Trick Or Treat: Smell My CBV!

It's that time of year again!

   Yes, indeed it is time for my annual Halloween CBV scent review! Since I have already reviewed most of the official Halloween esque scents (you can find them here.) these will be a bit more varied, but there are sure to be some scream worthy scents in the mix. So break out the bubbling cauldron's of green and orange punch, grab a glass, put on some spooky sounds, turn off the lights, and prepare yourselves because here we go...

As always let's start with the bakery scents... 

Pumpkin Cupcake:  
Cold throw: I waited a long time to finally melt this bad boy and the more it cured the more I liked it. I let it cure for about 3 months and it smells exactly like a real pumpkin cupcake. This one does have more cupcake in it than I was expecting, which is a pleasant surprise. So far this one is 3/4 yummy cupcake and 1/4 creamy pumpkin. The pumpkin in this is a light sweet pumpkin that doesn't have any spice in it at all. Shocking I know! But no tricks here, you won't find any cinnamon or spice in this one. I'm actually really grateful for that. I love my pumpkin spiced scents, but it is nice to just have a mild sweet pumpkin scent for a change.

Warm throw: This is one delicious fall bakery scent! This one had me wanting to put on my apron and officially celebrate the baking season by whipping up some *cough* poisoned *cough* pumpkin cupcakes of my own. It still remained more cupcake than pumpkin, but I didn't have a problem with that personally. The only complaint I have with this scent is that it didn't seem to last that long. It had about a medium scent throw, but was pretty much dissipated within 3 hours. But I only used 1/4 a shot and it was mouthwateringly good while it lasted. I would recommend this one to those who want a pumpkin scent but don't want any spice at all. It is also good for all of those who are looking to branch out and try a pumpkin scent but aren't sure where to start.

Fluffy Pink Candy: 
Cold Throw: You know what is the best part about Halloween? FREE CANDY! In that spirit here is a new candy scent. I can instantly pick out the Pink Sugar in this, but it is really sweetened up by the Cotton Candy and Marshmallow Fluff. I don't really get the marshmallow in this, but the fragrance does have a creamy "fluffiness" feel to it. The spun sugar in the Cotton Candy really ties the other two scents together nicely. It is a fun and sweet fragrance just like it's name suggests.

Warm Throw: The Marshmallow Fluff really comes out more once warmed up, you can actually smell the creamy sticky goodness. Other than that it still smells the same for the most part. This fragrance is really light, but sugary sweet, not so sweet that it will give you a toothache (or headache for that matter). The scent throw with this one was just average, but that's to be expected when you have a concoction of all light sugary sweet fragrances. This one is sure to have you dipping into the candy bowl early.

Peanut Butter Popcorn Ball: 
Cold Throw: Now most kids hate getting popcorn balls in their candy bags, but what about getting popcorn balls in your warmers? With this one I get the popcorn but for the most part but it is toned down and sweetened up quite a bit. I also get the Peanut Butter Cookies mixed with a blend of other sweet scents that without knowing what is in this scent you wouldn't be able to guess on your own. Since I know what is in it I can get a pinch of Granny's Pie Crust, but not so much the Creme' Brulee. Overall it smells like popcorn, peanut butter, and a touch of GPC.

Warm Throw: Granny's Pie Crust came out so much more once it was melted. It mixed well with the Peanut Butter Cookies and the popcorn. However I still didn't smell much of the Creme' Brulee. I think it was more of an anchoring scent that was added to make the whole fragrance much more cohesive. The popcorn wasn't too strong, but it was the more dominant smell of them all. The scent throw is decently strong with this one. I wasn't sure what to make of this scent at first, I didn't really care for it on cold, but once it melted I started to "warm" up to it. (excuse the pitifully bad pun) But now I like it and think it is great for the fall season.  I will caution you though that if you were looking for a "salty" scent don't be deceived by the popcorn it is pretty much rendered semi-sweet by the other scents so there really isn't any salt in this.

Pumpkin Frappuccino:
Cold Throw: I've heard this described as smelling like a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and I have to agree. I get the warm rich coffee and the creamy smooth pumpkin. I also get just a little hint of some baking cinnamon, but it is very minimal. This smells just like a cozy festive flavored coffee drink.

Warm Throw: This one comes to life a bit more once warmed up. The scent doesn't change just the strength of it does. This one is equal parts warm coffee and mild pumpkin. It is very well balanced and if you are worried about the cinnamon getting out of hand, don't. I didn't even notice it once it was all melted. This little baby has a strong scent throw sure to have you SCREAMING for more.

