His & Her Scentsy "First Sniff" Review: 2015 Spring/Summer New Releases

Scentsy did something pretty awesome this cataloge and put all the new scents in one big category called “New Releases”. This makes it easy for longtime Scentsy fans to find the new stuff. The other thing they did right  (well for me anyways) is make the 2015 scent of the year coconut milk.  This soft, tropical scent is featured in four of the new fragrances.

The New Releases are mostly realistic florals and light fragrances. These types of scents are right up my alley.   Floral fans will be thrilled since to date, many of the florals were perfumey or sweet florals rather than florals that smell like they were picked from your own backyard.

While I’m a fan of light fragrances and floral scents, I realize that many of you prefer the heavier, delicious scents.  Peter (my husband) is included with this group - which is why I forced asked him to help me with my “first sniff” test.   Having him help me worked out even better than I thought since listening to a man describe a scent is pretty hilarious - His responses range from only one word opinions (in protest to being involved) to hilarious one-liners… He’s definitely going to be “asked” to do this again with me in the future.

All of the reviews below are our first impressions of the New Releases from the tester.  The star ratings are based on how much I like them compared to the other scents in THIS collection (Peter refused to participate in the star ratings). Keep in mind that some of them may smell very different once warmed.

Bamboo Yuzu  - 3.5 Stars

Imagine a Japenese garden as you breathe in dewy bamboo, tranquil lotus flower and fresh yuzu with hints of sage.

B: This smells exactly the way you think bamboo should smell – Light, watery and green.  I can smell a hint of the sweet yuzu fruit in the background.

P: This smells like a bath… Or gum. I like it.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S – 5 Stars

A delicious tropical banana mixed with coconut milk and island vanilla, reminiscent of banana-flavoured taffy.

B: Mmmm so good! This smells like a banana-colada or maybe Banana Boat sunscreen.

P: Why did they spell bananas like that? It smells like suntan lotion.

B: Is that a good thing for you?

P: Yes I like it.

Blond Wood & Moonflower - 5 Stars

Pale, warm wood and amber envelop demure moonflower, delicate white roses and upturned lilies in a modern, magical fragrance.

B: Wow, I really like this. I get mainly very soft warm woods and amber with a hint of florals. It’s sort of a softer/sweeter version of Satin Sheets.

P: Very floral, don’t like it.

(Note – When Peter calls something “floral” it’s his code for “I hate it.” This scent is definitely not “very floral”)

Bonfire Beach – 4 Stars

Toasted marshmallow smoldering over white flint and sandalwood harmonize with salty sea air and ocean spray.

B: This scent is weird but good – The more I smell it, the more it grows on me.  I can smell both the toasted marshmallow top notes (yum!) and the aquatic base notes. The only thing I wonder about is if it will turn really masculine when warmed.

P: Meh, very light. 

Coconut Cotton - 3 Stars

Sun-warmed cotton, creamy coconut milk, bright citrus and white sandalwood transport you to a cabana on a tropical beach.

B:  I get mainly a very light coconut and an artificial smelling citrus… And once in a while a hint of play dough?  I think I might love it when it’s warmed, but it’s too hard to tell from the tester.

P: This is kinda nice!

Coconut Flower - 4 Stars

Graceful tropical blossoms meet luscious pineapple and the subtle scent of coconut milk in a feminine floral fragrance.

B:  This is a very nice tropical floral.  It reminds me of Jet, Set, Go!.

P: Nice.  

B: (almost fell off my chair from shock at Peter calling anything with floral notes "nice")

Dark Harbor - 5 Stars (compared to the Scentsy Man collection)

A romantic, exotic fragrance of kafir lime and blue-green mint with notes of watery ocean lavender and mysterious amber.

B: Smells like lemons and cologne. I’m not a fan of the masculine scents but I like this way more than anything from the Scentsy Man collection.

P: Gross.  (Note to reader, aside from the dreaded “florals” Peter also hates anything that smells like “Axe body spray”)

Fields of Gold – 3.5 Stars

Golden bergamot, reddest apple and damask plum glow against rustic cashmere woods and exotic patchouli.

