Weekly Wax Meltdown #4 - 2/10/13 to 2/16/13

Okay, I'm back with my weekly melt reviews!

It was a pretty good week in wax here at The Scholarly Nail household. I ended up melting wax from 6 different vendors I hadn't melted yet so that was quite exciting! As per usual, I melted a variety of fruit, bakery, spicy and fresh scents this week. I never can stick to just one scent category, I'm always all over the place.

This week also made me realize that I have a case of candle nose! Candle nose is something that happens when you melt a lot of wax and things that you know are strong, just aren't smelling that strong to you anymore. The best remedy for candle nose is to take a few days off from melting to give yourself a break. I've been doing just that. I didn't melt yesterday or today, and have been making sure to air out the house for short periods of time to get rid of any residual scents hanging out. My nose is feeling a lot more clear! I might pop in a sinus relief tart tomorrow and then get back into melting full force on Wednesday. For this reason, my weekly melts next week will be significantly shorter than usual.

Anyways, let's get right into what I've melted this week. I actually didn't melt any candles this week, so here's all the tarts that I melted. Enjoy!

Scent Appeal Candles

Jelly Doughnut

• Notes: (scent description not available) jelly, donuts
• Warmer: 24-watt hot plate
• Amount used: 2 cubes
• My take: This was amazing!! This jelly donut scent smells pretty much dead on for my beloved CFTKR Jelly Donut so of course, I love it. There is a strong sweet fruity scent along with the dough note. I've realized that I think I love these jelly donut scents so much because they smell very similar to the Wildberry Mousse oil. So, I would say this is a wildberry mousse scent with some extra bakery notes added. Really creamy and delicious. Strong throw. Lasted 12+ hours.
• Repurchase: Definitely! I can't wait until Scent Appeal opens back up because I will definitely be placing an order for more clamshells.
• Overall rating: 8.5/10

Scentsy

Spiced Grapefruit

• Notes: Mandarin, bergamot, citrus, coriander, nutmeg, allspice
• Warmer: 18-watt hot plate
• Amount used: 2 cubes
• My take: Spiced Grapefruit is one of my all-time favorite fragrances from Scentsy. I searched high and low for a dupe for this one but no matter how many "spiced grapefruit" scents I tried, nothing even came close. However, one day I received a sample from CFTKR of a scent called Balsam and Citrus and it was practically a dead-on dupe. This is when I realized that the scent profile that Scentsy gives is inaccurate - the "spiced" note in this is actually a balsam scent! Sure, there's a hint of spice to this but the main thing I smell is a nice citrus and balsam scent. Spiced Grapefruit just screams Christmas to me. It's such a cozy and warm scent. It has been discontinued but it seems to come back every year for Bring Back My Bar because it's so popular. Strong throw. Lasted about 6 hours in a hotplate. I know you're supposed to do Scentsy in lightbulb warmers but this was the only one I had open. This scent does last much longer in a lightbulb warmer. 
• Repurchase: Oh absolutely! I bought several bars of this in January when it came back again for BBMB.
• Overall rating: 8.5/10

Better Homes and Gardens

Wild Island Fruit

• Notes: (official notes unknown) lots of tropical fruits
• Warmer: 18-watt hot plate
• Amount used: 2 cubes
• My take: WOAH MAMA is this STRONG! Next time I'll stick to just one cube of this one. Word on the street is that this is a dupe for Bath and Body Works Caribbean Escape. I don't recall what that one smells like so I'll have to trust that this is a dupe for that. I can't really pick out any specific notes in this one, but what I'm smelling is a combination of tart and juicy fruits. There's definitely some citrus in here, perhaps some melon and coconut too. Really love this one! Super strong throw. Lasted 12+ hours.
• Repurchase: Definitely.
• Overall rating: 8/10

Candles from the Keeping Room

Lemon Summer Cake

• Notes: Cake, lemon, sweet sugar
• Warmer: 18-watt hot plate
• Amount used: 1 grubby tart 
• My take: Really like this one! Honestly, I don't think I've met a lemon bakery scent that  I didn't like from CFTKR. This is a nice sweet bakery lemon scent. I smell hints of a buttery note in this as well. Delish! Medium-to-strong scent throw. Lasted about 8 hours.
• Repurchase: Maybe. I have so many lemon bakery scents and they all tend to smell similar. I'll see once I melt through more of my lemon scents.
• Overall rating: 7/10

