Two Timing Tart - Cold Sniff and First Impressions Review

Hi everyone!! Long time, no see!! I need to stop taking such long hiatuses from this blog. I'm such a terrible blogger! Truth is, I've been crazy busy lately. School just finished up for the semester and things have just been crazy. Besides all the regular life stuff, I was struck with the plague a couple weeks ago and lost my sense of smell for almost two weeks! The ultimate worst nightmare for someone who is obsessed with things that smell good. My nose is FINALLY back to normal so I'm back again for some of my recent hauls and melted reviews =D

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Today I have something a bit different for you. A few months ago, Becky, the owner of Two Timing Tart contacted me and wanted to know if I'd be interested in reviewing some of her products. I said that of course I would love to try some of her tarts and from there, we started chatting and I found out that Becky is a really cool lady. She asked me to go through her scent list and give her an idea of what kind of things I would like to try, and ended up sending me everything I thought looked interesting and so much more! So thank you so much Becky for giving me the opportunity to try some of your products! And of course, I apologize that it took me so long to get this review up =)

Two Timing Tart is a company that makes both candles and clamshell tarts, all 100% soy and dye free. The thing that makes Two Timing Tart stand out from all the other wax companies out there is the sheer uniqueness of her scents. You're not going to find the likes of Pink Sugar Cookie Dough Bread or Serendipity Marshmallow Birthday Cake here. No siree. Becky blends her fragrances from the finest oils and uses several different oils in each tart or candle to come up with scents that are totally different from your typical candle scents. If you've ever heard of BPAL or Villainess Soaps, think of those kind of scents only in wax form. Love it! The names are great too, from Drunken Tweeting and Intergalactic Kegger to Sex Kitten and P0rnography, one can tell that this isn't a run-of-the-mill brand. The wax world is rather saturated these days with companies that do lots of bakery and fruity scents, so it's refreshing to see a wax company with more complex and uncommon fragrances. 

What I'm going to do is go through all the clamshells that she gave me and give a cold-sniff review on those scents then I will give my overall impressions of the company after that. So, please read on for my cold sniffs of these Two Timing Tart fragrances =)

NOTE: COLD SNIFF REVIEWS ONLY

• Tease
• Official description: 'Make a good cup of tea - vanilla tea and Moroccan mint - and show a little knee, ladies. Just don't get caught winking and blowing kisses at the married men.'
• My take: I can definitely smell the tea and the mint, but it's not like the typical "mint tea" scents that I've smelled in wax before. Something about it takes me back to the 90's, perhaps reminding me of something I custom blended at The Body Shop back when they had oils that the customers could blend themselves. Ahhh, those were the days. Anyway, this is a very fresh fragrance that is heavy on the mint and would be great for summer!
• Freak Flag
• Official description: 'Everyone has that one little thing that makes them just a bit weird/eccentric/freaky. (Okay, maybe a lot freaky.) So don't fight your Inner!Freak: embrace it and fly your freak flag proudly. My Freak Flag encompasses a sensible base of sandalwood and berries dipped in dark chocolate then drenched in champagne. Live long and proper, my freaky bitches.'
• My take: Oh yeah, I can definitely smell the sandalwood and chocolate. What an awesome combination! There's definitely a hint of berries and champagne in there as well. The sandalwood smells a bit more on the soapy side than the incense-y sandalwood I'm used to but I still really like this blend. I'm a HUGE fan of chocolate scents in wax, and this is definitely a good one. Very unique!
• Mae West's Diamonds
• Official description: 'Mae West was famed for her on-and-off-screen sexuality, best showcased by her stereotypical rags-to-riches, diamond-dripping characters. This is a sleek, sensually sparkling scent with surprisingly simple ingredients: musk and caraway.'
• My take: This is one of Becky's absolute best sellers and I can see why - it smells absolutely amazing! Musk and caraway, who would have thought? The musk is very pleasant and the caraway adds a kick to it that is fresh yet spicy at the same time. Trust me on this one - it's a must sniff for sure! 
• Parasol
• Official description: 'Keep the sun off your face in style! This parasol is also wonderful at dissuading unwanted suitors (and anyone else that might upset you or do you bodily offense). An unexpected blend of green fig and peach blossoms covers the potentially lethal combination of femininity and strength.'
• My take: This is another absolute favorite and another one that is a very nostalgic scent for me. The green fig and fresh peach blossom scents blend together to create a smell that is both comforting and invigorating. Again, I've never smelled anything like this from any other wax company before. The scent reminds me of my childhood somehow. I can see this being a universally well-liked scent and would be something I would recommend to anyone wanting to try this brand.  

