Thursday, June 30, 2011

Tonight in my warmer; Twilight!

In the left corner; The Dupe Twilight!
In the right corner; The Original Twilight Woods!
I thought it would be fun to compare a "dupe" to the original of one of my favorite scents in the whole world, Twilight Woods. For those who may not be familiar, Twilight Woods is a scent from Bath and Body Works. It is mostly made in personal fragrance, lotions and shower gels. The candle is sold online, but rarely in stores. (I was very lucky to find one in the 75% off bin during the Semi Annual Sale) When I saw that Can-Do-Candles made a dupe named "Twilight" I couldn't resist giving it a try.
 Since one is a candle and the other is a tart, I tried to make it fair by cutting the candles into pieces that would fit my burner. Twilight Woods is a 4 ounce candle and  Twilight is a 1 ounce tart. I cut the candle into quarters so they would have a similar size wax pool. I am using 2 tart burners and not the electric warmer. (the scent pool is much wider with the warmer and probably would affect the throw.)

The most obvious difference is that the candle is white, and the tart is blue. I actually love the baby blue color so I put it in the white burner to make it easier to see. 

B&BW says that the Twilight Woods candle is made from a blend of vegetable wax, and the pieces are quite a bit softer.
The tart is made from paraffin wax and is consistent with the texture of all the other tarts I have used.

On to the most important part; The Scent!

The Bath and Body Works Website describes Twilight Woods as " Apricot nectar, mimosa petals, and Tuscan cypress", and Can-Do simply states "Dupe of BBW's Twilight Woods".
I do sense the "woodsy" aroma in both, but after that, the similarities end. Twilight Woods melts into a creamy, sweet, almost vanilla like earthy scent. The Twilight dupe doesn't have the creamy effect at all, it has a lot more of a tangy floral in it. They both have a pretty good throw.

The original Twilight Woods is still my favorite. The Twilight dupe is nice but the floral notes make it quite different. There is enough of a variation between the two in my opinion, to not qualify it as a duplicate. I do however, think the scent is good enough to stand on its own. Not to mention the wax pool with Twilight is a gorgeous color of blue. While the original is just a generic clear.

Beautiful Colored Wax Pool!
White Wax Melted Clear.










I am still on the quest to find the perfect dupe (anybody know of one!?!), but I still enjoy Twilight and will buy it again.

Bedtime Bath Photos


Tonight in my warmer; Bedtime Bath!

Today was a pretty stressful day at work. While looking through my tarts trying to figure out what to melt tonight I decided I wanted something low key and relaxing.  I ended up choosing Bedtime Bath from Kim's Tarts. With a name like Bedtime Bath, how could it not soothing? Only the two most peaceful things on the planet combined into one tart!


Kim describes the scent on her website as "Fruity top notes of lemon peel and sweet apple add freshness to this soothing floral blend. Lavender and chamomile are lifted with bergamot and blended with summer florals to create an enchanting effect. Soft powdery undertones blend with clear musk at the base of the scent."
Definitely more complex than the last few tarts I've tried. Smelling it cold, I get the Lavender, definitely the Chamomile, with a bit of tang. The tang must be the lemon peel, because I don't get any impressions of apple. I can't smell the musk, but the powder tones come through a bit.  



Once its melted, the scent becomes strange and changes completely. The powder is gone and the musk is strong.The tartness that I smelled at first has warped into something more...acrid. I was expecting a soft sweet relaxing effect, but it's too harsh and medicinal. The throw is average.

Pros; Its alright cold
Cons; I hate it melted
Overall; 3/10



The throw okay, but the scent is horrid. If Nyquil is looking for a new flavor inspiration, I think I found it.
It's a good quality tart, the scent is just not for me. I'm glad I gave it a chance, but I will not purchase this one again. That's the way it goes, they can't all get rave reviews. I guess we need something to compare the great ones to.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Coming Soon! EcoScents, and Wahm's Scented Wax Reviews!

Since I have had such wonderful experiences with Can-Do-Candles and Kim's Tarts I've been excited to try some new vendors. I found Wahm's Scented Wax on the "What's in your Warmer?" Facebook page.
For those of you who don't know, it's owned by a very nice lady named Julie, and she has quite a following! All the glowing comments and compliments piqued my interest, so I placed an order....with a twist!
I asked her to place an order for a few tarts, but I wanted them to be completely random.
I'm the play it safe kind of girl. Never won a game of Risk in my life, because well, risks aren't my thing.

If I placed an order myself, I wouldn't get out of my scented comfort zone. I would just pick scents I know I would like. So I'm hoping that I will receive something that I would never choose for myself. I am hoping to find something that will delightfully surprise me. I wouldn't (and haven't) ever ordered a Bakery Scent. Something about a scent that is supposed to smell like food seems strange to me. (Except of course for very simple sweet scents like Vanilla and Buttercream). But perhaps if one made its way into my box-o-tarts I will be proven wrong!
Thank you Julie for taking an odd request in stride! I look forward to getting them.

