffee butter

A sweet creamy orange, like an orange creamsicle, with caramely butterscotch toffee drizzled on top. Scrumptious

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

Marshmallow Mint

Notes: Buttermint, marshmallow and amber

Just like the scent name, this is a lovely rich marshmallow scent with a peppermint note. It's not overly minty or sickeningly sweet.

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Mellow Moment

Notes: Chamomile tea leaves sweetened with a touch of apple and orange blossom.

A nice warm sunflower type floral scent with a little bit of a soapy note and an iced tea note. It's not overly sweet, and in fact it has a tiny bit of a bitter note (but not in a bad way). Looking at the scent notes, I guess the orange blossom is the floral note, although it doesn't smell like orange blossom per se (which is more of a neroli type scent). And there's the tea. I don't smell apple at all.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Orange Dreamsicle

Notes: A classic combination of fresh orange, swirled with vanilla cream

On cold sniff I wasn't sure about this one, since it smelled fake with a bit of a chemical note. But it smelled better melted. It does smell like an orange creamsicle, although not as sweet and creamy as, and a bit more tangy than, similar scents I've smelled from other companies. It smells a little more like powdered orange drink mix.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Peony Petals

Notes: Peony, rose petals, and soft breeze

A nice authentic floral scent with maybe a rose note and a little bit of a floral body wash note.

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

Spring Symphony

Notes: Hyacinth, coconut water, violet leaf and soft musk

Light spring flowers with a slightly perfumey note but also a slightly grassy note to temper the sweetness a bit, and a hint of a fresh air note and perhaps a smidgen of coconut. Looking at the scent notes, the soft musk is the perfume note, and there's the coconut water. Melted, I detect a hint of fruit like honeydew melon.

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

Tahitian Black Orchid

Notes: Black plums blend with coconut milk and black orchids, with white roses.

This smells like a very sweet blackberry with vanilla and a little bit of a floral note. Nice scent. Looking at the scent notes, the fruit is plum, not blackberry. I do smell the floral note a little, but not rose.

Throw: Poor, 1 out of 5, and within an hour I put my nose a few inches from the warmer and the scent was almost gone and replaced with just a waxy scent.

Woodland Suede

Notes: Red oak, smoky cedar, suede musk and bright winter lemon

I smell pine along with a sort of smoky note and a smidgen of a warm cologne note way in the background, and a hint of some kind of savory note that I can't put my finger on. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell lemon. I love pine scents, but the savory note in this one smells a little like bread to me, so it's not my favorite pine scent.

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

I offer a FREE review service for U.S. wax melt companies (retail, indie/vendor, and even direct sales), where I review and promote your wax melts on my website (4,500+ 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.

If you're a direct sales wax rep (such as Scentsy, Pink Zebra, PartyLite, CountryScents, etc.), I can promote your particular website, Facebook page or group, etc.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Aldi Wax Melts Reviews (Huntington Home) - Fall 2017 Scents

Aldi Wax Melts Reviews (Huntington Home) - Fall 2017 Scents

Aldi Wax Melts (Huntington Home) - Fall 2017 Scents

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Video:

These new Huntington Home brand Fall 2017 scents showed up at Aldi today, although some Aldi stores got them a few days ago. Once they are gone, they will no longer be available at Aldi stores. Aldi gets four new scents three times a year, around January/February, April/March, and September/October. They are manufactured by Hanna's Candle (http://www.candlemart.com).

Banana Nut Bread

Notes: Freshly baked bread, bananas, apricots, walnuts, vanilla, whipped butter, ginger, nutmeg crystals, and clove

This is the same scent as Hanna's Candle's Banana Nut Bread (this has not been confirmed by Hanna's Candle), so when this scent sells out at Aldi, you can buy it from the Hanna's website at http://www.candlemart.com. Super rich and buttery and banana-ey with a slightly salty nutty note, this one puts most other banana bread scents to shame. It's one of my favorite scents ever!

Here are my comparisons to some other similar scents:

- Mainstays Banana Nut Bread: There's no comparison at all; the Mainstays version is nice, but a bit artificial. Aldi is the clear winner.

- Yankee Candle Home Inspiration Banana Walnut Bread: The nutty note in the Aldi version is a little saltier and more peanutty and slightly richer, while the nutty note in the Yankee version is more of a very slightly bitter walnut note. And the Aldi version has a stronger banana note. So for me, although I love them both, the Aldi Banana Nut Bread has a slight edge over the Yankee version.