• Intergalactic Kegger
• Official description: 'This is the scent of the keg of beer from the Restaurant at the End of the Universe: a bubbly, frothy raspberry porter with hints of dark chocolate, perfect for dethroning the Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster as favored drink of the universe at large.'
• My take: This is a special edition scent that is only available through The Rhinestone Housewife store. If you've never checked out this site, definitely do so because there's some really neat stuff on there. Anyway, this scent is SO GOOD. It's a fizzy raspberry scent (I don't really smell any beer undertones) with the added deliciousness of chocolate. You really just can't go wrong with raspberry and chocolate. This is not your typical chocolate raspberry scent, however. If this sounds in any way interesting to you, try it. It's really fantastic!
• Drunk Tweeting
• Official description: '140 characters, alcohol, and a QWERTY keyboard... what could possibly go wrong? This is the scent of a coconut-mango mojito; and a hella possession of the ability to crunch down words into nonsensical letters.'
• My take: This is a really fantastic combo. You get the sweetness from the coconut and mango, but the mojito adds a refreshing, minty aspect to the overall feel of this scent. This is another awesome scent for summer! I can't get over how awesome these blends are.
• Drunk Status Updates
• Official description: 'Ever been so drunk that you had to tell everyone just how drunk you were, where you got drunk, and who you were with when you got plastered? And why the hell do you have friends anyway - they just hog all the booze. Because, holy hell, who doesn't need another drink? The scent of comrades in drink: a pomegranate-lavender martini.'
• My take: Yet another awesome blend that I've never seen anywhere else. Pomegranate and lavender martini? Yes, please! The pomegranate and lavender martini scents blend together so effortlessly in this blend that I wonder why I've never thought to blend them before. The two together provide an awesome fruity and fizzy scent with a calming undertone. Not one note overpowers the other for a nice, balanced scent. I want to drink this. 
• Drunk Texting
• Official description: 'It's difficult to understand QWERTY keyboards when you're drunk. Damn autocorrect - I didn't really mean to text my dad... crap. The scent of a cucumber mojito that tipped the scales in favor of drunken textual mayhem.'
• My take: I get mostly cucumber and mint out of this one, with a slight lime-y undertone. It's an awesome fresh and clean kind of scent without having that sharp note that a lot of fresh scents have. If you are a fan of fresh scents, this one is a must have. I can see this one being an excellent hangover cure type of scent as well. Perhaps a good antidote to a night filled with drunk texting?

• P0rnography
• Official description: 'Rule 34: if it exists, there is p0rn of it. Sometimes, the wrongest of the wrongs is the rightest of the rights. And how many times have you gone, "OMG WTF AM I WATCHING?" This is the scent of a dirty, dirty whore cupcake tainted with dragon's blood.'
• My take: YUMMMM! This is an awesome cupcake scent without having that super sweet, hits-you-in-the-back-of-the-throat kind of reaction. It almost has a bit of a licorice-y undertone that kind of reminds me of anise pizzelle or biscotti. It's phenomenal. One of the best bakery-type scents I've ever smelled before. I would love this kind of scent in a body lotion or perfume as well. In fact, all of the scents from Becky would make awesome perfumes.
• Peacock Plumes
• Official description: 'Instead of flowers or ribbons, why not deck your curled bob out with a peacock plume and rhinestone headdress? Yuzu and bamboo, tempered with teakwood and a hint of lemon - isn't that color just lovely with your eyes!'
• My take: This is another really fresh scent. I can smell the yuzu and the teakwood with slight undertones of lemon and bamboo. I have realized that I'm not a huge fan of yuzu scents (which is odd because I usually love grapefruit-type scents) but I can see this being a hit among citrus lovers. The citrus notes blended with the fresh and woodsy notes of the bamboo and teakwood make this one a standout for sure. 
• Teatime with Mary Pickford
• Official description: 'Old Hollywood's den of vice extended even to teatime. Instead of a nice darjeeling, partake of a cup of champagne cocktail that's ripe with mango juice and coconut milk.'
• My take: I just love the coco-mango oil that she uses. It's so tropical and sweet and delicious. The coconut mango is definitely hits your nose upon first sniff but there is a nice undertone of tea and champagne which adds a bubbly freshness to the fruity notes. Very nice and refreshing for a summer day!
• Innocence
• Official description: 'The very concept of innocence as a thing that you can lose is an adult idea. Sugar, spice and everything nice, with a decidedly adult bent: brown sugar, nutmeg, and an anise chaser.'
• My take: To me, this smells like pumpkin pie spice without the pumpkin. SO YUMMY! You definitely get the anise note prominently so if licorice-y kind of scents aren't your thing, this might be one to pass on.

