Enticed by Yankee Candle fall scents

Leaves are turning, days are crisp, jackets and scarves are making their appearance, and, of course, festive fall scents abound! Like in years past (make sure to check out 2011 and 2012) Yankee Candle has launched a whole array of new scents for the season. Since we're already halfway through fall and there's not much time left before the holidays, below are three of the most interesting 2013 autumnal launches from Yankee Candle.

1. The most comforting
Cozy Sweater is indeed the coziest of the scents in Yankee's fall offerings. That said, it's not the coziest because it is the warm floral-musk-patchouli scent that Yankee claims it to be, but because its scent is floral and powdery with the tiniest bit of patchouli for warmth. It's like a big hug from grandma. The cold throw of this candle is amazing. It is pleasant and strong, but not overbearing (kind of like grandma). It's a mix of soft florals, though mostly rose, and powder. The hot throw produces a much gentler scent which is mostly powder and rose, with a little bit of waxy-base emerging. Despite this flaw, the rose and powder notes prevail and the candle manages to conjure memories of kind words, comforting hugs, and being surrounded by grandma's love and warmth.

2. The most delectable
Fall is full of tasty treats and Yankee's Salted Caramel candle is one of them! While the cold throw is not the strongest, it is still buttery, caramel-y, and toffee-like: just one deep smell and you can virtually feel the caramel getting stuck in your teeth. Delish! What's more, the hot throw does not disappoint. The soft, sweet gourmand scent fills the evaluation room with its delectable notes and though it's more of a maple syrup-y scent in use (no caramel or salt here), it's tasty all the same!

3. The most peculiar
The third most interesting fall scent from Yankee Candle is Pumpkin Wreath, mainly for being the most unusual of the six new scents in Yankee's fall line up. The cold throw is strong, but confusing: pastry-popcorn gourmand mixed with hot cinnamon (imagine a candy (or whisky) fire ball), spicy clove, woody-dryness. It's all over the place, but in fact, this is what it's supposed to be. Here is the fragrance description on the Yankee Candle website: oakwood, cinnamon bark, and clove! The hot throw experience isn't as confusing. The mixture of gourmand-spice-wood comes through warm, if a little waxy, and unfortunately (or fortunately?!) very weak. While it may not be one you'd want to scent your home with, for once it's a candle which matches its description!

There you have it! Three new scents for your fall wardrobe and in the nick of time - I've just received Yankee's holiday catalog! Guess I'd better get smelling before Christmas is upon us!

If you've enjoyed any of these three scents, or any other new candle launches this fall, make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle's new spring scents

It's the middle of January and spring is in the air! Well, it isn't really, but it is in my house and has been since December. That's when I picked up Yankee Candle's new spring fragrances!

Unfortunately I was only able to buy four out of the five new launches, Waikiki Melon, Paradise Spice, Golden Sands, and Black Coconut, but, nonetheless, don't their names sound like they'll carry you away to some fantastic faraway place?? I've got high hopes for these scents, especially the exotic Black Coconut!

Since Yankee tends to have such great cold throw, I'll start with this aspect of each candle first.

Paradise Spice's aroma is a gentle, sweet coconut, a pina colada type fragrance, that has layers of soft vanilla intertwined with it. There is an undertone to the fragrance which is hard to discern, and mostly makes the candle smell a bit odd. Possibly this is the 'spice' of the aforementioned candle, though it isn't cinnamon or clove like the Yankee website claims it to be, but possibly a bit aromatic in nature.

Next in line is Waikiki Melon. It has a soft, sweet, and water-y cold throw which pleasantly greets the nose. It's almost as if they combined a watermelon flavored jolly rancher with a perfectly ripe and juicy cantaloupe. It is a fresh, yet mellow and comforting, scent that is pleasing overall.

Onto Golden Sands. It has a more sophisticated cold throw than the others, yet is still a gentle scent. It is a clean, light floral with woody warmth. Despite it's serene tones, I wonder how this would smell in use.

