Latest and greatest from Bath & Body Works - Amber Blush

Stop press - I've got it - the best Christmas present ever for a girl aged 10-15! It's the latest launch from Bath & Body Works (BBW), Amber Blush. But wait, there's more! Along with this, and the many other launches for the holiday season, BBW is promoting their ‘All New Daily Trio’.

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Daily Trio, never fear! It is a simple concept which, at the core, is your basic fragrance layering story meant to extend the longevity of the scent. Start with the shower gel, then the body lotion, finish with the spritz – et voila - longer lasting fragrance! This means Amber Blush was launched in each of these formats (see, perfect present, right?!), but does each format live up to its ‘crystallized amber kissed with bubbly raspberry champagne’ description? Let’s see how each performed…

As with any fragrance layering experience it’s necessary to commence with the shower gel. Its scent is sweet and intense! It is a cavity-causing cotton candy-berry-sugar with creamy vanilla and an ever so slight hint of coconut hiding in the mix. There aren't any amber notes, but rather the BBW vanilla-musk base that seems to be appearing in more and more of their fragrances.

Next up is the body lotion. I expected to have the same delightful experience - sweet and creamy. Sadly, this just wasn't the case, which must have to do with their new body lotion formula. BBW claims to have increased the shea by three times the amount in the old formula, which completely explains why the dominant note is shea butter… and base, with the tiniest bit of sweetness sneaking its surgary notes between the shea and base. To tell the truth, I'm not quite sure how this product made it to the shelves of BBW, but perhaps this is why they now encourage layering their products – they can’t get the fragrance strong enough in the formula now that it's got so much shea moisturizing power!

The final step in the scent layering experience is the spritz, or fragrance mist as BBW calls it. The mist does what the body lotion doesn’t: it’s all sugar-sweetness, like being drenched not just in cotton candy, but a blue raspberry icee that has the slightest dash of sweet-creamy-vanilla.

So, if you’re looking for that perfect gift the shower gel is the clear winner. But, should you want to give all three for the ultimate layering experience, this trio will leave your daughter, niece, babysitter, or whomever you gift it to, walking around in a bubble of sweet-vanilla-cream-blue raspberry icee. Though it’s not quite the ‘crystallized amber kissed with bubbly raspberry champagne’ BBW purports it to be, they will surely love it all the same!

Have you tried this scent? Do you love it, do you hate it? 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!

Get lost in an Enchanted Forest

Hello 2013! I'm sure you've made all kinds of resolutions (I know I've got a whole list to get through!) and I thought perhaps, like me, one of your resolutions is to do a bit of traveling. I say, why not start now with Enchanted Forest, the new scent from The Vagabond Prince, and our debut fragrance review of 2013.

Enchanted Forest transports you to a deep, dark European forest where the floor of this treed maze is engulfed with blackcurrants: the two aspects of this fragrance that embrace you from the start.

As the scent warms green and woody aspects, which mingle with the sweetness of the black currant, emerge. Though, the enjoyment of these notes is interrupted by animalic castoreum tones. Unfortunately these notes become all too evident for my liking. (Though, to be fair, I'm smelling this on a smelling strip - perhaps on the skin the castoreum wouldn't be so prevalent).

Suddenly the phone rings and I'm pulled away from this black currant heaven; by the time I return to the smelling strip, the dry down greets me. There are pine needles a plenty whose notes tingle the nose, the sweet black currant tones still cling on at the back, and yet there is also a soft undertone of cedar which intermingles with the rest and brings a distinct woodiness to the fragrance.

An Enchanted Forest it is indeed, which the perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour has done well to capture.

Intrigued? You can find out more about The Vagabond Prince Perfume House and their debut fragrance at Fragrantica.

Are you one of the lucky winners of a sample from Fragrantica? Do you love it, do you hate it? Make sure to leave a comment below!

Wrapped in BBW's Cashmere Glow

This past weekend saw the promotion of Bath and Body Works new Signature Collection scent, Cashmere Glow. Did you partake in the promo via Facebook and get your free 2oz sample? I did, and I can't tell you how great it was to walk in the shop, go straight to the cashier and receive my freebie! If you didn't participate, don't worry! It's currently on sale for $1, so if you want to pick one up it won't break the bank! Fabulous!

Cashmere Glow with vitamin e, jojoba, and shea butter is a familiarly pleasant and comforting scent. And, honestly, BBW should be proud (and possibly give a raise to their marketing team!) because for once I have to agree with their marketing! It actually does make me feel as if I'm wrapped in a cashmere blanket, warm and cozy on my couch in front of a fire on a cool autumn night. How did they manage to transport me to such a fantastic place? Why through the fragrance, of course! The scent is a delicate mix of sweet fruit, white floral, vanilla, and musk. The combined effect of these aromas makes a wearable, yet luxurious, scent, perfect for the coming cooler months.