All of these are perfect companions for your Halloween bash.

Here are some spooktacular fall fragrances... 

Autumn Leaves:
Cold Throw: If a fall day could be captured in a cup this would be it. This smells like crisp and crunchy leaves with fresh autumn air. It just invokes the feeling of a cool fall afternoon walk with orange and yellow leaves falling everywhere. And it smells like real leaves, not fake ones in craft stores, but REAL actual leaves. It is like jumping into a giant leaf pile.

Warm Throw: It still smells as authentic as it did on cold. This is a perfect fall leaf fragrance! It has a medium to medium strong throw and it lasted a decent amount of time. I really love this scent. I like that there isn't any of your typical spice, apple, or pumpkin scents that are usually associated with this season. Not that I don't love those seasons too, it is just nice to have a seasonal scent that is different once in awhile.

Why I Autumn:
Cold Throw: This is another great fall fragrance. I get leaves, some cinnamon (not a too strong cinnamon), ginger, a touch of lemon, and another scent that I can't really identify. I checked the site description but it doesn't smell like any of those scents listed. As one user on the site pointed out it does smell like a fall potpourri  Really nice and not too spicy.

Warm Throw: Not much change in the fragrance from cold to hot. Don't let the cinnamon and ginger scare you off it isn't that red hot overpowering it just gives the scent a nice baking twist. It does still smell like a pretty fall fragranced potpourri. The scent throw was just average, but it is still a really lovely fall fragrance. Sure to be a hit with all those who love all things autumn scented!

These scents are sure to get you into the fall "spirit"

And now onto the perfume category...

Mad About You (Type):
Cold Throw: Oh boy this pretty scent is sure to drive you mad! I get a mixture of very soft and pretty florals with a touch of strawberries. I don't know well enough what most of the individual flowers in this smell like so I can't tell you if it is more cassis or peony. All I can tell you is that it is a gorgeous soft feminine floral that isn't likely to cause headaches unless you are very sensitive. The florals are perfume like, but not pungent in the least. And if you are a little leery about the patchouli or musk in the description don't be because I don't get any patchouli at all and the musk isn't that thick deep kind. Really I mainly get the flowers, the strawberries, and a touch of amber wood to round it all out.

Warm Throw: I think this is one that would be absolutely fantastic in Bath & Body! I can see why they named it Mad About You because once you smell this you will fall in love. It smells pretty much the same as it did on cold throw only much more lovelier. The scent throw on this one is strong, but not overpoweringly so. I think this is a gentle floral that won't irritate most people. I don't generally care for most florals, but I think this will become a staple. I know my mother has gone off and used most of it lol.

Dark Kiss:
Cold Throw: This one has had about 3 months to cure, so I think it is safe to say it is ready. I have never smelt what this is duping, but everyone else says it is almost spot on. What I get is a "mature" (not old lady) women's perfume. It has that feminine rich musk, with some creamy vanilla, and maybe just a touch of berries. I really don't get any fruity scent in this though. It is more just a deeper women's perfume scent. I don't know what to make of this one. I hated it at first, but the more I sniff the better it starts to smell to me. I guess I will just have to melt it to find out.

Warm Throw: I'm surprised by how much I ended up liking this one. I didn't care for it for the first few months it cured and was iffy on it up until I melted it. It is a very pretty women's perfume that is mostly a light musk with some rich vanilla. It doesn't sound that appealing I know by words alone, but it is actually really nice. There really isn't any berry or fruit smell though. I think this is a perfume scent more for women above 25, but that's just my humble opinion. I typically don't care for my house to smell like perfume or cologne related scents, but with this one I don't mind. I forgot to jot down the scent throw, so I honestly can't be too accurate, but I think it had a medium strong throw.

These scents will be sure to drive you fabulously mad!

And one lone fruit fragrance... 

Passionate Kisses Type: 
Cold Throw: Ok so the site description for this one has a TON of fragrances listed, but really I only get 2. This one has even cured for about 3 months as well and I just get a strong cherry and red hot cinnamon in the base. It is kind of a secretly spicy cherry scent. It reminds me a little bit of Big Red Gum with like sweet maraschino cherries. The cherry doesn't smell like the dreaded cough syrup kind to me so that's good.  I don't know with this one, I want to wait and see of it changes before making a final verdict.

