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

Lindsay Reviews: Sugar Berry Smash

Hey guys Lindsay here. I'm really sorry I don't write as much as I should, I'm going to try to fix that. As for today I wanted to do a review on Sugar Berry Smash, released in the summer twist collection. Out of the collection, this was the only scent I liked. If you read my Sweet on Paris review, you that this has been compared to SOP. To me, it smells like SOP mixed with VDB, which I have just reviewed last week (see my reviews for SOP and VDB for more details).

It is a very fruity and very sweet scent, just like SOP, but it has a dark, musky tone underneath. Eva has compared it to a less musky version of Be Enchanted, which I could see. The niotes include the following:

Top Notes: Blackberry, Red Currant, Clementine

Mid Notes: Pink Jasmine, Creamy Iris, Sugary Nutmeg

Dry Notes: Cashmere Woods, Whipped Vanilla, Soft Musk

So straight from the bottle I smell Blackberry, Nutmeg, Cashmere Woods, and Whipped Vanilla. When it dries on my skin the Clementine comes out a little bit, which isn't unpleasant considering I hate citrus, and also maybe a little bit of jasmine and musk?

I only purchased one of each of the body lotion, fine fragrance mist and shower gel. Believe it or not, I am trying to behave. I am not going to make any promises though once all of their fall collections are released. I would give it an 8/10. It's not something I wear on a daily basis, but I do really like it and I hope you do too!
Until next time,

Lindsay

Eva Reviews: PINK Fun & Fearless

Hey everyone! Happy Thursday (night)!

Since Lindsay and I decided that we would include Victoria's Secret fragrances in our cast of reviews (because Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret are both brands under the same umbrella company), I thought I'd start out with one of my favorites - Fun & Fearless, from the PINK line.

So the description on the VS website says: "Be fearless in water lily and pink currant".

Short, succinct, to-the-point. I like it.

Just like how I like this fragrance. I love the PINK line from Victoria's Secret because all of the fragrances in this line are more of a perfume-esque fragrance, more adult, yet young and fresh. I would describe them as "cologne for girls" because as opposed to the VS Fantasies line or most of Bath & Body Works' fragrances, you can't straight out smell the different notes in these for the most part. You get a general idea of "Oh, okay, this is floral, this is fresh, this is on the sweeter side, etc" but you can't pick out the individual of what the notes are. (Sidebar: The only exception I've found to this rule is in Sun Kissed, which is coconut and vanilla. But to VS credit, it is very hard to disguise coconut in fragrances, in my opinion).

I know what you're thinking: "Wait, Eva, don't lie to me. You said you don't like lilies. They remind you of funerals and heinous relatives. You've stretched this point to death. Why the heck do you like this fragrance?"

And the answer is simply this: I can't pick up anything remotely floral about this fragrance. At all. End of. This smells like a feminine cologne to me. A little darker than PINK Fresh & Clean or PINK Wild At Heart but not as dark as something like BBW Into The Wild. This isn't nearly a clubbing fragrance. Which is why I wear this to work. I mentioned I work at Yankee Candle and the thing with working there (versus working in a cubicle or makeup counter or clothing store, etc) is that the fragrance you wear cannot interfere with the fragrances of the candles. We shouldn't really wear anything at all, but I find anything from the PINK line (minus Warm & Cozy and Sun Kissed) are very neutral, appropriate fragrances and so they are completely fine.

The only downside to this fragrance is the lasting power. I find I get four hours out of it before it starts to really fade. But then again, VS says their PINK mists have "a subtle hint of scent". Code for: Drench yourself otherwise this will be gone if you don't reapply. And don't even think about sweating.

I would give Fun & Fearless a 6/10. This is a good fragrance, but I don't find myself reaching for it for anything other than work. Fun & Fearless is a permanent PINK fragrance and is available here.

Have you tried Fun & Fearless or any of the other PINK fragrances? Let me know in the comments!

Have a great weekend all,

Eva.

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.

Lindsay's Top Five Summer Fragrances: VS Pure Seduction

So after acquiring permission from Eva, I have decided to include a Victoria's Secret scent into my top five. I used to wear Pure Seduction all the time in high school and have just recently repurchased it. I love it just as much now as I did then.

The only two notes mentioned are red plum and freesia, but honestly I smell mostly the plum with a small musky undertone. I'm glad to say it stays pretty true on my skin.

I find with a lot of scents recently from BBW, they are either prior scents renamed, or very similar to other scents. But with Victoria's Secret, all of their Fantasy line scents are completely unique!

I currently own it in the fragrance mist, hydrating body lotion and the daily shower gels. It also comes in ultra-moisturizing body and hand cream, deep-softening body butter or smoothing body scrub.

I give it a 10/10. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a fruity summer scent, but does not want anything tropical.

Pure Seduction is a permanent item and is available online here. Anything pique your interest?

That concludes my top five summer series, maybe if I get positive feed back, I will do another in the fall!

Until next time,

Lindsay

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

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.

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.

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