Review of 11 New Holiday/Winter Slatkin Candles from B&BW

My Summer Candle Picks 2011

New Slatkin Test Scent Candles at B&BW Test Stores

New Slatkin Scents

Bath & Body Works recently came out with a new "Boardwalk" collection of candles: Lemon Gelato, Cotton Candy, and Salty Caramel and 2 new candles in their new "Fresh Picked" line: Summer Berries and Fresh Picked Cherries. I will give a brief description of all of these scents and review Fresh Picked Cherries more extensively since it's the only one from these new ones I've burned so far.

I purchased all of them except Summer Berries. That one just smelled like grape juice to me so I wasn't too impressed but Bathandbodyworks.com describes it as "A summer blend of wild blackberry, sweet vine-ripened strawberry and fresh blueberry with a hint of nectarine."

Fresh Picked Cherries

When I first burned this candle I was extremely sad and disappointed that it had the same problem as many Slatkin candles before it of the "low burn" I call it. This is where the wicks seem to burn at the bottom and the flame is very low so isn't strong enough to melt a pool of wax all the way across the top of the candle. If you blow it out before it has the chance to pool evenly, it pretty much ruins the candle since only half the wax will melt and the wicks never get a chance to correct themselves and you won't even really be able smell it. BUT if you burn the candle for as long as possible, pretty much all day and night, the problem will eventually correct. Because now when I burn this candle, it's perfectly normal, I can smell it and I love it. It smells exactly like the cherry Airhead candy. Tart and sweet. The offical description reads "A delicious blend of sweet red cherry, bright apple and vanilla cream." The soap in this scent, however, smelled like Robitussin.

Cotton Candy

I was probably most excited to burn this one out of the new scents. It's surprisingly complex. It's not too sweet and doesn't just smell like sugar. I can't seem to pick out any other specific notes though. It's very light so I just hope the smell is strong when burned. "Spun sugar and vanilla bean blend deliciously with a hint of sweet tangerine."

Lemon Gelato

Yum yum yum. I love lemon scents and this is a delicious creamy one. That's how it differs from Fresh Lemon. Fresh Lemon has a little bit of a tart sugar smell but Lemon Gelato is creamy and smells like a dessert. Fresh Lemon smells more like a cleaner. "Bright lemon citrus and creamy vanilla meringue." Seems they got lazy with that description.

Salty Caramel

This one belongs to the scent category that I like to call "Brown Bakery Scents" along with Slatkin's Kitchen Spice, Yankee's Almond Biscotti, and Wick Hut's Chocolate Chip Cookies. You have to be in the mood to burn these scents, but when you do the smell of baking fills the whole house. And that goes along with what I've heard of Salty Caramel which is that it is very strong. But that's one of the requirements of a good candle to me. If I'm paying good money for a candle, I want it to make a difference in my home and give me a whole sensory experience. This one definitely isn't too sweet and has a lot of nuttiness. "Sweet cream and caramel sprinkled with glazed pecans."

Ok I think I've obsessed about candles enough for one night.

{Currently Burning - Fresh Lemon by Slatkin & Co.}

Spring Scents 2011

Spa Fresh by Yankee Candle

This might be my favorite spring scent. It's one of the few Yankee candles I still burn. Not too strong of any one note - it's fresh, herbal, and cool all at the same time. I just realized they no longer sell this. Wow I think I'm officially done with Yankee. They have gotten rid of ALL their good scents.

Garden Cucumber by Yankee Candle

This came back as a classic last year after being retired. Fresh fresh fresh. It's the cucumber melon without the sickening sweet melon. Just right. But you can't get this one either darn it!!! Maybe Ebay.

Slatkin & Co. Pineapple Orchid

This is a little sweet but it has the floral note needed for a spring candle. Way LESS sweet than one of the new Slatkin scents this season - Passion Flower (I had to blow that one out). "Delicate white orchid blended with sweet pineapple and rich black currant."

Slatkin & Co. Green Daisy

This was a spring scent last year that came our very late in the season for a limited time only - it may have even been a summer scent but I think it works best in spring. It's your green candle - perfect for when everything is blooming and you can see the grass again after all the snow has melted. I guess the most similar candle out now is Fresh Bamboo but I like this one better.

