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| Pretty much my reaction when I opened the box... |
Recently I participated in the Round Robin over on the Candles By Victoria forum boards called
The Pouring Pot. If you don't know what a Round Robin is, basically one person starts a box full of scent shots that they are willing to trade. It usually consists of about 15 people who sign up. So the person who started the box will then mail it to the first person on the list. That person will take out what scents they want and trade it for some of their own that they don't. Whatever amount of wax you take out though you have to put back in. So you can trade a whole scent shot for a whole scent shot or you can trade a whole shot by putting back in two half scent shots. Once that person is done swapping shots they will send the box to the next person and so forth until the box is eventually shipped back to the person who started it. They will then be left with whatever is in the box. Pretty simple process really. This was my first time participating in such a thing and I had a lot of fun. Plus I had a lot of scents that I did not care for to trade. Surprise, surprise though, all the shots I took out were all food smelling lol!
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| First up is the cake category! |
Country Coffee Cake:
Color: Orange Sienna
Cold Throw: I smell Victoria's coffee scent, which to me smells like generic instant coffee. It is still a nice coffee scent, but it's not a rich fragrant coffee smell like you get with Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts coffee blends. Then there is a base of pound cake. It is very subtle and not buttery at all, but you get that bakery cake smell (not to be confused with the vanilla cake smell like in Pink Cupcake). Mixed with the coffee and cake smell I get a hint of cinnamon (the baking kind of cinnamon not the red hot kind). I wouldn't say it smells exactly like a coffee cake, because it isn't as sweet or sugary cinnamony enough to be considered that in my book. But still it is a really yummy scent that is very close to real coffee cake.
Warm Throw: Smells exactly like it did on cold throw. You get the yummy (almost) real coffee cake scent mixed equally with Victoria's fresh brewed coffee scent. The scent throw on this one is really good because it is in that category of strong without being too strong. I feel like this would be a really good scent to melt in the mornings when you just wake up. A very nice and comforting fragrance.
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| CCC is a great scent to wake up to after a rough night. |
Frosted Lime Cupcakes:
Color: Jade Green
Cold Throw: I for one have never had a lime cupcake, frosted or otherwise. So I cannot say if this smells like the real thing or not. I'm not even sure if there is such a real food or not lol. But I can say that this smells what I imagine a frosted lime cupcake would smell like. I get a mixture of lemony lime on top of a white cake base. I can almost smell a hint of those lemon sugar crystals that tend to come on lemon poppyseed muffins too. I think I would like this one more if they got rid of the lemon scent that is mixed in with the limes because lemony lime scents usually come out smelling like cleaner to me. This one does not smell like cleaner because of the heavy bakery notes underneath, but I'm just not a fan of lemons and limes mixed together. This one is nice though and it does smell like it's name implys. Maybe I should Google frosted lime cupcakes to see if they really do exist or not.
Warm Throw: I did finally get around to Googling frosted lime cupcakes and it turns out they do exist!! I seriously need to hunt down a bakery that sells them because I'm too lazy to actually bake them myself hehe. I was iffy about this scent at first because of the lemony lime scent which tends to remind me of cleaner, but the lemon scent completely disappered when warmed. What I got was a yummy vanilla cake smell mixed with sweet icing with just the hint of lime to give it a unique twist. The scent throw itself was pretty medium. I'd say that if you like cupcake/cake smelling fragrances and you are looking for something a bit different to change it up then you'd probably like this one.
Red Velvet Cake:
Color: Brick Red (Reddish Brown)
Cold Throw: Truth be told I don't usually care for Red Velvet Cake smelling things unless it is an actual Red Velvet Cake. To me anything else like soap, candles, or lotion in this scent always end up smelling extremely fake to me. When I saw this one I thought it would end up smelling like artificial chocolate cake like most of them do. But the first thing I smelt was actually ginger and nutmeg. So wasn't what I was expecting. On closer inspection underneath the ginger and nutmeg I can smell the faintest hint of white cake in there. That's pretty much all I could get on cold throw so I decided to keep this one to see how it would smell like once it was warmed.
Warm Throw: In the end this one did end up smelling like everything described in the description. The first thing I smell is butter, then there is this cake like base mixed with nutmeg and a dash of ginger. The cinnamon and vanilla notes blend so well into the mixture that they practically disappear. I like that this isn't overly sweet. It is still an obvious cake fragrance, but there is a lot more to it then just a white cake base that most of the cake like scents have. Smells like a real red velvet cake. The throw on this one was pretty good as well.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake:
Color: Pineapple Yellow
Cold Throw: Under the master fragrance list this one is just labeled as Pineapple Cake if you were looking for it but couldn't find it. That's exactly what this smells like on cold throw. Smells like legit pineapple upside down cake. I get a strong baked pineapples smell with a base of delicious cake. I was surprised I liked this one so much because I'm not a huge fan of pineapple scents in general, but the bakery kick this one has just makes me love it all the more. When I picked this one out of the box I was like "Oh yes! You are staying here with me!" I think I like it so much because it feels nostaligic. My mother and grandmother used to make pineapple upside down cakes a lot when I was younger. It was one of the few cake choices that me and my brothers all agreed on liking.
