Sunday, September 8, 2013

The Queen Of Tarts...

My birthday month & CBV?! Best month ever!!
     What's up all my CBV lovers? It has been awhile, but as always I am back with my monthly Candles By Victoria scent review. Since we are in the beginning of fall most of the scents I melted were what I considered "almost fall scents, but not quite". Basically I melted a lot of apple and bakery scents, but there are other categories in there too. So without further ado...
Only some of this month's bakery type scents.
Harvey Wallbanger:
Color: Pearl White
Cold Throw: One of the Top Shelf Black Label Line, this one smells very sweet almost like candy but not quite. I pick up on very rich vanilla with maybe a touch of maple in there, but maple haters don't let that scare you off because I am not a fan of maple, but the maple in this blends with the vanilla to just make a sweet scent without coming off syrupy. The description lists a few spices in this one, but on cold throw I don't smell any of them. This smells like a creamy rich complex vanilla scent that is almost candy sweet.

Warm Throw: It was a bit sweeter on cold throw than warm throw. On cold throw it kind of had an almost candy sweetness however that changes once warmed. While it is still certainly a sweet scent is kind of reminds me almost more like syrup. Not maple syrup! More like a syrupy kind of sweetness. This is one complicated scent to try and describe in words. To me this is kind of like Caro syrup and vanilla. The scent throw on this one was pretty moderate. I liked this one a bit better on cold throw than warm throw. While I still like this scent I liked it much better cold.

Cinnamon Buns:
Color: Saddle Brown
Cold Throw: I got this one so I could compare it to Cinnabon and Cinnamon Donuts. This one is leaning more on the side of Cinnamon Donuts only this one is strong Red Hot cinnamon. I have let it cure for 2 months now and Red Hot cinnamon continues to be the main fragrance, however this has a hint of a fried bakery note in the undercurrents though it is hard to be sure because the Red Hot cinnamon is so strong. I debated whether or not to burn this one or put it away and let cure longer, but I'm hoping it transforms more once melted.

Warm Throw:The fried bakery note did come out more once melted, however the cinnamon Red Hots fragrance continued to stay right alongside it. Out of Cinnabon and Cinnamon Donuts this one has the strongest and spiciest cinnamon in it so it was the more dominant fragrance however like I said before the fried bakery note was right there in the undercurrents the whole time. Like with most cinnamon scents this one was a strong scent thrower. Certainly in the above average range. Because I let this one cure for 2 months I can smell the fried note is stronger than it would have been had I not let it cure so long. So if you smell just cinnamon Red Hots on cold throw, put it away until you get that little whiff of a fried note then melt it. I personally don't have any problems with strong sharp cinnamon so I liked this one a lot however if you are sensitive to the Red Hot kind of cinnamon then this one will probably not be for you.

Personally I really liked Cinnamon Buns!

Sugared Shortbread:
Color: Pearl White
Cold Throw: One of Vic's newer scents this year, this one smells like it's namesake for the most part. It has that shortbread scent which is kind of semi-sweet and slightly cookie-ish. Then there is this almost lightly burnt sugar scent on top (not the nasty burnt sugar smell, but more like a crisp sugar) This one to me smells like sugar cookies though I have not had Victoria's Sugar Cookie scent that is what this one comes off as. Like a lightly sweetened crisp sugar cookie.

Warm Throw: Pretty much stayed the same as it did on cold throw. This one smells like a crisp and slightly less sweet sugar cookie. I didn't mind this one however I think I would prefer actual Sugar Cookie to this one just because I would like it to be a touch sweeter than it is. Still if you don't like overly sweet scents, but still have a craving for some sweet baked goodie fragrance then look no further this one is for you. It is a pretty simple, but pleasant scent. The scent throw on this one was decently average.

Caramel Macciato:
Color: Rustic Orange/Brown
Cold Throw: One of the newer coffee scents to be added to the line. I will be honest and say I have never had an actual caramel macciato before so I have no idea what they are supposed to really smell like. That being said I would guess they smell like this only maybe with a bit more coffee. This one is mainly a mixture of warm thick caramel with vanilla and then a little bit of coffee in the background. It is really rich and heavy on the caramel. While I typically don't mind caramel fragrances that much this one is a bit too rich for me personally, however caramel lovers would go nuts for this one.