Also! I had a gift card from Swagbucks handy and was looking to pad an order with Amazon.com (for the Free Super Saver Shipping of course!)  I came across Ecoscents. I know nothing about them except they are a  "natural soy wax". Since the price was right, I'm going to give them a try.

Excited for them to come in, and write lots more reviews!
Nicole

Tonight in my warmer; Pretty Woman!

I try to change change up my scents from day to day, so while going through my box-o-tarts I chose one who's name does not define  the fragrance in the slightest. It's a beautiful soft pink tart from Can-Do-Candles. Donna describes the scent on her website as
"Pretty Woman- Fresh and feminine. Very pretty!"

The description isn't any more clear than the name, but on first whiff I have to say it is accurate. It IS a pretty scent. So, I'm going to use my nose, guess what it is, and then ask her what the actual notes are.

Smelling it cold, I have to guess, a very light floral, (Sweet Pea or Plumeria perhaps?) mixed with a fresher aspect. I'm thinking, baby powder? I actually think this scent should have been named Pretty Little Girl or Baby Girl or something similar.

Now that I'm melting it, I think I should have used the white tart burner instead. The color of the wax is quite lovely, but its lost in the maroon color of the larger warmer.
As far as the scent goes, it's not nearly as strong as I would have expected after smelling the tart cold. The powdery note seems to tone down, and the light flowery smell shines. If I hadn't know what it was like before it was melted, I might have mistaken it for an "off" Sweet Pea.

The throw is decent, but not amazing. I get it at my desk, but not in other parts of my room. If this were a regular candle I would probably do the "bathroom test". (I do NOT ever recommend moving a tart burner with hot wax in it.)

Pros; Can't decide if you want fresh or floral? Have both!
Cons; Throw is a bit on the lighter side.
Overall; 8/10
The throw is not as strong as I would prefer, but its fun how the scent changed from when it was cold to after it was melted. Its as if...my Baby Girl became a Pretty Woman!

Please show Donna some love and check out her website.
http://www.can-do-candles.com

Vanilla Satin

I don't buy from Yankee Candle very much. They are big and expensive. To be honest, privately owned sellers can make candles and tarts just as good (And often times even better!) at a fraction of the price.  I was poking around in Yankee last weekend, looking to see if there were any good deals for their Semi-Annual Sale. I bought Warm Sugar and Ocean Water off the sale table, and at checkout received a coupon for $10 off their new fall scents that just debuted.
I've been really into Vanilla scents lately and Vanilla Satin quickly caught my eye. Yankee describes this scent as " Sophisticated. Classic. A smooth blend of rich vanilla, romantic flowers and sensuous sandalwood".
It had my three favorite components. Vanilla, Floral and Sandalwood! Thrilled, I took my treasure home.
It burns nicely but I couldn't smell much from it. As a test, I set it on the counter top in my bathroom for about half an hour. The scent is lovely. I would consider it an even mix of Sandalwood and Vanilla, with maybe just a hint of flowers.
So I conducted part 2 of my test. I set the candle back on my desk, and the scent was lost.  Bummer! It's a good quality candle, but the throw is just too light for the size of my living room. Sad considering its 22 ounces.
By comparison 3 of Kim's Tart's Buttercream in my tart warmer scented the whole room like crazy. 1 Fresh Linen Tart from Can-Do had almost the same effect.
Disappointed in Vanilla Satin to say the least.

Pros; Burns Great. Awesome scent, one of my favorites already.
Cons; Very Light throw for a 22 ounce candle.
Overall; 7.5/10 This may end up being a "bathroom" candle, because that's the only place I can smell it.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Tonight in my warmer; Magnolia!

In a land where Bakery scents seem to be king, florals seem to be a little controversial in the candle and tart world. Most people either love them or hate them. Rightfully so, since many florals are made without the sweetness to temper the fragrance. That's why so many are mixed with Vanilla. Pure Lavender makes me gag, but Lavender Vanilla is nice. I feel the same with Jasmine and Jasmine Vanilla.
If someone was interested in trying some florals (without the sweetener), I would recommend trying Magnolia. Its not as strong as some florals, such as Lilac, but not as sweet as a Sweet Pea or Plumeria.

When you smell them cold, they are surprisingly strong. Thankfully once it was in my warmer it didn't overwhelm, the scent was actually a little lighter than expected.
While soft and pleasant, there is nothing about Magnolia that stands out as interesting or special. One would be able to tell its floral, but not be able to specify which one by scent alone as someone could with a Rose or Lavender.
But if your one of the few people on the fence about florals, Magnolia is a nice halfway between the super sweet and the heavy scented.