• Sex Kitten
• Official description: 'For when you just need a little boost to remind you that you too can purr like a kitten, light this mixture of honeycomb, patchouli, and vanilla up and get busy!'
• My take: When Becky and I were discussing what kind of scents I liked, I mentioned that I was not a huge fan of patchouli. She told me that I needed to try this one anyway because she uses a patchouli oil that doesn't smell like old dirty hippies. I'm so glad she talked me into this one because it smells fantastic! She is correct, her patchouli oil is more of an herbal patchouli rather than a stale-incense-head-shop kind of smell. It's really, really nice! If you are a patchouli hater, I truly encourage you to give this one a sniff. It changed my mind about patchouli scents!
• Insanitea
• Official description: 'If insanity is hereditary, so also must be the love of tea - and liquor. Don't worry, we won't tell your therapist about the compulsion to run around naked with a tea cozy on your head. Or the fact that we <3 our tea a little too much around here. Tea, absinthe, mint, and hints of vanilla.'
• My take: This smells very similar to Tease, which is a vanilla mint tea scent as well, but this one has the added woodsy undertone from the added absinthe fragrance. I think I like this one a bit more than Tease because I'm a huge fan of absinthe scents. I get the strong minty undertone in this one as well but the absinthe mellows it out a bit more. Really good, and another one of Becky's best sellers!
• Daydreamer
• Official description: 'Lose yourself in the clouds and zone out to the scent of citrus musk, sandalwood, and a warm rush of cassis, lemongrass, and kiwi.'
• My take: Oh man do I love a good lemongrass scent!! That is definitely the dominant note in this blend - a fresh, green lemongrass scent with undertones of other fruits and sandalwood. If you've ever smelled Lemongrass Kiwi Cassis from other vendors, this has that note in it but with an added complexity from the sandalwood and musk. This is a scent I'll definitely love on a warm day with the windows open and breezes flowing through!
• Seduction
• Official description: 'Less than innocent furtive glances, stolen touches, brief kisses, and the less than faint breath of desire expressed in tones of Madagascar vanilla, a delicate breath of orchid and blondewood, and the warmth of cardamom and teakwood.'
• My take: This is definitely one of my favorites of the whole bunch. If you've ever smelled i Profumi di Firenze's Vaniglia del Madagascar perfume, this is it in wax, but with a bit more spiciness which perhaps is coming from the cardamom. SO GOOD! It's a sexy and sophisticated vanilla scent with a twist of something different. My husband loves this perfume on me so I know he'll love this in wax as well.