Warm Throw: While I liked this one a bit better once warmed it still wasn't for my nose. This one was very sweet rich caramel and cream with very little coffee. If you love super sweet scents or even just are a huge caramel lover then this one is for you. I personally am not big on caramel scents so this one was just okay for me. I probably wont re-purchase just because of personal preference. However the scent throw on this one was pretty nice.
Too much caramel not enough coffee.

Bakery apple scents...
Baked Apple Strudel:
Color: Dark Chestnut Brown
Cold Throw: I just want to start off by saying I LOVE apple scents, however some of Victoria's cinnamon apple scents in the bakery category (like Spiced Apple Pie & Apple Pie Ala Mode) just didn't do it for me. They smelt like medicine to me for some reason. So I'm kind of choicey on the bakery apple scents. Having said that I love this scent! To me this is a true baked apple fragrance. Truthfully on cold throw alone I don't smell any hints of the "strudel" part, but I do smell lots of yummy baked apples. The apples smell like freshly glazed and baked apples drizzled with baking cinnamon not that strong Red Hot kind. This is what I wanted her apple pie scents to smell like.

Warm Throw: There were still no "strudel" bits or even any bakery notes in this one, but I still loved it because it smells like true baked apples glazed in light sweet baking cinnamon. This is a great fall apple scent. I am so glad I didn't give up on the bakery apple scents! The scent throw on this one was pretty moderate. It is a pretty simple scent, but I adore it. If you were disappointed by Spiced Apple Pie or Apple Pie Ala Mode like I was then I recommend giving this little guy a try. I certainly was not disappointed.

Apple Cinnamon Butter:
Color: Dark Chestnut Brown
Cold Throw: I did not like this one when I first smelt it, but now it has had 2 months to cure and smells a lot better than it initially did. So let it cure if you decide to try this one. Now it smells like that spiced baked apple smell like in Baked Apple Strudel only there are a few extra scents added in that change the fragrance into something like apple cinnnamon butter, but not quite. This one isn't overly buttery which is good for me because I don't care for butter scents though you can still tell that butter has been added into the baked apple cinnamon smell. I think there must be some kind of cream or something along those lines that anchors down this scent and subdues the sweetness. It is a complex fragrance, but for the most part it does smell like apple cinnamon butter (not the same as real apple butter though).

Warm Throw: Smells the same as it did on cold throw. I was worried the butter would rear it's head and make me not like this one so much, but thankfully for me it did not. The cinnamon was very toned down and this mainly smelt like baked apples with cream and touch of butter. It was very nice and did live up to it's name in my opinion. The scent throw was decently average. After reading varrying reviews online of this one I was prepared not to like it, but I actually enjoy this one. I think if you were hoping for more butter in this fragrance you may be a little disappointed because it isn't that buttery. Also as I said before you need to let this one cure for awhile. At first I hated the scent because it smelt funky but put it away and it should smell much better.

Dutch Apple Crunch:
Color: Dark Chestnut Brown
Cold Throw: At first this is just a Red Hot cinnamon type of fragrance and I will say this one takes a long time to cure. I let this one cure for 2 months and now the Red Hot cinnamon has toned down a lot and kind of sits in the backgroud now. The only other thing I get is an apple pie scent, though just the baked and spiced apples and not the crust part of apple pie. So this one smells sort of like a heavier spiced apple pie with a hint of butter and Red Hot cinnamon.

Warm Throw: This one is much richer once it is melted. The apple is still a baked apple like the kind found in apple pies and the butter comes out more and makes the overall fragrance a bit more thicker, warmer, and more bakeryish. The Red Hot cinnamon I didn't find to be too sharp or overwhelming, then again I am a cinnamon fan. I thought all the scents blended well to create a very rich warm bakery apple fragrance. The scent throw was decently average on this one.

Who likes the apple scents?

I went crazy for raspberry scents this month...
Raspberry Coconut Muffin:
Color: Dark Raspberry
Cold Throw: Smells like how you would think it should. The first thing I smell is sharp coconut shavings and then I get the sweetness from the raspberries, but the fruity scents are anchored down by something. I don't exactly get a muffin or bakery background in this, but there is something that is secretly subduing the fruity scents and keeping them from being too fruity.