Vanilla Bean Noel-Blue Hawaiian (Chunky muffin cuttable)

• Notes: Vanilla Bean Noel and Blue Hawaiian (orange, lemon, cherry, pineapple, acai berry, sea spray, coconut, rum, ozone)
• Warmer: 24-watt hot plate
• Amount used: Half of a chunky muffin tart
• My take: This one was absolutely amazing! Her Blue Hawaiian scent is incredible - a nice cherry/coconut/orange drink scent. It smells way better than actual Blue Hawaiian cocktails taste =) It smells even more awesome blended with the Vanilla Bean Noel. The Blue Hawaiian scent is the chunks and then the VBN is the overpour. The VBN toned down the fruity scent but it was still quite strong. LOVE this one. Strong scent throw. Lasted about 6 hours.
• Repurchase: Definitely. In fact, I think I will be needing some tarts of plain Blue Hawaiian as well.
• Overall rating: 8.5/10

Satsuma and Strawberry

• Notes: satsuma orange and strawberry
• Warmer: Tealight
• Amount used: 1 bundt cake tart
• My take: This one is really nice.  It is a new CFTKR in-house blend for 2013 that was a customer request. This combination seems to be all the rage in the wax world right now. The satsuma scent is definitely dominant but the strawberry adds a nice sweetness to it. It smells like a Strawberry Orange Julius! Very nice! Medium-to-strong scent throw. Lasted about 8 hours.
• Repurchase: Maybe. I have some other satsuma/strawberry blends that I am going to try out and figure out which one is my favorite.
• Overall rating: 7/10

Ultimate Bakery Shop

• Notes: Sugar cookie, bread, donuts, cakes, frosting
• Warmer: Tealight
• Amount used: 1 crueller donut tart
• My take: I just love this blend so much! It is a lot different from Front Porch's Ultimate Bakery, thankfully. That blend has zucchini bread, pink sugar and apple pie. I HATE that one. This one is mainly sugar cookie with lots of other cakey and sugary notes. Basically, it's like sugar cookie on steroids. So good! Medium scent throw. Lasted about 8 hours. Wish it were a bit stronger but it's still fantastic.
• Repurchase: Definitely.
• Overall rating: 7.5/10

Gingerbread Cake

• Notes: Sugar, spice, vanilla, nutmeg, gingerbread, buttery notes
• Warmer: 24-watt hot plate
• Amount used: 2 grubby tarts
• My take: Remember how I said that I used to order from CFTKR waaay back in the day? Well this was my ultimate favorite scent from her way back when. And I still think it is fantastic! It is a super sweet gingerbread cake scent, very different from the other gingerbread scents out there. It's very cakey, and I don't get that strong of a ginger note to it. It's like a heavily frosted gingerbread cupcake, perhaps.  LOVE! It had a light-to-medium scent throw with one tart so I popped another one in and it gave a good medium scent throw after that. I do wish it was a bit stronger. Lasted about 6 hours.
• Repurchase: Yes. Even though it was a bit lighter than I had hoped, I will be ordering a bigger bag next time to make sure I will be able to pop in 2 of these every time. It's such a unique gingerbread scent that I have never smelled anywhere else. Plus, it's so nostalgic for me. 
• Overall rating: 7/10

Candles from the Keeping Room

Strawberry Bread 

• Notes: Strawberry, sweet bread, toasted nuts, cinnamon
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used: 1 bread tart
• My take: This one is okay. Again, not really a huge fan of bread scents but because this one was a bit sweeter than the normal zucchini bread scent I figured I'd give it a whirl. The strawberry note in this is dominant and the bread note is in the background. It is nice, I'm just not sure if I could see myself melting this very often. As with all zucchini bread scents I've melted, after a few hours I feel the need to get rid of the scent. Medium-to-strong scent throw. I poured this out after about 3 hours so I'm not sure how long it would have lasted otherwise.
• Repurchase: Probably not.
• Overall rating: 6/10

