Eva Reviews: Yankee Candle Summer Wish

Hey everyone! Eva here, begging you to please excuse our lack of activity. Things have been a bit wacky on the home front for both Lindsay and me, with us both working two jobs (ack). But hey, a new car isn't going to buy itself. However, that doesn't mean we don't have time to enjoy some good home fragrance at the end of the day!

Today's review is on Yankee Candle's Summer Wish!

So yes - regrettably - it's still technically summer, so I haven't been able to bring myself to burn many fall candles yet. When I first started working at Yankee, Summer Wish was one of the new summer fragrances that were featured. And here's a quick description from the Yankee Candle website: 

"Remember those sweet summer days of childhood innocence when the backyard was big enough to hold all your adventures? This nostalgic fragrance, with its warm breeze of soft flowers and fresh green fields will bring you back to those happy days. The fresh, green notes call to mind the outdoors and remind you slow and appreciate life's little moments. This scent, with its sweet, young floral essence, is anything but old-fashioned despite its nostalgic tendencies."

Smashing!

Now if you've been paying attention, you will know that florals and I generally do not get along. This one, however, is incredibly non-offensive. It is very, very light, which may not get on well with some folks who like a stronger candle. But whenever I'm working, I can't hang around out Floral hutch because True Rose and Sunflower try to assault me with the inherent floral-ness. Summer Wish likes to hang out in the Fresh section, near another of my favorite fragrances, Midsummer's Night. So maybe I'm not the only one who thinks this isn't as funerary as Midnight Jasmine or Tahitian Tiare Flower.

When I've sampled people in the store with this one, a common reaction was "I can't smell it". The store itself has a very overwhelming fragrance but if you work there for long enough or even if you're just a fragrance lover who comes in on the regular, you don't really smell the store anymore. Does that make sense? Either way, I tried Summer Wish in a tart wax melt at first and loved it because of it's light, not-in-your-face-ness, so I grabbed it in a large Housewarmer jar and have been burning it habitually. Some people may not like the fact that it is so light, and to you folks I say that you may like Meadow Showers because it is along the same lines as Summer Wish, though not as sweet, and is a fair bit stronger but still not overwhelming.

I give Summer Wish a solid 8/10. This one will get a break when fall rolls around (Hello Apple Pumpkin and Autumn Wreath! Swoon!) but I will surely break it back out when Spring comes back.

Summer Wish was part of the Summer 2013 new releases but has made it's way into the permanent lineup for now and is available in stores and online right here.

And as always, I'll tell you again - I do work for Yankee Candle as a part time retail associate and I do get a generous discount, but that does not affect my reviews in any way as I strive to be as honest as possible with all of you.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Eva

Home Fragrance Monday: Paris Daydream

Happy Monday everyone! Eva here with your weekly dose of home fragrance review goodness, and today's post is on the scent Paris Daydream from Bath & Body Works.

To start, this fragrance is described by BBW as a "Rendezvous in the City of Love with our "Oh, so French" blend of watery notes, moss and mandarin. Transport your senses to the cobblestone streets of Paris. No Passport required!"

I always love their cute little narratives, don't you?

I own this fragrance in a 3-wick candle and when it first launched, it did not catch my attention. But then I somehow found myself in the mood for a fresh fragrance, so Paris Daydream it was! 

This candle burns wonderfully and the fragrance is light, clean, fresh and not at all overwhelming. When it comes to a "clean" fragrance, I lean towards fragrances like this (or another favorite of mine from BBW - Oceanside!) rather than cotton-y, linen-y type "clean" fragrances. Dn't get me wrong, they're great, but to me they tend to be quite headache-inducing. Paris Daydream is the happy medium for me. It's what I go for when I want a clean fragrance that doesn't smell like I just put away a ton of clean laundry.

The good news for me is that this candle has a very light throw, meaning that it isn't very strong. So for those of you that really like a candle's fragrance to fill a room and be very noticeable, this candle may not be for you. I do very much enjoy this candle though, and give it a solid 8/10.

Paris Daydream is currently on sale for $10 in stores and online here.

Have you tried Paris Daydream? And if you like fresh and clean fragrances, what do you go for? Tell me in the comments!

Eva.