• Madman with a Box
• Official description: 'Anyone who hangs out with me more than five minutes knows that I have an incurable love of Doctor Who. So what better way to salute my favorite show than a mix of blue agave, blueberry, lime, and freshly crushed peppermint candies? It's a little fruity, a lot crazy, and totally sonic. Who looked at a wax tart and though it could be a bit more sonic? This Whovian.'
• My take: Oh so yummy. I smell mostly blueberry and mint with this one, which I've realized is a favorite scent combo of mine. Fresh, invigorating and fruity all at the same time. Really awesome blend! I'm not a Doctor Who watcher but I think this would be something fun for all of you Whovians out there.
• Lustful Longings
• Official description: 'It's only human to lust after those we find attractive. Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte went there - a lot. Pent-up desires and a need to express them can only lead to angst, epiphany, or oblivion, but still we have them anyway. This scent is a deep, rich sandalwood with dancing notes of Blue Sugar and Pink Sugar - the male and female coupled together in the profane and the divine.'
• My take: You guys know me and Blue Sugar - I can't get enough!! This is different from the typical Blue Sugar/Pink Sugar blends because it has that added touch of sandalwood that makes it a bit deeper. LOVE this one! 
• The Haughty Flounce (LE March 2013)
• Official description: 'Turn your back on your enemies and strut away like it just ain't no damn thing - a deeply disturbing and complex scent that slaps like an insult but soothes like sugar: toasted hazelnut and spiced caramel.'
• My take: This is definitely a caramel and nutty kind of scent, but there is something else in there that I can't place that takes it to a whole different level. Sandalwood? Patchouli? Musk? I'm not sure of what makes it so different from your typical nutty caramel scent, but it's definitely unique. And delicious! This would be the absolute perfect Halloween scent. It was limited edition for March but it is still available on the site, and for half off! 
• Unemployment Apathy (LE March 2013)
• Official description: 'For those of you not in the know, I recently was laid off from my day job. And, really, maybe that's for the best. Whatever, I don't know. All I know is that I'm making a ton of wax and watching a damn lot of stuff on Netflix. I could start drinking, but then I'd have to stop when my severance pay runs out - so, instead, here's a sloshy drunk tart! Sangria mixed with champagne and a drunken toast to my future success in finding another job.'
• My take: Oh, this is another one of my favorites from the bunch. I love me a good fizzy drink scent and this one definitely fits the bill. It has a strong fruity note from that sangria but the champagne just puts it over the top with an awesome citrus-y, fizzy scent. SO awesome! I would love to slather myself in this scent on a daily basis. Fresh, fruity and wonderful! This is another LE scent that is currently half off on her site!

• Pin-Up Girl
• Official description: 'From the girl next door to the vampy flash & glam, a pin-up girl was on every male mind from about the age of 8 till the age of 90. So show off your curves and put on some bright red lipstick and rock it! The scent of freshly baked almond cookies, a lemon sugar drizzle, and two perfect, lush, burgandy drops of black cherry to finish.'
• My take: This is a fantastic, yummy almond and cherry cookie scent. I don't get much lemon out of this scent but that's okay because everything else I'm smelling is great. I love cherry almond scents, but some can be too cloying. This is not one of those scents. It is light enough to where it doesn't make you feel queasy. Delish!!
• Sex Bomb
• Official description: 'Ladies, you wish your man smelled like this and not cheap deodorant, soap, and sweat. Deep, sweet myrrh, masculine, spicy bay rum, and a surprising twist of pineapple - all leading to a lingering disappointment at the Guitar Hero marathon in the living room. The least he could do is have moves like Jagger, right?'
• My take: This is a really fantastic scent. I was a bit scared off by the mention of 'masculine' in the description, but I don't think it's too masculine at all. In fact, this kind of reminds me of a holiday scent. The pineapple mixed with the myrrh and spices kind of smell like some kind of old-world Christmas punch. This one surprised me, as it's definitely one of my favorites! Really unique and awesome scent. 
• Pride and Prejudice
• Official description: 'I finally admit to being a girl and liking Jane Austen... but it doesn't hurt that Mr. Darcy is so brooding and sexy. Elizabeth Bennett is lucky to have found her match, and this scent celebrates her twisted love story with Mr. Darcy - linen, amber, sandalwood, and dusty, musky vanilla.'
• My take: This is another scent that is very similar to my beloved Vaniglia del Madagascar perfume but with a bit more of a kick to it. This time, it's the deep, resinous amber notes that give this tart it's mysterious undertone. I absolutely love this one as well. If I had to choose between this one and Seduction, this one wins by a hair but they are both fantastic. I just love amber notes and this is a great one without being too powdery like some ambers can be. Love it! 
• Drunk and Disorderly (bath salts)
• Official description: Pumpkin lager, black cherry, patchouli and Blue Sugar.
• My take: I'm pretty sure this scent is the best thing I've ever smelled in my life.  My love for cherry, pumpkin and Blue Sugar scents knows no bounds but when mixed together? It's a scentgasm, you guys. I have been tempted to many times to use these but I've been waiting to do this review before I indulged myself. Pure, utter, amazing wonderfulness. I need this scent in every single product imaginable, including laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid and anything else I could get my hands on. Becky. This is phenomenal. 