Finally! The mysterious Black Coconut. It's cold throw is intense from first whiff - almost like the bartender on the beach has handed me a drink that's been made too strong! It's warm, creamy, coconut-y, and, oddly, whiskey like. Think Bailey's with a coconut accent (if that's at all possible!). This one should definitely have an interesting aroma in use!

And now, with these tropical scents in mind, we'll move onto their hot throws.

But unfortunately there isn't much to say about the hot throw ... for any of these scents. I tested and re-tested, but each time I nearly burned my nose off trying to experience their fragrance as they failed to scent the evaluation room. What a disappointment! No Black Coconut to indulge in! No Waikiki Melon to delight in!

Truly, it's lovely to have an island theme in my house in the dead of winter, but I have to admit that Yankee's scents did not succeed in whisking me away to any tropical escape. Oh, Yankee Candle, what's happened to your product?? I know the economy is still slow, but does the fragrance dosage or quality of ingredients in your candles need to suffer for it?

Ho-hum, how depressing!

Though, what about you? Have you tried any of these scents? Do you love them, do you hate them? Is your space being filled with a fabulously fragrant tropical bouquet? Make sure to leave a comment below!

A Hawaiian paradise in your home

Shhh. C'mere! I've got a secret to tell you! OK, maybe it isn't that big of a secret, but I thought it was time to tell you the truth. You ready? 'Cause here it is: I am a Costco addict. Food, furniture, electronics, eye glasses, pots, pans, hangers.  You name it, I buy it. Which is why you can't be surprised when I was taking my daily peruse of my favorite warehouse and I got something for you! Well, maybe it was a little for me, too.

Photo from
paradisecandlesofhawaii.com

On my way to the vegetable area to get my 5lb bag of fresh spinach, I was distracted by a simple, unassuming display of candles. Never one to pass up a chance to check out new products, I scuttled over and began smelling the enchanting scents of Paradise Candles of Hawaii.  Made in the USA, these tropical scented soy candles had fantastic cold throws and attractive natural wood containers. Not yet a millionaire, there was no way I could buy a sample of each variant, so after a long debate between Coco-Mango, Gardenia of the Gods, Fruit Stand Wipeout, and Kona Coffee, I opted for Green Tea and Ginger. It's subtle sweet-apricot-ginger-freshness kept me coming back, and was what won its place in my shopping cart.

So, now I have to be honest with you (again). I haven't properly had a chance to evaluate this candle because I used it. I used it and it's all gone. That's how wonderful this candle was - I loved it so much I didn't even get the chance to share it with you. Please forgive me!

What I can tell you is the hot throw of Green Tea and Ginger was just as magnificent as the cold throw. In use, its slightly-sweet-apricot-ginger-freshness filled the space of my large open floor plan (with vaulted ceilings!), and when unlit its fragrance gently filled the air that surrounded it. The website states the candles are scented with 'premium quality oils and fragrances' and there is absolutely no doubting this!

I hope you can forgive me for indulging so shamelessly in this wonderful candle, but if you got your hands on one I'm sure you'd do the same!

Have you tried this scent? Do you love it, do you hate it? Make sure to leave a comment below!

Purbliss: Killer Kandles

This week we're experiencing pure bliss!  Wait a second, I spelled that wrong!  We're experiencing PurBliss, all natural soy wax candles.  Purbliss is a family run business out of California.  Their candles are sustainable and eco friendly, which is great news for the environment!  I've been lucky enough to receive some samples of two of their ranges and today we're focusing on PurBliss's Killer Kandle range because, as I've just learned, it's being phased out!  So, since they'll only be around a short while longer, let's get started.

First up we've got Cherry Bomb, which smells exactly how you'd expect!  Taking the lid off of the candle tin I'm met with a sweet explosion of cherry candy.  Delish!  The scent is strong and I have to fight to keep myself from tasting it since it smells so yummy.  In use, the scent is delicate and soft, but still sweet cherry candy.  It is a flavorsome aroma, but, truthfully, the hot throw could be stronger!

Next we've got Desert Passion.  It's got a great cold throw strength of dry cedarwood and warm, yet fresh, aromatic pine, which is lifted by lemon top notes.  This guy's got a lot going on in its earthy aromas!  In use, the fragrance calms into a light citrus scent, gently warmed by its aromatic-woody dimensions.  It is a sophisticated fragrance with a great cold throw, but could definitely be a bit more robust in use.