Slatkin & Co. Fresh Lemon

Not my favorite lemon candle but it seems to be the best available in stores right now. It has a strong lemon scent but also a sugary scent. Don't get me wrong - this isn't a typical sweet lemon like a lemon cream or a lemon vanilla. It has a tart sugary smell like a Lemonhead or a lemon Chuckle. You're welcome for that perfect description. :) Here's there's: "Sparkling lemons and delicious fresh citrus are blended with Chinese orange blossom, exotic palm leaf, and rich vanilla cream."

Slatkin & Co. Cranberry Pear Bellini

I reviewed this in an earlier post and it's not longer in stores, like several other of my spring picks but I think some of these are worth buying on ebay if you don't purchase them when they come out and save them until the right time to burn them like me. :)

Winter Candle Picks 2011

Maybe I should have posted this entry sooner since B&BW just got in their new scents for spring and if you can find the winter scents still, most of them are on sale to move them out for the new season. But these are the scents that I'm currently burning since it's definitely the dead of winter right now.

Winter by Slatkin & Co.

This is still an all time favorite and a must have every year. It's one of the most unique candles I've ever smelled. Bathandbodyworks.com describes it as "Inspired by freshly fallen snow, perfect holiday getaways and the ultimate winter wonderland, Winter is a festive blend of shimmering pine, crisp bay leaf, orange clove and warm winter woods."

Twisted Peppermint by Slatkin & Co.

Although I do like Jack Frost better when it comes to a pepperminty vanilla candle, I have to say I haven't even burned Jack Frost yet this year and I've been getting by burning this scent and have really been enjoying it. "A refreshing mix of spearmint and mandarin, layered with iced peppermint, vanilla extract and sugar musk." Like I stated in my comparison between this and Jack Frost back in an entry when I first started this blog, this is a peppermint vanilla while Jack Frost is a vanilla peppermint.

Jack Frost by Yankee Candle

This might be my all time favorite candle from Yankee. It's sweet and minty at the same time while also invoking an invigorating extreme fresh feeling like you're out in the snow in a winter wonderland. Love. The biggest disappointment here was that it was extremely hard to find this year. I believe it returned as (I forget the term they used) a returning favorite or something. Mainly it seemed like they retired it as a regular scent and brought it back in limited quantities by popular demand. It seems they tried to recreate this scent this past Christmas but nothing came close. Yankeecandle.com describes it as "Winter cheer ... a playful, invigorating mix of icy cool peppermint and sweet vanilla snow cream."

Frosted Cranberry by Slatkin & Co.

I wasn't even going to buy this scent this year. It wasn't new and I never felt like it was a scent that I needed but I can't get enough of it right now. It's a cooling cranberry scent and a nice departure from woodsy/pine scents in winter. "Frosted Cranberry is the perfect blend of white cranberry, juicy peach, wild strawberry and sparkling raspberry."

Fireside by Slatkin & Co.

I have mixed feelings about this scent. The first time I burned it, I liked the extreme woodsy feel about it and it did remind me of firewood but when I burned it tonight it just smelled like men's cologne and gave me a headache. There's no sweetness to this scent whatsoever. It's very manly and reminds me of mahogany or something. This candle is very different than any other Slatkin I can think of, so if you can find this one still in stores, you be the judge on this one. It seems like I have to be in the right mood to burn it but it can be cozy when it's really cold and snowy outside. "A blazing fire in wintertime, this blend of cedar and sandalwood is layered with leather and the richness of amber."

Ugh. I'm over it. I cannot WAIT for spring. :-)

3 new Slatkin Candles

First I want to say that I realize this blog has become me just talking about Slatkin and Yankee candles so I promise that will change. Very soon. But I just bought these 3 new candles while the 2 for $20 sale is going on so I might as well let you know about them and briefly review them. Also an FYI - these are in stores only. I wonder why.

