Bath & Body Fall Candle Preview 2013 & CIJ is Approaching!

I am just tickled pink with anticipation of all things fall that are approaching. July might oddly enough be one of my favorite months because this is when things I am using now (i.e. 4^th of July, summer things, etc) go one sale and guess what starts creeping in to store aisles?? Fall and Christmas! Hooray! Pumpkins, costumes, colorful leaves and evergreen wreaths start to make their debut in some of my favorite stores. What stores, you ask? Hobby Lobby is decked out for Christmas in some aisles, Michael’s has had fall since the 1^st week of June (they get their 1^st fall boxes in immediately after Memorial Day), Party City has the back of their store dedicated to Halloween costumes and Yankee Candle has their fall preview collection out and ready! July is great because everything good is ahead of you, and you even get to experience a lot of that goodness to come now J

 

I also know that this is the month when any event or new item being released in the fall will make a preview in some way, shape or form, usually on a website. Two examples of this today: First, Bath & Body 3-wick candles are on sale for $12 right now for the semi-annual sale, and guess what I saw included in that special price? Pumpkin collection!!! Classic fragrances and a couple new scents in their new 2013 packaging are on sale for $12 right now! AND free shipping over $25! Second example of this today, Mickey’s Halloween Party information is up on Disney’s website!!! I am so excited, I seriously hope I can go this year! Aside from the Halloween Party, which is a separate event, Halloween Time at Disneyland/Fall starts in September, and although they do not have that schedule up yet, I will guess that will start the weekend of September 14^th. Two short months away!

 

Isn’t that a great little summertime pick-me-up?! It is for me! All these scorching Arizona summer days, in combination with the start of some monsoon storms really make me crave the fall, so I get a little more excited about these things than most people probably do. Today is such a cozy, lazy day out, too. It’s been overcast all day (a really nice break from the bright, blaring summer sun), and therefore our temperatures are about 10-20 degrees cooler than they have been. “Cooler”, by the way, is 88 degrees at 8:30am instead of 97, is that funny to anyone else? Lol. Also, during the afternoon today it went from 113 to 93 when it started raining, oh happy day! The clouds and pending monsoon storms have brought with it some thick humidity that makes the air feel like a warm blanket and the smell of rain which makes me want to curl up by a fireplace with a hot coffee and take a nap. Caffeine and naps are very contradicting, so I can’t explain why but that’s just what this weather makes me want to do! Combine all of that with Christmas in July on QVC approaching and I am just over. the. moon!

 

So, do you want the scoop for the new Bath & Body Works fragrances for fall? I’ll assume you do, so here it is!

 

I’ll start with some brief packaging information:

 

The packaging for the pumpkin candles is decent and an improvement from last year. I’ll include a few pictures of some of the candles below and you can decide for yourself J The new packaging for Cranberry Woods is very pretty, and I hope that is the direction they will go for the rest of the fragrances this year and for the upcoming holiday season. It suits my style well.

 

Also, can I backtrack real quick and say that I am pretty sure BBW has never had any fall candles from the new, upcoming season at all whatsoever online before it’s available in stores or during the semi-annual sale?? This seems like a first and I won’t question it. My only explanation would be that they see the market demand is very high once summertime hits- people are pretty eager for fall since it’s been a decent stretch of time since there has been a real holiday that you can theme and expand out to the 5 senses product-wise in a while, so they are jumping on the opportunity and providing the supply earlier. It works very well for their competitor, Yankee Candle, so they might as well take advantage of it, too!

 

Here are some new fall scents that caught my eye that I am really stoked about just based on the name alone! If you try any of these, please let me know what you think! These descriptions are straight from the BBW website.

 

Pumpkin Carving (New!)

Your fall favorites are back! Invite everyone over to enjoy the fun fragrance of making jack-o-lanterns in this blend of pumpkin, brown sugar and nutmeg.

 

Re-introducing… Pumpkin Carving! (read CARVE, like carving a jack-o-lantern, not crave, like I am craving a pumpkin spice latte, lol) ß I threw that little tidbit in there because last year I heard a few employees read it as c-r-aving, so I thought I would help you out if you needed it since it is pretty easy to transpose those letters!