Finally, Killer Kandle number three: Lemon Drop Pop.  The strength of this candle's cold throw is, yet again, fantastic!  It fills the nose with lemon drop (go figure!) sweetness, pledge cleanliness and herbal warmth.  It isn't as tasty smelling as Cherry Bomb, but I'm not bothered by that as the scent is much more dynamic overall.  In use, the bouquet is very linear and fills the room with a pleasant and gentle citral aroma.  Like with the others, its hot throw could also benefit from a tad more strength!

All in all these candles have great scents with fabulous cold throws that draw you in, yet (as noted) the hot throw could offer a little bit more to keep you coming back!

Have you tried these scents?  Love them, hate them?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Harvest Welcome

Spicy Chicken Vindaloo
http://www.currytastic.com/category/vindaloo/ 

You know what I love?  I absolutely love an Indian curry.  My taste buds delight in the exotic cardamom, cumin, and chili pepper flavors.  I think it is one of my favorite foods, if not my most favorite food of all time.  Hmmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

But unfortunately this love has a draw back.  After a delectable curry the cardamom, cumin and chili pepper aromas suddenly aren't so pleasingly exotic, but are desperately, overwhelmingly strong and, yes, even malodorous.  Shirts, pants, jackets are all in need of either a good Febreze dousing or heavy duty washing!

Now, you must be asking yourself, why the heck is Scents n Scentsibility carrying on about Indian curry?  Aren't we were here to learn about the new fall scents from Yankee Candle?!

Right you are!  And Yankee Candle's new fall scent Harvest Welcome smells of ... can you guess?  Indian curry!!  I have no idea how this one got past the evaluation team unless YC marketing truly wanted a fragrance ripe with cumin, cardamom seed, and curry powder.  And this is no over-exaggeration!

Upon first indulging in the aroma you're greeted with a punch in the face of Big Red cinnamon, spicy cardamom, and also, disturbingly, a dirty note in the undertones reminiscent of vomit.  A person dear to my heart described it very elaborately as "gross".

Interested to see what the fragrance would progress to in use, I lit it and anxiously waited to see what would happen.

And what happened is my evaluation room smelled like curry!  It is strong - the scent seeping through the cracks in the door and infiltrating the outside space.  It is pure cumin, curry and cardamom seed and I immediately snuffed the candle out!

The only time I want my house smelling of curry is when I am cooking it, and even then, after the delicious meal, I do malodor control and open windows and spray air fresheners and light candles.

Wow, Yankee Candle.  I have no idea what you were thinking when you ok'd this fragrance for production!  'Farm fresh pumpkins spiced with just the right amount of brisk autumn air' it is not - Indian curry it definitely is!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Whoopie Pie

Find the recipe here: epicurious
(photo by: Mary Ellen Bartley)

whoopie pie (n):   a confection of two small and flat chocolate cakes with cream frosting in the middle; also called whoopee pie, black-and-white.

This delicious goodness originates from the New England area of the United States.  Although, interestingly, there is controversy as to which state this scrumptious treat hails from.  Is Maine its home, or is it Pennsylvania?  Or possibly New Hampshire or even Massachusetts?

Unbelievably, this is such a heated debate that Maine proposed legislature in 2011 to make the Whoopie Pie its official state pie, and thus staking claim to it!

I don't know the answer to its origins, but it is unsurprising, knowing Yankee Candle's New England roots, that they have a Whoopie Pie variant in their Fall 2012 candle range!  And my! What a heavenly Whoopie Pie they have created!

The first experience of the candle is intoxicating!  Its scent is rich with dry cocoa notes which blend seamlessly with soft mint tones and creamy marshmallow hints.  It is chocolate cake batter in a candle.  Delish!

In use a pleasant mouth-watering chocolate scent fills the room.  Infused within these chocolatey notes is the creamy marshmallow aroma which was present in the cold throw.  The mint notes disappear when the candle is burned, but it doesn't lessen the loveliness of the fragrance, just makes it less mint-chocolate-y.