- Goose Creek Sweet Banana Bread: They both smell fantastic. The Goose Creek version is saltier, richer, and nuttier, and with a slight caramel note. It's not as banana-ey as the Aldi version though. But it's a scent monster with a 5 out of 5 throw. So for me, because of the richer, nuttier, slightly caramely scent and the stronger throw, Goose Creek Sweet Banana Bread does have a slight edge (but would be a much clearer winner for me if it had a stronger banana note).

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Pumpkin Brulee

Notes: Harvest pumpkin interwoven with delectable notes of nutmeg, cinnamon and pure vanilla.

This is not a typical pumpkin scent at all. I do smell pumpkin spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, but it's more cinnamony than most pumpkin pie scents, and I also smell raisins and sweet molasses. It's a fantastic scent. It might be the same scent as the Aromabeads Singles Pumpkin Brulee scent (not confirmed by Hanna's Candle), which can be found at http://www.candlemart.com, and which I reviewed in January 2017 as "A rich pumpkin pie scent with a buttery cinnamon note, like what a cinnamon bun would smell like if it had pumpkin pie filling and a rich buttery pie crust."

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

Vanilla Frosted Cupcake

Notes: Warm Vanilla cupcake with luscious butter cream accents and sweet essences of delectable sugarcane

This is just a standard sweet vanilla scent. This is the same as Hanna's Candle's Vanilla Frosted Cupcake scent (not confirmed by Hanna's Candle), which can be found at http://www.candlemart.com.

Throw: Not Good, 2 or 2.5 out of 5 (as is the case with many vanilla scents)

Warm Apple Pie

Notes: A warm blend of fresh-picked apples, dashed with spicy accents of warm nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and allspice over a base of brown sugar and vanilla cream

A standard, generic apple pie scent. It's a fake apple scent, but it actually smells fairly good. This is the same as Hanna's Candle's Warm Apple Pie scent (not confirmed by Hanna's Candle), which can be found at http://www.candlemart.com.

Throw: Good, 3 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.

And if you are a U.S. based wax company (retail or vendor) and would like me to review your scented wax melts, please leave a comment below, or on YouTube, with your company name and contact information. This website gets an average of 4,500 NEW visits per month in the U.S.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Goose Creek Candle Wax Melts Reviews

Goose Creek Candle Wax Melts Reviews

This is a review of new Goose Creek Candle Wax Melts, which can be found at http://www.goosecreekcandle.com

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Video:

Autumn

Notes: Top - Tea Leaves, Harvest Spices; Mid - Orange Blossom, Crunchy Leaves; Base - Birch Leaves, Light Cinnamon

This is a perfect fall scent. It's apple cider with some mulling spices, and a bit of that musty sour note of crunchy leaves or old apples that have fallen to the ground (but not really in a bad way, and the sour note is not too strong). Looking at the scent notes, no apple? Apple is mostly what I'm smelling! I do smell the spices, but I don't smell tea or orange blossom.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Autumn in Amsterdam

Notes: Top - Bright Citrus, Apple, Black Currant; Mid - Blackberry Woods; Base - Light Spice, Sandalwood

This is a nice warm ambery perfumey or cologney scent with sweet vanilla and maybe a hint of some kind of berry. It smells a little like the Jingle Bells scent, but this one is definitely a perfumey scent. It's more like woman's perfume, but there's also that very slight alcohol note of men's cologne (but not in a bad way). Looking at the scent notes, the blackberry is the fruit note I'm detecting, which is why this smells a little bit like ScentSationals Blackberry Cider. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell citrus or apple at all.

Throw: Good, 3 out of 5

Christmas Magic

Notes: Amber sweet mandarin and peppermint extract open this enchanting fragrance while crushed candy canes swirl with creamy vanilla and vanilla sugar.

This smells like hard peppermint candies, but also has a bit of a rich, full-bodied vanilla note. It's very pepperminty. Looking at the scent notes, I don't smell mandarin (orange) at all. This smells almost exactly like their Peppermint Snowflake scent from last year, but with much more peppermint.