Warm Throw: Nope, this one continued to just be strong maraschino cherries and red hot cinnamon. The cinnamon wasn't overpowering, but it was very noticeably there. I was hoping the other fragrances listed would come out of hiding but no such long. I'm left doubting their existence. *twilight zone music plays* I don't actually mind this scent, it just wasn't anything I was expecting it to be. I warn you all now that this scent is just sweet cherries with an undercurrent of spicy cinnamon. The scent throw was pretty strong too. I'm left on the fence with this one because I like cherry and cinnamon fragrances, but I was left underwhelmed because the web description had me expecting there would be more to it. It can be a treat for those cherry and cinnamon lovers, but a real trick for those who don't.

Warning: this scent may be scary for some.

      That's all for this year's monstrously sweet cbv review. I hope I didn't scare you away from any good fragrances to try. I also hope you all have a wicked fun and safe Halloween. I'm not exactly sure what my plans are right now I'm either helping my church with their "trunk or treating", going to a friend's house to pass out candy to all the little monsters, or sitting on my butt at home watching scary movies with popcorn, hot chocolate, and a cbv scent or two. However you decide to celebrate I wish you all a Happy Halloween!!

Now back to my lair...

Carol Of The Smells

I know I'm 2 months late but here is a Christmas scent review!

        I know that Christmas was so long ago, but I have a few extra Christmas themed scents to share with you all. I was going to post this closer to Christmas but snow and moving took my internet away so it is just now getting it's chance to be published. Still it is never too early to consider your options for next year though. Sadly once again I wont have the pictures of the actual scent shots, but I will have my descriptions and holiday gifs for you all. So I hope you guys enjoy it even though it is late.

Hollyberry: 
Color: Christmas Tree Green
Cold Throw: The site description is pretty spot on, on this one. I smell the clove along with a tiny hint of sweet bakery cinnamon mixed with a nice light citrusy orange fragrance with a touch of vanilla added to act as a base to round the whole scent out. I'm not sure why it is called Hollyberry since there is absolutely no hint of berries that I can smell but that is a minor thing. This scent fits in with the holiday fragrances and is a nice and different take on some of them.

Warm Throw: To be honest I didn't mind this one so much but it wasn't a favorite and I ended up swapping it in a round robin. However that isn't to say there was anything wrong or bad with this scent. I actually had no problems with it really I just didn't feel it was one I needed to keep in reserve in my personal stash. That being said this one was okay. I didn't really get any berry scent with it though which was kind of strange. I got more of the cinnamon/orange mixture with just a touch of vanilla that kept the cinnamon at bay. The scent throw if I remember correctly was pretty average. I would say though if you don't like cinnamon scents then pass on this one. Still don't let my description scare you away. Like I said I actually had no problems with this scent in general.

Hollyberry doesn't smell anything like holly or berries lol

Snowberry: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: I will just say I'm not the biggest berry fan unless it is blueberry or strawberry. Luckily strawberry is in this scent and is very noticeable. I don't exactly know what loganberry smells like by itself, but I can pick it out in this scent. In fact so far on cold throw I only smell loganberry and strawberry. There is no hint of cinnamon or peppermint in it that I can smell just yet. I kind of like it like this though. I love peppermint and cinnamon but I think it smells great with just the berries. Will be interesting to see if it changes once warmed.

Warm Throw: If you were a little turned off by the mint or cinnamon description let me put your fears to rest and say that I didn't get any cinnamon at all in this scent and only a minuscule amount of mint was to be found. Really the mint only served to make the berries smell more like chilled berries. This was pretty much a mixture of loganberry and strawberry. To me this is like a fruity sweet but not candy or tart sweet berry fragrance. I personally liked this one and feel like it could be an any season kind of scent. I would recommend this scent to those who like berry scents along the line of Berry Me Alive. The scent throw though wasn't very strong. It wasn't super weak either like it was noticeable but it dissipated quickly and 1/4 didn't exactly fill the room.

Christmas Kitchen: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: I get all the scents in this one wrapped up to make an entirely new complete scent. It is a nice subdued Christmas scent so it isn't overly heavy or spiced up as some tend to be. The orange is the predominant note but only by a little bit. The cinnamon isn't a sharp or abrasive kind and it kind of sits in the undercurrents. The pumpkin kind of acts like a base to round out the overall scent and give it a nice depth. I think all the scents are nicely balanced and each fragrance compliments the others.

