Day 382 - Between the Sheets

Currently Burning: Between the Sheets

Now onto the daily review!

Between the Sheets (4): This is in the top shelf/black label line. It's a very nice perfumy/cologne type of scent. It's slightly woodsy but at the same time is also very sweet. It's sort of in the same vein as Manhattan is.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 320 - Sidecar Annie

Currently Burning: Sidecar Annie

Now onto the daily review!

Sidecar Annie (4): This smells like sweet cigar smoke. It's very nice and one that I'm sure would be very nostalgic for some. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 315 - Golden Cadillac

Currently Burning: Golden Cadillac

Now onto the daily review!

Golden Cadillac (3): This almost smells like a golden syrup. It's SUPER sweet so if you don't like sweet scents then steer clear. It's in the Top Shelf line too so it's only available as a scent shot or in the black label candles. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 182 - Black Label Overview

Currently Burning: Enchanted Forest

I thought that for today's CBV Saturday I would do a complete overview of the Black Label line. I have all 13 of them now in candle form and have burned them at least once. I'll do this from those that I like the least to those that I like the most.

GOOD

Tuxedo (2): This is another one of the cologne fragrances. This is similar to Brandy Alexander, but it isn't as strong or spicy. I would say this is more of a dad's cologne whereas Brandy Alexander is more of a grandfather's cologne. Not bad, but not my favorite. 

Brandy Alexander (3): This is an older man's cologne type smell. It reminds me of like an Old Spice type. Very woodsy and the throw isn't very strong. One that I probably won't be repurchasing, but it is nice every once in awhile. 

Earthquake (3): This one smells like kitchen spices, but it's not bakery. It's more like something cooking on the stove top. I primarily get nutmeg and all spice in this one. Not bad, but definitely not my favorite black label.

Alabama Slamma (3): This one is super strong! The predominant note I get is hickory, which is awesome because it totally takes me back to when my dad would smoke ham with hickory chips. There's also some bakery notes in there but overall I would put this in the earthy category. Not sure if I would reorder it, but I do love Black Label candles :)

GREAT

Bonsai (4): This one is really good warmed up! It smells like a very doughy pudding. Kind of like Bread pudding without the spices or a rice pudding. It's extremely sweet and I was surprised at how strong it threw!! The vanilla blossoms don't make it smell like a straight up rice pudding, but a sweetened up version.

Salty Dog (4): This one smells like Juicy Fruit! There's also a hint of apple and cinnamon in it, but mostly I get the Juicy Fruit gum note. The throw is pretty good on this one, but isn't too strong. 

Harvey Wallbanger (4): This would be rated as a 5 if it had a stronger throw. It's really good though. I get some maple and sweetness out of it. I wouldn't necessarily say maple syrup, but maybe like maple frosting. It's really good and I can't see anyone not liking it. 

Mojito (4): The throw on this one isn't very strong. It smells like lemon-lime candy and something else that I can't quite figure out. It's nice, but probably not my favorite black label. 

Moulin Rouge (3): This one is super complex. It's like a spicy bakery with some woody notes as well. The description is a mile long and includes a TON of different fragrances. I'm having a hard time picking out individual scents, but it definitely has a sweet, cake note, some woody notes, and some kitchen spices. The throw is fairly decent on it, but it could be stronger. 

AMAZING

Godfather (4): This is one of Victoria's Black Label candles. It's a pretty spicy candle with a pumpkin note in it. She lists clove, cardamom, ginger, mace, cinnamon, and nutmeg as the spices in it. It also has a background of vanilla. I really like this one. I think it's a great cold weather scent without being too tied to the holidays. It doesn't smell at all like pumpkin pie, but I do get pumpkin and vanilla. The spices round it out nicely. It doesn't really smell like food to me though. I can't place exactly what it smells like, but it's nice.

Singapore Sling (5): This is what lemon pound cake is supposed to smell like. It's got that buttery pound cake that dominates the scent, with the lemon support in the base. Probably jumped to my favorite Black Label! Can't be without this scent.

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!