I'm not often a BBW fan as their scents are usually overwhelmingly sweet, but not Cashmere Glow. It's warmingly subtle aroma will have you feeling comfortably confident, and others wondering what that wonderful scent you're wearing is!

Have you tried this scent? Do you love it, do you hate it? 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: 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 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?!

BBW Lip Jewels Liplicious Lip Gloss: Blackberry Bling

It's the end of the sparkly week, but not quite yet for us!  Today we're going to look at one last variant of the current Lip Jewel Liplicious line from Bath and Body Works.  Like the first gloss, Glittering Cola, this one is tinted.  Unlike the first and second gloss, it's not a sweet soda scent, but a fruity one.

Blackberry Bling opens with sweet berry notes.  It is a scent that I would characterize more closely to blackcurrants than blackberries, though.  Never heard of blackcurrant?  Don't worry - it's not well known in the United States.  Why is this?  Let me tell you.

Well over a hundred years ago blackcurrants were all the rage.  These berries were eaten, grown, and enjoyed by the American populous.  This was until the US federal government banned growing them in the early 1900s.  Blackcurrents were known to carry a fatal fungus to the white pine tree, which in turn posed a threat to the lucrative logging industry.  This ended the life of the blackcurrant in the United States.

That is, until 2003 when a horticulturist in New York was able to get the ban lifted (in New York only).  He began growing these ill-fated berries and they are now being introduced back into the American fruit bowl.

At this point you might be asking yourself, how does Scents n Scentsibility know what a blackcurrant smells like?  See, while the berry is virtually unknown to the American consumer, it never fell out of favor in Europe (almost quite the opposite).  It is a common fruit there and it's a popular flavor for products.  Two examples are crème de cassis from France and blackcurrant squash (a concentrated fruit syrup for flavoring water) in the UK.

Enough of the history lesson, let's get back to Blackberry Bling!  It opens with a distinctly blackcurrant scent (a light, sweet combination of blueberry and raspberry).  Once on the lips the scent morphs to become sweeter, almost candy like.  Oddly, though, there is that same Trident Bubble Gum scent that was in Glittering Cola and Sparkling Soda.  It is sitting way at the back, but it is still there.

As Blackberry Bling sits on the lips the berry aroma is lighter, the sweet-candy-blueberry hints are nearly indistinct and the Trident Bubble Gum scent is dull.  I can't smell any of the base underneath, but there really is not much left of the scent.

I have to say that while the packaging for the Lip Jewels range is attractive (bordering on tacky), the gloss itself doesn't live up to its $8 price tag.  If you're going to spend that much money, I would recommend forking out the extra $2 and getting yourself a philosophy lip gloss!

The Big Pony Collection for Women 3

Continuing with our topic of the week, today we plod on with the third fragrance in the Big Pony Collection for Women (Ralph Lauren's new fragrance range).  If you've read the reviews of 1 and 2 you'll know that Big Pony was originally launched as an apparel line six years ago.  Then two years ago it trickled down into a fragrance line for men, which has now expanded to include a range for women.  You'll also know that the target market is women ages 18-24, and that each fragrance represents an attribute of the modern (and youthful) 21st century woman.  So, since you know this already I won't mention it again.  I must comment, though - haven't we learned a lot!  And we're not done yet.


Big Pony Collection 1 was sporty.  Big Pony Collection 2 was sensual.  So, what could Big Pony Collection 3 be?  Nothing other than free-spirited, of course!  I mean, you've seen the ad, right?

I see all kinds of free spirits in there.  Have they managed to capture this in the fragrance?  Let's find out.


3 begins softly with juicy pear notes.  There is a slight citral hint hiding behind the pear which serves to lift and brighten the fragrance.  As the top notes begin to fade away the floral sweet notes of mimosa come to the forefront.  The mimosa scent, which is the main character of the fragrance, remains strong, fresh, and bright through the middle notes and in the dry down.


This scent is definitely a nice scent, but, unfortunately, it really is uncomplicated, unimaginative, and unextraordinary.  Which I am starting to think is a common thread in this 'team of fragrances.'


What do you think?  Make sure to leave your comment below!

The Big Pony Collection for Women 2

Two words: Big Pony.  And no, I am not talking about a small horse.  I am talking about the new colorful line of fragrances from Ralph Lauren: Big Pony Collection for Women.  With their vibrant colors and bold design, the Big Pony Collection targets the 18-24year old consumer.  This is evident in the youthfulness of the first fragrance in the collection, 1, the topic of Scents n Scentsibility's last post.