Cranberry Pear Bellini



I guess Slatkin is still on his cranberry kick - Cranberry Woods, Frosted Cranberry, Winter Garland, and now Cranberry Pear Bellini. I don't mind it though because I have like all the scents I just listed. This new one might be saved until spring but I guess it could be a winter scent as well. This is not a sweet cranberry as the bellini part of it does give a sparkling, effervescent feel. "A bright blend of sparkling cranberry and juicy nectarine with sweet pear nectar and luscious blackcurrant."

Hot Buttered Rum



When I first smelled this, it smelled like maple caramel to me which I did not like but I bought it to try it out. I burned it for several hours until it pooled all the way across and I could not smell a thing. I tried to read to see if anyone else had this problem but I found that people loved this new scent. I don't know. I thought about returning it but I'll probably give it another chance. What a letdown. "Rich and delicious, a comforting blend of spiced rum and warm caramel, with a touch of vanilla bourbon."

Vanilla Spice



This is very easy to describe. This is Slatkin's "Spice" but not as intense which is good to have because the last time I burned Spice I did think it was way too strong. As my fellow candle obsessed friend says, Spice is still a good layering candle though. I think he is slowly becoming Harry Slatkin. "Aromatic cinnamon is blended with whipped vanilla, spiced orange peel, balsam and a hint of cherry." There's no way I smell all those notes. Some of these descriptions you read are a little ridiculous.

Christmas Picks 2010

If you're like me, your place is already decorated for Christmas and you're already thinking about Christmas scented candles. I usually don't start this early with Christmas decorating but I'm really excited for all things Christmas to come. I've already said that word 4 times in this introduction.

This year I'm gonna give my picks for Christmas first, then my picks for winter in a later post. Some of them could be either, but in Pennsylvania, the snow doesn't hit really hard usually until after Christmas and when I think winter, I think snow and really cold temperatures. So I usually burn my winter scents after Christmas. Christmas scents I burn November and December when everywhere you look, places are decorated for the holiday and the christmas carols start to play.

Slatkin & Co. Fresh Balsam



I need to have a pine scent - pure pine to mimic the fresh cut pine tree we used to have in our living room when I was growing up. After trying several different types, this one is the perfect and purest one in my opinion. Bathandbodyworks.com describes it as "Crisp, clean balsam fir blends delightfully with fresh eucalyptus and sweet pine layered with notes of bright apple, cedarwood and musk."

Slatkin & Co. Spice



This is another must-have classic. A lot of people think of cinnamon when they think of Christmas scents. This is also a pure scent to me - cinnamon and clove, warm and cozy. Very holiday. "Spice is the perfect blend of red cinnamon, spiced orange peel and sweet vanilla cream."

Slatkin & Co. Winter Garland



This one is new this year along with a lot of other new holiday scents at Bath & Body Works. I smelled it in the single wick earlier in the year and hated it and now here I am listing it as one of my favorites. It's pine with other notes of cranberry and orange so it's a nice combination of scents. "A sparkling combination of cranberry champagne, blood orange and red berry mixed with the essence of evergreen moss, white cedar and toasted clove." I just realized the description on the website is different than the one on the bottom of the candle but they're similar enough to smell the same.

Slatkin & Co. Holly Wreath



This one is very unique. It smells like pine but it actually has no pine notes in it at all. I'll give their description first: "Fresh juniper and eucalyptus leaves combined with notes of spicy cinnamon bark and sparkling citrus." This one is very fresh and almost smells a little of mint. I can smell the notes of eucalyptus but no one note stands out more than the others.

Slatkin & Co. Mint Chocolate



This one isn't necessarily a Christmas scent or a winter scent but here's my logic - the cool mint reminds me of winter and the chocolate reminds me of holiday. This is more mint chocolate chip ice cream than a peppermint patty or peppermint bark. It's not fake smelling though. It's yummy and fresh. "Semi-sweet chocolate, dark cocoa and peppermint."

Honorable Mentions (with no pictures)

Yankee Candle Holiday Bayberry

"Pine, fir, and laurel are softened with the clean scent of bayberry, frankincense, and myrrh." Here's the story on why you should burn a bayberry candle on Christmas Eve (courtesy of Yankeecandle.com):

First made by early colonists who boiled real bayberries to get the wax, bayberry candles are considered by many to be the original scented candles in America. Because they were difficult and expensive to make, they were highly prized and reserved for special occasions. Traditional holds that when one receives a bayberry candle as a gift from a friend, then burns the candle on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve (allowing candle to burn itself out), they will receive good luck, good health, and much wealth. That translates into the popular saying that "burning a bayberry candle from tip to socket puts luck in the home and gold in the pocket."

