Day 091 - Blogging for CBV Order/Review

Currently Burning: 007

I was selected as one of the winners for the Blogging for CBV contest for the month of March. I was super excited :) The contest runs every month until the 15th of that month. To submit your entry, email victoria@candlesbyvictoria.com. She selects 3 winners every month to receive a $50 gift certificate to CBV.

I found out about winning and had placed my order the next day I was so excited :) I wasn't planning on placing another CBV order until May so this was an awesome surprise!!! I have enough SS and new candles to still do my daily scent of the day up until the beginning of July at this point lol.

I went a little overboard this time and definitely spent more than $50, but it was so worth it! I was able to stock up on 2 of my Top 3 scents as well as get some candles in some scents that I love.

I picked up 2, 22 oz tureens. The first is in the scent Shamrock Kiss which I LOVE. Shamrock Kiss was actually the first scent that I reviewed on my blog here. It's in Halo Green glitter which is SO pretty! I think I'm going to have to get Halo Dark Green soon to compare, but I need to figure out what scent would fit that color (I'm one of those that my glitter has to go with my scent).

Keeping along that vein, my 2nd 22 oz tureen I picked up is in the scent Sexy in Stilettos (which I reviewed here). This one is in Halo Red glitter which looks like crushed up rubies. It's SO pretty. Exactly the color red that I was looking for because I really did not want it to be pink.

I decided to pick up another Black Label candle. I'm going to have order every single one of these because they've all been really good. I may not reorder some of them, but they're all at least 4 on my rating sheet! Bonsai is no different. This is a mixture of Japanese Rice Pudding and Vanilla Blossoms. I can tell that this one needs to cure some more. It's been 5 days since I made my video haul and it's already gotten better. The really heavy doughy note that I got on first impression is getting a lot sweeter. This one smells like it's going to be flipping fantastic once it fully cures!

Next I got a 6 pack sampler of 9 oz candles. I've decided to alternate ordering 8 oz and 9 oz samplers because I love both jars so much :)

Best Friends (reorder): Review located at the bottom of the post here.

Clean Cotton (reorder): Review located at the bottom of the post here.

Springdipity (reorder): Review located at the bottom of the post here.

Enchanted Forest (reorder): Even though this is a reorder I haven't yet reviewed it. This is a minty/woodsy type scent. I actually really like it because the sharpness of the peppermint really helps to mellow out the earthiness.

Pink Bubblegum Crush (reorder): Review located at the bottom of the post here.

Spellbound (reorder): Review located at the bottom of the post here.

Moving on to scent shots. I'll start with my free one which was Carrot Cake. 5 days later this one smells a LOT more like carrot cake. I still get the spicy notes, but I'm now getting the sweetness from the carrot. So good!

Finally I have my scent shots. I picked these in kind of an interesting way. I keep 4 different lists of scents: Must Order, Should Order, Might Order, and then a list that has all the rest of the scents in it. If I hear someone talk about a scent, I put it on one of the first three lists depending on how much I like the sound of it. As scents get moved off of it, the 4th list gets shorter. I use a random function in excel to pick out a certain number of scents from the remainder list so I can try scents I've either never heard of or I missed somehow. Normally when I place scent shot only (or mostly) orders, I'll select a certain number of scents from each list. For example 20 from the Must Order List, 15 from the Should Order list, 10 from the Might Order list, and 5 random ones. That way I get a good variety of scents.

Long story short (yeah right) this time I got 2 from each category for a total of 8. I list them from which list I pulled them from:

Might Order
Island Delight - This is a mixture of Lime, Strawberry, and Pineapple. This one is really good and really juicy!
Coconut Hibiscus - This one has a crazy amount of oil in it! It kind of reminds me of a pina colada right now. I'm not a huge fan of the taste of hibiscus, but they do smell nice.

Should Order
Kiwi Kicker - I'm really liking this one cold! It smells like a fresh kiwi!
DKNY Delicious - A dupe for the perfume that I have not smelled. It's nice so far.