Warm Throw: The sweet coconut shavings are honestly the most dominant fragrance with this one. You can still smell the raspberries there in the undertones but really the coconut is the most noticeable scent. It isn't bad at all or overly strong just I was expecting a bit more raspberry and muffin. It should be named Coconut Raspberry Muffin rather than the other way around. Still this one is nice if you love coconut types of fragrances. However if you were expecting this one to be more raspberry bakery with just a dash of coconut I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken. The scent throw on this one was a tad bit over average. I liked it personally, but I don't mind coconut fragrances. So I'd only purchase this one if you are a fan of coconut.

Raspberry Peach Cobbler
Color: Dark Raspberry
Cold Throw: Smells exactly like it's name implies. I can smell all of the scents equally without one overpowering the other. The raspberry blends with the peach to keep the peach from being too strong and too sweet like a few peach scents tend to do. Then the bakery crusty note sits in the bottom notes to keep the raspberry and peach from being too fruity and straying out of the bakery category.

Warm Throw: I have tried Apple Cobbler and Blueberry Cobbler and so far this one has the most "cobbler" in it. The crust like note comes out more in this one then the other two cobbler scents I tried which were mainly the fruity part. This one however has equal parts raspberry and peach as well as that baked crust smell. This one is probably truest to a real cobbler scent though I personally prefer the other two but that is because I'm bigger on apples and blueberries than the raspberry peach combo. Still this one smells exactly like how you would expect it to and is a yummy fruity bakery fragrance. The scent throw on this one was pretty average.

Razzmatazz Hazelnut Coffee:
Color: Dark Raspberry 
Cold Throw: Another one of the newer scents to be released this year. The first thing I pick up on is the raspberries and blackberries though it is mainly raspberries, but there is an undercurrent of hazelnuts that directly follows the raspberry scent and keeps it from being too sweet. Then there is the faintest hint of Victoria's coffee fragrance in the very bottom to add a bit of depth.

Warm Throw: I was a little unsure at first on whether or not I'd like this scent. Honestly I'm not a big fan of nutty/salty type of fragrances. Fortunately for me this one is actually on the sweet side. The sweet berry blend is the main scent, but the coffee undercurrent gives it a little bit of depth while the slight hint of hazelnuts rounds the fragrance out and gives it a nice twist. The scent throw was a little bit more than moderate. It filled up the room nicely and noticeably. I actually ended up liking this one quite a bit. This one will probably be a repurchase as soon as I use up the rest of the shot I have. Two thumbs up from me on this one!

These raspberry scents were all winners!

Vanilla Cream Raspberry:
Color: Dark Raspberry
Cold Throw: This one is just a pretty simple blend of vanilla and raspberries though the vanilla is pretty rich so it takes away a lot of the fruitiness of the raspberries. This one is more heavy creamy vanilla than raspberries but you do get both of the scents.

Warm Throw: This one was a lot better once warmed up. The juicyness of the raspberries came more into play and they complimented the smooth creamy vanilla nicely. The two fragrances balanced out evenly after a little bit on the burner. This one is a pretty simple, but still pleasant blend. The scent throw on this one was pretty much just average. I liked this one better warm, but this was just okay to me. I didn't not like the scent, but there are so much more that I like better and so I more than likely will not be repurchasing this one.

Raspberry Tomato Leaf:
Color: Plum Purple
Cold Throw: Apparently this was an older scent that got discontinued for a long time and has just now come back. I was so intrigued by this because it is such an odd mixture of scents. I was expecting maybe something a bit more fruitier, but this is in the Earthy category for a reason. This one does have sweetness thanks to the raspberries, but there is this green leafy tomato plant fragrance that add this eathiness to the sweetness. It oddly enough kind of reminds me of basil. Sadly for me I do not like leafy/earthy/herby scents so this one is just not for me on cold throw, but I can see others marveling at the sweet and plant-like mixture.

Warm Throw: Based on the cold throw I felt like I was going to hate this one, but something magical happened once it was warmed up. That basil smell I got on cold throw went away and the raspberries came out WAY more. It coupled with the tomato leaf which at first smelt really green, but when warm smells nice and dare I say somewhat clean? I may be crazy but this kind of reminds me of a fabric softener I had a long long time ago. It doesn't so much smell like laundry or something like that but it isn't really earthy or fruity smelling either. This scent is so hard to describe because I feel when people read the words "tomato leaf" they instantly think earthy and this wasn't like that so much. This is just one you have to try to make your own judgements on. I can see why they brought this one back because it does smell pretty good and the scent throw on this one is great as well. So don't be afraid of the cold throw like I was melt it first before you make your judgements.
 