Purchase Yankee Candle's Natural Bayberry Tapers to get the real thing with the story on the box!

Yankee Candle Christmas Cookie

If you're not baking constantly during the holiday season, just burn this candle and it smells just as good. It's one of the yummiest candle scents ever. "Buttery rich, vanilla scented, holiday sugar cookies."


Is Santa here yet?

{Currently Burning - Slatkin & Co. Cranberry Woods}

Slatkin & Co. Cranberry Woods

This is a great transitional scent from fall to winter. It can also be burned in both seasons. It's a nice change from the other fall scents I've been burning (Leaves, Pumpkin Patch, and Harvest). There's no cinnamon, apple, or pumpkin in this one. It's cranberry, maybe a little orange, and the warm woods scent of trees or firewood. It's a little sweeter when it burns than I imagined - I might like a little more of the "woods" but it's still nice. Bathandbodyworks.com describes it as "A mysterious blend of cranberry, rich black currant, and raspberry layered with notes of cinnamon bark, cedarwood and warm amber."

Fall Picks 2010

It's my favorite time of year and the best time for fragrance, in my opinion. Here are my picks for fall candles this year:

Leaves by Slatkin & Co.



A must-have every autumn. They've had this scent for a couple years now and I think it's everyone's favorite at B&BW. My sister descibes this scent as a fall dessert. It's apple cider, cinnamon, and other spices like clove/nutmeg etc. Bathandbodyworks.com describes it as "Autumnal notes of golden nectar, juicy mandarin and red delicious apple are paired with toasted cinnamon stick, mulled cider spices and freshly harvested red berries."

Pumpkin Patch by Slatkin & Co.



This isn't a new scent; it's a returning favorite of mine. It used to be part of the collection called "The Perfect Autumn" like the collection during the holiday season called "The Perfect Christmas". This one was called The Perfect Autumn - Pumpkin then a couple years ago they changed the name to Pumpkin Patch. I think a pumpkin scent is a necessity during fall. You have to have an apple scent and a pumpkin scent. And my first two candles cover those bases. "Pumpkin Patch is an invitingly warm blend of fresh pumpkin, spicy cinnamon, creamy nutmeg, whipped butter, and rich brown sugar."

By the way, if you know Slatkin as well as I do you'll notice that the labels on these two candles are different and nicer - the pictures are larger and more artistic I guess you could say. This year it seems they made these new labels and the old ones. I've seen both in stores and they're the same price so you might not care about that but it's just an observation.

Caramel Apple by Slatkin & Co.




My fellow candle-obsessed friend doesn't like this one. I would say give it a chance. The first time I smelled it I didn't think I liked it either but now I love it because it stands out. You can smell both the caramel AND the apple. I think they blended the two perfectly. The more I smelled this one, the more I liked it. I might go back and get the oil for my Scentbug. This was a new scent for Slatkin this year, along with Creamy Pumpkin (too ordinary and P. Patch is the better pumpkin scent) and Autumn (which I'll review in the next post probably). It can smell a little like maple oatmeal at first but burn it and you might love it like me. "Golden apple, brown sugar and creamy caramel are blended with Anjou pear, nutmeg and vanilla cream to create this fall favorite."

Harvest by Yankee

A fall classic. I spent so much money on Slatkin this year, I haven't even bought this yet (hence no picture) but I probably still will. This combines all the great scents of fall into one candle - apple, cinnamon, pumpkin, etc. If you're only gonna get one fall candle, then it might as well be Harvest. This is probably my all time favorite Yankee scent. Yankeecandle.com says "A blend of cinnamon, cloves, and musk with a hint of sweet apples and pumpkin."

Honorable Mentions - Ginger Vanilla by Slatkin & Co. (They didn't make this scent this year but they were still selling some on QVC.com. I love and miss this scent.) and Cranberry Orange by Yankee (one of their new ones this year; "Fresh-baked muffins with tart cranberries, sweet orange zest and spicy cloves.")