Warm Throw: The sweet baked pineapples really takes over this scent and pwns the cake notes that you smell on cold throw. The cake base that was apparant on cold almost disappears because a strong note of cherries comes out as well. The marashino cherries and the bakery pineapples combine to make one new scent that stands out among the rest. The scent throw on this puppy is STRONG. It filled up my bedroom and I could still smell it in the living room. I personally liked this one more on cold throw because I got more of the cakey notes that made me think of pineapple upside down cake, but when it is warmed up it just smells more like pineapples and cherries with a slight bakery note.
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| The above were all pretty yummy! |
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| Fruity bakery scents... |
Jelly Donut:
Color: Dark Maroon
Cold Throw: Smells pretty much just like it's namesake. I get a mixture of strawberry and grape jelly jam even though the description just lists strawberry jam. Underneath the jelly fragrances is this base of fried dough. It is really subtle and you kind of have to search for it because the jelly is the main fragrance you get at first, but it is definitely there when you look for it.
Warm Throw: Mmmm donuts... This is a dead on perfect jelly donut fragrance. This is so real smelling I can't even. I get equal parts delicious fried dough with a gooey jelly filling. I know it is strawberry jam, but it still smells like grape jam to me instead. I'm really glad that the fried dough comes out more once warmed because it makes this one more bakery instead of fruity. The scent throw on this baby is on the stronger side. This is a truly novel scent that is perfect for breakfast time or just for that special donut lover in your life. I'm really surprised I like this one so much because I'm not that fond of eating jelly donuts.
Chocolate Strawberries:
Color: Mahogany
Cold Throw: This one smells like Victoria's fresh picked strawberry mixed with her usual "chocolate" smell. Despite me not being a fan of artificial chocolate scents I rather like this one. It does smell sort of like chocolate covered strawberries if you can get past the fake chocolate scent. It is a pretty simple and straight up fragrance.
Warm Throw: It continues to have that artificial "not really chocolate but we are going to call it that anyway" chocolate scent that I am not really big on. The fresh picked strawberry scent adds something different into the fray without making it too fruity or sweet smelling. Both of the scents are equal and they blend nicely to create one new scent. The scent throw on this one is decently strong as well. Despite me not caring for artificial chocolate scents I don't mind this combination. It smells like it's name suggests.
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| The above are nice fruity bakery scents. |
Plum Streusel:
Color: Plum Purple
Cold Throw: First thing I get is juicy plums and dark berries mixed with what smells like a creamy vanilla base. It also has this bakery note in the bottom of the fragrance that just kind of follows the fruit like an after thought. It's funny because I didn't look up the description for this one until after I had decided to keep it. The description has all these fruits like apples, peaches, bananas, oranges, and an added cinnamon. I don't smell ANY of those at all! I can kind of understand the clove and the grapes, cherries, and strawberries because I think the clove is what adds that bakery scent I smelt at first and the grapes, cherries, and strawberries are probably what combined to create that dark berry smell I get. Despite the name of this one, the description names just about every fruit but plums. Odd considering the main fragrance I smell is plums. The dischord between the description and the actual smell of this has left me very confused lol.
Warm Throw: Despite the total disconnect between the ingrediants and the actual smell this one does indeed smell like a plum streusel to me. I get this really dark fruity fragrance. What I mean by dark is like either plums, grapes, or dark berries. It mainly smells like plums to me though. Then in the undertones I get a baked fried dough smell. Another mystery considering the description says absolutely nothing about dough. All it says is cinnamon, clove, and vanilla. I smell no cinnamon at all in this. And if there is clove it is well disguised. I feel like this is one of those "everything but the kitchen sink" type of fragrances that managed to actually turn itself into a completely new scent entirely. This one is a pretty nice bakery scent though. The throw is just a marginal bit over average. To sum it up it smells like it's namesake.
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| Scent description says one thing. Smells and is named like something else... |
Hawaiian Hula Muffin:
Color: Pineapple Yellow:
Cold Throw: The description on this is really interesting. This one is a mixture of Pineapple, Buttercream Crunch, Caramel, and Cookie. That is a lot of scent combinations! Since I picked this out of the round robin box I wasn't aware of everything it had in it. I just judged on the cold throw and decided to get it. The cold throw smells just like pineapple upside down cake. It has that bakery pineapple smell with a sweet base. I do not at all smell buttercream, caramel, or cookies.
Warm Throw: When this is warmed up I do get a more buttery bakery scent that comes out. There is still a pineapple smell, but it is toned down by the buttercream crunch, and also by a hint of caramel. I still am not getting any cookie fragrance however. So if there is cookie in this one it has to be a sugar cookie that is just getting swallowed up by the other fragrances. Despite all the scents in this one it isn't overly sweet to me like I figured it would be. I can almost see why it's called hawaiin hula muffin because it does have this bakery background similiar to that of a baked muffin. This one is just okay for me. I don't think I like it well enough to purchase again, but I am also not a big fan of buttery scents. Those of you who are might appreiciate this scent more than I do.