Pros; A soft floral that doesn't overwhelm
Cons; Probably something you would purchase once; forgettable
Overall; 7/10  I'm glad I tried it, but probably won't purchase again.



Sunday, June 26, 2011

B&BW SAS Find! Warm Vanilla Sugar Conditioner!

While poking around in the 75% off bins last week I came across a few Warm Vanilla Sugar Volumizing Conditioners. No shampoos to be found, but at that kind of discount I couldn't resist giving them a try.

The scent was really nice, so I went to the B&BW website and was pleased to find that they were marked down from $7 to $4 each. I purchased some of the Warm Vanilla Sugar Shampoo, as well as the shampoo and conditioner combo in Moonlight Path and Sweet Pea.

I've been using the Warm Vanilla Sugar Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner for about a week now, and I like it. The shampoo has a great scent (none of the plasticy people smell with the shower gel), it lathers nicely and rinses clean.
Sadly I don't think the conditioner is as good. The scent is wonderful, but it seems thinner than most others on the market and I find I have to use more than normal. To be fair though, my hair is pretty long and I always go through conditioner faster than shampoo.
The volumizing aspect is nice, but not better than what you would find elsewhere.
I'm surprised they don't carry these in stores they would probably be a big selling item.










Pros; smells great, is a good volumizing shampoo and conditioner
Cons; only available online, regularly priced 7 dollars each. Not really better than other products.
Overall; 8/10 Shampoo is awesome, Conditioner is fair. Availability and Pricing is lame.

Tonight in my warmer; Fresh Linen!

Sunday is laundry day, so I thought melting a Fresh Linen tart would be fitting. I purchased it from Can-Do-Candles.
http://www.can-do-candles.com/
The most exciting thing about Can-Do is that she offers samplers. I personally, love love love sampler packs. I wish more sellers offered them. I'm fairly new to the candle/wax/tart market and I want to try a little of everything.
Can-Do-Candles
 
offers 4 different sampler sets, Fresh, Bakery, Fruit Stand and Tropical.
 



I ordered the Fresh Sampler Sack and a pack of 6 in a single scent. Each tart is in its own individual baggy. Which is great for the sampler tarts since I only got 1 of each. For the pack of 6 I received I think I would have preferred if they had all been stored together. After living in Oregon (the green capital of the country), it bugs me a little to see wasted plastic.
I also like to melt each tart at least twice, and not always consecutively. After the tart has been melted, the little baggy is too small to use as storage.
As for the tarts themselves, I have been very pleased with each one I have melted. Fresh Linen started off with a huge burst of fragrance. I almost considered moving it to a wider area in the room, but shortly after it calmed down. It's been melting at least an hour now and I can still smell it headache free.
 Fresh Linen
Pros; Nice strong scent. Smells exactly like expected
Cons; Can start off TOO strong
Overall rating; 9/10









Can-Do-Candles is owned by Donna. She responds to questions quickly and is quite a pleasure to speak with. I look forward to buying from her again.

Breakfast Potato Brunch 06/26/11

I've always loved potatoes and bacon, so putting them together is a combination made in delicious artery clogging heaven. I'm not a health guru in any way, but most of the time I try to eat responsibly.

Sundays however, is like the "Free Space" of my week. I eat whatever I please, no guilt allowed!

So I bring to you an easy, delicious, and terribly unhealthy Breakfast Potato Recipe.

1) Chop potatoes (I used 1 since it was just me) into even sized pieces

2) Fry 1 to 2 strips of bacon in a pan until crisp. (add more in accordance with the number of potatoes)

3) Take the bacon out of the pan, and slowly add potatoes. (Careful! I got a nasty oil burn because I   tossed them in too quickly)

4) Cook over medium heat until browned and tender all the way through.

5)Crumbed and add bacon. Top with cheddar cheese.

Spices I like to add; Onion powder, Garlic salt, and a dash Cayenne pepper

Good additions are Chopped onions, Chopped peppers, Chopped ham

From my kitchen to yours.
Enjoy!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Tonight in my warmer; Buttercream!

If you have never tried Kim's Tarts before, I highly recommend her.  She sells her tarts for $1.50 for a bag of three. Approximately an ounce a piece.
Her website is one of the easier ones to navigate. She has a cute thumbnail photo and description by each one. (I get incredibly annoyed by website that make you go to a separate area to view scent descriptions). I had a question for her, and she replied quickly and was very nice.