As a chocolate lover myself, I can see only one problem with this scent - in use it isn't very strong!  What a pity - warm chocolate cake is one thing I don't mind my house smelling of!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Apple Pumpkin

Have you ever eaten an Apple Cinnamon Nutri Grain bar?  If so, then you can perfectly imagine the aroma of the new Apple Pumpkin variant from Yankee Candle's Fall 2012 candle range.  It is an instantly recognizable apple-cinnamon-crumble-y-pie crust scent.  It's pleasant,  but disturbingly 'foody'.  Nutri Grains are definitely tasty, but to be honest, I'm not quite sure I'd want my home smelling of 'em!

With trepidation I wondered, would the foodiness aspect of the fragrance be present in use?  I had to find out, so I hurried to my evaluation area and anxiously lit the candle.

Sadly, the strong notes that are easily perceived in Apple Pumpkin's cold throw are all but missing in the hot throw!  Yes, the disliked foody-Nutri-Grain aspects have disappeared to leave a soft apple-cinnamon scent behind, but the fragrance itself is completely unexciting and boringly status quo.  Where is the pumpkin?  Where is the clove and ginger the website claims is in there?!  What a (wholly unsurprising) bummer that Apple Pumpkin isn't as dynamic as the marketing portrays it to be!

Oh well...despite the disappointment in what Apple Pumpkin could have been, at least it is an overall decent apple-cinnamon scent!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Treehouse Memories

I don't know about you, but for me tree houses are a thing of folk lore - I've never had one, nor have I ever seen one!  To me, they are the special places that kids on TV retreat to, and also where they have their secret club meetings.  They are the coolest thing ever and to this day I'm jealous of Bart Simpson for having one!

Unfortunately, what this means is that Bart Simpson is way more qualified than I when it comes to knowing what Treehouse Memories could possibly smell like.  But, of course, I'm going to give it a go despite my deficiencies in this area!

Treehouse Memories from Yankee Candle's Fall 2012 range is warmly masculine.  It has a generic clean-woody-musc-y essence, much like a traditional men's cologne, but it is also intensely smoky, making it a more modern scent.

In use, Treehouse Memories is not very strong, but it does still manage to fill the room with a wonderfully woody-earthy-smoky aroma.

This fragrance is a mature scent and I'd be surprised if it reminded anyone of their own tree house memories.  But hey, what's in a name?

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Season's Blessings

I love that purple is the color of Season's Blessings, the next variant in our search for the best new fall fragrance from Yankee Candle.  Really, how often do you see a rich and sumptuous plum colored candle?  Not too often, which has got Yankee earning some brownie points!

Season's Blessings is a scent targeted at oriental-woody lovers.  The cold throw is an intricate mixture of berry, clove, and cardamom.  This sweet-spicy concoction is not at all food-y in nature, but is rather complex and enticing due to its base note of dry cedarwood.

In use, it is immediately apparent that the fragrance has lost a lot of its original strength.  A waxiness comes through and distracts away from the fruity sweet-spicy-woody tinged notes that should be taking center stage.  It is a shame that this happens because the scent would otherwise be warmly intoxicating!

The hot throw of Season's Blessing has really let this fragrance down, which is unfortunate because the cold throw implied it would be an aroma abundant in opulent notes.  Oh well, maybe we'll have better luck with the others!


Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Fall 2012: Caramel Pecan Pie

We begin our quest for Yankee Candle's best new fall fragrance with the scent that the sales assistant preferred the most: Caramel Pecan Pie.  She thought it was absolutely delectable; let's see if we do, too!

Yankee Candle describes Caramel Pecan Pie as 'a mouthwatering invitation . . . serve up a buttery slice of gooey goodness with this scrumptious recipe of walnuts, pecans and creamy caramel.'  I'm not too sure about the gooey goodness, but buttery it definitely is!

Upon first indulging in this scent a gourmand mixture greets your nose: creamy butter, soft wisps of cinnamon, hints of fresh red apple skin ... and popcorn.  Wait - what?!  Popcorn??  Maybe they made this scent a little too buttery!