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| Oh cold throw, you have decieved me once again. |
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| Other random food smelling shots... |
Pumpkin Eggnog:
Color: Pumpkin Orange
Cold Throw: I chose to get this one mainly for my mother. She absolutely adores pumpkin scents and she loves to burn them all year round. I myself am pretty neutral on the pumpkin scents. I can take them or leave them really. This one is one that I like a bit better than some of the others I've tried. I like that the richness of the pumpkin is nicely tempered down by the creamy eggnog. The rum adds this slight spice that is different from the typical cinnamon/clove mixture that I typically find in pumpkin scents. A lot of pumpkin scents for me end up smelling very thick and heady while this one smells a smidge less heavy. I think it is the vanilla and rum of the eggnog that just makes this one yummy, but not too rich.
Warm Throw: I like this one a lot more than some of the other pumpkin scents I've tried. The rum in this one actually comes out a lot more once warmed up and it gives the heavy pumpkin this really nice kick without it being spicy smelling. This one ended up being half warm rum scented (not alcohol like in the least though) and half creamy pumpkin. The scent throw on this little guy was really impressive too. I thought it wouldn't be as strong as some of the other pumpkin scents I've tried (they are super throwers!) but this guy did the trick and filled my entire living room and even wafted up the staircase. I think I will like this more around the holidays, but it is still a very nice pumpkin scent. I would reccomend this to those of you who like pumpkin scents, but aren't fans of strong cinnamon or clove.
Bunny Slope:
Color: Milky Pearl White
Cold Throw: This is another one from Candleman's Closet which are a collection of L*** dupes. I have said this before and I will say it again; I have NEVER purchased or even smelt anything from that company. I live in the country and there are no stores anywhere near me so thus I have no idea whether or not this is a perfect dupe of the fragrance it is supposed to be copying. I believe this one is a dupe of Snow Bunny. It is supposed to smell like pure almond icing. A lot of people have said that this one smells like the notorious cherry almond scent that likes to strike certain unsuspecting fragrances and they are absolutely correct. I am not a fan of cherry almond scents, so it came as a surprise to myself when I picked this one out of the round robin box. Despite the cherry almond scent though I did smell a vanilla scent VERY similar to Rock That Vanilla in there as well. If you can remember that far back, I did a review of RTV and I wasn't a big fan of that either. I don't know what intrigues me so much about this scent that is a mixture of two fragrances I don't particularly care for, but I was just compelled to keep it. I don't understand why I do the things I do sometimes and this is another one of those cases...
Warm Throw: Wasn't as bad as I was expecting, in fact it wasn't bad at all. It still holds that slight cherry almond note to it, but it was more almond than cherry. The cherry was like just the faintest hint in the background. I'm not surprised it has a cherry almond not though because the scent is supposed to be almond icing. Icing is not what I smell though. I smell a vanilla that is very similar to Rock That Vanilla. It is sort of a designer vanilla fragrance that typically comes with the territory of that company that shall not be named. The scent throw on this one was pretty decent as well. All in all I'm quite surprised that I wasn't bothered by this one at all. I wouldn't go so far as to say I like it, but it was a nice unique fragrance nonetheless. If you like Snow Bunny from that bath company that rhymes with hush then I think you will like this one too.
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| Bunny Slope wasn't actually that bad! |
Snickerdoodle:
Color: Almond Brown
Cold Throw: I have eyed snickerdoodle for a very long time, almost from the very first time I ordered. I have however held off on buying it because I've been warned that it does not smell anything like real snickerdoodles. Truthfully I have yet to smell anything that smells like true snickerdoodles except for actual snickerdoodles. So when I saw this in the box I grabbed it anyways so I could end the mystery and finally see what it smelt like for myself. On cold throw I get the infamous "Red Hot" cinnamon smell and not much else. I don't smell sugar cookies or any sugar at all for that matter. Just Red Hot cinnamon.
Warm Throw: Warning: this one is a super strong thrower...like assasinate your brain strong! There is a powerful generic suger cookie fragrance, but it doesn't smell like baked sugar cookies, more like the frozen dough that you buy at the supermarket and just place and bake. I get equal parts sugar cookie dough and red hot cinnamon. I guess in the scheme of things it does smell sort of like a snickerdoodle, but I was hoping for something better honestly. I was hoping the cinnamon would be the sweet baking kind instead of the harsh in your face Red Hots kind. I was also hoping that the sugar cookie would be the baked fresh out of the oven kind instead of this doughy smell. I had to actually turn my warmer off because it was so overwhelming it was making my stomach hurt. Sadly this one was just not for me despite my adoration with the real food.
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| Pretty much my reaction to Snickerdoodle. |
That's all for this litte review. I'm really glad that I decided to try something new and give the Round Robin a shot *pun intended*. I found a lot of really great scents that I had over looked countless times before and probably would have continued to ignore otherwise. I've been busy creating a review of my Slap Yo Momma Smoothie Candle so hopefully I will have that up for you guys soon. I hope you guys look forward to it. This will be the only major CBV review I do for this month, but have no fear I already have next month's usual review in the works as we speak. This review was all food based, but next month's review is for the most part all summery scents. I will see you guys next time!
