Walking in a CBV Wonderland...

As we're all preparing for New Year's Eve, I thought that I would write a first impression review of my CBV Christmas gifts, ordered by my wonderful son. Considering he's 14, I was thankfully given instructions to provide him with a detailed list to choose from - to lessen the chance that I'd receive a giant cube candle of "Bacon" or something equally amusing! ;) So, without further delay, here's what was in my CBV package:


"Berry Blackberry Cobbler" in a Halo Bright Pink 'n Grape Glitter 22 ounce tureen candle.

Okay, so I didn't give them much of a choice with this one - it was number one on my list, and I provided step-by-step instructions on how to order this baby, lol! The scent has become an all-time favorite of mine - rich blackberries mixed with a buttery crust scent that only Victoria could do. And, this glitter combination is so pretty - I believe Miss Kayla, from the message board, ordered it right before Victoria made the decision to offer ready made glitter combinations, and the CBV gang thought it was so pretty they decided to add it to the list. So, thanks very much Kayla - it truly is a keeper! :)



"Pumpkin Gingerbread Splash" Comfort Candle

I gave a choice of either this, or the "Momma's Peach Cobbler" Comfort Candle on my list - and I'm really happy to have received this little guy (it looks like someone gave him a "cinnamon sandwich" before he came to me, as he has cinnamon all over his face!). So far, I smell cinnamon - but not overbearing at all, along with smooth and rich pumpkin. They blend really well together on this one. Of course, he's so cute I don't know when I'll be able to burn it - but when I do, I'll give a "warmed" review as well.



"Godfather" Top Shelf Black Label Candle

I've been dying to try one of Victoria's Black Label Candles, so I suggested either "Godfather" or "Salty Dog" on my list. I remember Brooke (from her "sayanythingBr00ke" youtube channel's review of the Top Shelf line) saying, "If you get any of these candles, get Godfather!", so I must say I'm happy to have received it. Brooke was right, this one is a spicy delight. I mainly smell the slight combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove - and the vanilla which does soften the mix very nicely. I have a feeling that, when warmed, this one will produce a lovely bouquet of all the notes. But, more on that later. :)


Seriously, can anyone have too many Scent Shots? :)

After looking over my list of 30 possible choices (yep, 30!) these are the ones that my son chose:

"Divine Paradise" - On cold throw, this one smells like a delicious and tropical fruit punch to me - more fruity than bakery. I've read that the cake note comes out more when warmed, so I'll follow up.

"Holiday Wassail" - The main fragrance that I can detect on cold throw is a spicy apple cider, with maybe a hint of citrus to differentiate this scent from just straight up apple cider. Warmed though, I'll bet more notes come out.

"Log Cabin" - This one is very close to the description on cold throw, to my nose. It smells like a warm stack of pancakes with butter and maple syrup. I can't wait to melt this one, because if it's this accurate when cold - I can only imagine what it will be like when warmed.

"Million Dollar Baby" - I mainly get a strong pineapple and vanilla smell on cold throw with this one. I'll be curious to see what other notes come out when it's warmed.

"Patch Work Quilt" - I really like this one, which makes it the first bright yellow scent that I've tried that I really liked! On cold throw, this one smells very similar to "Amish Quilt" which I adore, but with more of a nice yeasty bread note. Both the "Quilt" scents are spicy with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, but with hints of other spices to make them just different enough from other spicy combinations. I just love them.

"Snickerdoodle" - Love this one. Cinnamon and yeasty bread smell - and a hint of what I would compare to a golden brown edge of a cookie smell. Very, very realistic in my opinion. Can't wait to melt this one.

"Simply Delicious" - This one has improved with curing, even in the short time that I've had it since Christmas. I can detect most of the notes listed in the description - slightly tart pear and a warm combination of butter, cream, and brown sugar. When melted, I'll bet it's even better.

"Sweet Comfort" - This one I will have to reserve judgement on. On cold throw, I get a very slight perfume smell (kind of like what an older woman would wear) - and on the bottom, I get a strong, cough-syrup like cherry smell. Truly bizarre, as neither are listed in the scent description, I know. I'm guessing that this might be one of those scents that smells totally different when it's warmed. I'll write about that later.

Free Scent Shot, "Blue Raspberries" - The blue color of this one is just striking, and the smell is nice - although I don't see it being a favorite of mine. To me, this is the fragrance of any blue raspberry candy that I've smelled - tart and sugary. There is a slight green smell to me, hinting of a real berry smell - but the candy smell takes care of it in short order.

So, that's my CBV Christmas! I appreciated being able to try so many scents, and really liked most of them a lot. I'm wondering what CBV everyone else got, so please feel free to vote in the new poll, or make a comment! I'll start warming, and provide more feedback soon - and I'd love to hear yours!

In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve celebration with all those you hold dear to your heart!

I'll admit it, I'm a Candles By Victoria Seasonal Burner...

From the very start of my interest in Candles By Victoria, I joined the CBV message board entitled "The Pouring Pot". Little did I know how much I would come to love the members there, or how much more enjoyable sniffing my way through over 700 scents would become when that endeavor is shared among friends. One of the wonderful members there recently commented that she didn't feel that she was a "seasonal burner" ~ or, in other words, she didn't base her choice of fragrances upon the season. That's when it hit me - I'm a seasonal burner through and through. It's this kind of realization that makes me love the message board - you find out these things about yourself while enjoying some chit-chat and laughter. So, I now know why I felt almost obsessed with finding the right yuletide scents to burn throughout this holiday season. I ordered almost every Christmas scent shot that Victoria offered, and sniffed through those little hunks of wax like crazy. Here are some of my early choices:

"Christmas Kitchen" in the Lime Green & Red Glitter 22 ounce Tureen Candle

"Christmas Kitchen" is described as the combination of Cinnamon, Orange, and Pumpkin notes ~ and I believe the noticeable Orange scent is what attracted me to this fragrance. It has a slightly spicy element to it, which is another reason that I'm a fan. The Cinnamon and Pumpkin are blended very well, so those notes don't seem as distinguishable to my nose - but that blend really works nicely with this scent.


"Christmas Memories" in three 8 ounce Jelly Jar Candles

I loved displaying Candles By Victoria candles on my mantle this year. The scent "Christmas Memories" was another early favorite of mine. Considering it's description as a Candles By Victoria house blend of Sugared Spruce, Cranberry and Spiced Oranges, I immediately thought that the Orange scent was the common ingredient that seemed to attract my nose. I find that this scent is a "light thrower", so to have three 8 ounce Jelly Jar Candles of it in my family room fills it with just the right amount of scent. Much like "Christmas Kitchen", this fragrance is well-blended, and slightly spicy, making it another great choice for this time of year.

Those were my initial candle purchases from the sea of scent shots that I quickly plowed through, so I'm not sure if they will continue to be favorites in years to come, or if I may revisit some that deserve more attention. Keeping in mind though - knowing Victoria, we won't be at a loss for new scents to try for the holiday season of 2012!

So, what about you? Are you a seasonal burner, or are you burning "Mango Tango" as we speak? What would you consider to be your favorite holiday scents? Please feel free to leave a comment for me, vote in the poll, or both!

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you back for the next post. In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday season!