Haul | Smelly Buttons

G'day everyone! I have been back from my vacation to Australia for a week and I have been missing those gorgeous blue skies everyday! It's been a madhouse back at work, catching up and packing up our offices for a move to a new space! I am almost settled in but there's still a lot of organisation to go, buying of little nick-nacks to get organised and helping other colleagues with the overall unpacking of the office.

It seems that even on vacation, I can't get away from wax. When I was in Gold Coast, I found a few market stores that were selling wax. I sniffed around but managed to resist by reminding myself of my huge stash at home. But I broke down at the Smelly Buttons store at the Eat Street Markets in Hamilton, Brisbane on my last day! They were selling these tealight warmers with a huge, deep dish, something that I have been looking for! My current warmers' dish are on the small side, only able to fit about 1oz of wax and I was getting tired of chopping up some of the bigger chunks. But now with this warmer, I can melt larger quantities of wax! And isn't it pretty, with the flower cutouts! The warmer was on sale for 20AUD and I also get to choose 6 smelly buttons, I got Fresh Flowers, French Pear, Lime Coco, Ocean Breeze, So Fresh and Japanese Honeysuckle. Look out for warm reviews in my wax notes!

Trying Thirty Street Crafts

So I mentioned a few posts before that since I had broken my wax ban, I would consider placing an order with Thirty Street Crafts during their restock. And yes, I did place an order! It's on the small side with only 8 items (cameo tarts, chunks, cupcakes) but I think it's a good variety to sample from a new company. Jessica Cates is the owner and she's really on the ball with updates of the restock and the shipping status of received orders on her Facebook page. She was also really nice to let me submit my order via email because of an administrative error on her website when I was trying to order. Her TAT is also amazing, my order was shipped before the sale even ended! Now, that's a really good example of forward planning!

I also placed another order with Enchanted Candle Company! I don't know what it is about Enchanted that makes me go a little crazy but I haven't received my second order yet and I put my name down for a 2lb mystery lot. Debra is closing up shop for a couple of months and put up her remaining stock for flash sales over the weekend. I am excited to see what's in my box, I am hoping for some samples from the new Liberty line!

Oh, and as I am drafting this post, I got tagged in the next batch of Rosegirls orders from the June opening! I can't believe I managed to submit my order that fast! I am so excited now, all my orders can be consolidated together to save on shipping!

Haul | Enchanted Candle Co. (1)

I chanced across mentions of the Enchanted Candle Company in a Facebook group and I hopped on over to the site (as I usually do with a company I have never heard of) to explore. I immediately got sucked into her Disney themed store with her Mary Poppins and Winnie The Pooh line of scent blends and her Everyday Scents had so many yummy-to-me blends! She has so many fresh, fruity and floral type blends!

The website is simple and sweet, and it was super easy to make an order. I ordered on 6 May and my package arrived on 9 May! So ridiculously fast! I ordered all scent shots but Debra offers shaped melts (that corresponds to the themes!) and I think I might try some of those next time. She's been releasing some new lines like Fathers of Disney and Liberty Square and I already have a new wishlist up and going!

I have also melted from my freebie clamshell of Winds in the East. I had two cubes in my tealight warmer and the warm throw was good and strong! However, it only lasted about 4-6 hours. So far, wax tarts usually lasts for at least 2-3 tealights before the scent peters out. But I am reserving judgement because the clamshells are on clearance and might not be a good gauge. I will report back! On to the scent review.


Cup of Earl A sweet, herbal cup of Earl Grey tea that is both fresh and clean.
This smells fresh and lemony but the tea note is not very apparent on cold sniff.

Fields of Summer Sunflowers make this a fresh and clean scent. Not your typical floral.
This is a really sweet floral, I don't think I have smelled anything quite like it.

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice A citrus explosion of oranges tart and sweet.
OMG, so authentic! It would be totally perfect on a warm day!

Gabi's Melonade Stand Juicy summer watermelon mixed with cold tart lemonade.
Another delicious scent, the watermelon smells so good with a subtle hint of the lemonade.

Heads Up Seven Up A sweet bubbly glass of 7up.
It feels like I have a glass of 7up right under my nose! I think this would be an interesting scent note to blend with.

Honey Tree A true honey scent with a hint of rose and a weep of sugary vanilla.
Yup, this is a true honey scent, very very sweet!

