I got a ton of scent shots in September and really wanted to review them, so I thought hey, why not start a blog? So here it is. This review is on cold throw. Note that I just got these the other day, so some of them still need to cure!
This is a long review, so you may want to grab a cup of tea and a snack before you begin :)
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Coffee
Cafe Au Lait: I love this scent! Candle-worthy for sure. It smells like a perfect cup of coffee, creamy and sweet but not overpoweringly so. When I smelled this upon receiving my order, the first thought I had was going to Starbucks during the winter and browsing in the cute shops next door filled with Christmas things. It's a very comforting scent. If you like coffee, you have to try this one.
Raspberry White Mocha Latte: Raspberry tootsie pop with coffee.
Bakery
Berry Blackberry Cobbler: I've been dying to try this one and I'm so glad I finally did. Sweet blackberry balanced out by a buttery, slightly salty cobbler note. It kind of reminds me of Cajun Cornbread with blackberry instead of peach.
Orange Cranberry Muffin: I'm on the fence with this one. Victoria's orange scents tend to smell like Tang powder to me. The cranberry doesn't stand out to me, but I can tell there's more to it than just orange. There is a slight bakery note. I'll have to see how it is cured and warmed.
Caramel Nut Cluster: Definitely needs cure time! My grandmother really liked this one, but it smells off to me. I get a buttery, rich caramel note with a lot of nuttiness on top, but when I smell the bottom I get a sharp vegetal scent, like the leaves on a plant or the skin on cucumber.
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam: I know many people adore Peanut Butter Cookies, but it was just okay to me. Because of that, I was a bit biased against peanut butter scents. Alas, I decided to give this a try, and I'm glad I did! The strawberry is strong and syrupy. It smells a lot like the strawberry in Jelly Donut and Wildberry Scone rather than the Fresh Picked Strawberries or Strawberry Kiwi scent. The peanut butter scent blends really well with it and is very authentic. The strawberry is the strongest note, but the peanut butter is definitely there.
Cinnamon Donuts: I tried to get this in my last order, but Victoria was all out and I was sent another scent (ha!) instead. However, I finally have it now! It's worthy of all of the praise it gets. Strong, strong cinnamon with lots of sugar hits you first, and then there's a warm bakery note backing it up. The cinnamon is pretty red hot to me, but it's very sweet, so don't let that scare you! This will be amazing warm.
Lemon Meringue Pie: The first scent I ever tried from CBV! I was going to order a candle but I got a scent shot to hold me over. It smells like sweet, gooey lemon squares straight from the oven with a warm, rich crust. A must-try in my books.
Lemon Gingersnap Pie: Sweet bakery gingersnap, not too spicy, with a hint of soft lemon. It's like gingerbread with lemon icing. Very nice. I think this would be a crowd pleaser.
Leaves Type: A dupe of the incredibly popular Leaves from Bath & Body Works. It smells a lot like Under the Harvest Moon, which isn't surprising because this is in UTHM. Super sweet dried apple peel and warm spices with a bit of an earthy, crunchy leaf scent. I've only smelled the original version a few times, so I can't say how it compares.
Marshmallow Campfire: Sweet, creamy, toasty marshmallow with a light bonfire note. I get a noticeable mint as well, but I don't know where that's coming from.
Raisin Rum: Straight up cinnamon raisin bread.
Honey Vanilla Love Dust: sweet cocoa butter and raw cocoa powder mixed together. Slight honey note.
Butter Brickle: Extremely buttery and creamy. Sweet and salty. Surprisingly strong.
Customer Creations
Sticky Toffeecorn: A CAS of Caramelized Pralines and Kettle Corn by Jandre. I love Kettle Corn and Caramelized Pralines, so naturally I really like this as well. Strong, sweet popcorn with caramel and nuts. A hint of salt as well. This reminds me of the holidays.
Apple Butter Festival: Fall in a chunk of wax! This is a CAS by April and is a combination of Apple Cinnamon Butter and Kettle Corn. I smell warm fall spices, crunchy leaves, and a hint of apple cider. It's like a harvest festival! I smell more of the butter on top.
Faerie Ring: Apples and Oaks + Raspberry Violet. By Jandre. Sweet Macintosh apple and a woodsy note, grounded by a light violet. The raspberry gives it a light kick.
Barefoot In Blue Jeans: Sexy In Stilettos + Blue Sugar Cotton Candry by Deb. This is fantastic! I'm not the biggest SIS fan (I know, that's sin in the CBV world) but I love Blue Sugar Cotton Candy (I adore men's cologne type scents). You get the sweetness of SIS with the deep, manly cologne scent of BSCC. Strong, but not overpowering. If you like either scent, you'll love this. They balance each other nicely.