Eva's Summer Loves: Beautiful Day

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't done a Summer Loves post in a few weeks; it's been hectic around here with work and I prioritize getting new collection info out over doing my regular posts. Oh well! Either way, I'm going to tell you about my second favorite fragrance from Bath and Body Works - Beautiful Day!

Let's start with the notes, shall we?

• Top Notes: Sun-kissed Apple, Dewy Pear, Sparkling Cassis
• Mid Notes: Wild Daisies, Lily of the Valley, Fresh Pink Peony
• Dry Notes: White Peach, Blonde Woods

Straight from the bottle, I was very excited because I love anything with apple and/or pear, and this fragrance definitely has both of these in excess. And then there it is in the mid notes, that awful "lily of the valley" that always turns me off from a fragrances. Good news for me though, because it is virtually nonexistent. There is a complexity to this fragrance from the other two florals (daisies and peonies) that is very complimentary. I don't get a lot of the woodsy-ness, but there is something slightly musky to this which I will contribute to the woods.

On me, this is absolutely fantastic. I pick up the apple and pear and the floral gets accentuated a bit, making it more of a maturing fragrance on me. But thankfully, not so mature that I should maybe be wearing an Elizabeth Arden fragrance! It is very fresh and the fruit isn't as sweet as it is in the bottle so it isn't at all overwhelming. I always get compliments whenever I wear this fragrance no matter where I go.

I give this fragrance a solid 10/10 and two thumbs way up. I just finished up the shower gel I had in this fragrance, but I still have the lotion, fine fragrance mist and super-fruit body scrub. I fully intend on getting another shower gel when it comes out in the new packaging and definitely in the Eau de Toilette. 

To the best of my knowledge, Beautiful Day is going to be around for a while because of its popularity (hopefully becoming permanent!). Beautiful Day is available in stores and online here!

Hey BBW, can you make this in candle form like you do for Twilight Woods or Japanese Cherry Blossom? 

Sincerely, Eva.

Products We've Used Up!

Hey all! Just thought we'd pop in to let you know about a few products we've finished up over the last few weeks. 

Eva: I finished up one Summertime S'mores 3-wick candle and a Beautiful Day shower gel! Highly recommend either and they're both still available online and in stores.

Lindsay: I used up a Wallflower bulb in Espresso Bar. It was nice but it was far too strong for my small bedroom. Maybe it would work for someone with a bigger room or a wide open space.

Have you finished up any products recently? If so, tell us in the comments.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Lindsay & Eva

Lindsay's Top Five Summer Frangrances: Lovelovelove

Todays review will be on lovelovelove. This unfortunately only made a short appearance last summer. If you've been following my posts you will know that I don't like floral. However, I think this is the perfect blend of fruit, floral and woods!

• Top Notes: Succulent Berries, White Plum, Juicy Pear
  
• Mid Notes: Peony Petals, Lily of the Valley, Freesia
  
• Dry Notes: Blonde Woods, Glittering Vanilla Musk

Straight out of the bottle I smell mostly plum, pear with a little bit of floral and woods. When it dries on my skin I pick up a little more florall. I'm not familiar with floral notes so I can't really say which ones. The musk also comes through, but not in a bad way.

I have heard people compare it to wine or beer, but I think these people need to have their noses checked. I have not come across a single BBW scent yet that has smelt like booze.

I'm still holding on to my hopes that plum lily swirl will be a close match.

Overall, I score it a 10/10. I have absolutely no complaints about it

Until next time,

Lindsay

Home Fragrance Monday: Summertime S'mores!

Howdy! Eva here, with your home fragrance review for the week! Today I'll be talking about my all time favorite candle from Bath & Body Works, Summertime S'mores!

Photo credit: bathandbodyworks.com

So the description on this candle is "A gooey & guilt-free treat! Toasted marshmallows, crackling campfire and creamy, rich vanilla capture all the sweetness of summer's most loved sweet!" 

I think if I were to become a candle, I would be this. This candle is absolutely perfect. It is sweet and smoky and delicious. It doesn't have the artificial smell that some "campfire" or "marshmallow" candles can get. It is incredibly authentic and the fragrance fills a large room very quickly.