Warm Throw: This was a very festive scent. Let me tell you if you are a little put off by the cold throw that the scents blend together better was all warmed up. It smells decidedly like Christmas time. The cinnamon stayed subdued but noticeable, the pumpkin didn't come out in force and kind of acted like the glue that held the scent together, and the orange wasn't too citrusy or thick smelling. Overall I liked it. I liked Christmas Lane better but this one is still really nice. The scent throw was pretty average.

Christmas By The Fire: 
Color: Chimney Brick Red
Cold Throw: I can immediately smell the cedar and sage in this one. I think I get a little bit of myrrh and nutmeg in this one too, but not much cinnamon or frankincense on cold throw. I'm not a big fan of the sage and cedar mixture in this one so far. It is kind of too earthy for me at the moment so I'm hoping the spices will come out more once warmed. I can see a lot of others really liking it as it is right now because of it's slight earthiness but I'm just not an earthy/woody fan myself.

Warm Throw: I ended up liking this one more than I initially thought I would. The fragrance came together better was warmed up and the frankincense peaked out a bit more than before. The cedar and sage is still apparent but they are tampered down by the other scents so it isn't overly earthy or woodsy. It had a really nice touch. Not sure it reminded me of a Christmas fire so to speak but it was still very nice and close to one. This would be a good one to have in a wood wick candle so you could get the smell and the nice little crackle of the wick. The scent throw was decently strong but not overwhelming or too powerful.

These really help you get into the Christmas spirit.

Star Of Bethlehem: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: This is a nice example of soft spices with a nice light citrus done right. Honestly I find this one a very nice mixture where the spices are soft and not "spicy" the clove and frankincense cloak the cinnamon and go hand in hand with a nice light orange fragrance. I am really liking this one for the holidays. This is kind of like what I was hoping Orange Clove would smell like only better. I like that the scent throw so far is very noticeable but it is an overall light type of fragrance.

Warm Throw: I really loved this one. I melted it on Christmas actually and it just set the mood so well. The spices were all as I said very much on the soft side and not the strong abrasive sharp kind. There is just this hint of citrus in the edges but it blends so well with the spices. The scent throw on this one was medium average the throw was just a little bit over normal.  I really would recommend this one to those who like clove or frankincense type of scents. I personally really love this one.  

Christmas Lane: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: This smells like Christmas to me. Like all the things I love about Christmas rolled into one just minus a mint smell that is my personal favorite for winter lol. I get the slight crisp apples, the airy oak, the lightly earthy essence of fir and balsam, along with a nice soft subdued spice of clove. The pine and cinnamon which I am sure are probably in here aren't really noticeable to me just yet on cold. To me this is a nice mixture of some classic Christmas scents and I really like how the mixture of all these fragrances makes one new scent that isn't thick or cloying. It is actually a nice slightly earthy, slightly sweet, and light scent.

Warm Throw: This and Rocky Mountain Christmas and Star Of Bethlehem were the highlights of my order. This one I think took first place just by a little bit. It stayed pretty much the same as it did on cold throw which was perfectly alright with me. The scent throw was pretty moderate. I don't think I can describe it any better than I did on cold throw but just know I love this scent. It just smells to me of all the things Christmas should smell like for me personally. This will probably be a permanent staple of mine for Christmas times to come.

Rocky Mountain Christmas: 
Color: Christmas Tree Green
Cold Throw: This is a combination of two favorite scents of mine, Sugared Spruce and Leaves Type. I love both those scents on their own and combined they smell terrific. The Sugared Spruce gives this crisp fresh evergreen tree smell and the Leaves Type adds this richer depth that adds the tiniest bit of cider spice that rounds out the scent. The Leaves Type takes away some of the sweetness from Sugared Spruce and gives it more earthiness so it smells more outdoorsy and real.

Warm Throw: I stick with my initial scent description. It stays pretty much the same once warmed up. It mainly smells like Sugared Spruce but it is made more real and authentic outdoors smelling thanks to the Leaves Type. I think the name captures this scent pretty well. It is a wonderful winter scent. The scent throw was super strong and filled the entire house and made it smells like evergreen trees covered in snow. Truly it creates a winter wonderland atmosphere. I really loved this one. Definitely have to have it in my winter scent arsenal.

These scents all make me so happy!