As for the tart itself its a cute scallop shape with a light tan color. (She colors them according to scent). When I use my tart burner I melt one, when I use my electric warmer, I toss in all three. I have the warmer in my living room which is fairly large. I'm pleased to say it is scenting the whole room. (Unlike a certain Yankee candle...AHEM)
Its strong enough that I can smell it very well, but not so strong it gives me a headache. I've actually melted this one a couple times, and the scent is still noticeable. 
Pros; great scent throw, long lasting, good value.
Cons; I wish I had bought more.

For me personally, I give it 10/10
It's exactly what I wanted, and exceeded my expectations with the throw.

 Her website is http://www.tartcandlesbykim.com

I am not affiliated with Kim's Tart's in any way. I am just a happy customer. :)

Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale June 2011

I am so stoked about my trip to B&BW today. I have been purposely waiting for the items I wanted to go from 50% off to 75% off.
The main reason for my trip was Butterfly Flower. I am so sad to see this discontinued. I bought a couple extra I intend to use as a gift for a friend who also loves this scent as much as I do. She might read this at some point, so she shall remain nameless, although I'm sure she probably knows who she is.
Black Amethyst I purchased because they (I'm 90% sure) are discontinuing the bubble bath and shower cream. This scent I'm a bit on the fence about. One minute it seems really nice, then other times it seems a bit....ahem...mature. Not "I'm a grown up mature", more like for the age group that probably doesn't shop at Bath and Body works, the ones that might have distant memories of World War II.

It's a little like an old lady smell! (geez, now I feel a little guilty). I secretly think its still around because Camille McDonald is a fan.
ANYWAY, I use it occasionally because its a nice change of pace and it was in the 75% off bin.

I grabbed 2 Twilight Woods shower gels. It's on sale because the Spring Packaging is getting phased out. Personally I think the spring packaging is kinda..bleh. I'm actually considering pouring the gel into my regularly packaged bottle.
But then, whats in a label anyway? Of all the superficial reasons to not like something, its probably the superficialist. (Lol, that's not really a word). TW makes for a great bedtime scent, so I'm rather pleased I found some.


A vanilla bliss hand soap, because it turns out I have a budding love for all vanilla scents.


And last but not least a night blooming jasmine shower gel. Surprisingly at $3 the most expensive out of the bunch. It's a classic, and is rarely in stores. It is always available online, but the shipping charges are a bit too high for me, so I wanted to get it in store while I could.
Normally we would balk at me getting so much at one time (we're thrifty folk), but at $2 and some change a piece with a $10 off coupon I made out like a bandit.
Used my piggy money like a pro. (I have a piggy bank all my spare change goes into. Cashed him out for the SAS)
 Piggy's kind of hungry. Have to start saving my pennies for the next SAS. :)

Today's Meal Attempt.

For those of you who don't know... I'm cheap. Very Cheap.
 My mother and I used to have this joke, She would say "You squeeze George so hard Martha gets jealous." (Referring to Mr. George Washington on the 1 dollar bill) She's right of course, as many mother's are. You will find me eagerly clipping coupons every Sunday morning, and I would never go to the grocery store without my trusty coupon notebook. (Sacrilege!)

Anywho, I had some leftover beef broth from a pot roast a made a couple days prior. In the pursuit of thriftyness I did a recipe search of what could be made with the left over said broth, and the idea for French Onion Soup was born.
Seemed easy enough, so I ran to the grocery and bought a couple onions. The first I chopped finely, and the other I sliced into larger pieces. Which is meant to make for a more interesting texture (Thanks to my dear old Dad for the idea). I browned the onions in a pan, added to the slow cooker, then the broth and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

I didn't have oven proof bowls to broil a bit of cheese on top, (which is traditional).
Unfortunately I might have cooked it a bit too long, as the onions were a little more soft than I had intended.

Also, I purposely left a few meaty bits from the pot roast I made, although it is not traditional I thought it would make it a bit more hearty.

Paired nicely with a French Baguette with Boursin Cheese.
Sadly, it looks a little like vomit, but it made for a hearty meal. I am certainly glad I have leftovers :)

Fragrance of the Evening; Warm Sugar

I saw this candle at Yankee's Semi Annual sale this afternoon. Since I am usually a sucker for vanilla and sweet scents I couldn't resist picking this one up.
When you smell it cold it's very similar to B&BW's Warm Vanilla Sugar. The wax pool is beautiful, all the way out to the edges, I am however, very disappointed in the throw. I can smell it if I get my nose really close, (which I would rather not do. NO ONE looks good with a burned nose) but with it sitting on my desk, I don't seem to be getting much from it. It's a little bit of a let down, considering how much I loved it in the store.
Pros; The packaging is cute. Scent is nice. Wax pool is even, good wicks.
Cons; Weak throw.
All in all I give it a 6.5/10. I love everything else about this candle, except the throw. Unfortunately that's 90% of the reason I bought it.