Now, you may be wondering; 'Hey, BBW has a candle called Marshmallow Fireside. That sounds pretty similar. Are they the same?'

If I worked for BBW, I would be inclined to say no. But I am an independent consumer, so having owned and burned both candles, I say yes. This is good news for me, because that means this scent is around almost all year (or at least it has been, because it is returning this coming fall as Marshmallow Fireside).

Summertime S'mores gets an 11/10 from me. All time favorite home fragrance ever. Summertime S'mores is available here!

Now go make yourself a gooey marshmallow treat. It's summer!

Eva.

Free For All Friday Comparison: BBW Signature Lemon Vanilla v.s. VS Lemon Escape

Lindsay here, doing a comparison of the discontinued Lemon Vanilla from BBW, and new Lemon Escape from Victoria's Secret Fantasies collection. I was never really a fan of VS until just recently but I have to say that some of their stuff is really nice.

Photo credit: Bath & Body Works

The notes in Lemon Vanilla are the following:

Top Notes: Burst of Fresh Lemon, Sparkling Citron, Juicy Orange, Iced Bergamot, Zesty Mandarin
Middle Notes: Purple Vanilla Orchid, Freesia, Yellow Jasmine
Base Notes: Pink Cotton Candy Accord, Creamy White Woods, Whipped Vanilla, Sugared Musks

(taken from amazon.com)

From the bottle I smell mostly lemon and a tad bit of vanilla. But after it dries on my skin, it goes musky and loses all of it's fruitiness. When I put it on at home, I was told by my brother that I smelled like a french prostitute! So clearly this scent was not meant for me.

Photo credit: Victoria's Secret

Lemon Escape:

Being that they are known more for their lingerie than their fragrance line, most of their scents are on the simple side. The only two notes mentioned by the company are lemon sugar and coconut. Straight from the bottle it kind of reminds me of fruity pebbles to be honest (in a good way). It's very sweet and very lemony. After it settles, the sugar diminishes and the coconut comes through a little bit.

Personally, I prefer Lemon Escape which I would score a 9/10. I am really let down by how poorly Lemon Vanilla smells on me and I would have to give it a 4/10.

Lemon escape is most definitely a must have summer fragrance and if you haven't tried it, I sincerely encourage you to. It is still available at Victoria's Secret stores and online.

Until next time,
Lindsay

Eva's Summer Loves: Coconut Lime Breeze

Good morning everyone! Eva here, with the second installment to my top five summer series. Today's chosen fragrance is Coconut Lime Breeze.

So I don't know about you, but over here in the northeast it has taken a little while to warm up for summer. I was a bit sad because I felt like I could break this one out until it actually felt like summer. To me, while I am quite liberal with most of the other fragrances I wear, this is definitely summer specific.

To start, let's talk about the notes:

• Top Notes: Sparkling Tangerine, Lemon Italy Orpur, Neroli, Bergamot Italia Orpur, Zesty Lime Juice
• Mid Notes: Watery Melon notes, Sheer Muget, Pineapple Juice, Jasmine Petals, Lime Blossom
• Dry Notes: Sheer Coconut Water, Sandalwood, Musk, Madagascar Vanilla

From the bottle, it's pretty self explanatory. You definitely get a lot of the coconut and most definitely the tangy kick of the lime and the other citrus notes. I don't smell any of the floral either in the bottle or on my skin, but I do smell a faint hint of the vanilla and the bergamot, which gives the fragrance a fullness that I feel Coconut Lime Verbena did not have (but I'll save that discussion for a later time...)

This scent is pretty straightforward on me and smells exactly as you'd expect it to. I pick up a decent amount of the coconut but a lot of the various citrus. I definitely pick up some of the vanilla too, but not so much the spicy kick of the bergamot and none of the floral (and for those of you who forgot, "muguet" is "lily of the valley". Lilies reminds me of funeral homes. Or Lily Potter, but I don't know what she smelled like).

Overall, I really feel this is a staple in my summer fragrance wardrobe. I admit that I don't reach for this as often as I should, but when I do, I feel very beachy! I give this fragrance a 7/10. If you're looking for a new summer fragrance, go give this on a whiff! It is available both online and in stores now.

Have an awesome summer, everyone,

Eva.