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

Cookies & Milk

Notes: Creamy dark chocolate notes with milk, caramel, hazelnut, creamy vanilla and sweet sugar

I smell sweet rich cookie dough with a subtle milk chocolate note (not a dark, bitter chocolate). This is slightly different from their Cookie Dough Bites scent, which is sweeter and a bit more chocolatey. I think this scent has a more milky vanilla note. Looking at the scent notes, I think I do smell a hint of nut, but not caramel. Melted, it's a yummy milky chocolate chip cookie scent.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Cool Harvest Morning

Notes: Top - Fresh Apple, Cool Autumn Mist; Mid - Apple Peels, Bright Bergamot; Base - Soft Sandalwood

On cold sniff I smell apple and a little bit of caramel and a bit of pine and fresh air. Melted, the sweet caramel really comes out and the scent becomes richer and more full-bodied. But it's not overly sweet, and not really a foodie scent either, because of a fresh pine note. Looking at the scent notes, I'm surprised I don't see pine, because I really do smell it, even though it's not strong. This is a fantastic, pleasant scent, and so much better when melted.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Jingle Bells

Notes: Enjoy light notes of pear, tangerine, apricot, sugar and creamy vanilla bean.

On cold sniff I smell sweet vanilla and pear, with a subtle note of anise, and maybe a smidgen of perfume. But melted, it's completely different. It's like a thick rich sweet vanilla and pear syrup with a marshmallowy note, and now I smell the apricot a bit. There's also something a little warm in there, not spicy warm, but like a cashmere or amber perfume warm, although this is not a perfumey scent. I don't smell anise at all when melted, and I don't smell tangerine either. This is such a unique scent, and I don't even know how to properly describe or classify it because even though I smell the pear and a bit of apricot, it's not really a fruity scent. It's not even a Christmas or winter scent, but I don't care. It's fantastic!

Throw: Excellent, 4 out of 5

Lemon Vanilla Cake Batter

Notes: Top - Warm Lemon Filling, Cake Batter; Mid - Vanilla Bean, Warm Butter; Base - Light Blueberry

This scent came out in March 2017 but it was sold out when I placed my order, so although it's not a new scent, I'm finally able to review it. It's a really nice lemon scent, tangy and authentic, but with sweet marshmallowy vanilla, although it's not overly sweet. It's not an overpowering lemon scent, definitely not a kitchen lemon, but not exactly bakery lemon either. Melted, it smells like rich buttery marshmallowy lemon, and I think I detect a very subtle barely noticeable coconut. Looking at the scent notes there's not coconut. But blueberry? Hmmm, maybe, but I wouldn't think blueberry if I didn't know it was in the scent notes. Either way, it's a delicious scent!

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Night Before Christmas

Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, and pine layered with caramel musk

I love this scent! It's pine perfume! I smell a fairly even mixture of pine and a sweet warm slightly soapy musky perfume scent, and maybe a smidgen of fruit. OMG I adore this scent! Looking at the scent notes, the mandarin is the fruit, although I don't smell orange at all. Oh wait, the perfume note I'm smelling is orange "flower", as in neroli. Yes, I definitely smell neroli in here, which is a sweet, warm, almost honey like scent, and one of my favorite scents ever.

One of the members of my group pointed out that I described "A Christmas Story" the same way (http://www.scentedwaxreviews.com/2016/04/goose-creek-candle-scented-wax-melts.html). The notes for A Christmas Story are "a cool balsam scent with notes of pine, orange blossom, and caramel musk". A Christmas Story is definitely a smoky pine scent with a musty note, and that neroli/orange blossom is one of the notes, so maybe 75% pine and 25% neroli. But Night Before Christmas is more of an even mix of neroli/orange blossom and pine, without the smoky/musty note, and a little bit perfumey. I love them both!

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

Salted Caramel Cupcake

Notes: Top - Creamy Caramel, Warm Vanilla; Mid: Sea Salt, Whipped Frosting; Base: Fluffy Baked Cake

A yummy vanilla cake scent with a rich caramel/butterscotch note. It's not very salty, despite the name, which is kind of good because there are a lot of salty caramel scents out there.

Throw: Very Good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

White Icing Cinnamon Roll

Notes: Top - Sweet Cinnamon Sugar; Mid - Marshmallow Vanilla Icing; Base - Doughy Cinnamon Roll

This is the most authentic cinnamon roll scent I've ever smelled. It's very bready, just like the real thing. The cinnamon is realistic, rather than an over-the-top biting cinnamon scent. It's not overly sweet, and although I do smell a sweet vanilla note, I expected a rich buttercream note for the white icing. But that doesn't matter; there are already a lot of other scents out there like that. This scent is unique and realistic.