Now, the marketing team want us to believe the Big Pony Collection exists to help women express who they are. To do this, Ralph Lauren has identified, and defined their fragrances around, 4 key attributes.  1 is meant to represent the 'sporty' side of the 21st century woman. 2, this post's focus, embodies a less sweaty and more sexy attribute: sensual.  Let's get smelling.


Once 2 is sprayed you enter into a fragrant world which is both warmer and subtler than 1: there is no immediate intensity knocking you off your feet.  You are wrapped in a refined aroma of gentle, sweet berry swirled with quiet citrus tones.  The sweet-fruity-citral scent is reminiscent of Escada fragrances, but unlike Escada, this fragrance is not as brash, as sweet nor as overpowering.  The fragrance is linear with a little added musk to give the scent staying power. 


This is definitely a different, and even clever, take on sensual.  With this fragrance, Ralph Lauren stays true to the Big Pony style by being youthful and innocent, but adds sexiness through a quiet allure.  This is unlike typical sensual fragrances that are heavy on the orientals, the musks, the woods.  With this fragrance you realize sensuality can not only be defined by lavish, rich scents, but also by illusive, enigmatic ones which leave you wanting more.

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!

Limited Edition Valentine's Day scent from L'Occitane: Cherry Princess

Image courtesy of Idea Go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'll keep this one short and sweet because there isn't much time left to choose your scent before the love-infested holiday that is Valentine's Day.

For this most-romantic of holidays I've decided to visit L'Occitane, for who wouldn't know better about l'amour than les français with their language of love?  Mais oui!

L'Occitane has created a Limited Edition flanker based off of their popular Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette scent.  Which, BTW, I smelled while in store and although some people call it delicate and romantic, I call it a pretty mediocre floral that is not very strong and also does not last very long.  I mean, it all but disappeared from my scent strip within five minutes of spraying it!  But I digress...

Cherry Princess Eau de Toilette was a completely different experience.  It was vibrant and fresh with top notes of grapefruit and berry, and soft floral notes of violet and magnolia underneath.  It is a linear fragrance, so does not change as it dries down and unlike its parent Cherry Blossom, its scent stays strong and has a long lifetime on the skin.

The very helpful sales person in the store informed me that Cherry Princess EDT is indeed a limited edition and would be leaving the shelves after Valentine's Day ... so you better hurry out to pick some up, if not only so that you have something to scent-ccessorize with tomorrow for Valentine's Day!!

PS - if you miss out on Cherry Princess EDT you could find a very similar fragrance in Moschino's Hippy Fizz!

Burt's Bees makes güd

A new personal care product has been popping up on shelves in local stores.  Have you spotted it?  It's bright and feel good-y, and it also has a smile built into its name:

Yup, we're checking out the latest product launch from the all-natural brand Burt's Bees.

Burt's Bees has deviated from their traditionally clean, neutral and simplistic package designs and has opted for a cutesy artistic look à la Eric Carle and bright, happy colors like pink and orange.  Continuing along the cutesy theme, they've named the variants Floral Cherrynova, Orange Petalooza  and  Vanilla Flame.  (Are you smiling yet?)

Their goal with all of this is no doubt to extend their brand to a younger consumer, but one that is still concerned about natural ingredients and potentially harmful chemicals (güd advertises on its packaging that it has no parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals).  (You smiling now?)

In a final blast of cutesiness and feel-goodness, güd strives to make you (and those around you) smile with their 'newtastic'* , 'smelltastic' scents.

So, since I've got my hands on this new product, am I smiling?  I was in a fruity mood while at the store so I picked up the previously mentioned Orange Petalooza body wash and the unmentioned Pearanormal Activity, which doesn't appear on the güd website.  Must be an exclusive to Target!

My first impression of Orange Petalooza: Blood Orange Flower is orange popsicle - sweet and tart and oh, so yummy!  In use, the dynamics of the scent change.  It becomes more sophisticated and although it is still sweet in the top notes it is weighed down with white floral notes and a tiny bit of musk right at the bottom as well.  This makes it a much more 'adult' fragrance.  The bottle claims that 'if you don't sing in the shower, you will now', and I'm definitely singing!

Now to what appears to be a Target exclusive: Pearanormal Activity: Pear & Açaí Berry body wash.  In  its neat form this scent is definitely not as strong as the Orange Petalooza.  It has sweet top notes that are barely recognizable as either pear or berry and warm gourmand, slightly vanilla-y undertones.  In use the fragrance continues to lack strength, but has a mild and pleasant sweet-berry-gourmand scent.  The bottle claims that 'it's like an invigorating towel snap. Without the sting.'  I say, what towel snap - I didn't feel a thing! ...and maybe this is why  Pearanormal Activity is missing from the güd website!

In any case, I am giving the thumbs up to Burt's Bees and güd.  I like the packaging, the variant names are fun and even though Pearanormal Activity wasn't that great, Orange Petalooza definitely makes up for it!!