Might Order
Raspberry Banana Guava - This one smells exactly like the Raspberry Mambo chewy candy. So yummy! I think I like this better than regular Raspberry Guava!
Iris & Fern - I think this one is my favorite of the scent shots! Victoria's converting me into a floral person :) It smells a lot like the Hyacinth scent shot I have, but it is still pretty different. Can't wait to burn it!

Random Ones
Coconut - I'm on the fence with this one. I can tell that it's starting to get better, but it still doesn't really smell like coconut to me.
Cantaloupe Lily - This one is really pretty. I love fruity florals and this is no exception. There's a juiciness coming from the melon that's sweetening up the lily a lot!

And an extra special treat - here's my unboxing video of the whole thing! Enjoy!!!

Now onto the daily review!

007 (5): This is an amazing spa scent. It's a little lighter than I normally like my candles to be, but the scent definitely makes up for it. I can't really pick out individual notes because it's so well blended. It is really relaxing and would be the perfect scent to light with a bath. I will most likely be reordering this one!

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 090 - Prototype

Currently Burning: What Goes Around Comes Around

Prototype is a really weird game. The main character wakes up and doesn't remember any details about what happened to him other than his name. He soon discovers that he has the ability to morph his body into weapons and is able to absorb other people. The main story has you absorbing people to gain memories to try to recreate his experience.

The setting is in New York City and there's also this element of zombie apocalypse because of a virus outbreak that's changing all the humans. Not my favorite game, and I didn't really finish it because I got bored with the story.

Now onto the daily review!

What Goes Around Comes Around (2): This one is an insane color of blue! It's a powdery mixture of dragon's blood and patchouli. Not a huge fan. The throw is surprisingly not very strong for a patchouli fragrance though. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 089 - Tabatha Takes Over

Currently Burning: Lei Flowers

OMG I am LOVING this show right now! How this has been on the air for 4 seasons and I'm just now hearing about it is beyond me. Basically Tabatha goes into a salon (or other business, but mostly salons) that is having some trouble. They don't have happy employees, their product is not up to par, the managers are ineffective, and the owners stink. She takes over the business for one week and attempts to turn the place around. 

The thing I really love about this show is how she does not put up with nonsense. This show is seriously awesome. New episodes come on Bravo on Tuesday nights, but there's marathons of it on all the time. Love it!

Now onto the daily review!

Lei Flowers (4): I really didn't like this one when I first got it, but it has cured beautifully. It's a really sweet floral. The most dominant note is plumeria, but there are other tropical florals in there as well. It literally smells like a Hawaiian lei. The throw is pretty strong on this one. I'll probably get this one in a candle at some point because it's great for spring/summer.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 088 - March 21 - 27 Recap

Currently Burning: Birds of Paradise

Here's the video I posted for this past week's scent recap! Sorry I was really tired in this one so if I seem a little down that's why :)

Now onto the daily review!

Birds of Paradise (5): This smells like strawberries and cream. This is a really yummy fragrance. Thanks to Deb & Ashtyn for recommending it!!! The throw is pretty strong on it too. Definitely going to be getting a candle in this one soon!

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 087 - No Bake Cookies

Currently Burning: Poisoned Apple

I needed a really easy recipe for today because I am TIRED!!! Thought I'd go with No Bake Cookies :)

In a medium sauce pan, combine 1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of milk

1 3/4 cups of white sugar

and 4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder

Bring to a boil and cook for 1 1/2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 3 cups of quick oats

Spoon onto wax paper and allow to cool. Mine were kind of all over the place!

Now onto the daily review!

Poisoned Apple (5): This smells like apple hand sanitizer or shampoo. It's a really good green apple smell along with some bergamot and a few other things. I really like it! Going to have to get a candle in this one for sure. The throw is medium. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 086 - Alice in Wonderland

Currently Burning: Watermelon

I really wanted to watch this after watching Once Upon a Time yesterday. This movie is a little crazy (but the book is SO much crazier). I swear Lewis Carroll was dropping acid when writing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Technically the Disney version is a mashup of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

I noticed while watching that the girl that does the voice for Alice is also the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan. This is a really great Disney movie.

Now onto the daily review!