Fresh Picked Strawberry

• Notes: Strawberry
• Warmer: 24-watt hotplate
• Amount used: 1 strawberry tart
• My take: This is definitely one of the most realistic strawberry scents I've come across. It is sweet, juicy and a bit tart - just like a real strawberry! As I mentioned in my recent CFTKR haul post, my husband LOVES this one. Medium scent throw. Lasted about 4 hours. Wish it was a bit stronger but honestly it's so good that I can't really complain.
• Repurchase: Definitely, and I already have!
• Overall rating: 7.5/10

Cinnamon Strudel

• Notes: Sweet cinnamon bakery scent
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used: 1 grubby tart
• My take: This is such an awesome cinnamon bakery scent! It is definitely heavy on the cinnamon but the sweet bakery note tones it down nicely. I get a flaky pastry note from this. So, so SO GOOD! I have a lot of cinnamon bakery scents in my stash and this is by far one of my favorites. Strong scent throw. Lasted 12+ hours.
• Repurchase: Yup! I just bought a big 8 oz. bag of this in my last order!
• Overall rating: 10/10

Baked Vanilla Crunch

• Notes: Vanilla, caramel, walnut
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used: 1 grubby tart
• My take: This one was pretty good, nothing that really blew my socks off though. I get a strong hit of vanilla with a bit of a crunchy cookie note to it. It's nice but I think it would be better blended with something else. Medium scent throw. Lasted about 6 hours.
• Repurchase: Probably not. I recently got the Vanilla Shake scent from here and I think I will like that one better than this one. It seems much stronger and would be better on its own than the Baked Vanilla Crunch would.
• Overall rating: 6/10

Lasting Scent Candles

Lavender Confection

• Notes: Lavender, sweet buttery sugar cookie
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used: 1 scent shot
• My take: Really love LSC's lavender scent! It's definitely a sweet lavender, but not that awful laundry scent that some vendors try to pass off as "sweet lavender." I definitely get more of the lavender note with this but the sugar cookie is there. I will be forever looking for the perfect lavender sugar cookie scent that mimics my beloved Yankee Shortbread Cookie, which is a buttery sugar cookie with a hint of herbal lavender. This one is not it but it is special in it's own right. Strong scent throw. Lasted 12+ hours. 
• Repurchase: I would think so!
• Overall rating: 7/10

Candy Cane Kisses

• Notes: Candy cane, Vanilla Bean Noel, vanilla sugar
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used: 1 scent shot
• My take: This is a nice creamy peppermint scent. I can smell the VBN but the candy cane scent is definitely the star here. I absolutely love peppermint/vanilla scents and this one is very nice. It isn't particularly unique, however, as lots of vendors have peppermint and VBN blends. Also,  it wasn't as strong as some others I've come across. Medium scent throw. Lasted about 6 hours.
• Repurchase: Probably not. There's other VBN/peppermint blends that I like better.
• Overall rating: 6.5/10

Ruby Rock Candy

• Notes: Cherry, rock candy
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used: 1 scent shot
• My take: I love LSC's cherry scent! It's a nice and sweet maraschino cherry as opposed to a black cherry or a medicinal cherry. I'm really bummed this one is discontinued because it was such a nice scent! I get mostly a cherry note in this one with a hint of sweetness that is added by the rock candy. Medium scent throw. Lasted about 6 hours.
• Repurchase: I would if I could but I can't =( Oh well!
• Overall rating: 7/10

Banana Love

• Notes: Ripe banana, sugar cookie, vanilla cream, caramel, sugar
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 scent shot
• My take: This, to me, smells pretty much exactly like a banana Runt candy. I even smell that hint of powder that you get when you bite into a banana Runt. I can smell a very slight hint of a sugar cookie note, but not much. Even so, I really like this one. I am all about banana scents so how could I not love one called Banana Love? Medium scent throw. Lasted about 6 hours.
• Repurchase: Perhaps! I have a few more of these in my stash, we'll see if I miss it once I've melted the rest of them.
• Overall rating: 7/10