In use the aroma is not heavy or overpowering.  It is a pleasantly sweet, cinnamon, buttery fragrance which fills the room and pleases the senses.

Caramel Pecan Pie is an inviting fragrance which gourmand lovers will easily approve of.  That said, with the lack of walnut, pecan and creamy caramel and the presence of cinnamon, red apple and popcorn, maybe they should have named this Cinnamon Apple Snack instead!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

It's that time already: Yankee Candle launches 2012 seasonal scents

Fall scents already?  I haven't even perfected my tan yet?!  Little bit of déjà vu there for you?  That's because last July Scents n Scentsibility's inaugural post was a review of Yankee Candles' fall scents for 2011!  As I had only begun working on my tan, I couldn't believe that the warming scents of clove and cinnamon were already on the shelves.  But this year, being more seasoned (pardon the pun!), I was prepared, mentally at least, for the launch of Yankee's 2012 Fall Fragrances.

The next six posts will focus on their newly launched scents: Caramel Pecan Pie, Season's Blessings, Treehouse Memories, Apple Pumpkin, Whoopie Pie, and Harvest Welcome.

Now, I am of the opinion that it is still too hot to be concerned with pumpkin pie, leaves falling off trees, and snow arriving ...but which fall scent do you think your favorite will be?

Yankee Candle Summer Love: True Crush

Summer isn't close to being over (thank god!), but our foray into Yankee Candle's Summer Love Limited Edition summer range is.  I don't know if I should be upset about this or not; it's like in Grease at the end of the summer when Danny and Sandy have to say goodbye.  They're sad to part ways, but yet ready for the summer to be over and for a new adventure to begin.  Oh, the complexities of life!

Anyway, we needn't worry about that today!  Instead, let's see if our summer love is a True Crush. 

When I opened the yellow hued candle I was instantly hit with a wall of fragrance.  Robust; citrus; aromatic; citronella; limoncello.  There is a lot going on with this cold throw and I have to admit that it isn't very pleasing.  The scent is almost like a lemon drop candy gone very wrong.  I'm sure you're not surprised to know that I didn't have high hopes for its hot throw.

But I can't always be right!  When I went into my testing room to see how True Crush fared in use I found something quite unexpected.  The character of the fragrance hadn't completely changed, but a soft and sweet scent pervaded throughout the space.  The 'lemon drop gone wrong' notes of the cold throw morphed to become something quite citrus-y sweet.  It is very enjoyable indeed.

Since it's the weekend (and if you have a husband that likes to shop on a Sunday like mine), take a gander around a Yankee Candle store and investigate the three variants in the Summer Love range: First Kiss, Loves Me Lots, and True Crush.  But remember, if you smell True Crush and think 'ew, gross',  don't be put off!  Purchase that candle and give it a chance.  You'll be pleasantly surprised at what Summer Love's True Crush will turn into!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Summer Love: Loves Me Lots

The beach is calling and so is romance!  Yesterday our Summer Love began with First Kiss.  It was pretty good for a First Kiss, but there have definitely been better ones!

Today we continue our search for summer romance (although, technically, we can very easily find it at a Yankee shop and in the form of their latest Limited Edition range Summer Love).  Shall we see if he Loves Me Lots?

Loves Me Lots is a completely different from First Kiss.  It's cold throw belies strong notes of sweet citrus, fresh marine, and soft aromatics.  These aromas blend to create an enticing scent which made me anxious to check out its hot throw.

In use the fragrance does not disappoint, if anything it gets better.  The citrus and aromatic characteristics are ever present, but the notes that jump to take the lead are lusciously marine.  Wow - it's a fabulous clean and fresh fragrance and I want more!  I wonder if I could convince Yankee to make this a permanent scent in one of their standard ranges?

So, I think I will pass on First Kiss and I definitely enjoy Loves Me Lots, but will it be my True Crush?  Find out in tomorrow's post!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

Yankee Candle Summer Love: First Kiss

Ah yes, we all know it well: the huge, crashing waves; the over-dramatic instrumental 'Love is a Many Splendored Thing'; the ever-so-fun scenes of Danny and Sandy playing and kissing on the beach...(sigh) nothing beats a summer romance!