Free-For-All Friday: Fragrance Fail Edition

Howdy y'all! It's Eva (again), introducing our Friday series called "Free-For-All Friday". What we post on FFAF is going to depend on what Lindsay or I feel like posting that week. Sometimes it might be a comparison review of two or three fragrances, sometimes it might be a fragrance review from a company other than Bath & Body Works, and sometimes (like today) it might be a Fragrance Fail.

For this week's Free-For-All Friday, I'm going to review a fragrance that didn't quite work out for me.

The fragrance in question? Victoria's Secret Sky Bright from the Brights collection.

Credit: victoriassecret.com

Let's get one thing straight for the record; I am NOT bashing Victoria's Secret or their fragrances (because there are quite a few I love...Love Spell or Lemon Escape, anyone?) or even this fragrance. Just telling you that the fragrance didn't work out in my favor. And here's why.

From the VS website: "Get Flirty in Sky Bright, a sunny blend of crisp apple and vibrant poppy".

Straight from the bottle, I really liked the fragrance. The apple is more of a clean "crisp" apple, not entirely clinical, but not at all like a warmer apple note that would be paired with honey or musk. And the poppy is most definitely there too, but is not overwhelming. Liking how it smelled in the bottle very much, I bought this fragrance in a body mist, body lotion, and the combination body wash/scrub. Happily ever after?

I think not.

I hadn't tried out the lotion or the body wash, just the body mist. I put it on one morning before school but quickly realized that I couldn't leave the house smelling like that. I don't know what happened to all the apple from the fragrance but it most definitely did not make it to my skin. Instead, I was left with strictly all the poppy from Sky Bright, only it turned very, very sour on me. So sour, it was like the floral arrangement that the late-for-anniversary-dinner-my-wife-is-going-to-kill-me-guy bought at the last minute and had neglected to smell first. Which is exactly what I forgot to do. I didn't try it before I bought it and ended up spending $25 on a fragrance that did me wrong. It isn't a total loss because I am going to gift it to a friend who will probably smell much better in this scent than I do!

The thing with fragrance that took me a long time to learn is that the way a fragrance smells in the bottle is not always how it will smell on you. Your body chemistry and natural scent mixes in with the elements of the fragrance you are wearing and can either compliment you...or make you smell like a dying sea monster. I was surprised that Sky Bright didn't pick up well on me (shocked, really) because absolutely anything with any kind of apple note (apple, apple blossoms, apple whatever) pick up on me extremely well. Why this one didn't, the world may never know.

This sounds like common sense to me now (and probably most of you) but I don't always follow that rule and end up making mistakes. It's okay to make mistakes though. That's how we learn. And sometimes, we just need a gentle reminder.

Overall, in the bottle, I give this fragrance a 6 out of 10. It's crisp, clean and fresh without making you smell like a fresh load of laundry or a funerary arrangement. I recommend that you go and give it a sniff  if you happen to like scents along the line of fresh and slightly fruity. Sky Bright is still available at Victoria's Secret stores and here.

Until next time, my friends,

Eva.

First Impressions: Summer Lovin' Collection

(Updated on 6/26: this collection has since been renamed or the true name has been revealed to be the Summer Twist collection).

Hello there! I decided to stop in Bath and Body Works today when I heard about the Fresh Picked sale (I already have Fresh Picked Pear in the shower gel and lotion, nothing else from the line thrilled me). As I was perusing the sales bins (again) I spotted up at the register the three new Summer Lovin' fragrances in lotion form!

To tell you the truth, I wasn't impressed. 

Mango Melon Twist smelled straight up like mango and cantaloupe. No floral undertones, no musk or anything to give it more depth or complexity. I really found this one offensive because I really dislike the smell of mango.

Plum Lily Swirl was definitely unexpected but not in the best way. Would you imagine a fragrance with "plum" and "lily" in the name to smell like Clean Cotton? Me neither. I got absolutely no hint of the plum or any kind of fruit, but the lily did come through a little bit. For the most part, though, it smelled like clean laundry. Que bizarre bizarre indeed. 