Lil Kitchen Candles

Circus

• Notes: Cotton candy, orange dreamsicle, banana smoothie
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  4 lego tarts
• My take: I was really excited about this one. Unfortunately, it just did not wow me. This was one of the last things I melted before I realized that I was suffering from a case of candle nose. I smelled mostly orange dreamsicle in this one, couldn't really smell any banana or cotton candy, unfortunately. Next time I melt this, I'll throw the six remaining legos in and see if it performs better for me. Light scent throw. Only lasted about 2 hours before I couldn't smell anything. I've heard great things about the way this vendor's wax performs so I am going to chalk this up to candle nose and give it another try.
• Repurchase: Maybe. Maybe not. I'm going to have to melt this again to get an accurate read on it.
• Overall rating: 2/10

Skinny Dip Soaps

Lemon Squares

• Notes: (description unknown) Bakery lemon
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 donut tart
• My take:  I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I wasn't too thrilled with my Skinny Dip order so I wasn't really expecting much. This was a very nice lemon bakery scent. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it is always important for a vendor to have a good lemon scent in their repertoire.  Strong scent throw. Lasted about 8 hours.
• Repurchase: Probably not. I don't see myself ordering from this vendor again but if I do, this would be a scent I would consider repurchasing. 
• Overall rating: 7/10

Front Porch Candle Co.

Raspberry Coconut Cake

• Notes: raspberry, coconut, cake
• Warmer: 24-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 grubby tart
• My take: Yeaaaahhh buddy! I am pretty much obsessed with this scent. It's a nice sweet and tart raspberry blended with coconut and a slight hint of cake in the background. This is the epitome of a perfect summer scent for me. Berry and coconut together is always a winning combo for me. I'll definitely be requesting  Angie make this one when I'm off of my wax ban in April. Strong scent throw. Lasted about 8 hours. I do wish the coconut was a bit stronger in this but it is phenomenal anyways. 
• Repurchase: Absolutely!
• Overall rating: 9.5/10

Tiffany Candles

Coconut & Pineapple (new wax)

• Notes: coconut, pineapple
• Warmer: 24-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  2 scallop tarts
• My take: This was a really nice blend of coconut and pineapple. I'm super picky about coconut and pineapple blends because a lot of times they tend to smell very cheap and generic. This one, however, had a very rich coconut base with a nice top note of sweet and juicy pineapple. Really loved the way this scent was blended! I wish it was a bit stronger, with 2 scallop tarts I only got a medium throw from this one. Lasted about 6 hours.
• Repurchase: Perhaps. I may even try this one in their new scoopable wax at some point.
• Overall rating: 7/10

Pumpkin Creme Brulee (old wax)

• Notes: pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cardamom, vermont maple, caramelized sugar, rum, French vanilla
• Warmer: 24-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 scallop tart
• My take: This is probably one of my favorite pumpkin scents ever. A lot of vendors use this oil so it's not unique to Tiffany's but that's okay because Tiffany's version was actually quite strong! It's definitely a spicy pumpkin scent, but with a heavy crunchy sugar note. I don't have too much luck with Tiffany's old wax so I was pleasantly surprised that this one did so well. I imagine that it will do well in the new wax too. Strong throw. Lasted about 8 hours.
• Repurchase: Definitely!
• Overall rating: 9/10

Tiffany Candles

Cucumber Melon type (new wax)

• Notes: honeydew, cucumber
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 scent shot
• My take: LOVE this one! I was obsessed with Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon back in middle school so this one brings back good memories. I wasn't expecting too much from this but wow was this baby STRONG! Only lasted about 4 hours though. I want Tiffany to carry Juniper Breeze and Herbal Essences scents so I can blend these three scents in a candle. I think I would call it "Middle School Madness." 
• Repurchase: Yes!
• Overall rating: 8/10

Candles by Victoria

Boston Cream Pie

• Notes: Custard, chocolate, cream
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  Half of a scent shot
• My take: This was the first CBV shot I've ever melted and WOW was it STRONG! I've heard that most people need to cut these tarts in half of in quarters because they're so strong but I didn't believe it. I started out with half a scent shot and figured I would have to add the rest in. Boy was I wrong! In fact, I probably could have gotten away with 1/4 of a scent shot with this one. Love this scent. It's a creamy chocolate scent with a strong spicy crust note. Super strong scent throw. Had to turn it off because it was bothering my husband's nose. I'll definitely stick to 1/4 of the scent shot next time and maybe mix it with a vanilla scent to tone it down. 
• Repurchase: Absolutely! 
• Overall rating: 9/10