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I hope you guys enjoyed my scent descriptions of these tarts! Now I will go into my pros and cons about this company. Please keep in mind that your experience with these tarts may be different and these are just my opinions. I encourage you all to try these for yourselves because they are truly unlike any other wax tarts I've ever smelled before. 

Pros:

• The scents. Becky is truly a master at blending fragrances and these are some of the absolute best scents I've ever smelled in my life. The fragrances are unique and complex, but not so much so that you lose out on smelling the individual notes in the blends. I don't know how she did it, but so many of these scents are very nostalgic for me and some evoke memories that I never even knew I had. Very cool.
• The concept. I absolutely love the concept of this company. The names and scents are clever, tounge-in-cheek and humorous. I love the simplicity of the tarts as well. No dyes, no crazy labels or shapes. Just white wax and black and white labels. For those who like a more natural product, these tarts (and her candles as well) are 100% soy.
• The customer service. Becky is very responsive to e-mails and messages and very much wants to make your time with TTT a great experience. She's hilarious and is really great at knowing what kind of scents you would like based on your other likes and dislikes. She's a riot to chat with and definitely puts a lot of thought into her product. For those seeking a bit of a different experience from your wax, I highly recommend checking Two Timing Tart out. 

Cons:

• The price. These clamshells are $5 a piece, with special editions running at $6 a piece (but those are on sale for $3 on her site right now). Most clamshells from online vendors run in the $3 range so these are definitely on the higher side. However, I do have a coupon code for you all to use that I will post at the end of my entry that will help cut down on the cost on your first purchase.
• The wax formula. I do not care for the wax, unfortunately. It is a 100% soy wax and it is very, very crumbly. It is also difficult to get the wax out of the clamshells, I've noticed. When I have clamshells, I prefer that the wax is easy to get out and easy to break off into cubes. This type of wax would perhaps be better suited to another container other than clamshells. I'm sure it works really well in the candles, but I've never tried those so I can't speak to that.
• The scent strength. This is difficult for me to say because Becky is such a sweetheart and I am head over heels for the scents, but they are pretty light on cold throw and so far of the one tart that I've melted, it had almost no throw. I melted Innocence, 2 cubes each in a 24-watt hotplate, an 18-watt hot plate and a 25-watt lightbulb warmer and I didn't get much. Of course, Innocence could just be a lighter scent so I am definitely going to give the rest of them a go and see if they perform better for me than Innocence did. Again, everyone's nose is different and for those people that don't like as strong of a scent throw as I do (I like nosehair-searing strong), these tarts may just be the perfect match for you. *EDITED TO ADD* She is working on reformulating her wax so the scent throw is a bit stronger. 

Even though the one I've melted so far didn't do much for me, I have hopes that the other ones will perform better and I will keep you all updated as I melt through the rest of these! I suggest you check out Two Timing Tart if you love scents that are more complex and if you are sick of the typical Strawberry Zucchini Bread and Fruit Loops Birthday Cake kind of scents that are so commonplace nowadays!

Here is a coupon code for all of my readers! SCHOLARLYNAIL will get you $5 off a $15 order, which is basically like purchasing two tarts and getting on for free! 

That concludes my cold sniff and first impressions review of Two Timing Tarts! I hope you saw something today that caught your eye, as Becky really has some amazing scents. I'll be back in the coming days to catch up on some hauls and reviews! Thanks for stopping by today folks and I hope you are all having a wonderful day!

These products were sent to me in exchange for my honest review.