B: I can smell the dirt! I think it’s because of the patchouli. It smells like you ripped a flower out of your garden - mud covered roots and all.  That being said, there's a touch of sweetness, which I think is the apple.

P: It smells like a hippy’s apartment.

Fresh Cut Daisies – 5 Stars

A meadow awash in summer blooms: freshly cut grass and clover with daisies, buttercups and ivy.

B: Wow, this is the most realistic floral scent I’ve smelt from Scentsy. I think it’s because of the grass notes.  I really like it.

P: This smells EXACTLY like a fucking flower… But I don’t like florals. 

My Only Sunshine – 3 Stars

Start your day with a smile as you experience golden tuberose and jasmine balanced by sandalwood, vanilla and glowing amber.

B: Another true floral scent.  The sandalwood, vanilla and amber are pretty much non-existent but I know they’re there since otherwise this scent would be a lot sharper.

P: I don’t like it.

Mystic Magnolia – 3.5 Stars

Southern charm in a fragrance: pure-white magnolias with flirty green leaves and sultry notes of rosewood and amber.

B: If Simply Rose and Peony Petals were to have a baby it would by Mystic Magnolia.  This is a  glamorous floral.

P: Floral again. (said in a very dismissive tone)

Poppy & Blush Suede - 1 Star

Lighthearted poppies, verbena and honeysuckle yield to masculine blush suede, lush plum blossoms and white musk.

B: A sweet, floral suede… Ew.

P: This smells like a boot, a boot and flowers. Who’d want this?

Sea, Sun & Fun - 5 Stars

Summer fun! A splash of salt water, an orange twist, scattered lily petals and rays of sunny amber.

B: This sort of smells like Wet Wipes to me (because of the lilies)…  I have a feeling that once it’s warmed it will make your house smell like fresh, spring air.  I love scents that make it smell like I actually clean our house once in a while.

P: I like it! It smells like a Maeve Binchy book about the sea.  (Peter thinks it's hilarious I like Maeve Binchy books)

Sedona Sunset – 2.5 Stars

Just as the setting sun paints the desert sky, flamboyant desert lily and vanilla orchid enliven creamy coconut milk and ethereal jasmine.

B: Meh. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t do anything for me.

P: Not offensive.

Sunburst Blooms – 4 Stars

Cheerful lemon and pink grapefruit drenched in fresh air and sunshine, with tendrils of honeysuckle and dancing jonquils.

B: Citrus and florals. This is another one that I bet would make your house smell pretty good – like you clean more than you do.

P: It smells like lemons… It’s still floral but it’s fruity so I like it.

I hope you had fun reading our first ever joint review! Let me know if there's anything else you'd like me to force Peter into reviewing! hah! 

Email me at thesafecandleshoppe@gamil.com or message me on Facebook for a PDF copy of the new catalog!

 

Cheers, 

Beth

Avoiding Awkward Moments: Faking a Clean House with Lemon Verbena & Clean Breeze

Picture this..

You're at home watching reruns of (Gray's Anatomy/Buffy/Friends) your (dog's/kid's/husband's) crap is all around the house, you haven't mopped for over a week and there is a definite odor wafting from your garbage... Sigh, life is good.

Just then you get a text from your (mother/mother-in law/neat freak friend) telling you that they're dropping by shortly.

You...

a. Pretend to be sick and VERY contagious... Do your best to remember the symptoms you pretended to have the next time you see them.

b. Hope there's traffic and scramble to clean as much as possible.

c. Quickly stash the crap laying around the house in the nearest closet and pop in a cube of Lemon Verbena or Clean Breeze.

Since this is a Scentsy Blog, clearly if you chose "c" you're right!  Lemon Verbena and Clean Breeze are very different scents but both are great for masking unwanted home odors and replacing them with a just cleaned smell.

Lemon Verbena was newly introduced with the Spring/Summer 2014 catalog.  