Watermelon (2): My 9 oz of watermelon has some carbon pieces in the bottom of it because I had to put the candle on my warmer to reset the wick. I think it's funny because it makes it look like the watermelon candle has seeds. I think I like this one better on a warmer than actually lit. It doesn't really smell like watermelon to me at all. It's surprisingly not really sweet to me. I was hoping for like a watermelon candy smell, but that's not what this is. I've had this candle for almost a year. The throw on it is also pretty light. I will not be reordering this one. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 085 - Spring Break is over :(

Currently Burning: Chantilly Lace

I wish that's where I had spent my spring break! Since I work at a university, we get the Friday of spring break off as a holiday (I think they do it in lieu of Presidents' Day). I went ahead and took vacation days Tuesday - Thursday to make almost an entire week off of work. Unfortunately now that week has ended and it's back to work tomorrow :( Always sad when a vacation ends, but I love having vacations because I always feel recharged and ready to get back to work at the end of it!

Basically this week has really been a staycation for me. I went to see my parents on Thursday/Friday, but other than that I haven't really left the apartment. I have been able to burn lots of great scents and have my windows open all week though!

By the way, be sure to look up at the western sky tonight just after sunset. Venus, Jupiter, and a crescent moon will all be kind of in a row. Venus will be the highest in the sky, then Jupiter, then the Moon. Don't want to miss it!

Now onto the daily review!

Chantilly Lace (4): This is a really nice floral. It has a perfume note as well. However, it's not heavy or pungent. I can't pick out specific floral notes, but I really like this one for the bedroom. The throw is definitely strong. I'm not sure if I'll get this in a full size candle, but it is really nice. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 084 - 4 oz candles

Currently Burning: Genevieve's Tea Ring

The 4 oz mini jelly jar is just really cute. It's about half the height of the 8 oz candle. It has the same opening as the 8 oz and 9 oz candles. This is a really good size jar to get if you just want to try a fragrance and would rather have a candle than a scent shot. The candles also burn through the fastest of any of the jars so I wouldn't suggest getting a favorite in one of these. 

The jars are really useful once they're used up though, because they're the perfect size for holding things like bobby pins, hair bands, cotton pads, craft supplies, office supplies, and other things. I've only burned through one of these, but I'm going to take mine to work to hold paper clips and thumb tacks. 

It's the cheapest option for a candle at $5.00 so I do love the price point. These are only available by themselves though, so it's still a better bargain to go with a sampler pack of 8, 9, or 16 oz candles.

Now onto the daily review!

Genevieve's Tea Ring (4): This scent was new last September. It was made for a customer based on a description of a baked good that her mother made. Essentially, the tea ring was a cinnamon roll with cherry pie filling on top. That's pretty much what it smells like. The scent is a blend of Granny's Pie Crust, Creme Brulee, Vanilla, Cherry, The Porridge Pot, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon. This one is strong! I really like this one and can see myself getting a full size candle in this.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 083 - Left 4 Dead 2

Currently Burning: Bermuda Triangle

 Left 4 Dead 2 is a survival horror game. The concept is 4 people are left behind after an evacuation and have to make their way to a different evac point. It's a first-person shooter, but also has the option of melee weapons. The campaign is pretty fun to play with another person but single-player can get a little hairy. There is no leveling system and you don't really get a choice as far was what weapons are available. The zombies become more difficult to kill the further you are in the story.

To me, this game is better to play with other people, but not so great by yourself. It does have quite a few options for online play and those are generally fun. The replay value is really good on this game because the story isn't really linear.

Now onto the daily review!

Bermuda Triangle (4): This one is a really pretty dark blue color. It's also a really nice fragrance for summer. It's a mixture of melons and citrus with just a hint of apple. The throw isn't as strong as I would like, but it is really good. I mostly get melon when it's lit. I currently have this in an 8 oz and will probably be ordering this one again.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 082 - Downton Abbey

Currently Burning: Ginger Peach

I have been obsessed with this show recently! I've heard a few people talking about it so I decided to check it out on Netflix. It's amazing. Essentially it's the story of 2 groups of people living and working at the estate called Downton Abbey. The first group is the family of nobles that own the place. The 2nd group are all of the staff that work there. It takes place in the 1910's. It's really interesting to see the class struggles and gender differences. Maggie Smith plays the matriarchal character and she is phenomenal. So catty and funny!