{Currently Burning - Autumn by Slatkin & Co.}

New Summer Scents from Slatkin

Bath & Body Works just came out with 4 new late summer scents from Slatkin. It seems a little late in the season to be coming out with more summer scents, but I'll always welcome a new scent to try.

Green Daisy



This one is my favorite. "Citrus, pear and green apple add to the delicate floral essence of lily of the valley and dewy jasmine." This scent most reminds me of their earlier fresh bamboo candle. There was something missing from their summer scents this year and I feel like this was it. There needed to be a nice fresh green scent. The top note here is fresh plants then the lightest notes of floral and fruit. This could also be a nice spring scent as well.

Eucalyptus Mint



This I purchased in a small size but was disappointed with. It sounded like a perfect relaxing spa scent - one that didn't have lavender in it for a change but it came out smelling like a combination of soap and toothpaste for me - mainly just the mint with no eucalyptus. But it still seemed like an appropriate scent to leave in the bathroom. Bathandbodyworks.com says it's a "A bright, refreshing blend of mint, citrus and ginger with clear notes of fresh eucalyptus and jasmine."

Peach Bellini

Not a fan. Way too strong but not sweet. I was overwhelmed with the smell of strong peaches and potent fruit. "A light, delicate blend of white peach, sweet orange peel and yellow mandarin, finished with jasmine and sweet black currant."

Lotus Flower

This was a light floral scent that reminded me of Sunflowers perfume. Eh. I don't have any use for this type of scent - especially in the summer. I'm a fan of sandalwood in fragrances, but I didn't get it from this candle. "Delicate and fresh, this mix of beautiful lotus blossom, rose and white jasmine is perfectly finished with rich sandalwood."

Stay tuned. I've already had a sneak peek at some new fall scents this year. The best time of the year for fragrance and my favorite time of the year in general will soon be upon us!!

{Currently Burning - Caribbean Escape by Slatkin & Co.}

Summer Scents 2010

Here are my picks for summer candles this year.

Slatkin & Co. Seaside Escape



"Free yourself with a delightful blend of bright citrus, jasmine, and rum layered with hints of guava, rich vanilla, and musk." When I smell this, the only notes I can pick out are pineapple and a blue scent like ocean water, but this is more complex. It's a cool, tropical scent. A relaxation vacation. I think this one is my favorite.

Slatkin & Co. Island Nectar



"An intoxicating island dream of sparkling tropical fruits blended seductively with lush vanilla, warming rum, and sensual musk." This is orange, passionfruit, guava (or at least it seems like it would be as I have never smelled an actual passionfruit or guava), and vanilla. It's tropical and fruity.

Slatkin & Co. Caribbean Escape



"Indulge in a sweet, tropical blend of melon, raspberry nectar, and Italian lemon tempered with creamy coconut milk and raw sugarcane." Another escape. I smell pineapple again but I get other fruits too like the melon. This is a little sweeter than Seaside and it doesn't have any of the fresh notes. This is a sweet, fruity tropical.

Wick Hut Butt Naked



This is a brand new candle brand for me and I will dedicate another post talking just about them but I am including this scent in my summer picks because it's pretty unique. It's their best selling scent and can be purchased on their website www.thewickhut.com. "Wonderful base notes of granny smith apples and honeydew melon, middle notes of strawberries and pears with an added hint of spice." It has the fruits you would see in a summer candle (and some more) but you definitely can smell the different base note of the added spice. It's quite interesting. Stay tuned for more information and my thoughts on this brand.

Yankee Candle Sun and Sand

"A tropical beach breeze of sweet orange flower, lemony citrus, fresh lavender and powdery musk." I sampled a lot of summer scents from Yankee and this is the only one that I thought I would include. I've been pretty disappointed in that brand lately. But this scent is nice and beachy. I don't exactly get the notes they describe but I guess all those mixed together add up to sun and sand, which I think is an appropriate title because it actually does smell like that. I don't have a picture because I threw the wrapper on my tart away by accident but it's a nice light brown sand color.

Hope you enjoy! Burn some candles this summer to "take you away" to a vacation while staying right in your living room.

