Renuzit Pearl Scents Review

Fail.

I saw the commercial for the Renuzit Crystal Elements (the little rocks in a vase) Amber Vanilla Scent and I was interested but when they didn't have that new scent in the store, I went for the Pearl Scents in "After the Rain". It was an "odor neutralizer" so I figured I could put it in my bathroom and forget about it. ...Ten minutes later sitting in my living room, I had enough and threw it away.

This is a small plastic jar with a bunch of little oily beads inside - kinda pretty. After peeling the seal off the top, there's a decorative lid (well it's just gray plastic) with openings for the scent to come through but so the beads don't fall out. The smell is cheap and very strong. Extremely strong. I thought they had improved on the quality of less-expensive fragrances but I guess you still do get what you pay for. The store I went to, KMart, had Orchard Garden (which I couldn't smell since the scratch n sniff sticker didn't seem to have any more smell to it) and Pure Breeze (and that one was just pure awful). They didn't have the lavender one, which I might have liked better but the scent to these is too strong for me. Plus I'm not huge fan of constant fragrance which is why I like to burn candles and I never use Wallflowers or Scentports. I don't like to smell a strong scent every single time I breathe in.

I bought another home fragrance product from KMart so that review will come next. I've been kinda broke so I thought I would give the cheap stuff a try. Stay tuned to see if I ever try it again.

Tips for Burning Candles

1. Wick-Trimming

If you're burning quality candles, forget about trimming the wick. This is just completely not necessary.

2. Candle Burning

A. Probably the most important tip is to burn the whole top surface of wax all the way across every single time you burn a candle. The more wicks the candle has, the less time it takes for this to happen. So for example if you are burning my favorite - a Slatkin 3-Wick, the surface area is burning in more areas so the wax melts all the way across pretty quickly. If you are burning a large 1 wick candle, like the large jar candles from Yankee, you will need a lot of burn time. I always think about this before I light a candle because once you have to blow it out too soon one time, it's hard to get it to burn evenly again.

B. Sometimes when you burn a candle, following all instructions properly, the flames get very low and they are still burning but the wax is not melting as quickly. Do not blow out! Keep burning! I find this happens with Slatkin candles sometimes and if you keep burning the candle, the flames will eventually rise again and melt the wax quickly and evenly again. I don't know why this happens, but if you blow them out while this is happening, sometimes it's very hard to light the wicks again at all.

3. Putting the candle out

I like to blow out a candle instead of putting a metal lid back on to make it go out (like some have been known to suggest) because that really blackens the lid. Plus you get a strong smell of the candle right after it is blown out and you don't get to enjoy that when the lid is left on. You could also use a snuffer but I just don't think it's necessary to buy an extra tool and then have to find someplace to store it.

4. Cleaning the Wick

Some people recommend taking off the black bulb-type things that collect on the top of the wick. This prevents them from falling into the wax and keeping your candle clean and pretty. However, I don't feel that this is necessary if you don't care about the black pieces collecting into the wax. You only see them when the candle is being burned and it doesn't affect the candle burn or fragrance. Also, a couple times that I have done this, with either a tissue or my fingers, it has broken the wick off which is not good. Trying to burn a candle with a wick that's too short is pretty difficult and sometimes impossible.

Stay tuned...Different brands and different forms of home fragrance to come!

{Currently Burning - Christmas Cookie by Yankee Candle}

Yankee's January Scent

So I'm loving the Yankee Candle 2010 calendar that I bought. I decided it would be a good idea to post their scents for each month for those of you that love to burn seasonally and don't have the luxury of the calendar.

January is Sparkling Snow.

Yankeecandle.com describes this as "The crisp, naturally fresh scent of gleaming, snow-covered pines with hints of patchouli and fruit." It definitely has a light pine scent, not nearly as strong as all the pines that come out during Christmas and that's nice for January. There's not a strong patchouli scent because I hate that smell- it just makes it a little woodsy. And I don't get much of a fruit smell - it's not like the orange in Slatkin's Winter (which is still the ultimate winter scent to me). It might be a little soapy but it's overall not a bad scent to burn this month. My mom likes this sparkling line. She also has sparking vanilla, which I'm not a huge fan of but this one: not bad.

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.}

Post-Holidays

I hope that the one person who reads this blog had a wonderful Christmas, or whatever, and happy New Year.

I went overboard with buying holiday scented candles this year like I usually do so I'm still burning up those. So it'll be Winter, Fresh Balsam, Spice, Christmas Cookie, and Jack Frost for awhile.

I bought some Fireside products (by Slatkin & Co. from Bath and Body Works) for my brother for Christmas and he liked them so that's another recommendation. I bought him the three wick candle and Scentport. Another scent great for winter...or fall.

I also just bought the 2010 Yankee Candle calendar which I'm excited about. Besides the beautiful pictures each month showcasing a certain scent, there's also a peel off sticker that lets you sample the candle scent as well. So more new scents to come! Stay tuned!

{Currently Burning - Winter 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.}

Aromatherapy - Sleep

This just seems like the perfect time to talk about fragrances that help me sleep. I don't know how well aromatherapy really works scientifically but I do know the sense of smell is very powerful so you might want to give these favorites of mine a try. All of mine contain lavender, some of them chamomile. Plus my mother always said a cup of chamomile tea always helps encourage sleep as well!

This is my favorite - Aromatherapy Concentrated Room Spray Sleep - Lavender Chamomile from Bath and Body Works. I feel it's the most effective since it is powerful and fills a whole room. I only spray this once right around my bed before I go to sleep- anything else is too strong for me.



I like to put this on my hands and arms right before I go to sleep - Aromatherapy Hand Cream, same scent, from Bath and Body Works. That way I can stay moisturized and smell the scent at the same time. I like the hand cream better than the lotion because it's thicker and sinks into the skin more therefore moisturizes better - their lotion is a little greasy to me.



They sell other products in the same line that I've tried but I haven't liked them as much. I tried the pillow mist but who wants to put their head on a wet pillow? And if you let it dry before laying down you can't really smell it anymore. If you don't like this scent, they do have others - Black Chamomile, Lavender Vanilla, and Warm Milk and Honey.

This is from the Perlier line - the number 1 bath and body line in Italy. You can purchase this line from HSN and also find it in discount stores like Marshalls and TJMaxx sometimes. This is the Lavender Moisturizing Bath and Shower Cream. I love Perlier products as you'll see. They use great, natural ingredients and leave the skin feeling so soft without feeling greasy. This scent is just a natural lavender and is great to use in the shower at night before bed.



I like this line but I have to say this product I don't use as often as the others. This is Badger Sleep Balm - A Calming Sleep Enhancer. It has ingredients like organic extra virgin olive oil with essential oils of bergamot, ginger, rosemary, lavender, and balsam fir. You are directed to rub a little bit on pressure points like temples, neck or even lips. My brother really likes this product but keep in mind you are rubbing a balm onto your skin instead of a lotion or cream so it might be better for guys. But don't worry it's not too greasy. Also I recommend putting it somewhere where you'll smell it. I think my brother even rubs it right underneath his nose. It's a great line though, check it out. You can buy it several different places but the closest place for me is the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.



Let me know what your favorite sleep remedies are! Sweet Dreams.

{Currently Burning - Winter by Slatkin & Co.}