Lindsay Reviews: BBW Venice Dolce Berry

So since our summer favorites series is over, Eva and I have decided to do a review for any fragrance on Tuesdays and Thursdays, even including fragrances from other popular brands like Victoria's Secret or designer perfumes. As for today, I have chosen Venice Dolce Berry. Prior to this, BBW's berry scents were quite boring and unoriginal in my opinion. I was not a fan of Berry Vanilla or Berry Flirt, which is surprising considering I love most anything sweet and fruity. Even Be Enchanted was too musky for my liking.

Venice Dolce Berry is a sweet, fruity fragrance with a dark, but tolerate undertone. The notes include the following:

Top Notes: Pink Plumberry, Apple Blossom, White Iris

Mid Notes: Venetian Raspberry, Red Apricot, Frosted Magnolia

Dry Notes: Blackberry Musk, Sandalwood Sugar, Vanilla Biscotti

Straight from the bottle, the only notes I can distinctly pick up are plumberry, apple blossom and maybe biscotti. It's actually blended very well and none of the notes really over-power the rest. In a way it reminds me of Midnight Dare from Victoria's Secret, which is also very dark and sensual, but still kind of fruity scent.

When it settles on my skin I smell mostly the blackberry, musk and sandalwood. With that said, I personally believe this is more of a nighttime scent and might be too strong for the day time.

Knowing that it was a limited edition scent, I purchased three lotions and two fine fragrance mists. Considering I have enough shower gels to last me for the next five years, I chose not to purchase any  from this line. I wouldn't consider it one of my absolute favorites but would still rate it a decent 7/10.

Venice Dolce Berry was part of the limited edition Italy collection this past spring and went on sale for the Semi-Annual Sale, but there is still some left online here.

Did you try Venice Dolce Berry? And what are your favorite berry scents? Let me know in the comments.

- Lindsay

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.

Home Fragrance Monday: Sensual Amber

So I know it's not really the season for it, but I have decided to do my review on the Sensual Amber fragrance bulbs! I currently have this one burning in my room and find it very relaxing.

So the notes are quite different from the signature line and include bergamot, fresh plum, lotus flower, and powdery vanilla. I find it quite ironic that it does not include amber in this list. I can't really smell a difference between the two even though lotus flower is the only note they share.

I have been using the same bulb for two weeks and find that it still fills my room better than most scents I've tried. I don't agree with the  BBW website that the bulbs last up to eight weeks, however. I usually find that they lose their strength after one month.

I would have to give this a 10/10 and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes cozy and warm scents. Sensual Amber is available in two-pack Wallflower bulb refills here.

-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