I haven't seen the 2nd season, but the show comes on PBS. It's sort of like a miniseries, because there's only 7 or 8 episodes per season, but it is really good so I definitely recommend checking it out.

Now onto the daily review!

Ginger Peach (4): This smells like a peach tea bag. The ginger note in it is very herbal and makes the peach smell almost like the skin of a peach rather than the peach itself. The throw isn't too crazy strong on this one so it is nice. I do really like the taste of peach tea, and this smells like hot peach tea. I probably will end up getting a candle in this one. The longer that I have it on the more it grows on me :)

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 081 - Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Currently Burning: Raspberry Violet

Happy first day of Spring (officially)! I don't know about where you all live, but where I am it's been "spring" for a few weeks. Temps in the 70s and 80s! I'm hoping this isn't an indication for how hot the summer will be.

I've decided to change my format for Wednesday on here (hey it's my blog I do what I want!) I made my first YouTube video yesterday and I'm hooked. I've decided to put out a YouTube video every Wednesday that's a recap of the scents that I've tried for the previous week. I realize that this will be a little repetitive posted here, but it gives you both a written and verbal review for those that like both :) I'll also make videos for any orders that I get in as well from now on and post those here along with the written review.

I really appreciate all of the positive feedback that I've gotten on the blog. It's really helping me to stay motivated and keep going! Without further ado, here's the video for today recapping the week of March 14 - 20.

Now onto the daily review!

Raspberry Violet (5): I've been going through a lot of purple ones lately! I swear tomorrow I'm going to pick another color ;) I heard a lot about this one on the message board so I knew I had to try it. Wow, another one knocked out of the park! This is a 50/50 mixture of Raspberry and Violet. I will definitely be ordering this one in a candle at some point. The throw is also pretty strong on it.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 080 - Pesto Pita Pizzas

Currently Burning: Cleopatra's Closet

This recipe is adapted from my friend Tara again. Her original post is located here. I doubled the recipe and changed a few things around from her original post.

Preheat the oven to 425. Take 4 whole wheat pitas and slice them in half. Bake them at 425 for 4 minutes on a cookie sheet.

While baking, mix together approximately 2 cups of Ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Take the pitas out of the oven and spread the cheese mixture over them.

I then added about a tablespoon of sun-dried tomato pesto to the top of the cheese.

Place back in the oven and bake for 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Now onto the daily review!

Cleopatra's Closet (5): This is a really gorgeous blend of florals with a bit of fresh strawberry thrown in. Typically, I cannot really stand a single floral note because it becomes overpowering. I can get the strawberry once warm, as well as a bunch of floral notes that I can't really identify. I can definitely see myself getting a candle in this. The throw is also really strong on it!

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 079 - Pinocchio

Currently Burning: Cucumber Lime Twist

This was the 2nd animated Disney movie made. I remember when I was a kid, this movie was pretty scary because of the ending. Last night's episode of Once Upon a Time prompted me watching this one. Jiminy Cricket played a pivotal role this time around. I also forgot this is where the Blue Fairy came into play.

A much more serious tone than last week's movie. This one is essentially about someone who has to figure out the difference between right and wrong. Along the way, Pinocchio makes several bad decisions that result in some terrible consequences.

It's almost as if the story has multiple short stories in it. There's the story about not pursuing material wealth (the puppeteer), not giving into vices like gambling, drinking, and smoking (Pleasure Island), and how your negative actions affect the ones you love (Monstro). Good movie, but it's probably one of the gloomiest Disney movies.

Now onto the daily review!

Cucumber Lime Twist (5): This one is really nice. The cucumber is the dominant note with just a hint of lime. It also has a slight green note that helps to mellow it out.  It's not as sweet as many of the fruits can be and I really like it. It's like a clean, fruity scent. I can definitely see myself getting this in a candle. The throw is medium.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 078 - I just have to keep telling myself I don't have a problem...