Manhattan (5): This is the 2nd Black Label candle that I've tried. This one couldn't be more different from Godfather, but I love it as well! It's a powdery, floral, musky type of scent. Based on the 2 Black Labels that I've tried so far, I've found that I really love complex scents. Even if I'm not a huge fan of the type of scent, the fact that one note isn't dominating the scent really draws me in. I'm going to have to try all of the Black Label line to see if this is consistent, but so far I'm impressed! It does seem to have a lighter throw than Godfather, but the scent definitely lingers in the room!

Video

Now onto the daily review!

Enchanted Forest (4): This is a great minty, woodsy scent. It also has some sweetness from strawberry and raspberry. I get more sandalwood than patchouli in it, but mint is definitely the strongest note. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 174 - Tuxedo

Currently Burning: Tuxedo

Now onto the daily review!

Tuxedo (2): This is another one of the cologne fragrances. This is similar to Brandy Alexander, but it isn't as strong or spicy. I would say this is more of a dad's cologne whereas Brandy Alexander is more of a grandfather's cologne. Not bad, but not my favorite. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 172 - Weekly Scent Recap #14

Currently Burning: Salty Dog

Now onto the daily review!

Salty Dog (4): This one smells like Juicy Fruit! There's also a hint of apple and cinnamon in it, but mostly I get the Juicy Fruit gum note. The throw is pretty good on this one, but isn't too strong. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 169 - Earthquake

Currently Burning: Earthquake

Now onto the daily review!

Earthquake (3): This one smells like kitchen spices, but it's not bakery. It's more like something cooking on the stove top. I primarily get nutmeg and all spice in this one. Not bad, but definitely not my favorite black label.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 168 - June CBV and CBVBB Orders

Currently Burning: Moulin Rouge

This month I placed two small orders with CBV and CBVBB. We'll start off with the CBV Bath & Body goodies.

Melissa sent me two samples. The first was half of a star in Shamrock Kiss that I already gave to one of my friends. The second is a cbvbb surprise soap with pina colada, cotton candy, and Tiffany-D. 

I reordered two of my favorites this time around. I picked up another Shamrock Kiss.

I also picked up another Rock That Vanilla.

Finally the reason I placed the order was for Berry Me Alive. It's not the same as Victoria's scent since Melissa replaced the cherry with cotton candy. This is SO much better than the original Berry Me Alive though because I get all of the notes pretty equally. Found a new favorite :)

Moving on to CBV...

Scent Shots:
Faerie Ring (Free SS): I got this one in my last order. It's a customer creation of Raspberry Violet and Apples & Oaks. Very pretty and can't wait to burn it!
Jelly Donut (Bakery): This one smells predominantly of Strawberry Jam right now, but it also has kind of a salty dough note in the background. Will have to see how it is warm.
Berry Blackberry Cobbler (Bakery): The longer this one cures, the more I like it. The blackberry is really sweetening up the cobbler note, but I can tell that this won't be quite as sweet as blueberry cobbler. Still good though.
Breaking Dawn (House Blends): The name that scent winner this month was added to the Twilight series. This one starts off with orange immediately followed by cedar. Definitely an earthy scent. I don't really get floral notes yet, but I can tell this is one I'll have to warm to really appreciate.
Melsea (House Blends): This is a combination of Me Tarzan, You Jane and Blushing Peaches as chosen by Melissa and Chelsea. They actually blend really well together and I'm excited to try this one warm. It smells like a very peachy perfume right now.
Pagoda Tree (Customer Creations): This one is a combination of Chantilly Lace and Tokyo Spring. It was created by Awbrey and named by Deb. Right now I'm getting mostly the Chantilly Lace, but the Tokyo Spring is beginning to come out and they make a great pair!

Finally the star of the show: Layered Butterscotch Coconut Cream. This one is AMAZING!!!! I LOVE Victoria's Coconut Cream Pie scent and that is what the top layer is mixed with the butterscotch kisses. I can't wait to burn this one. The yellow layer is butterscotch, creme brulee, and buttercream crunch. The white layer on the bottom is cheesecake mixed with whipped cream. The crumbs at the bottom are butter pecan and caramelized pralines. This is a HUGE candle and is sure to be amazing!


And the Video Review:

Now onto the daily review!