 

Ok, so this one is technically not NEW, it was actually given away as a part of a free gift last year during a home fragrance event at BBW stores on Saturday, September 15^th, 2012 in a mini-candle version, then they never fully released it and I could not find it ANYWHERE! I’m sure it was in some test stores, but it was not online or in any stores near me, so I was really bummed that I missed out on getting it! So I am very excited to see that it is here this year! Can’t wait to try it! Were any of you lucky enough to snag this one up last year?

 

Side note: I missed the fragrance event that day because we were in the hospital- my sister-in-law was having their first baby and our 2^nd nephew! So we were a little caught up with labor and delivery J Wouldn’t have missed that for a BBW event obviously (please send me to Bath & Body rehab if I ever do something like that lol), but I think this ends up being a win-win for me- got to be there for our nephew’s arrival and they are releasing the scent I missed last year, this year! Score!

  

Sweater Weather (New!)

Cuddle up with an aromatic blend of eucalyptus, juniper berry and fresh sage that celebrates the arrival of sweater weather.

Pumpkin Apple (New!)

Experience the blend of your two favorite fall scents - apples and pumpkin - enhanced by notes of cinnamon and clove.

 

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (New!)

Delight in the scrumptious scent of pumpkin pecan waffles, pure maple syrup and a touch of brown sugar

Aaand some returning classics!

Marshmallow Fireside

Celebrate the changing season with a warm blend of toasted marshmallows, smoldering woods and creamy vanilla reminiscent of a cozy evening 'round the bonfire.

  

Leaves

Celebrate the brilliant colors of autumn with this rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and spiced berries.

Autumn Day

Inspired by the fresh air and brilliant colors of a stroll through a secluded wood in autumn with notes of oak, citrus and golden amber.
 

Autumn

I'll spare you the descriptions for the rest of these since they should be about the same as years past :)  

Pumpkin Cupcake
 

Pumpkin Caramel Latte

 

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

 

Cranberry Woods

 

Nutmeg & Spice

 

Fresh Balsam

 

So whaddya think? I am excited as always for these to return and for the new ones as well! Pumpkin Carving, Sweater Weather and Pumpkin Apple are the ones I am most looking forward to J I am sure they will bring back a couple other oldies that have been popular like Spiced Cider, Apple Crumble and Caramel Apple, and I’m sure they will tempt our noses with some new ones for us to try throughout the season as well. I believe the pumpkin collection is available in stores July 27^th, about 2 weeks away! Ahhh!! Or, you can buy them ahead of time today online while they are on sale! I doubt they will be on sale when they first come out, so if you want to stock up, now is a good time to do so. And with free shipping, it’s very worth it.

To hold you over until then, did I mention CIJ on QVC is only 8 days away?!?!?! YAY!!! I’ll be planning a weekend of getting to know my couch a lot better over the course of Friday evening until Sunday night when it ends! I seriously have problems lol! BTW, it starts an hour earlier this year!! Friday July 19^th at 11pm EST, so that would be 8pm my time. I feel so lucky that I don’t have to wait so long for it since I’m in a different time zone. Go Arizona. You pulled through for me!

Here is the basic schedule to quickly fill you in on what to expect (listed in EST, so adjust accordingly):

 

Friday, July 19th, 2013

 

11:00pm - Christmas Shoppe

 

Saturday, July 20th, 2013

 

12:00am-2:00am - The Joy of Christmas

 

Sunday, July 21st, 2013

11:00pm-12:00am - The Joy of Christmas

 

 

You can find the full programming schedule with this link (I have it set to Pacific Time):

 

http://www.qvc.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProgramGuideDailyView?storeId=10251&TimeZoneSelect=PST&Navigate=20130719

 

Isn't the graphic super cute this year?? I just love it!

So, I feel like we are all caught up to speed now with holidays and whatnot. Oh wait, back-to-school is coming up. In less than a month around these parts. I feel like summer vacation is so short these days! The only other countdown I have going on in my head is the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks (oh, the things I tease myself with). That always comes back the day after Labor Day, so I expect it to be “soft-released” (as in, not advertised at all, but if you know about it, you might be able to purchase it) Labor Day weekend, and in full pumpkin spice bloom on Tuesday, September 3^rd! I have it marked in my calendar as “Happy PSL Day”, and I will bet you my first latte that it will be available then! Any takers? ;-)

 

Sheesh, that is only 7 ½ weeks away! I also plan to decorate my house for fall that weekend. Not Halloween though, that usually comes between the 1^st day of fall and October 1^st, whatever my schedule allows for. For those of you keeping score at home, the first day of fall this year is Sunday, September 22^nd… 10 ½ weeks away J So we have lots of fun stuff to fill our weeks with until then!