And wouldn't it be nice if we could all have our own passionate summer fling à la Grease?  Well, never fear, we no longer have to wait around for our own Danny Zucco or Sandy Olsen* to come along anymore!  Yankee Candle's come out with the next best thing: a limited edition called Summer Love.

That is right.  You can go on down to your nearest Yankee (or just go online if don't want to risk getting skin cancer from the intense summer sun!) and get yourself some Summer Love.  Bear in mind that this is a limited edition, so if you want some love you can't wait around until September to get it!

There are three variants in the Summer Love range and today we'll be smelling First Kiss.

First Kiss has a very pleasant, albeit not too strong, cold throw.  It smells of sweet strawberry and  is a tiny bit waxy.  I wonder if this was done on purpose, though, because it mimics the scent of ChapStick's Strawberry flavor.  Just what you'd be experiencing on a first kiss!

In use First Kiss's scent is exactly what you would expect: it's a very innocuous (and not too strong) sweet berry aroma which gently fills the room.

First Kiss is an overall average candle, which means if this were my Summer Love's First Kiss ...I probably wouldn't stick around to see if he Loves Me Lots!

Have you tried this scent?  Do you love it, do you hate it?  Make sure to leave a comment below!

                                                                                                                     *Sandy has a last name!  Who knew?!

A (brief) review of Yankee Candle Man Candles

Isn't it great when a plan comes to fruition?  I bet the marketing department at Yankee Candle is having a congratulatory party as we speak.  Why?  Because everyone is all a-buzz about Yankee's recently launched Limited Edition Man Candle range.  NPR had a segment on Morning Edition and even Jimmy Fallon mentioned the range on his show ('Mandles', I believe he called them).

So, what's all the fuss about?  I contacted Yankee Candle for some hot-off-the-production-line samples, but I was told Yankee does not provide samples.  Instead, they recommended I buy votives.  Ok, no problem!

The first chance I had, I drove across town to my 'local' Yankee shop.  There they were: pride of place in the center of the store.  I grabbed one variant after another: Riding Mower, 2x4, First Down, Man Town, Fireside.  Wait, what?  Fireside?!  They snuck that one in there - Fireside is a variant in Yankee's base range and is available all year.  Cheeky what's-its!

I sniffed to my hearts content in the store.  The overpowering scent of cut grass stung my nose with Riding Mower; cedarwood infiltrated the senses with 2x4; Man Town had distinct hints of marine reminiscent of men's cologne; First Down ... hmm.  Well, First Down supposedly smells of leather, but I can't remember what notes graced my nose, only that my husband thought it smelled 'gross' (a trained nose he is not).  No biggie, though, I got the votives to test at home, right?

Wrong.  I feverishly looked around their display, but there were no Man Candle votives to be found!  I asked the sales assistants about it and guess what - they informed me that Yankee wasn't launching any votive Man Candles, only jar candles and Car Jars.  No votives, which meant no evaluation and no review!  I couldn't believe it - had I been misinformed ...or intentionally misguided to get me in the store?!

Back home and terribly frustrated, I emailed Yankee to express my disappointment; supposedly my case is now with the supervisor and the PR department has been informed as well, but that was days ago and I had a deadline to meet!

So, there you go, my brief review of Yankee Candle's Limited Edition Man Candles, which (unsurprisingly) were launched just in time for Father's Day!  And, as Jimmy Fallon sagely said, "Just what a guy needs - a manly candle that smells like weekend chores."

StellaMare: Strong on Style, Weak on Scent

This past weekend I was in Ulta doing some long needed cosmetics shopping, when I came upon their candle section.  (I think it's odd a beauty store sells candles, but that is neither here nor there, I guess.  Anyway.)  It was a few rows deep and was lined with old favorites like Yankee Cande and WoodWick, but other brands drew my attention as well.  One in particular was StellaMare.

My knowledge is limited on this brand, but the packaging is eye catching and the variant names are on trend (there's a Green Tea and Minted Grapefruit, among others).  I couldn't resist getting myself one, and the lucky winner was Guava Coconut.