Slatkin & Co Sunflower Review

I already had my Slatkin summer scents tucked away and was still burning spring scents when they came out with the new ones: Summer Orchard, Pomegranate Lemonade, Summer Melon, and Sunflower. I wasn't crazy about any of these but decided I liked Sunflower enough to buy for a transitional scent between spring and summer because, for me, certain scents can only be burned during a particular season.

I reminds me a lot of green tea and white pear, but not as complex. Once I read the notes, I understood why. "Bright and sunny, this fresh blend of mandarin, grapefruit and green tea is completed with sheer musk and the natural essence of white woods." Fruit and green tea notes again. It's not a favorite candle of mine. It's like green tea and white pear but not as good, and with only a couple of the notes. I don't know but it seems these four extra scents they launched maybe were rushed or not even really necessary at all. My friend likes the pomegranate lemonade a lot but I already have a sweet one - pineapple orchid.

Stay tuned for my summer picks!

{Currently Burning - Slatkin & Co Seaside Escape.}

SCENTBUG Review

Finally I'll give my review of the Slatkin & Co. SCENTBUG Home Fragrance Oil Fan found at Bath & Body Works.



I bought the black one so it goes with my decor. They come in a variety of different colors though. I was hesitant to try this product. First, because it has the name "bug" in the title (to be completely honest). I hate bugs and that really turns me off. Then because I thought I didn't need another form of home fragrance - but there really is nothing else like this of this caliber. When my sister said she loves hers and I finally figured out what it really was all about, I bought one and now I love mine too!

You put 2 AA batteries (which are included) in the bottom and that's also where you store the extra cotton pads.



Then you put several drops of oil onto one pad and put it in the little drawer that pops out when you push it.



Then on the other side is the little button you push to turn it on and it turns green. There's a little fan that runs quietly that pushes the scent through the air. You press the button again to turn it off. So easy!



I put mine in my bathroom and only turn it on when I want to freshen the room. I haven't yet had to replace the pad or put more oil onto it. It still fills up the small room pretty quickly and I've had it for a couple months. I love this mainly because there's no continuous fragrance, which if you read this blog you know I hate. You turn it on when you want it, it fills the room with fragrance, and then you turn it off. I put a very neutral scent - Fresh Linen - in the one in my bathroom because it goes with other home fragrances and is year-round but you can use any of their oils. Usually whatever they have a candle in, they have it in the oil too.



I think this is a great addition to the home fragrance world. Plus, since it uses batteries (which I haven't had to replace yet either) you can take it into any room whenever you want to freshen any area of the house. Plus it's so light and small too. It doesn't take up much room so you can put it virtually anywhere and you can get a color to match your decor. You can use this if you want fragrance that is not as strong as a room spray or if you don't want to wait for candle wax to melt. Plus unlike diffusers, there's no mess with the oil. I definitely recommend these. Tip - my sister likes to change out the oil in hers so she can have different scents and when she does, she saves the cotton pad if it still has oil on it and stores it in a plastic bag so she can reuse it later.

{Currently Burning - Slatkin & Co. Green Tea & White Pear}

Spring Scents 2010

After a long search, here are my picks for spring. I apologize for not having pictures for all of them. I don't know how the whole thing works with posting pictures that aren't legally yours so I'm just following the rule of only posting pictures that I have personally taken.

Slatkin & Co Green Tea and White Pear



I don't know if I liked this the first time I smelled it. I don't even know if I was interested enough to pick it up and smell it. This is very complex with a lot of different notes to it. It's fruity and fresh at the same time so it's great for spring. Bathandbodyworks.com says "A light, clean blend of Asian pear, Yuzu, and a custom blend of green tea is infused with delicate florals gently layered over the ancient and restorative scents of oak, patchouli and warm musk". Uh...yeah, like I said...very complex.

Yankee Spa Fresh



My friend lead me on to this candle and I'm sooo glad he did. This isn't a new fragrance but I don't remember this coming out. This is one of my new favorites. Out of all Yankee candles. This has a little bit of a fresh-cut grass smell to it without being overwhelming since it has other notes to it as well. "A naturally revitalizing blend of soothing lavender, invigorating eucalyptus and stimulating mint". Those notes blend very well because I can't pick out any one of them separately.