     That's it for this belated Christmas review. I hope you guys will remember some of these scents when you are ready to start plotting for next year. I know a few of you have planners probably with many pages lol. I will be uploading my Valentine's Day Review for you guys very very soon if all goes according to plan. Then after that I should be back onto my normal monthly review track. I still have a round robin review for next month for you guys as well so I hope you all come back for that. Anyways stay safe you guys I know half of the US has been pounded with winter storms while the other half has suffered from sever droughts so wherever you guys all are in the US or otherwise I hope you all take care and stay safe. See you next time guys!

Secret Santa 2013!

My Secret Santa box came today!

       On the 9th day of Christmas my Secret Santa sent to meeee.... WAY more than I deserved! So today I found out that the AH-MAZING and SUPER SWEET Jenn over on The Pouring Pot was my Secret Santa this year. I can't even begin to describe how thoughtful Jenn's gifts to me were. She put so much thought and effort into my box. All of the gifts were wrapped in pretty wrapping paper, even the super small ones, there were little notes on some of them, and even the box it came in had super cute cartoon kitty tape on it. She put in so much love in my box that I wanted to cry. I'm so touched by her wonderful presents to me and she spent WAY more than she should have. Jenn just has such a huge heart. I LOVE her to pieces and Jenn if you are reading this I don't even have the words to properly thank you enough. You were so generous to me and your box and little notes made me want to tear up and it sincerely touched my heart. THANK YOU SO MUCH Jenn and thank you so much for being such a truly great person and friend. So without further mushiness before I become a blob of Jell-O here is what she sent me...

Jenn certainly spoiled me ROTTEN!

   As you can see Jenn totally went the extra mile. I was super surprised when I saw all of these and even more touched when I saw just how much thought she gave it. Everything here was things that I have said I wanted on the boards in different posts for who knows how many weeks or months ago?  Jenn has such a great memory and attention to detail. The first thing I noticed was this adorable little paper bow that actually unfolds and becomes a little note. The note she wrote me was so sweet and made me smile from ear to ear. I'm keeping it on my computer desk because I can't bare to throw it away just yet.

See the super cute bow and journal.

    Then of course you can see this MASSIVE 1 pound chocolate bar. This may or may not be gone by Christmas... We will have to see how good I am and whether or not my mom gets into it too lol. Then there was this adorable little journal. It has different pages with this cute cartoon girl and her cat. I can see me plotting CBV orders in it already! Plus it is just my style everything from the colors to the girl.

Pretty much my same reaction.

And she threw in some Bath & Body goodies!

     I have been wanting to try Melissa's Bath & Body line for awhile now and Jenn was sweet enough to gift me these three babies. I was so excited when I saw these! I love body butter but get it from a different company so hadn't ordered Melissa's because I wanted to use up the ones I have so you can imagine my joy when I saw the body butter and the cherry on top was that Jenn got it in Whistlin Dixie! One of my all time favorite scents that I waited to be added to the bath and body line specifically. I was so touched she remembered and then the warm and fuzzies continued when I pulled out the Sophie Belle body spray. I love Sophie Belle it is one of my favorite of the fruity floral mixtures and it is perfect for a perfume! If that wasn't enough to make me weep with gratitude she also gifted me the sugar scrub in another favorite scent of mine Pizelle! It smells like such bakery wonderful goodness and I know will be so amazing to use in a hot shower in these cold months! I honestly cannot even express how much these mean to me. The fact that Jenn took into account my favorite scents and in the exact products I had offhandedly mentioned in previous posts on the board. UGH I just can't express all of the love I am feeling right now!

I wanted to roll around with glee when I saw these.

As if all of that wasn't sweet enough...

    Yep, to top it all off Jenn was so warm-hearted and charitable she even gave me a Glitter Candle in another one of my all time favorite scents Orange Vanilla Coffee. I'm not sure what glitter this is exactly. I think it may be Gem Blue or Aqua And Silver. It looks a lot like my gem blue glitter candle but it has more silver in it and is more sparkly so I'm thinking it may be aqua and silver. This picture does it absolutely no justice at all though it is super gorgeous and sparkly. Then you may be able to see it there at the bottom, my picture skills are less than stellar, but she also threw in a Blue Raspberry Slushie lip balm. Jenn must be a mind reader because I just placed an order the other day for a Green Apple lip balm, but I was so torn between getting the apple or the blue raspberry. It couldn't have come at a better time to because as most of you guys may know I accidentally washed 2 tubes of my Burts Bees in the washer and not having another tube of balm was driving me crazy!