Scentsy describes this lively scent as "Fresh lemon zest, bright kaffir lime and verbena leaf"

For me, this is one of those fragrances that smell so much better when warmed.  The citrus notes give your home that "just cleaned" scent.  Overall, this is a cheery and invigorating bar that I can't get enough of.

Clean Breeze is my other go to bar when I want to fake a clean house.

Scentsy's description for this scent is right on the money "White floral with a touch of spring: this is the scent of fresh, clean laundry."

If you enjoy the scent of clean laundry and dryer sheets you will LOVE Clean Breeze.  Beware, this fragrance packs a lot of punch so you may want to save if for the days when you need it mask unwanted odors.

If you'd like to pretend your dirty house is clean, visit our online store and buy your Lemon Verbena and Clean Breeze bars today!

Cheers, 

Beth

Afternoon Tea with Lace & Peony Petals

February is the time of year when the winter blues are at their peak.  To help distract myself and my friends form the cold, I usually try to have a get together of some sort during the month.  After binge watching the most recent season of Downton Abbey, I decided that this year my winter blues party would be a tea party!

To give the affair a classic tea party vibe I picked up a china tea cup for each of my guests at a second hand store. 

I asked my mom to borrow a tablecloth and hit the jackpot when she found an old crochet cloth stored away in her basement. To finish it off, I bought a few fresh flowers for the table.   

I think it turned out pretty nicely, if I do say so myself...  BUT I can't say I wasn't a little disappointed when Scentsy's Lace warmer was released only 2 weeks later...

Lace would have been the perfect accent with its vintagey lace pattern imprinted into the porcelain.  I would have used a classic floral Scentsy bar reminiscent of an English garden to compliment the mood. 

Simply Rose or French Lavender would both be perfect choices for a tea party, but if I were having another party tomorrow I'd likely use new, Peony Petals.

Here is Scentsy's description of the fragrance -- "Peony and rose petals dance on a soft breeze."

Peony Petals smells like a mixed bouquet of highly fragrant spring flowers. While still a true floral scent, it's more modern than some of Scentsy's soliflore options (ie. Lush Gardenia, Simply Rose and French Lavender).  It's in the same vein as Chole, fans of that perfume will likely love Peony Petals as well. 

Visit our online store to purchase Lace and Peony Petals, and bring a touch of Downton Abbey to your home as well!

Cheers, 

Beth

Bizarrely Accurate: Tomato Vine

Scentsy’s new Spring/Summer 2014 fragrance offerings are pretty awesome. While it’s still too soon for me to have a favorite, I can tell you that hands down, Tomato Vine is the most unexpected!

When I saw the name I assumed that Tomato Vine would be an earthy green scent, that was inspired by juicy sun ripened tomatoes.  

I was wrong.

This fragrance is not inspired by tomato vines…

It smells exactly like a tomato vine. Scentsy wasn't kidding when they came up with this description.

I asked Peter to blind test this one to see if he had the same reaction. When I held up the test bar to his nose he knew right away that he recognized the scent, but even after repeated whiffs he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it smelt like.   

When I finally revealed to Peter what the fragrance was he was also amazed with Scentsy’s accuracy.  

Peter just couldn’t guess the scent, since the smell of tomato vines is one of those life fragrances that we experience often enough but rarely stop to consciously register.  

 

Alright, so this thing smells exactly like a tomato vine... But would I recommend it?

Ahhhh that’s hard to say. 

I think that there are some people out there who would really enjoy it. People who love to tend to their vegetable gardens and want to transport themselves there during winter months… Or maybe vegetarians? (har har har)… Other than that perhaps a few people would like this as an occasional scent.   

But really, I think this fragrance is pretty bizarre and I couldn’t see myself wanting to have its sharp green smell wafting through my house very often.

So this is what I say to it...

Do you love the smell of ripe tomato plants?  Buy your own Tomato Vine scented products at our online Scentsy store or by emailing us at TheSafeCandleShoppe@gmail.com.

Cheers,

Beth