Sugar and Spice Gourmet Soy

Juniper Breeze

• Notes: pure fresh floral
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 scent shot
• My take: I wish the scent description gave me a bit more to work with here. Basically, it smells exactly like the 90's Bath and Body Works favorite Juniper Breeze scent. It's fresh and crisp, but with a feminine floral twist. Obsessed. I should have combined this one with Tiffany's Cuc Melon! Anyways, this one had a super strong scent throw. Lasted 12+ hours.
• Repurchase: For sure.
• Overall rating: 9/10

Nene's Kitchen Melts

Baklava

• Notes: Filo dough, cinnamon, nuts, sweet honey glaze
• Warmer: 24-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 scent shot
• My take: This was incredible! This teeny, tiny .7 oz scent shot threw like crazy. On cold sniff I couldn't really smell much else besides the cinnamon and dough but warmed, the honey and nut notes came out as well! Another spicy bakery scent that has moved to the top of my favorites list this week. I need to order this scent in bulk. Strong scent throw. Lasted about 8 hours.
• Repurchase: Yes yes yes! 
• Overall rating: 10/10

Ten Digit Creations

Magnolia Blossom

• Notes: Magnolia, white sandalwood, amber
• Warmer: 24-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 scallop tart
• My take: Yet another Bath and Body Works dupe this week! This is another one of my favorite scents that is now discontinued. So glad to have found an exact dupe for this scent. It's such a nice floral scent without being too heavy on the floral. It's definitely sweet but the sandalwood and amber add depth. Really pretty. I would recommend this to everyone, even if you hate florals. Strong scent throw. Lasted 12+ hours.
• Repurchase: Absolutely! I snagged another one of these in the RR box, so that will have to tide me over until I can place another order in April after my wax ban.
• Overall rating: 10/10

Pics, Petals and Scents

Plum Delicious

• Notes: Plump berries, spice, spruce
• Warmer: 18-watt hotplate
• Amount used:  1 "Thank You" bar
• My take: This was a gift from my friend Shelby. It was love at first sniff! I've found that I really like fruity scents blended with spruce/pine/balsam notes. The berry/plum note in this is very strong and then the spruce and spice notes pull it all together. I smell even a hint of a bakery crust note in this. It's a very holiday-ish scent that can work all year round.  Obsessed. I'm so glad I ordered this scent in a few products in my PPS order. Strong scent throw. Lasted 12+ hours.
• Repurchase: Absolutely! I purchased a bag of this scent on it's own and even blended it with another scent in a chunk! Can't wait until that order arrives!
• Overall rating: 10/10

Ollie's Soaps

Pink Lime

• Notes:  Pink Sugar, lime
• Warmer: Tealight
• Amount used:  1 scallop tart
• My take: Really loved this one! This is the first tart I've melted from Ollie's and I was very impressed. The lime is this tends to be more of a sweet, bakery lime but I didn't detect any pie crust notes. Perhaps it was a lime cake scent or something along those lines. The Pink Sugar cuts the tartness of the lime quite nicely and adds a sugary sweetness. I could smell both notes equally in this blend. Strong scent throw. Lasted about 10 hours.
• Repurchase: Definitely! 
• Overall rating: 8.5/10

Can-Do-Candles

Raspberry Violet

• Notes:  Raspberry, violet
• Warmer: Tealight
• Amount used:  1 scallop tart
• My take: This was incredible. The sweetness of the raspberry blended really well with the powdery floral of the violet. As I've mentioned before, violet is one of my favorite floral notes and this blend is definitely one of the best violet scents I've ever smelled. A perfect spring scent. Definitely a winner. Another scent I would recommend to someone who isn't much of a floral fan. Strong scent throw. Lasted 8+ hours.
• Repurchase: I'm honestly thinking of breaking my wax ban just to get a few more of these tarts. Must. Not. Order.
• Overall rating: 9.5/10

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That's all for this week's wax meltdown! Hope you enjoyed reading about all the scents I melted this week. Overall, I had great success with scents this week. As always, let me know if you have any questions! Thanks for stopping by today and I'll see you all soon =)