    Jenn spoiled me way too much! She is so considerate and gracious. My heart was truly touched by everything in this package. It wasn't just the amazing gifts she gave or the great amount that she gave it, but her touch and care are so evident in every little thing. Honestly Jenn I don't know how to thank you enough. I feel so lucky to have you as my Secret Santa and also to have your friendship. I'm so grateful to you.

I wish I could hug you right now Jenn!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!!!

Christmas is so close I can almost smell the mistletoe I won't be kissed under.

     It's Christmas time again! Or Hanukkah, or whichever holiday you choose to celebrate. I personally celebrate Christmas so this will be a Christmas themed scent review. Sadly this month I do not have pictures of the actual scent shots like a normally do because it has been colder and I don't want to go outside in the sun to take pictures of them and freeze my butt off. But I still have fun Gifs and the rest of my usual CBV descriptions for you all. So I hope you guys don't mind. Now I know this is a busy season for most of you so let's get started!

First off here are two scents that fit in perfectly with the cold weather... 

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal: 
Color: Gingerbread Brown
Cold Throw: You know out of all the instant oatmeal out there apple cinnamon is actually my favorite to eat. When this scent came out though I wasn't sure that it was a scent I'd want my house to smell like, but I ordered it anyway to try. I'm so glad I did if the cold throw is any indication of how it will smell warm. The cinnamon is the sweet light baking cinnamon, none of that harsh red hot kind. The apple is a nice baked glazed apple fragrance and it is equal to the sweet cinnamon. This does indeed smell like an actual bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal. It is sweet, creamy, and comforting smelling.

Warm Throw: Still loving this one! It is so cozy and warm and makes my home feel more inviting. It has a really nice baked apple scent with a slight drizzle of light sweet baking cinnamon. The oatmeal doesn't really smell strictly of oatmeal but more like a more creamy apple cinnamon scent. The scent throw was pretty decent more in the average range. I really liked this one more than I thought I would. It is so yummy and great for the colder months when you are snuggled up inside.

Hot Toddy: 
Color: Gingerbread Brown
Cold Throw: Honestly when I first got this I had never had a hot toddy personally but I'd heard of them and had been long intrigued by them as well. I have to say on cold throw I can first identify the Macintosh apple. It is a crisp apple scent but it is toned down by a cinnamon clove mixture. The cinnamon isn't the red hot kind and so far has just been like a mixing spice scent with the clove. The clove is the main spice scent so this fragrance isn't too spicy or sharp really. There is some orange but it sits in the background and isn't really noticeable unless you are looking for it. The fruit and soft spice combo is pretty nice. Nothing too standout yet but we will see what happens when it is warmed up.

Warm Throw: I liked this one better once warmed up. My mom really liked this one too. The Macintosh apple isn't as prevalent once warmed up though it kind of blends nicely with all the other scents like a subdued baking cinnamon and clove mix. It isn't too spicy or fruity really it all blends into a new scent that feels comfortable and warm. Kind of like the name leads you to believe. However I like this much better than the actual Hot Toddy I tried last month for the first time ever. Let's just say not a fan of the drink myself, but I am a fan of this scent. The scent throw was pretty good too.

These scents were as cozy as a Christmas sweater.

And now here are some cold weather candy type scents...

Snow Taffy: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: Probably my favorite vanilla type scent from CBV to date. If it continues to smell this good once warmed then it will definitely be my favorite vanilla fragrance. This is mainly a rich decadent creamy french vanilla scent with a depth of light butter and a hint of cocoa with some caramelized sugar there in the edges. All the scents mix wonderfully together to just make a very nice luxurious smelling vanilla. I don't really smell lemons or strawberries but I like it just fine the way it is so far.

Warm Throw: This one was really nice. I like the type of vanilla it is because it is kind of rich with a different flavor to it then most vanillas. Maybe that is why I rate it so highly among all the rest of the vanillas. I thought it was creamy with a little something extra to it. The scent itself is pretty mild and subtle. It fills a room without being overly noticeable or invasive but gives the background a nice soft scent of warm pretty vanilla. I'd say the scent throw was medium, nothing too wowing but then again I don't see vanilla scents as stand out of the crowd fragrances so I thought it was really good.