At first I was like no...then I was like yes!

Miscellaneous scents...
Soft Blanket:
Color: Pearl White
Cold Throw: This scent is special to me because it reminds me of my great grandmother. (It does not in any way smell like an old lady though!! My gran always smelt great lol) So this description could be a little bias, but to me this is a very comforting scent just like it's name implies. I definitely get the warm amber that blends in with soft vanilla. I don't get any citrus at all in this so citrus haters don't write this one off because of the description. The amber vanilla combination may come off as a tad perfume like, but it isn't a strong perfume fragrance. This just evokes memories of my loving gran and how comforting and strong she was so to me this is just an amazing scent. For everyone else I think the name is appropriate because this is a soft and relaxing fragrance.

Warm Throw: The citrus was completely non-existent in this scent which is great for me because I love it just the way it is on cold and how it smells on cold is how it smells warm. The amber and vanilla mix really well together to create a very soothing yet warm scent. It isn't too sweet or perfumey it is just perfect! (Well I did say earlier this review might be a little bias lol) The scent throw on this one is in medium range. If you are looking for something different that isn't bakery or fruity or too stringently clean then give this fragrance a shot.

Citrusmoon:
Color: Burnt Orange
Cold Throw: This is not your tyical citrus type of scent. The top notes of this one are mainly a light fresh citrus that leans more towards the orangey category, but underneath that there is this complex light sweet floral smell that I want to say is probably the Ylang Ylang, because it doesn't smell like jasmine or rose petals. Trust me I hate both of those last two florals and I can pick those two out anywhere. I think I also pick up some of the vetiver that sort of rides on the edges of the scent and gives it a little sharpness to take away from all the sweetness. This is a very interesting citrus scent that I haven't smelled anywhere else.

Warm Throw: It was the same on warm throw as it was on cold throw with just a slight bit more of the soft florals blending in with the light citrusy orange. This one is a lovely and unique blend of fragrances. Just enough floral and just enough fruity to keep it from leaning one way or the other and the scents are all light and airy enough to where it isn't cloying or overly sweet. The scent throw was pretty average though because it is a light bright scent some might prefer to use more of the scent then usual.

Autumn Apple:
Color: Burnt Orange 
Cold Throw: This is sure to be a fall time favorite for a lot of people. It has top notes of apples that are slightly spiced, but not too cinnamon-y sitting on top of a crisp dried leaves base with a touch of bergamot for a darker kick. This one is really nice and perfect for fall. Under The Harvest Moon is still my favorite fall scent, but this is a close second. It has the dried leaves from UTHM, but with apple touch to add more sweetness.

Warm Throw: I love this one for fall. It smells pretty much the  same warmed as it does cold only you get more of that wonderful slightly spiced apple cider fragrance mixed with that crisp dried leaves smell. It smells like how I want my fall scents to smell. It isn't overly sweet or earthy it is sits perfectly in that delicate balance in between. The scent throw on this one was decently average. Gotta say I am really excited to melt this when it gets a little more colder. October why are you not here yet?

These were all amazing scents.
Sweet Talk:
Color: Dark Maroon 
Cold Throw: You can tell instantly that this is a Victoria's Secret perfume dupe. It has that slightly fruity perfumey blend that is a signature for that company's scents. This one is more berry like than peachy in fact I don't get much peach at all. It smells like a berry perfume. It is a very feminine type of scent. I think I would like this one more in Bath & Body than I do as a household scent. It is a bit to perfumey for me personally to melt in my house. Not that it is a bad scent I just don't care for my home to smell like perfume.

Warm Throw: What you would expect from a Victoria's Secret perfume dupe. It is fruity and perfumey without being too stringent on the perfume part. This one is still more berry smelling then peachy. The peach was barely noticeable so it was more like a berry Vic's Secret perfume. The scent throw on this one was pretty average. This one was nice, however I'm just not into the perfumey category. I think they do better in bath & body than in wax. I don't necessarily want my house to smell like women's perfume unless it is my bedroom.
This is one for the girls...
        That's all for this little review folks. I hope some of you found it to be helpful. Hopefully September will be a good month for all of you. It is my second favorite month, no not just because it is my birth month, but because it is the month that feels the most like fall where I live. I can't wait for the leaves to start changing. I'm ready for sweater season already. What about you guys? Anyways I will see some of you guys on the boards. Please make sure to check back for next month's review! Bye!