Throw: Excellent, 3.5 or 4 out of 5

Winter Bayberry

Notes: Bayberry mixed with fresh pine, and light notes of citrus and cedar give this smell a refreshing tone.

This is a slightly perfumey scent with a fruity note, maybe peach, and a green type of clean note. Actually, I think it's apple I'm smelling. It doesn't smell like bayberry to me. Looking at the scent notes, I guess the bayberry is the fruity note, although I really do smell apple. And I do smell the cedar. I don't smell pine or citrus, although they could be way in the background. It's a nice scent, but not my favorite.

Throw: Very good, 3 or 3.5 out of 5

Monday, September 25, 2017

Tuscany Candle Halloween 2017 Scented Wax Melts Reviews

Tuscany Candle Halloween 2017 Wax Melts Reviews

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These are reviews of some (or most) of the Tuscany Candle Halloween 2017 scented wax melts. I found all but two of these scents at Walmart for $1.84. They're in the Halloween and fall decor section of the store, not with the regular candles and wax melts. Some Walmarts might have them mixed in with the candles and wax melts, and other Walmarts might have them on an end cap in Housewares or some other area of the store. They're hard to find since only a few of each scent are brought out at a time. But if you're frustrated at not having been able to find them, don't fret. You're not missing anything. The throw (how far you can smell the scent when it's melting) is awful for just about all of these.

I suspect that most (if not all) of the Tuscany Halloween scents that I got from Walmart are very old. They have the same label as the ones I bought in 2015, still showing the brand Langley/Empire Candle LLC even though the company was renamed Empire Brands Co. last year. The throw on these scents was weak even in 2015, although if Walmart has a bunch of these old wax melts in their warehouse that they bring out every September, the throw is going to be even weaker.

I did two separate videos because I found additional scents after I'd already done the first video, and I'd already returned the first batch of scents by that time:

Videos

Boo-Brownies

A generic chocolate scent with a fake note. Not bad, but I've smelled better chocolate scents. Throw was not good, 2 out of 5.

Candy Corn
This does smell like candy corn, but it's actually just a very sweet vanilla scent with a slight chemical note (not a rich buttercream scent though). Nice scent, but throw was fair, 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

Caramel Apple
I nice fake apple or pear candy scent with caramel. I got this at Walmart for $1.84. Throw was poor, maybe a 2 out of 5.

Pumpkin Pie
Despite the name, this is not a pumpkin pie scent at all. It's another fake apple or pear scent with caramel, but this one doesn't smell like candy, more like a bakery scent with a warm note and perhaps a smidgeon of pumpkin spice. It's a nice scent, and it's similar to Better Home & Gardens Farm Apple Pumpkin. Throw was good, 3 out of 5.

Pumpkin Apple
This is just a generic apple cider scent. No pumpkin. They should have just called it apple cider. It's a nice scent though. Throw was not good, 2 out of 5.

Pumpkin Latte
I smell a rich buttery caramel/butterscotch with vanilla buttercream and a little bit of cinnamon, and smidgen of nut. I think I also detect a tiny bit of a creamy milky sweet coffee note, but I'm not sure. No pumpkin though. Fantastic yummy scent. Unfortunately, throw was poor, maybe 1 out of 5.

Pumpkin Spice
A pumpkin pie scent. It's slightly different from many of the other pumpkin pie scents out there as I detect a hint of sweet vanilla. Throw was fair, 2.5 or 3 out of 5.

Monster Cookie
This is not pictured or in my video because I couldn't find this scent this year. But I did buy it a few years ago from JoAnn Fabric. It's a rich vanilla cookie with a nutty note. A nice scent, and not overly sweet. Throw was not good, 2 or maybe 2.5 out of 5.

Poison Apple (Trick or Treat)
I can barely smell anything on cold sniff or when melted. It smells a little like a sour apple candy. Throw was 1 out of 5 for maybe 20 minutes, but after that I put my nose a few inches from the warmer and could barely smell anything except sweet wax. I got this as Wegman's food store for $2.99.

Witch's Brew (Happy Halloween)
I can barely smell anything on cold sniff or when melted. I detect a fake apple note but it's not a very sweet apple. Throw was 1 out of 5 and might not even perform well in a tiny room. I got this as Wegman's food store for $2.99.

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