Sugar Drops: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: This is a very sweet candy fragrance. It smells like REAL candy though I can't put my finger on exactly what candy it is reminding me of. It is a very familiar candy scent to me though. It is sweet but not sickeningly so in my opinion. It doesn't remind me of bubblegum or spice drops but the candy scent is something that I know I have had before but just can't put my finger on what exactly that is. Jandre said it smells somewhat like Big League Chew Gum and I have to say that it does kind of remind me of that though I feel there is another candy from my childhood that it reminds me of.

Warm Throw: Smells pretty much the same as it did on cold throw. I still can't figure out what kind of candy it reminds me of exactly though. Oh well maybe one day it will come to me. I have to say while I liked this one, the scent throw was pretty mild. It wasn't weak or anything but it had kind of a medium average throw at first then it was kind of quick to fade. It didn't linger around as long as I like my scents to. It is kind of like Sugar Plums in that area. Still I liked the scent and it was a nice nostalgic candy fragrance.

I thought these smelt pretty good.

Cherry Candy Cane: 
Color: Poinsettia Red
Cold Throw: When I first received this scent the cherry smelled like cough syrup cherry but now that it has had over 2 months to cure it has toned down a lot. It doesn't really smell like cough syrup anymore, more like a Luden's cherry cough drop now. So it is kind of like a sweet medicinal cherry but not too bad. The cherry is actually stronger than the mint which is different from Blueberry and Strawberry Candy Cane where it is the other way around. The mint is the second note but still is present in the overall fragrance. I am anxious to see if the mint will come out more once warmed.

Warm Throw: The cherry and the peppermint ended up evening out so neither one was really stronger than the other. Smells just like how you think it would, like a cherry candy cane. It wasn't overly sweet or candy smelling though. If you don't like cherry scents or are kind of on the fence I say skip this one because it is a strong mint and strong cherry. The scent throw was pretty strong. I didn't find it overpowering but my mother did. Then again my mother doesn't like cherry or minty scents so that could be why. I personally didn't have a problem with it. It wasn't a favorite but I didn't mind it either.

Strong mint and strong cherry. Smellers beware.

Christmas cookie type fragrances...

Cookies For Santa:
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: I know the description on the site is pretty vague so let me try and shed a little more descriptive light on this scent for those who have not tried it yet. It is a cookie-ish type scent with a hint of a very subdued red hot cinnamon and a layer of white icing. It actually kind of smells like an actual Christmas cookie like the kind that are sugar cookies covered in white Pillsbury icing and then topped with little red cinnamon candies. I will say though the red hot cinnamon isn't that prevalent but if you absolutely hate red hot cinnamon then pass on this one because it is still somewhat noticeable.

Warm Throw: I think it was Mandyz that described this one as an iced snicker doodle cookie and I kind of have to agree to a certain extent. To me it isn't so much snicker doodle but more like spice cookie. I think it smells like a nicely iced spice cookie. The cinnamon tones down a lot but it is still noticeable, but it blends with the fresh baked cookies scent and then there is this sweetness that smells like icing on top. I thought I might not like this one so much warmed but I actually really like it. It smelt great and made my mom ask if I was baking something. This one is a great cookie scent for the holidays. Very nice and the scent throw was decently strong too. Nothing overpowering but certainly noticeable.

Pink Sugar Cookie: 
Color: Cranberry Sauce Burgundy
Cold Throw: So I can really smell the Pink Sugar in this but I also get the base notes of Sugar Cookie as well. The Pink Sugar kind of smells like pink glitter sprinkles to me over a nice sugar cookie that is why I have been saving it for a few months for Christmas because it reminds me of a nicely decorated Christmas cookie. The Pink Sugar isn't so much perfumey anymore which is good because it would smell odd if it was.While I am not a big fan of Pink Sugar I actually don't mind this scent so far.

Warm Throw: As I said before I don't really care for Pink Sugar on it's own but I like it in this mixture. I don't get any perfumey notes from it because the Pink Sugar mixes so well with the Sugar Cookie scent that it becomes one and ends up smelling like pink glitter sprinkles on top a crisp fresh out of the oven sugar cookie. I liked how the two scents don't compete with each other but rather compliment the other one. It smells like something I would eat so it gets an approval rating from me. The scent throw on this one was pretty average I think. I'm glad I saved this scent for this time of year.

These cookies scents smelt real.