Slatkin & Co Pineapple Orchid



"Delicate white orchid blended with sweet pineapple and rich black currant." This is pretty sweet. But it has the floral that is typical of spring. I don't like straight floral scents, as you can see from my picks for spring, so I like that this mixes a floral with a sweet. I also have this Scentportable in my car right now. But be careful, I was in my sister's car today and her scentportable starting to drip onto my pants! So be careful not to puncture the little pocket where the oil/gel/scent is.

Slatkin & Co Nectarine Mint

I was first introduced to this scent as an anti-bac soap so I never really gave it a chance as a home fragrance item but I love it so much, why not? Fruity and fresh, mixing different items found in a spring garden. Perfect. "A fresh blend of juicy nectarine, grapefruit, sugar, and crisp mint leaves."

C.O. Bigelow Lemon

No one does lemon like Bigelow. No one. Bath and Body Works has a couple lemon fragrances and so does Yankee but they're nothing like this. I couldn't find this item on www.bigelowchemists.com but I did find it listed on www.ilovebigelow.com. Is that even an official site? It looks like one. Weird. Anyway, their lemon line is amazing. The lemon perfume is actually one of my all time favorite perfumes. Also perfect for spring and summer. Unfortunately, Bath and Body Works does not sell this candle. Their Bigelow selection is kind of small. But if you can get to one of the Bigelow stores, get this candle.

Yankee Early Sunrise

I gave a full review of this earlier so I'll refrain from doing it again. But like I said before, this was the only brand new spring scent from Yankee that I liked.

{Currently Burning - Spa Fresh by Yankee}

Spring is Here!!!!!

I am making the official annoucement. Spring is officially here and if you have been having the dramatic weather change Pittsburgh has been having lately, you would agree with me. I am super excited. I have taken down the snowman wreath on my door and replaced it with a spring garden sign, the snowman and polar bear B&BW soap dispensers have been thrown away (I used most of the soap) and spring anti-bac scents are out, spring pillows are put on the patio chairs and the Christmas/winter candles and scents are put away and not to be seen again until late November.

I'm doing some shopping this weekend to find a great spring scent but for now I'm burning Slatkin & Co.'s Strawberry Patch.



Bathandbodyworks.com describes this scent as "Succulent and sweet - this invigorating fragrance quenches your thirst with ripe strawberries, juicy mango, and tropical white peach gently layered with rich vanilla." It is extremely sweet. When I first burned it (last year) I didn't like it and put it away. When I took it out this year, I didn't mind it as much. It's still really sweet and sugary, but I don't hate it. Maybe that's just how much I'm longing for spring scents. And I missed Slatkin after all those Yankee reviews. For now, it'll do. Happy Spring! Go outside and frolic.

I guess I need to put away the snowflake Yankee Candle plate. :-)

Foodie Scent

Slatkin & Co. Vanilla Shortbread

I just checked the B&BW website and apparently they're not selling this candle anymore so, sorry if you wanted to get this one. There's always ebay. I bought it right before Christmas. This scent should definitely be called lemon shortbread. This smells exactly like the lemon cream cake dessert thing at Olive Garden. It also reminds me of the lemon sugar body line Bath & Body Works had a couple of years ago. It's lemon, then sugar, then cake. It's not bad but not a favorite of mine. It's a little too sweet and lemony for me. Little less sugar next time.

**Update - The more I burn this one, the more I like it. Sometimes it reminds me of Cap'n Crunch cereal too! Haha.

An All Time Favorite

Sandalwood Vanilla by Slatkin & Co. from Bath & Body Works. This is a sexy/romantic fragrance to me. It's a good blend of masculine and feminine. I always used to light it when I had male company. Hopefully I'll be lighting this again sometime soon. The website describes it as "a powdery soft and sensual fragrance that blends the warm woody essence of sandalwood with creamy vanilla". That doesn't say much but I can't do any better myself. It really does just smell like the two notes it's comprised of. They changed the packaging so if you see this candle now it's in clear glass with a lighter, floral picture which to me does not echo the product. That dark amber color of the glass better represented the sexy fragrance, in my opinion.