Moulin Rouge (3): This one is super complex. It's like a spicy bakery with some woody notes as well. The description is a mile long and includes a TON of different fragrances. I'm having a hard time picking out individual scents, but it definitely has a sweet, cake note, some woody notes, and some kitchen spices. The throw is fairly decent on it, but it could be stronger. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 161 - Updated Stash :D

Currently Burning: Brandy Alexander

Thought I would share with you all my updated stash pictures! As a reminder...this is what it looked like 3 months ago:

It sure has grown a lot since March ;) I wanted to go ahead and take this now, since I have quite a few that are on their last leg that I would like to go ahead and get out the door.

The ones in the front are:
Sexy in Stilettos (Halo Red)
Sinful Strawberry Shortcake (Comfort Candle)
Shamrock Kiss (Halo Green)
Raspberry N Kiwi 8 oz tureen
Bella Swan (Grape)
Momma's Peach Cobbler (Comfort Candle)

I now have all 13 of the Black Label fragrances! I'll be doing a video review of all of them combined at some point in the future. I want to burn them all at least once to be able to get a good idea of what they smell like warm vs cold.

9oz Candles from top to bottom:
Clean Cotton
Jacob Black
Wood Nymph
Enchanted Apple
Million Dollar Baby
Pink Bubblegum Crush
Spellbound
Snuggle Baby
Enchanted Forest
Exotic
Red Velvet Cake
Cleopatra's Closet
Springdipity
Best Friends
Banana Nut Bread
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Coconut Cream Pie
Fruit Loops
Mango Tango
Macintosh Apple
Lei Flowers
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Reese's Peanut Butter Delight

8oz Candles from top to bottom:
Blue Sugar Cotton Candy
Bite Me
Bermuda Triangle
Bergamot & Mandarin
Love Potion No. 9
Raspberry Violet
Banana Coconut Cream Pie
Balinese Breeze
Love Birds
Tokyo Spring
Raspberry Zinger
Pumpkin Cider
Sophie Belle
Coco Beach Baby Peach
Mango Sorbett
Sugared Corn Pudding
Kimono Silk
White Nectarine & Pink Coral
CBV Surprise Candle #1
Sexy in Stilettos
CBV Surprise Candle #2

4 oz candles:
Stress Relief
Blushing Peaches
Bergamot & Herbal Mint
Love Shack

16 oz Butterfly Kisses
Hawaiian Colada Sweet Treat

These are all of the scent shots that I have burned (49). Sorry no names for these because that would take FOREVER!

These are all of the scent shots that I have yet to burn (104).

Based on my daily blog reviews, I have enough to last me (without repeats) until mid-October at this point. I think I may need to burn more and order less LOL!

Now onto the daily review!

Brandy Alexander (3): This is an older man's cologne type smell. It reminds me of like an Old Spice type. Very woodsy and the throw isn't very strong. One that I probably won't be repurchasing, but it is nice every once in awhile. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 155 - Hell Week is OVER!!!

Currently Burning: Mojito

OK so maybe not what you might think...but the busiest week out of the year that I have at work is finally over. I can now get back to normal blog posts because I'll actually have time!!! I may get rid of Tasty Tuesdays just because it's too much work. Not really sure though, but that's how I'm feeling right now.

Now onto the daily review!

Mojito (4): The throw on this one isn't very strong. It smells like lemon-lime candy and something else that I can't quite figure out. It's nice, but probably not my favorite black label. 

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 140 - May 1st order (Candles)

Currently Burning: Singapore Sling

First off, look how huge this box was!

I was so excited to rip into it, but I had to wait a bit since the box came on a day that I wasn't really around home much.

Eventually I did get into it and got out all the goodies!!

For this one I'm only going to focus on candles. I'll post my scent shot review next week.

We'll start off with the CBV Surprise Candle. This one has 5 different layers as you can see. The top is something with Cherry...not sure at this point, but it's nice.

Next I have my Strawberry Angel Food Cake candle. I've been eyeing this one for awhile and finally decided to take the plunge. The top layer is fresh picked strawberries, and the bottom layer is angel food cake. The strawberry is very much a syrupy strawberry scent. It's nice!

I got my first 8 oz tureen in this order. I decided to go with the scent combination of Raspberry N Kiwi. I really love both scents and these little guys are just too cute!

I also picked up the last three Black Label candles to make my collection complete.
Earthquake - spicy cooking scent, but not bakery. Heavy on nutmeg, ginger, and all spice.
Tuxedo - middle-aged man's cologne. Almost like an Old Spice.
Salty Dog - Juicy Fruit gum, apples, and some cinnamon.

Next I got a 9 oz sampler pack.
Cleopatra's Closet - musky, more mature and deeper version of Bella Swan/Sophie Belle. Lots of floral notes and musk.
Enchanted Apple - Bath and Body Works Country Apple dupe. Nice, clean apple scent, kind of like a lotion.
Lei Flowers - Plumeria, White Ginger; smells like a fresh lei in Hawaii!
Wood Nymph - green skittles and fresh cut wood
Exotic - melons and berries. Similar to Tiffany-D, but I like this one a LOT more
Jacob Black - manly mix of pine, patchouli, sandalwood, ocean mist, woody notes. Heavier on the pine right now

And an 8 oz sampler pack:
Blue Sugar Cotton Candy - blend of Aquolina Blue Sugar and Cotton Candy. Very nice, sweet men's cologne type.
Love Potion No. 9 - smells like a mix of Bella Swan and Best Friends. Berries, sweet florals, and a hint of musk.
Raspberry Zinger - perfect mix of raspberry and lime.
Balinese Breeze - almost like an ocean/rain scent, but has a lot of fruits/florals in it. Very much like a tropical breeze.
Love Birds - Mix of Lovespell and Birds of Paradise. The harshness of the lovespell perfume is toned down by the creaminess of the birds of paradise. Love it!
Raspberry Violet - Awesome blend of tart raspberry and sweet violet. All-time favorite fruity scent!

And the video for the candles!

I have 76 scent shots to review, so I'll probably do that next week :)

Now onto the daily review!

Singapore Sling (5): This is what lemon pound cake is supposed to smell like. It's got that buttery pound cake that dominates the scent, with the lemon support in the base. Probably jumped to my favorite Black Label! Can't be without this scent.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason

Day 126 - Black Label Jars

Currently Burning: Banana Nut Bread

Finally get to resume my Jar series! The Black Label jar is 14 oz of wax. It's a pretty heavy jar because the glass on it is rather thick. It isn't really tapered at all and makes a really nice container for the top shelf fragrances. The lid isn't a screw top like her normal candles, but rather has some plastic around the edges to help it make a seal you pop on. 

To give you a sense of scale, the mouth on the jar is about 1/4 of an inch wider than the 16 oz jars and they're about the same height. The Black Label jars have about an inch or so of glass at the bottom of the jar whereas the 16oz jars do not (hence the extra 2 oz of wax).

While it isn't my favorite jar to burn, I have found a pretty good way to get an even wax pool. I tend to leave my wicks pretty long on these jars, because I have found that if I trim them super short, it can be almost impossible to get a full even melt pool. It seems like the wax in these candles is a little harder than Victoria's normal wax as well (may not be the case...just seems that way). They will correct themselves even if you do get some tunneling though. Longer wicks can tend to smoke with CBV candles so it's a trade off for a faster full melt pool vs smoking wicks. I'll take the smoking wicks personally.

With longer wicks it took probably about 2-3 hours to get a full melt pool. Shorter wicks and it was 8+ hours (hence why I quit trimming them super short). Essentially now I just trim off the mushroom at the top and it's good to go. If the wick is over 1/2 an inch then I'll trim it down, but I tend to leave them longer. I do not trim them when I first get them anymore either because the first burn will set the tone for how the candle will go (unless you want to spend some time correcting it).

Like I said, not my favorite jar, but it does fit the Black Label line nicely. Plus the label and lid are really nice touches.

Happy Cinco de Mayo ;)

Now onto the daily review!

Banana Nut Bread (4): This one isn't dead on for banana nut bread to me. It is a really sweet banana bakery, but there's just something about it that doesn't scream banana nut bread. Part of it might be that the banana in it is that banana runts smell. Also I don't really get much of a nut smell...smells like Banana runts bread lol. The throw is decent though. I don't think I'll repurchase this candle, but it is nice every once in awhile.

Remember to keep those wicks trimmed!

Jason