Apple Gingerbread Spice: 
Color: Gingerbread Brown
Cold Throw: At the risk of having coal thrown at me I have to admit that I am not a fan of gingerbread cookies. *ducks behind nearest snowbank* That is just eating them though I do think I like the scent of them. This scent to me is nice. Being a huge apple lover I really like the mixture of baked apples and slight cinnamon gingerbread. It is a nice holiday cookie scent. So far the apples are a bit more dominant than the gingerbread but not by much.

Warm Throw: I started out really liking this scent, but sadly it dissipated rather quickly until all I could smell was the burning of my warmer and a touch of cinnamon. It started out really great like the cold throw but didn't last long. I could smell the buttery gingerbread with the apple notes but then all I smelt was the warmer and I had it in a small enclosed room too. Such a shame. I think I like this scent, but don't like how quickly it fizzled out on me. It was like a quick burst of delicious smell then all too soon it was gone. So buy at your own discretion I would say it smelt great but then again didn't stick around much.

I thought we could be happy together but the scent left me.

Random wintery type scents...

Vanilla Sugar: 
Color: Snow White
Cold Throw: This is an EXACT dupe of the Bath & Body Works fragrance of the same name. It is a nice smooth vanilla fragrance. It is very soft and subdued and I don't think it is a vanilla that would offend those sensitive to certain scents. I have had the B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion before and I can say that it does indeed smell just like the original. So if you like the original scent or if you just like nice vanilla scents then give this one a try.

Warm Throw: Once again this continues to be a near perfect dupe for the B&BW scent. I really like the softness of this vanilla scent and find it to be mild but still really relaxing smelling. But that is just me personally. I really like vanilla scents and the original scent this one is duping so it should be no surprise that I liked this one a lot too. The scent throw was fairly moderate. So if you like the B&BW version you need to try this one too.

Sugared Spruce: 
Color: Christmas Tree Green
Cold Throw: I am not a big fan of tree scents however I have heard a lot of buzz surrounding this scent. After hearing a review from my friend Lisa over on The Pouring Pot I decided to break down and try it. This does indeed smell like sweetened evergreen trees to me. It doesn't smell like pine which is the usual Christmas tree type scent which is good because I don't care for pine. I think the name and description on the site if pretty accurate. It is like sweetened greenery. Not too sweet not too earthy. I actually don't mind this one and think it fits perfectly with the colder seasons.

Warm Throw: Still smells like sweetened evergreens. It is nice crisp and fresh with just the tiniest hint of sweetness. I have to stand by my initial cold throw description. I was afraid this one would be too earthy or "green" smelling but I actually really like it. It is refreshing and festive at the same time. It smells like winter trees without any pine tree scent. The throw was actually really good as well. Not a super thrower like say the pumpkin or red hot cinnamon scents are, but definitely up there with the fill the house kind of scents. This one was a pleasant surprise.

These two smelt so lovely.

    That's it for this review, but don't worry I've got another review for this month already in the works. That one will have more recent Christmas scents such as Rocky Mountain Christmas and Christmas By The Fire. Not sure when I will have that one up but before Christmas sometime it will be up if all goes well. So I hope you guys have a wonderful season and that you all stay safe. See you guys soon!

First Round Robin Haul/Review!

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!

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. 

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.

The above were all pretty yummy!

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.

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.

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.

Oh cold throw, you have decieved me once again.

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.

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.

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!

Nail Polish Challenge Week 14: Flowers!

Keeping up with New Year's Resolutions still?

      Happy Monday everybody! The first week of the year has officially ended. Are you guys still sticking to those New Year's resolutions? I know I've been excercising every day of the week so far and I can already tell that my flexibility is getting better. I can do lunges now much better than before so hurray for progress! Let's hope I can keep the motivation going though. Anyways the theme for this week's nail polish challenge is flowers!

I tried for Daisies.

       So for flowers I wanted to do something a little bit different and tried to go for something like Daisies although they look more abstract than I had wanted I am happy with them. It was my first time doing something like this on my own. For the base color I used two coats of China Glaze's For Audrey and for the yellow center's I used Avon's Sunshine, then for the petals I just used a cheap dollar store white nail striper that has no name, and as usual I topped it all off with my trusty NYC Long Wearing Super Shiny Top Coat. That's it for this week's nail polish challenge. I don't know if Blogger is being buggy or if it has a really glitchy update or what, but for some reason it won't let me upload pictures straight from my computer anymore. I had to upload them on Photobucket and then paste the url link to get them. Am I the only one having this problem? Whatever it is I hope it works itself out and goes back to the simpler way it was before. Please look forward to next week's post!