My sister, a former manager of B&BW, once told me they were discontinuing this fragrance so I proceeded to buy stock of it. I still have yet to burn several of the exact product - the 3 wick candle. I even have a couple of what I call the "turbo" three wicks which I don't even know if they make anymore. They're taller than the regular 3 wicks - almost doubled the size. My brother also loves this scent so I think it's a great unisex candle. Light one to set the mood tonight!

{Currently Burning - Spice by Slatkin & Co.}

Winter Scent Comparison

There are two seasonal scents this winter that are very similar. I found myself buying both, however, because to me they are very different. I'll try to explain this madness in this comparison post. I will be comparing Yankee Candle's Jack Frost and Slatkin & Co's Twisted Peppermint.

Ok to start with a returning favorite of mine: Jack Frost.



I have to burn this whenever it snows because it is a complete winter experience. This is a vanilla peppermint (in that order). But it's so much more. It's fresh without having too much menthol. It's cool and calm while also being sweet. This to me is not just a candle with different notes - it's an experience. It's walking through a Christmas tree forest picking out the perfect tree in feet of snow or enjoying a sleigh ride drawn by horses while sipping hot chocolate. Sorry if that was lame. Yankee keeps changing the label every year and I'm not a huge fan of the current childish version of the snowman, but- minor detail.

Then there's the scent that I have loved the body products of and that they promised would be online only this year, but apparently after so many requests this was brought into stores- Slatkin & Co's Twisted Peppermint.



This is very much a peppermint vanilla. This is more invigorating and not as sweet. There is definitely a menthol feel in this one but there is still vanilla lingering so it reminds me of a candy cane, hence the name I guess. I'll enjoy burning this in the winter because it is a little harsh and "cold" similar to the bitter cold of snowy weather in Pittsburgh. I still have the body cream in this scent, but have stopped using it to save what I have left. I hope they bring that back.

Well feel free to give one of these a try. I know some people really don't like mint-anything but if you're not one of those people, you might like one of these. In the meantime, I hope you all have a great White Christmas!

{Currently Burning - Spice by Slatkin & Co.}

Scents of Christmas 2009

I'm not going to bother to list all the holiday scents for this year, I will only list my current favorites. I have to admit my favorite candles are Slatkin from Bath and Body Works then Yankee but I will try to review a variety of different brands on this blog.

Winter by Slatkin & Co.



Bathandbodyworks.com says this candle has notes of pine, bay leaf, red cinnamon, and warm winter woods. I get notes of pine, orange peel, maybe a little bit of cinnamon, and a woodsy herb smell - I'll take bay leaf. This is my favorite Christmas scent this year. They've had it years past but I don't remember liking it until this year. In my opinion it's the perfect holiday scent because it combines all the typical holiday smells into one fragrance. Give this scent a chance - when I first burned it I thought it was glorious.

Spice by Slatkin & Co.



Bathandbodyworks.com says this has notes of cinnamon, spiced orange peel, and sweet vanilla cream. The main note of this candle is definitely cinnamon, but it's not too spicy like some other cinnamon candles. I definitely get a sweet note of vanilla with it as well. They've had this scent other years too and to me it's a classic for holidays.

Fresh Balsam by Slatkin & Co.



Bathandbodyworks.com says this has notes of balsam fir, eucalyptus, apple, cedarwood, and musk. I just get notes of pine and a little of eucalyptus. Even though Winter has pine notes, I always need a strong pine candle to burn right around Christmas because it reminds me of our real Christmas tree when I was little. Now there's nothing but artificial trees for my family so burning a pine candle now is a must. This pine scent is lighter than most and has more of a fresh feeling.

Last year my favorite pine was Yankee Sparkling Pine so that gets an honorable mention.

Christmas Cookie by Yankee



This is a classic for me around the holidays as well. I remember my Mother burning this in the kitchen around Christmas. Plus a good sweet cookie foodie scent I'm always a sucker for. You'll see here that I love sweet scents.

Those are my picks for Christmas '09. I have some great winter scents as well but I'll save those for a Scents of the Season post.

{Currently burning - Jack Frost by Yankee}