*      *      *

*on a side note, did the marketers on the güd team at Burt's Bees have a loss of creativity? 

Why so repetitive?  How about: 'it's not just new, it's newrrific.  Available in three smelltastic scents.'  or 'it's not just new, it's newtastic.  Available in three smellalicious scents.' OR EVEN BETTER - 'it's not just new, it's newrrific.  Available in three smellalicious scents.'

Leave a comment -what do you think?  Can you suggest something better?

BBW gets dressed up in Pink Chiffon

I took a trip today to Bath & Body Works to 'escape to the tropics' with their new tropical candles.  Don't worry, I did do this (I spent all too long in there, actually, trying to pick the most unique scents of the bunch to review here), but towards the end I have to admit that I got a little distracted.

See, when I got to the register they had the latest launch in their Signature Collection available in a 2oz size for $1.  How could I resist?  (You're right - I couldn't!)

So, while my new candles burn in their evaluation rooms, I have taken the liberty of checking out BBW's latest body lotion scent:

It is described as 'a light-as-air-pairing of soft pink petals and vanilla chiffon icing'.  So, we should expect a gourmand floral.  Is that what we get?

Well, first whiff out of the bottle we definitely can smell the light-as-air part - there is not very much fragrance there at all, which is very uncharacteristic for BBW!  Usually they are so strong that they knock me out with their overwhelming and sweeter-than-life scents!  Don't get me wrong, it is still sweet, but I somehow don't mind it as much because it isn't too busy offending my nose.

In use, it smells of a sweet, sugary cherry candy (so no, it isn't a gourmand floral), but it is still light with some hints of vanilla and musk minutely warming it up.  Saying that, this fragrance remains very light - so light in fact that I'm almost having to shove my hands up my nose to get the full dynamics of this new scent.

But that isn't a bad thing, I've decided.  I quite like that I haven't filled the room with an obnoxiously sweet scent while moisturizing my hands.  I bet the people around me appreciate it, too!

Thumbs up on this one, BBW!

Starting 2012 off fragrant with Michael Kors, Vera Wang & Escada

Needing some fragrance I took myself over to Ulta to see what was shaking in the way of new launches.  Woohoo, I hit the jackpot!  Which means I've got three newly launched fine fragrances reviewed for you here.

Let's begin with Island Michael Kors Very Bali (because it's winter and we'd all rather be on vacation somewhere like Bali.  Admit it.)  The packaging is enticing with a purple toned sunset, calm water, flowers and a palm tree.  The fragrance is as agreeable as the packaging, and just as conventional.  The top notes are sweet and floral with a tiny bit of citrus, which lifts the fragrance and keeps it quite light.  The muskiness of the dry down warms the fragrance, but not too much.  The musk mixes delicately with the bright florals to make a very nice, if not very unique, spring/summer fragrance.

Now, Valentine's Day is less than a month away so, while it's not really a new launch, it is only fair that we turn our attention to a romantic 2011 launch from Vera Wang: Lovestruck.  This fragrance fell down at the first hurdle; I wasn't able to pull out any discernible top notes after first spraying the fragrance!  I stared at my scent strip questioningly, and re-smelled it numerous times, but it was as if I hadn't sprayed anything on it!  So, needless to say, the top notes are very light.  But, the fragrance did pick itself up and the dry down notes are discernible.  There is an underlying musk to the fragrance which mixes with vanilla bean and a bit of fruity-floral sweetness.  It is a pleasant enough fragrance, but nothing to write home about.

Finally we have some Escada limited editions.  There are three: Island Kiss, Rockin' Rio and Sexy Graffiti.  Regrettably, I was only able to sample Island Kiss and Sexy Graffiti.  Sorry Rockin' Rio, maybe next time!

Island Kiss took me by surprise because it only had a little of the signature sweetness that characterizes Escada fragrances.  The rest of the top notes were extraordinarily clean with a nice soap-y, light citral scent.  It's dry down was just as light and clean as the top notes, but the sweet Escada character was more evident once dry.  I am very impressed by this fragrance - thumbs up, Escada!

Lastly I evaluated Sexy Graffiti and it was everything I expected from an Escada fragrance. It was loud, overly sweet:  almost the personification of pink (in the form of scent, of course!).  The top notes were a mixture of sweet berries and citrus, while the dry down was heavily citrus-y, which was made slightly dynamic by a hint of musk.  Although, saying that, the dry down was sorely unimpressive as the fragrance had mostly disappeared.  This is not surprising since citrus burns off quickly, which is why it is used so frequently as a top note.  In the end, Sexy Graffiti is everything one would expect from an Escada fragrance.


Thus concludes my first successful trip to Ulta of the year and hopefully there will be many more to come.  Bring on the 2012 launches, I say!

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!