Lady Tremaine Soft french lavender with tea and berries and a hint of pink sugar.
(Part of the Mothers of Disney line) Mmm, the lavender is so soft and calming, I don't smell much of the tea and berries but the pink sugar is rounding off this scent pretty nicely.

Queen Primrose Strong burning lanterns with a bold orange citrus and glowing sunflower.
(Part of the Mothers of Disney line) This might be the most unique scent I have ever tried. The "strong burning lanterns" is not just descriptive but true! Occasionally I get the citrus note coming through. I am so intrigued by this one.

Perdita Our dupe of BBW Lemon Mint Leaf. It is a mix of lemon and spearmint.
(Part of the Mothers of Disney line) One of my favourites of this order, an exact blend of lemon and spearmint as the description. It also reminds me of an orange strepsil.

Pooh's Hunny Pot A dupe of Lush's Honey I Washed The Kids
(Part of the Springtime with Roo line) Yup, this is a dupe!

Spring in Hundred Acre Wood Green meadows bursting with beautiful spring flowers and a touch of mint.
(Part of the Springtime with Roo line) I love this one! The blend of greens and florals is really pretty, there's even something aquatic about this blend as well. I don't get much mint for now.

Springtime Breaktime Sweet sugared cookies, honey, and a refreshing glass of lemonade.
(Part of the Springtime with Roo line) Mmm, the honey and lemonade is strongest and who knew this two scents would blend so well together. I really don't get much cookies at the moment.

Mary's Medicine Some smell strawberry, some smell lime cordial, and some smell rum. One thing for sure is this tropical fizzy scent will cure your winter blues.
(Part of the Perfectly Poppins line) I smell fizzy lime cordial with some strawberries! I hope the rum does come out to make this blend even yummier!

Nod & Dream Relaxing blend of lavender, chamomile and vanilla.
(Part of the Perfectly Poppins line) Oh gosh, this is so goood! This might be my favourite lavender and vanilla blend yet!

Winds In The East A fresh thunderstorm scent of brisk breezes blowing across an open field.
(Part of the Perfectly Poppins line) Another favourite of this order! I would totally re-order this! It smells so fresh and clean!

Wax Notes | July 2014 (1)

Coconut Milk & Lavender (CFTKR)
This is a nice and soothing bedtime scent. The coconut milk sweetens and softens the lavender, and they blend really well together. I would totally re-buy this blend! Medium throw!

Cherry Limeade (Front Porch)
I feel like I am smelling two separate scents rather than a blend. Sometimes I get the cherry, sometimes I get the lime. The cherry is definitely the more dominant of the two blends.

Pomegranate, Grape Muscadine, Blue Raspberry Slushee (Sniff My Tarts)
I just wrote out my cold sniff review of my SMT mystery bag which means I can finally melt them! The dominant scent note I am smelling is the Grape Muscadine which makes me think of grape jelly, very fruity and juicy! Later the Blue Raspberry Slushee comes out to play! I don't much smell the Pomegranate and I am glad, I don't think I like Pomegranate very much. Throw is Medium High.

Granny Smith Green Apple (Front Porch)
I always thought this scent would be sour and tingly but it's sweet and just a tad tangy! This tart has a medium throw which makes it weaker than most FP tarts.

Repeat Melts
Drunk Tweeting (Two Timing Tart)
Serendipity Peppermint (I Heart Wax)
Drunk Photography (Two Timing Tart)
Still Not Ginger (Two Timing Tart)

Haul | Sniff My Tarts (1)

Sniff My Tarts is definitely one of the most raved-about companies in the world of wax, and when I opened up my mystery bag, all the raves were definitely justified. This was the fruitiest and most fragrant bag of wax I have ever opened! In fact, when the postman delivered it, I was already smelling something grape-y but I didn't know it was from the SMT bag until I opened it. And even now, when I opened the box holding the SMT chunks, the fragrances are just floating out and scenting my room! If the cold throw is already this strong, I can't begin to imagine how strong the hot throw will be! If and when SMT re-opens, I am definitely going to try and get an order it.