Currently Burning: Coco Beach Baby Peach

Today I thought I would do a fun post of my CBV Stash. I was going to wait to do this until a Saturday, but I figured I could just do an updated stash instead. I've been wanting to do this for awhile, but I would always burn through/order more so I wasn't ever really satisfied. However, I think I'm finally good to go!

Starting off with storage.  I do not have a dedicated bookshelf/tv stand/cabinet etc (yet) so for the time being, these are mostly scattered throughout the house. The big basket holds my 4 oz, 8 oz, and 9 oz candles, and the scent shots that I have not reviewed for the blog yet. The paper bags in there have scent shots that are still curing. I write the date that I received them from UPS. Since I have so many, I usually wait about a month (unless there's one that I cannot possibly wait for).

The other container up there holds the scent shots that I've already reviewed. At one point in time I was quartering my shots, but I knew that I would end up with WAY too many, so I went with half instead. I need to order a new tart warmer to help go through all these...

My tureen, Black Label, and comfort candles all sit on a bookshelf that houses my DVDs. This case also has the empty jars (3 9 oz and 1 4 oz w00t!) that I'm hanging onto until I can figure something to do with them. The 16 oz usually sits in my bedroom.

I have 4 Black Labels. I really love these scents. The one burning is Manhattan. The three below that are: 007, Godfather, and Harvey Wallbanger.

Next, I grouped my tureen with my 16 oz. The 16 oz is Butterfly Kisses. The 22 oz tureen is Bella Swan in Grape glitter. I wasn't too big of a fan of the 16 oz at first, because mine wasn't burning as clean as I wanted. However, now that it's past halfway it's burned off all of the wax that was originally all over the edges so I think I probably will order more 16 oz. The 22 oz is one of my favorites. I haven't burned it all the way down yet (I've heard this is where it can become problematic) but I love it so far!

I have 2 Comfort Candles. While I'm not a big fan of the bowl (takes me usually about 5 hours to get completely to the edge) the scents are amazing and they're really cute (pre-burn). The pink one is Sinful Strawberry Shortcake and the orange one is Momma's Peach Cobbler.

Moving onto the 4 oz candles (5). From left to right I have: Blushing Peaches, Bergamot & Herbal Mint, Stress Relief, Shamrock Kiss, and Love Shack.

Next I have my 8 oz candles (13). I haven't really decided if I like this one or the 9 oz better. I think I'll probably just alternate ordering 8 oz and 9 oz samplers from here on out because they're great jars. The scents from top to bottom are:

• Mango Sorbett
• Banana Coconut Cream Pie
• Sugared Corn Pudding
• Pumpkin Cider
• Tokyo Spring
• Bermuda Triangle
• Sophie Belle
• Bergamot & Mandarin
• Kimono Silk
• Bite Me
• Sexy in Stilettos
• White Nectarine & Pink Coral
• Coco Beach Baby Peach

The 9 oz jars are definitely easier to stack, but I've found can be a little tougher to get a full melt pool because of the shape (hence the toss up between 8 and 9 oz). I have 10 of these. Scents from top to bottom are:

• Jacob Black (lit)
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Coconut Cream Pie
• Reese's Peanut Butter Delight
• Watermelon
• Red Velvet Cake
• Banana Nut Bread
• Mango Tango
• Fruit Loops
• Macintosh Apple

 Scent shots will take WAY too long to list all the scents, so I'll just let you see the pretty colors! These are the ones that I have reviewed before (36).

These I have yet to review (76).

And all of them together. I had 4 more stowaways that I found before the picture so the total is 116 scent shots.

PHEW! This darn blog has turned me into a hoarder! Every weekend my place smells super awesome because I usually have 3 or 4 different things going to try to get through my stash. I need to get another tart warmer STAT! I wish I could burn these at work because that would help, but alas I cannot.

Hope you all enjoyed the candle porn!

Now onto the daily review!

Coco Beach Baby Peach (4): This is a combination of Coconut and Peach. This one's interesting because on cold sniff, I get more peach; but once it's warm I get more coconut. It's a really great summer scent. The throw is medium on it. I have it in an 8 oz candle currently.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason