I definitely took advantage of the spectacular prices of BBW Semi Annual Sale 2021. Especially since BBW has been stingy with their deals AND their prices have gone WAY up since the pandemic struck. In fact, it seems there is no end in sight with their increase in price points. Everything was a dollar more expensive LAST year, and are now $1.50 up from THAT in 2021. Considering the lack of staying power and the over abundance of alcohol in many of their fine fragrance mists, this feels unacceptable. Prices have gone up so much, some FFM and travel size perfumes no longer qualify for my $16.50 free item, and that greatly annoys me. Why are some fragrances more expensive than others? 
The "deals" they now offer aren't very good, compared to what they used to be. They hardly ever offer free shipping, though they did this weekend, and they offer both wallflowers and hand soaps for $3.75 now instead of under $3. That might not seem like a lot to some people, but I've got a tight budget to buy products to test and review, it makes it hard to justify buying in bulk, unless I know I really like the scent. I haven't seen the quality go up, only down, and it makes the price hikes seem like an indifferent middle finger to all long time customers. I've been using BBW since the 90's! Back when it was affordable. I miss those days.

Two of the products I bought at the SAS were Champagne Sprinkles Body Cream, and Boardwalk Taffy Fine Fragrance Mist. I thought I would like Boardwalk Taffy more than I actually do, which is a shame because I bought TWO bottles of it! I thought it would smell like their AMAZING (and my favorite) Salt Water Taffy candle, but it smells nothing like it. It's faint, riddled with alcohol, and instead of gourmand, it has a distinct "perfume" like quality, at least on me it does. I wanted sweet gourmand, and that's what the reviews prepared me for. I bought Champagne Sprinkles was on a whim. For this fragrance too, I saw glowing reviews. I wish I had gotten 2 bottles of Champagne Sprinkles, because that fragrance is closer to my beloved candle, though definitely not a dupe. I would buy this fragrance in a candle, for the 15.95 sale price. I would probably buy two, one to burn and review, and one to save for my collection.

So, I'm disappointed in Boardwalk Taffy, and delighted with Champagne Sprinkles. I wondered what the two would smell like together, since Boardwalk Taffy is lacking the sweet gourmand notes that Champagne Sprinkles has an abundance of. Champagne Sprinkles is supposed to have both champagne and raspberry icing notes, but that's not what it smells like on me. It smells amazing coming out of the tube, like fruity sweet buttercream frosting, but on my skin, and to my nose, I smell like I slathered myself in bubblegum. It was driving me crazy, trying to figure out that familiar pink bubble gum scent, but once I did, that's all I could smell. I'm sad I don't smell like frosting, but smelling like gum isn't a bad thing. It reminds me of my childhood, and the delicious pink gum I used to chew, with the squishy red jelly in the middle. That's what this is, packaged in a perfume and ready to spread onto my skin. Much as I'm loving Champagne Sprinkles on it's own, I thought, why not mix it with my disappointing Boardwalk Taffy? Maybe it will make it more creamy and less perfume-y. Also. layering BBW fragrances are the key to creating more staying power. That why they generally make a 3 piece set for each scent they roll out. Each product features one of the key notes, and together they bring out the true nature of the fragrance. That's also why, when I find a scent I love, I splurge and get more products to layer together. So far, there has only been a handful of fragrances I've done this with, Gingerbread Latte being the latest set I've purchased. I started with the body cream, which smelled amazing, then I followed it up with the lotion and shower gel. Amaze-balls. I would do the same thing with Champagne Sprinkles. I think all 3 products will help me smell more like the Salt Water Taffy candle, and less like bubblegum.

I liberally applied the body cream and sprayed an ungodly amount of Boardwalk Taffy Fragrance Mist, because the FFM is so weak. The end result is just about what I had hoped for. Less bubblegum, more sweet candy. My dad said it best, I smell like bubblegum flavored cotton candy. Sileage is about an arms length, and people will smell you when you walk by them, but in this day of 6 feet apart social distancing, you might be the only one who truly gets to enjoy this delightfully sweet combination.

Hermione's Candle

I've been doing A LOT of updating the current scent archives since the Bath and Body Works Semi Annual Sale last month. I need to branch out creatively, and what better way to do that than to imagine Hermione Granger in candle form? What would she smell like? What Label would best suit her? What fragrance notes would be found within? What color would she be?

Hermione:

Intelligent        Creative        Arrogant            Patient         Responsible
Bossy               Emotional     Loyal                  Brave            Compassionate
Leader             WARRIOR      Accomplished    Beautiful      Resourceful
Logical            Kind                Sincere               Organized    Clever
Reliable         Ambitious        Witty                 Confident      Stubborn
Talented      Determined     Powerful            Engaging      Activist

• YC Oud Oasis  (Top: Rich Notes, Creamy Oud, Berry, Plum, Rum. Mid: Iris, Jasmine, Saffron. Base:  Oriental Background Woods, Amber, Praline, Caramel, Vanilla.)

Oud is a symbol of warm hospitality, wealth and luxury. An uncontainable flood of emotions... sound like anyone we know? Warm Hospitality + uncontainable flood of emotions... yes, this is a good first impression of Hermione. In Japan, the plum symbolizes the "3 friends of Winter", plum, bamboo, and pine tree. In this situation, plum could symbolize the 3 friends of Hogwarts, Harry, Ron and Hermione. They did some of their best work over Christmas Holiday. 3 Friends of Winter indeed. All 3 are representative of life and good fortune even during the colder/bleaker parts of the year. Jamaican White Rum represents the ability to call forth  millions of benevolent spirits, So it's supernatural and one of the good guys, just like Hermione. We have already established Iris means intelligence, one of Hermione's most defining traits, so having iris as a MID note is exactly where it belongs. Jasmine symbolizes Love, Romance and Friendliness. As we follow the love story that is Ron & Hermione, we can clearly see BOTH Hermione and Ron are Romantics at heart. The difference between the two being Hermione is an optimist, and Ron is a pessimist. A match made in heaven! Saffron I would attribute to the glorious gold of Gryffindor's red and gold colors. Ancient writers referred to Amber as Hero's Sweat. What more of a lasting impression can she leave? She is a hero in every sense of the word. Anyone who has saved the world multiple times can claim that title. Amber is also tied to magic, and was worn by magic workers, who believed they were charge with powerful energies. Hermione is first and fore-most, a witch, and a POWERFUL one to boot. Definitely a defining feature of who she is and who she will always be. The energy found within Amber is an electric charge, if you rub it between silk or wool. Hermione has the lasting power of a shock. If she shocks you, you don't forget it. When you encounter her, she is unforgettable. She might teach you something you will remember for the rest of your life. She's one of those shocks. Strong enough to almost kill you, and it sure feels like she could have. The kind of shock that you learn from. Hermione is always teaching. In dreams, caramel represents an event in your life so upsetting, it sucks the joy out of you. This could easily represent the struggle Hermione has gone through with Voldemort and constantly having to thwart his evil plans. This is not pleasant, but it is certainly part of who she will always be. One who struggled mightily with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Harry Potter's Candle

Originally Posted March 13th, 2019: Harry Potter's Candle
This Idea was brought to you by: THE BULLETIN BOARD OF THE BRAIN 

Got to give credit where credit is due!
Thanks for the idea!


You never know where inspiration comes from. It just hits you all of a sudden, and you feel it taking over your thoughts. I never would have thought of turning Harry Potter Characters into candles. It just wouldn't have occurred to me. Now that I stumbled onto the idea, I can't help but want to answer that question. Challenge Accepted....Me. I plan on adding more characters, no I haven't forgotten about YOU Ron Weasley, but it could take a while. It all depends on how complicated character to fragrance note comparisons might be. I'm doing this for YOU too, my fellow Hufflepuff's et all. Now that you've clicked on this post, you are curious, are you not?

Tell me what YOU think. Do you agree? Did I miss the Mark? Do you have a better suggestion? I'd love to hear it!

We'll start with the obvious, Harry Potter. Our world is Potter's world. What candle would he be?



If Harry Potter Characters Were Yankee Candle Scents......



Harry Potter:
Storm Watch
"Naturally refreshing. . . like the moist, cleansing ocean air before the storm."






Words to describe HARRY:
​
Clever                               Resilient                 Earnest                       
Broody                             Stoic                       Honorable
Grit                                   Honest                  Determined
Compassionate              Protective              LEADER
Anguished                      Stubborn               Witty                 
Loyal                               Willing                    Impulsive
ORPHAN                         Selfless                  Trustworthy
WARRIOR                       Confident               Cocky 
Brave                             Strong Willed         Resourceful
                                                                        

​WHY STORM WATCH?

Harry is the ultimate protector & idealist, ready to sacrifice his life multiple times for the greater good. It isn't just STORM= Lightning Bolt= Harry Potter, though I can totally see the correlation. It's what Harry STANDS for. It's Harry's lifeblood, protecting our world from the threatening storm that is VOLDEMORT. He's always watching out for us. After he saves the day, all is still until the next wave of Voldemort mischief. In between incidents, witches and wizards get to relax. It's calming to the nerves when you have faith in your savior.

Top Notes: Lemon, Fresh Leafy Greens, Apple, Bergamot, Ozone
Mid Notes: Rose, Jasmine, Lavender, Violet, Clover, Hyacinth
Base Notes: Oak Moss, Musk, Sheer Musk, Bright Cedar.

The top notes are the initial notes you first smell. These represent the early Harry. The one we only knew for half a book. Lemon is his bitter childhood and disappointment with his life. The Fresh Greens symbolizes his youth. The Apple is the healing, the love that eventually develops between Harry and his newfound family. It also stands for immortality, as in the inevitability of the killing spell ending his life as a baby. Harry survived. The apple also represents Magic. Bergamot is his fortune he eventually inherited, but knew nothing about until his 11th Birthday.


The Rose, Lavender, Jasmine, and Hyacinth are the body of the scent. These are the powerful essentials that make Harry who he is. The symbols of some very powerful characteristics. 
A Rose is a classic, as is Harry Potter and his story. 
Lavender oil is said to enhance friendship, love, communication, family unification, loyalty, and gentleness. There is almost nothing more important to Harry than his friends. They ARE his family, and he is fiercely loyal to them. 
Jasmine represents Passion and Desire. People are naturally drawn in to Harry's world, whether they want to be or not. Harry just has that type of presence. He's A natural, if not reluctant, leader. There is nothing Harry desires more than to rid the world of Voldemort.
 Finally, we have Hyacinth, which is said to represent both Sincerity & Sorrow for a wrong committed. Harry is an anguished and traumatized young man, when we first meet him. Despite his mistreatment, he sincerely wants to do the right thing. That honesty and sincerity is what helped Harry to go from traumatized Orphan to Strong & Determined Young Man. 



Harry is Oak Moss because he has the strength of an oak. He is the moss holds everything together. Battle after Battle, Harry continues to persevere, to learn, to grow, to weather the storm. He carries both a confident and cocky attitude, which can sometimes get him in trouble if it's too much. The musk is the confidence, the sheer musk is the cockiness. There is always something extra about cockiness, something that doesn't quite take itself seriously. It's like someone wearing the Hero or Savior cape, who doesn't realize he's wearing it until AFTER he beats the bad guy. He was just going through the motions. You were already a hero from book 1 Harry. You just hadn't accepted it yet.


Til Next Time,
The Candle Queen <3


*Thank You to the following sites:

Flower Meanings
What-s Your- Sign