Oh, and I have got to say, I love the thoughtfulness and friendliess that the SMT owners, Donna and Amy, and their FB admins Peggy and Alexandra exhibit on a daily basis. The SMT Facebook page is easily one of the most interactive and happy places around in the FB wax world. For the mystery bag and box sign-up lists, they even decided to allow the buyers to note the scents that they do not like and do not want to be added into their bags. For my bag, Donna and Amy definitely took my preferences into account and I got a wonderfully fruity bag with a few surprises thrown in!

Birthday Cake
A simple, no frills, yummy birthday cake.

Fresh Fruit / Forbidden Fruit / Sex on the Beach
This blend is so fun and tropical!

Mandarin Oranges / Pomegranate / Satsuma
Oh wow, the mandarin oranges and satsuma is so fresh and juicy! Totally right up my alley and I am going to enjoy melting this one. This is also such a big chunk that I think I can probably get 4 smaller chunks out of it.

Mango Sorbet / Tangerine / Strawberry Daiquiri
This is a super fruity, citrusy blend!

Pomegranate / Grape Muscadine / Blue Raspberry Slushee
I got two chunks in this bag. The grape muscadine is so good! I can also smell the pomegranate but no the blue raspberry slushee.

Raspberry Jam / Strawberry Preserves / Grape Jelly
I think the strawberry scent is the strongest in here but really I smell a fruity berry mix.



Serendipity / Marshmallow Noel / Peppermint
I already like Serendipity blended with Peppermint but the Marshmallow Noel sweetens it up a notch. This is also one really big chunk!

Tangerine / Pomegranate / Mango Sorbet
The tangerine is strongest in here, the pomegranate helps to temper the citrus and make the scent more 'full'. It's definitely less fruity than the other Tangerine and Mango Sorbet chunk that I received.

Watermelon / Strawberry Kiwi Sorbet / Raspberry Guava
The watermelon is the strongest of the three but I think it could be really fresh and tropical if all the notes come out when melting.

Willow's Chocolate Bacon Cupcake / Hazelnut Coffee / Pumpkin Pecan Waffles Type
When I saw this blend, I was shocked at the audacity of the buyer who decided to blend this! What were they thinking? And I was really prepared to hate this blend, chocolate + coffee + bakery ain't really my thing. But you know what was more shocking, I liked it! While the coffee is the strongest note neither does it overpower, I can also detect the salty-sweetness of the Chocolate Bacon Cupcake, this will be super interesting to melt.

Zucchini Bread / Serendipity Smoothie / Strawberry Jam
The zucchini bread is really strong and I can't smell much of the rest of the blend. I guess I will have to melt this to find out if the other notes come through.

Oh My Rosegirls!

Oh my, I can't believe I forgot to tell you about my Rosegirls order from the most recent opening. I am still partially in shock that I managed to get my order in before the website closed. All those stories about relentless website stalking, enormous orders, limited spaces, 5-minute openings and people unable to order even after a year, is more than enough to scare anyone off. My strategy going into this opening was to keep everything simple and only select scents from RG's House Blends list rather than trying to custom blend anything. After going through the list of blends, I narrowed it down to 10 blends in bakery bags, which makes this my biggest wax quantity order to date!

I love that Rosegirls has such a great selection of Apple blends and I got a whole bunch of them. Also despite my lack of fondness for bakery blends, I had to try the super popular Monster Cookie Fluffs Puffs and Koopa Troopa Assault. The Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Frosting was my wildcard scent, I can't wait to see how that will be.

Alice in Wonderland Blend of Honeydew and Cotton Candy Frosting

Apple Colada Blend of Green Apple and other tropical fruits

Blueberry Hill Blend of Boo Berry and Frankenberry

Koopa Troopa Assault Blend of Raspberry Sauce, Sweet Lemon Confection, Pomegranate and Smoothie

Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Frosting Blend of Lavender Cuppa Cake and Wild Honey Bee

Macintosh Madness and Rosegirls Garden Blend of Macintosh apples and roses.

Monster Cookie Fluff Puffs Blend of Smoothie and Monster Cookie

Singing in the Rain RG Secret Blend

Summer Daze Blend of Starfruit, Green Apple and Sugared Apple

Sunny Days Blend of Strawberry Jam and Satsuma

OOPS!

I broke my wax ban.

Usually I am better at controlling my online shopping tendencies but this time I crumbled. If I was thinking ahead when I decided to go on the wax ban, I should have known better than to try and do a wax ban during the 4th of July when there are sales aplenty. So I succumbed to two really awesome sales, a 20% off at Ten Digit Creations and a 25% off at Enchanted Candle Co.