Sugar Berry Smash was really nice though, but is very very close to Be Enchanted. However, Be Enchanted is definitely muskier. I think SBS is in the same family as Venice Dolce Berry and maybe even Sweet on Paris, with the darker berry notes but something very candy like on top, making it a much lighter fragrance overall.

I only got to smell the lotions though, so those aren't my final thoughts. I will definitely have a better idea when i smell the fragrance itself. The collection launches on July 8th, after the Semi-Annual Sale is over, as confirmed by an employee at the store.

If you get a chance to smell the lotions (or even the fine fragrance mist) before it launches, let me know what you think of them in the comments.

Eva.

Eva's Summer Loves: Capri Seaside Citrus

Happy Thursday, everyone! Like Lindsay, I'll be doing a top five scents of summer series for you all. Mine aren't going to be in any particular order, because I seem to wear them equally! The first on this list is a scent from the Italy collection called Capri Seaside Citrus.

Let's start off with the official description from BBW's website:

"Lavishly spray on our sunny seaside fragrance and radiate this sparkling blend of fresh citrus, juicy nectarine and orange flower.

Top Notes: Mediterranean Grapefruit, Sparkling Bergamot, Juicy Nectarine

Mid Notes: Muguet, Orange Flower, Coconut

Dry Notes: Amber Driftwood, Creamy Musks, Whipped Vanilla"

So at first sniff, straight from the bottle, I pick up a bit of the saltiness you'd associate with it being a "seaside" inspired fragrance. It's most definitely citrus-y, but I don't pick up on any of the musk or amber when it's in the bottle. I don't get any of the muguet either (which for those of you like me who had to go ask google what the heck it was, translates to "lily of the valley". Very fancy, BBW, very fancy indeed). However, I definitely can smell the spicy kick from the bergamot right off the bat.

After it settles on my skin, it mixes wonderfully. I hold onto most of the fruity notes - namely the nectarine and grapefruit. I get a bit of the floral in there too, which I'm going to safely say is the orange flower and not the muguet. (I don't love the smell of lilies because they smell like a funeral home. Just my personal taste). Strangely, the spiciness of the bergamot doesn't stick on me but I definitely get some of the vanilla and a little bit of the musk, which is funny considering I can't smell it straight from the bottle. Fragrance is a fickle thing!

I really love this scent for spring and summer. It's light, beachy and not at all overwhelming like some fruity or citrus-y summer scents can be. I have Capri Seaside Citrus in a fine fragrance mist, shower gel, body lotion and super fruit body scrub. Capri Seaside Citrus went on sale at the beginning of the Semi-Annual Sale, so if you're interested in going and giving it a sniff for yourself, I'd high tail it to your local Bath & Body Works. Otherwise, there is a fair amount of it still available online!

I hope you enjoyed this review! Stick around for more reviews on Lindsay's and my top picks for summer! 

- Eva.

Lindsay's Top Five Summer Favorites: Forever Sunshine

So I've decided to start a new segment about my favorite five Signature summer scents. Every Tuesday I will post a review for one scent. Considering I'm more of a fall/winter scent girl, there wasn't much competition. Coming in at number five is Forever Sunshine.

Two years ago, I took my ten year old step sister to the mall while my dad went on a date with my soon to be step mother. Bath and Body Works, of course, was one of our stops. On a whim I decided to try Forever Sunshine and fell in love.

The notes include the following: juicy tangerine, golden apricot, sparkling mandarin, exotic berries (top), gardenia petals, freesia, pink peonies (middle), and vanilla bean gelato, creamy sandalwood, nuzzly musks, a touch of sweet praline (bottom.) 

Every scent, of course, picks up differently on everyone, but on me I catch mostly apricots, peony, and sandalwood, making it the perfect mix of sweet and floral! Just recently when I was over my dad's house, I looked in the shower for body wash because there was no hand soap. Five guesses as to what I found.

In my closet I have 3 fine fragrance mists, 2 body lotions and 5 shower gels. Not enough in my opinion, but I have been called a hoarder before. If I had to rate it, I would give it a 9/10! It is a little bit citrusy, but not over-whelming. Overall I wouldn't change a thing about it.

On another note it was discontinued as of last year, unfortunately, but is still available online. I hope if you haven't given it a try you will purchase it from the Bath and Body Works official website.

Until next time,

Lindz