 

Alright, now I feel caught up with everything, haha! Have a lovely summer day!

Christmas Music on Pandora!!!

Attention all Pandora users: Christmas music is officially HERE! Christmas stations are now available from the "Browse Genre Stations" page! Woohoo! You can find it by browsing by genre and selecting "Holiday". There, you will find an assortment of Christmas tunes that everyone is sure to love! The stations they have built are as follows:

Christian Contemporary
Christmas
Classical Christmas
Country Christmas
Family Christmas
Hanukkah
Indie Holidays
Jazz Holidays
Navidad Latina
Peaceful Holidays
R&B and Pop Holidays
Rockin' Holidays
Swingin' Christmas
Today's Christmas

Which ones will you be listening to?

Speaking of places that have Christmas music... Bath & Body Works started playing their Christmas music on Monday, November 5th!!! I took it as an early birthday gift for me on my Birthday Eve :-) It's so festive in there! If you haven't been this week, pop on over and get an early fill of holiday cheer!

Hope you enjoy rockin out with some Christmas tunes a little early! Just another sign that the holidays are upon us :-) This is truly the best time of year! Enjoy it!

Come One, Come Fall... at Bath & Body Works!

It always sounds so early (to other people) when my favorite candle shops, Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candle, start advertising the preview for their fall collection in July to be released in August. But when the end of July and August actually get here, I think everyone is SO ready for cooler weather that they don't really mind seeing fall items appearing in stores :-)  I think it's so good to get a head start, because before I know it, fall items are here and gone by September, and find myself scurrying around in October, while stores prepare for Christmas, going "what happened?!" and feeling like I didn't have enough time to get all of my fall haul done! Which is why I am so pleased to see Bath & Body Works fall preview mailing list up on the website! And guess what I'm even more pleased about?? That I know which items will be here before BBW officially announces it! Yaaaaaay!

So, if you would like to sign up for BBW's mailing list to be notified of fall items, here is the link: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/comeonecomefall

Umm.. ok, so I signed up for e-mails Sunday, clicked on this last night and also this morning, and it isn't working! I had a feeling they would take it down, only because I actually stumbled upon their "Come One, Come Fall" link on Friday the 13th, which is really early, and I could not find it after that! They took it down really fast. I didn't even get a chance to look at it because it was on my phone and I wanted to have the full experience on my computer lol. Learned my lesson... if you see an early link, USE IT!

So anyway, keep trying the link if you want to be added to the mailing list, but I will keep you informed of things as soon as I know them. So if it doesn't work, don't worry!

And now, without further ado, here's a sneak peek of what we can look forward to in stores!

Brand New for Fall:

Autumn Day (this is a repackage of Acorn & Fig): A crisp autumn medley celebrating the changing seasons and all the beauty of the harvest with notes of fresh cut cedar, juicy fig and sandalwood. I was not a huge fan of A&F last year, but maybe the repackage is a little different this year. I’ll definitely give it a try!

Black Pepper Bergamot: Intricate layers of spicy black pepper combine with an uplifting bergamot and lavender in a fragrance inspired by fall’s changeable days. This was a test scent that I picked up in January/February, and the label has been completely transformed since then. Its better selling counterpart, Mahogany Teakwood, was off the shelves before I could snag one for myself. I can tell you though that BPB has been described as a peppery version of MT, and you either love it or hate it. The pepper can be strong and unpleasant to some people, but I don’t mind it. I think it smells good and was a nice transition from winter fragrances into the sweet, fresh scents of spring. I’m sure it will do great as a masculine fall fragrance to cap off warm summer nights.

Bonfire Maplewood: Combining notes of coffee bean liqueur, rich hazelnut and creamy marshmallow, this cozy fragrance feels just like gathering 'round a crackling bonfire.

Brandied Pear: Treat yourself to the fragrance of a favorite fall dessert- poached autumn pears drizzled with sugared brandy and topped off with vanilla cream.