The TDC sale is on till tomorrow, 5 July, and it applies to all items on the website. I have been dying to re-order from TDC ever since I got back into wax but wanted to try out other new companies first. This sale was the perfect excuse to order. I got two sets of the Single Tart Special where you get to choose 13 individual tarts for a special price. I was gravitating towards unique fresh and fruity scents that most other vendors don't offer: Aloe & Green Tea, Apple Harvest, Avocado & Sea Salt, Bamboo & Sugar Cane, Bartlett Pear, Berry Verbena, Chamomile Apple, Fruit Loops, Green Tea & Willow, Honey Lemon, Lavender Apple, Lavender Mint, Lemon Marshmallow, Muscadine, Orange Blossom, Peppermint Meringue, Pink Sands, Red Mac Apple, Sea Berry, Sea Salt & Rice Flower, Serendipity, Sugar Milk, Sugared Jasmine, Twisted Lemon, Vanilla Lime and Violet Vixen.

The ECC sale was only live for 4 hours and although I have only melted a clamshell from the company, I felt like I liked the scents enough to warrant a second purchase. It wasn't a particularly big order but it include scents from the new Fathers of Disney line and some of the scents I missed out in my previous order. I got Darth, Marlin, The Sultan's Moroccan Massage Oil, Walt's Lemon Meringue Pie, No.17 Cherry Tree Lane, Lavender and Chamomile, Napa Valley, Wildberry Tea, Something Fruity and Icy Peppermint.

So now that I have broke my wax ban, I have decided I am going to keep on breaking it to order from the Thirty Street Crafts opening in a couple of weeks. Thirty Street Crafts have been getting a good bit of buzz lately and their blends are really complex types which I love. Whether I order will depend on the scents that's going to be available so we will see!

On a more exciting note, I am officially on vacation! Yay! My last vacation was in November 2013 and I have been really looking forward to this even though it doesn't feel quite real yet. I am going to be at home for most of next week before flying to Australia, Gold Coast and Brisbane to be exact, for a holiday with friends and catching up with family. Eek! I can't wait, I need to start packing!

Wax Notes | June 2014 (2)

Wow, I can't quite believe half the year has passed us by, it's been a really hectic six months and I am sooo ready for a break! My summer vacation officially starts next week, sooo close!

Did everyone get their Rosegirls order in? I did! And I can't quite believe that I managed to put in my order between the 2nd and 3rd minute. I have absolutely no idea what number I am on the list of orders but I am more than willing to wait. I intend to use this waiting period as my wax ban period and to use up my stash. It's getting a little out of control for my liking. I barely managed to pack my May orders into my existing storage boxes!

It was a good fortnight of melting!

Love Potion No.9 (Rosegirls)
I am melting my first-ever Rosegirls chunk! This is a mystery blend and scent notes aren't listed beyond that it's a blend between Love Spell and Pomegrate Blizzard. I am getting a warm and creamy note from this scent but for the most, it reminds me of a herbal drink. Medium throw. Unfortunately I had to stop this scent going, my nose did not like it. :(

Clover & Aloe (Front Porch Candle Co.)
A fresh, green and sweet spa scent. I find this really relaxing and it's pretty great for a warm day! This tart has a high throw, it's going right out of my bedroom door! Would definitely re-order.

Winds in the East (Enchanted Candle Co.)
I am loving the fresh aquatic and green scent. I am melting two cubes and it's throwing really well, medium high! But it also doesn't seem to last very long. On the second tealight, the throw is noticeably weaker.

Rattlesnake Grass (Two Timing Tart)
An old tart that I am using up. The scent throw is still pretty good at medium throw but the scent itself seems to have weakened. I smell a hint of sweet leafy greens and it's so pretty and springy! I wouldn't mind re-ordering this to get the full power of this scent.

Repeat Melts
Lavender, Green Tea, Grapefruit (Bit of Bliss)
Tie Dye (Lasting Scent Candles)
Bite Me Serendipity Bubble Gum (Lasting Scent Candles)
Rain Water + Rattlesnake Grass (Ten Digit Creations) - A little attempt at combining two scent blends together. My room is smelling fresh and clean!
Tease (Two Timing Tart) - Yay, another finished clamshell!