Once home I did a little internet surfing and found that StellaMare is a hand-crafted product and a Portland, Oregon native.  They claim to be 'always free of phthalates, nitro-musks, and benzene', much like another Portland company who's products have been reviewed at Scent n Scentsibility.


StellaMare's packaging is distinctly stylish: all their products are beautiful and artistically decorated on the outside.  But what about the inside - the scent?

In truth, I picked Guava Coconut because I liked the sound of the name compared to the others on the shelf.  In the store I opened its box to get a hint of the scent, and that's what I got.  Just a hint - it smelled pleasant, but not strong.

In testing the candle continued to be mediocre.  The cold throw, as stated before, was not very odoriferous.  The scent was sweet with a slight whiff of cumin/body odor undertone.  Could this be a characteristic of the guava scent?  You know, kind of like how papayas have an aroma of vomit?  In any case, this cumin/b.o. odor didn't impede, hinder or distract from the soft, sweet, berry-like aroma of the cold throw.

Unfortunately the candle didn't improve in use.  I even tested it twice because I thought I might be mistaken, but no.  The fragrance dosage isn't strong enough to compete with the smell of burning wick and wax.  What you end up with is a room filled with a slightly sweet smelling wax scent.  StellaMare's Guava Coconut is utterly disappointing.

So, I guess that leaves us with one question: does anyone know if Ulta will let me return a partly used candle?

On a side note, while I was at Ulta I noticed they had the Archipelago Lavender Spice scent which I mentioned last week in the LilyFlame post.  I tried the Lavender Spice, excited for a unique scent.  What I got was applesauce and cinnamon!  No lavender at all!  How disappointing!

The Loveliness of Lily Flame

The rolling English countryside

Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Admittedly, and much to my husband's dismay, I am a lover of quaint shops that sell trinkets and decorative items.  It was in one of these shops that I happened upon Lily Flame for the first time, and where I quickly became a fan of their highly fragrant candles.

Lily Flame is a locally owned British company that manufactures hand made candles, as well as reed diffusers and room sprays.  On their website they picturesquely describe that "All our products are made by hand in the heart of the Somerset countryside."  Lovely - you can just see the rolling green hills.

Their scents are strong and their packaging is stylish.  Their labels are quite posh and I would have to agree that they "give that touchy feely extra specialness".  Lily Flame really hits all the marks for a home fragrance lover!

Recently I picked up their variant Lavender + Lime.  Lavender is a popular, reliable scent that consistently makes sales in the air freshener and personal care categories.  In recent years brands have tried to capitalize on this by expanding on the lavender concept.  For example:

There is Yankee Candle's Lavender Vanilla, BBW's Apple Lavender, Kiss My Face's Lavender & Lily and Archipelago's Lavender Spice.  In that selection there is a gourmand, a fruity, a floral, and a spicy option.  And how can we forget the citrus option - Lily Flame's Lavender + Lime?

Lily Flame's Lavender + Lime hits with a robust scent of fizzy-aldehydic sweet lemon drop candy.  Behind it sits the lavender, which adds an agrestic dynamic to the fragrance.  As previously stated the cold throw of Lily Flame candles is intensely strong, and this character holds true for the Lavender + Lime variant.

In use, the lavender notes come to the front and mix well with the sweet lemon drop citral notes.  This creates a very equally combined lavender and lemon (sorry, there really is no lime in there!) scent.  One final comment is that the fragrance strength in the hot throw is nowhere near as strong as in the cold throw.

I'm not sure if this is just an issue with the Lavender + Lime variant, but unfortunately I can't run to the nearest store to test other scents!  From the looks of it Lily Flame hasn't reached the shores of the United States yet!  (but are of course online to buy from the UK Lily Flame website ... and doesn't Whispered Wish sound like an intriguing scent?!)

New Spring Candles from Bath & Body Works

We're off to the tropics today people!  I visited my local BBW recently and quickly became trapped inside forever, sniffing away at their hundreds (or what seemed like hundreds!) of re-launched and newly launched candles.  