Cold December Night: Sugared Spruce + Sweet Snow by Deb. Perfect combination, perfect name! It's like a walk through a spruce forest in the snow with freezing wind hitting you in the dead of night. Spruce trees, light creamy vanilla, and a blast of cool, sweet mint. Amazing scent, wonderful for wintertime.
Love Birds: Birds of Paradise + Love Spell by Tina and Kayla. They're always coming up with new CAS! Watermelon Cupcake is a favorite of mine. I wanted to love this, but something in it really throws me off. It smells like sweet salsa to me :/
Pop Rocks: Ooh, fun! Pink Sugar + Fizzy Pop by Summer Hobbs. The name is perfect. You get the sweet creaminess of Pink Sugar and the zingy carbonation and citrus of Fizzy Pop. Very balanced.
Sweet Southern Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam + Kim's Country Cornbread by Chrissy Johnson. I mostly get PBASJ (which I also reviewed in this post), but the salty-sweet cornbread is lingering in the background. I think it will really come out when warmed.
House Blends
Under the Harvest Moon: Why I Autumn + Leaves Type. Call me crazy, but this smells like a spicy craft store mixed with Juicy Fruit gum to me. I really like it, though! Sweet with a sharp spice and hint of apple.
Hell on Heels: This smells a lot like Chantilly Lace to me. Powdery and floral with a kick of bright, sweet fruit. A bit musky. If you don't like florals, give this a chance.
Sonny & Cher: Interesting. I definitely get the verbena, and the peppermint is lightly there if I sniff really deeply. A bit floral and musky to me with a touch of creamy vanilla.
Under the Big Top: "Cotton candy, strawberry, with a hint of pralines," says the description. I get a super sweet strawberry like that in Fresh Picked Strawberries and caramel-y nuttiness.
Breaking Dawn: Love this! Very, very soft floral (I can't see it being headache-inducing to anyone) with bright, sweet citrus, brought down with a musky, woodsy note. This is a really great scent. When I was 13 and a Twilight fan, I took a trip to Forks, Port Angeles, and La Push and visited a Twilight store. I bought a room/linen spray called "The Meadow", which had notes of wildflowers, sunshine, and soft grass. Four years later, I still have that spray, and this reminds me of it quite a bit. *
Genevieve's Tea Ring: Crunchy, creamy shortbread cookie with cherry almond and a sprinkling of spice. I don't think the cherry almond scent is too overpowering, so I'd say try it even if you are wary of cherry almond.
Love Potion No. 9: Sugar-coated berries with cream and vanilla musk. Very similar to Best Friends, but deeper, darker, and less fruity.
Floral
Lavender Vanilla: I know some people hate this and find it overwhelmingly floral, but I completely disagree! I wish everything smelled like this. I want to dowse my house, my clothes, everything with it. Very similar to Bath & Body Works' Lavender Vanilla. Authentic lavender balanced out with a super sweet, creamy vanilla. I find the vanilla very strong and it cancels out any sharpness the lavender could have. I'm a fully fledged lavender lover, so I'm pretty biased :)
Earthy
Tuscan Herb: This is a fun one! Straight up tomato vine with a hint of lemongrass and citrus peel to me.
Top Shelf Black Label (love that these are in scent shot form now!)
Salty Dog: This is always compared to Juicy Fruit gum. When I first smelled it, I thought no way, but when I smelled it again I definitely got that note. Sweet, fruity bubblegum with clove and musk. A zing of citrus. The description says there's apple and pumpkin in here and I get those as well. It's a very interesting, complex scent and well worth a try.
Alabama Slamma: Wowza! Super strong hickory and spice. I get vanilla, creamy pumpkin, and black tea leaves as well. Very complex.
Harvey Wallbanger: Super sweet, candy-like, and creamy. I can't really describe this one very well.
Singapore Sling: SO SO GOOD. Warm, yummy lemon poppyseed muffin with crunchy sugar crystals baked on top.
The Candleman's Closet
Peace: I ordered this and also got it as my free scent shot. Luckily, I like it! Bright, sweet citrus, floral musk, vanilla, and a verrrry slight soapiness. Am I smelling patchouli? I don't know. Many love this, many hate this - try it and decide for yourself!
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And we're done! Are you still awake? ;) Hope you all liked this - I had fun writing it!
**I'll update this post soon with my favorites from the order**