There's Coco Lobo, Jungle Kiss, White Palm (which I am told is the best seller so far), Mango Beachwood ... and the list goes on and on !  You can check out the full product line here.  There was no way I was going to be able to evaluate all eighteen of the tropics candle line, so I settled on the one that I thought smelled the most interesting, even if it was a relaunch from last year: Tropical Spice.

When I was in the store I couldn't believe the cold throw the candle had!  Was it really a mix of coconut and vanilla and a huge slug of CINNAMON?  I had to get it home to check it out.  Once I did, though, and my nose cleared from smelling the many different variants in the store, I realized I was wrong!

My nose had been polluted by all of the other scents wafting around me!  Home and in a fragrantless environment, the cold throw showed its true colors.  Vanilla and cinnamon.  No coconut whatsoever, that must've been from another candle.  Talk about disappointing!  Five bucks says they've just taken one of their seasonal holiday scents and reconceptualized it (new wax color, new name, new label, old scent).  Oh well and ho-hum, life goes on!

I still pursued the smelling of the candle, even though I was disappointed by the uninteresting cold throw of vanilla, cinnamon and a tiny bit of sweet-bubble gum at the back (which keeps it from smelling Christmas-y).

There isn't too much to report on the hot throw.  It was a vanilla-cinnamon scent that struggled to over power the scent of wax when burned for over an hour.  Common and boring - I was so wrong when I picked it up in the store!  Such is life, I guess, good thing I was less disappointed with the other candle I bought.

Launched at the same time as the tropical line is BBW's more floral themed line of candles.  These variants include Lilac Blossom, Flower Shop, First Bloom, Spring and a few others.  I picked up Green Grass, which is a new launch this season.

The cold throw is a very green fragrance with hints of dry grass under a fresh watery cucumber with aspects of clean white floral.  Very pleasant indeed.  The hot throw is linear and scented the room with clean, bright cucumber and grassy-green scents.  This candle was definitely better formulated than the Tropical Spice, as was proven by its superior hot throw.

Assessment? Green Grass is definitely preferred to Tropical Spice, but if neither take your fancy, don't worry - there is no need to decide between these two!  There are still twenty-three other newly launched/re-launched candles to choose from!  Go get smelling!

Spring in Winter: Febreze Petal & Pure

In case you're tired of your Christmas fragrances or if the winter weather already has you dreaming of spring, never fear!  While I was cruising around the store and taking my usual foray into the air freshener aisle I came across what I believe to be the first (of 2012) spring air freshener candle on my local Target's shelf.

It was standing out proud with its light yellow pigment bright against the deep colors of red, green, purple and blue of the Christmas/holiday variants.  How could I not pick up that little ray of sunshine, Febreze's Petal & Pure?

I smelled it briefly as I held it and was immediately intrigued - it was a sweet banana scent with a light white floral hue coming through behind it.  Even though I didn't know if it was a new launch or not, the idea of a banana scented candle piqued my interest and I had to get it home to evaluate it.

After I did a bit of research, it turns out that Febreze Petal & Pure is indeed not a new launch.  It was first seen on the shelves in February 2011, but I figure that since it was launched this year it is still relevant and new ... and interesting.

When I took the candle out of its packaging the cold throw was still of a good, strong strength smelling of banana, sweetness and light white floral.  Needless to say I had high hopes for the hot throw.

Unfortunately, when tested in my evaluation room, the candle seemed to lose its scent.  All that appeared to be emitted was a non-fragranced wax-base scent.  When I put the candle out and allowed it to cool, once again the pleasantly fragrant fruity-banana-floral scent returned.  How disappointing that it didn't appear to have a good hot throw!

Would I recommend the Febreze Petal & Pure candle?  My answer is yes, but with a caveat.  You see, I inadvertently tested the candle once more!  I was in my kitchen and having no other fragrance handy I decided to light this candle.  After awhile the room (which is open plan, I might add) was filled with a light sweet-floral scent with only minute hints of the unfragranced wax base underneath (which is the only scent I smelled in my small, windowless evaluation room).

Thus, the caveat:  if you have a small room all you'll be smelling is candle wax and no sweet-fruit-floral fragrance!