Cider Lane: As sweet as a trip to the local apple orchard each year- a delicious fall blend of mulled cider, warm caramel and sweet cinnamon. This one sounds amazing, it’s heavier on the caramel, a good mix of the other cider blends that Slatkin has done before.

Cinnamon Nut Bread: Warm and comforting on a cold fall day- fresh baked shortbread with cinnamon, buttercream and chopped nuts.

Cranberry Harvest: Bright and crisp as a sunny fall day, the perfect autumn blend of fresh cranberries, apple peel and clove. I am not a huge cranberry fan, but their description of a bright, crisp, sunny fall day makes me want to try it…

Farmstand Apple: This sparkling orchard favorite reminds us of a bright sunny day picking apples. Made with notes of McIntosh apple, ripe pear blossom and woodsy oak.

Mahogany Teakwood: The scents of fine woods- mahogany, cedarwood and oak -highlighted by delicate lavender and geranium notes conjure up an escape to a cozy library on a chilly fall day. If I remember this test scent correctly, it’s the one that smells like men’s cologne, and women were all over this one like 50 Shades of Grey. O.M.G. It FLEW off the shelves, almost literally. I’m not kidding, if you want this, I highly recommend getting it early. Not saying they won’t prepare and have a high volume of it, but who knows. If you want it, get your hands on it quick! Plus, it never hurts to burn these early. Especially this one, as I think it is a good transition fragrance.

Nutmeg and Spice: A warm and cozy fragrance inspired by an elegant mixture of nutmeg and all of autumn’s very best spices

Plum Wine Amber: A splendid blend of mulled wine, golden amber and purple plum creates a fragrance that recreates the richest fall days

Pumpkin Cupcake: The perfect pick from the corner bakery this fall- a spiced pumpkin cupcake with rich buttercream and frosted ginger. Sounds amaze. This one has been talked about quite a bit, and my guess is it will go fast. So if you smell it and like it in the store, buy it. If you don’t like it when you get home and burn it, BBW’s fabulous return policy will allow you to bring it back, no questions asked. You don’t even need your receipt. Ok they might ask you like 2 questions, such as “Did you not like the scent?” and “Was something wrong with the way it was burning?” which is always nice to tell them so they can give feedback to the company and improve our future candle experience.

Salted Caramel: Indulge on an autumn day with a swoon worthy mixture of farm-fresh sweet cream, salted caramel and warm vanilla.  I actually have this candle from when BBW tried to do a summer boardwalk collection in 2011 and it didn’t go too well. I liked SC a lot (then called Salty Caramel, not salted) when I picked it up over the summer, but decided it was not at ALL a summer fragrance and I waited to burn it during the fall. I was really happy I did. I’m glad to see BBW agrees with me on this being a fall scent :-) It’s almost like Creamy Caramel from way back in the day like 10 years ago (one of my FAVES), but a little more nutty and salty, like kettle corn. Kind of like the glazed popcorn note in Summer Boardwalk. It is reformulated this time around and little more mild. So if you weren’t a fan of it in 2011, give another try this fall. You may like it! Time machine: Do you remember the other 2011 boardwalk scents? Lemon Meringue and Cotton Candy! Those were good. But not quite like the ones they came out with for summer this year.

Returning favorites:

Acorn & Fig is now Autumn Day

Autumn: Get festive this fall with our heartwarming fragrance that unites three beloved autumn scents- dark pomegranate, sweet red apple and woodsy fir balsam. This one is very light, unlike its older cousin, Leaves, and it is strong on the apple. Very fresh and like I said, light. I like it as a morning fragrance during the fall. It is delicate and sweet, which is exactly what I need in the AM :-)

Apple Crumble: The perfect way to chase away an autumn chill, baked Granny Smith and McIntosh apples topped with vanilla crumble. 

Cinnamon Sugared Donut: Share the delight with a homemade vanilla cake donut covered in sugar crystals and crushed cinnamon. I was not a fan of this one last year, I thought it smelled dusty or something?? I don’t know. But a lot of other people seem to like it, so I’m glad to see it made its return for the CSD fans out there! I know how rough it is when your fave scent unexpectedly disappears. Mini freak out.

Cranberry Woods: Equal parts woodsy and fruity, Cranberry Woods combines fresh, tart cranberries, black currant and warm cinnamon bark in one delightful, spicy fragrance.

Creamy Pumpkin: A sumptuous and soothing autumn blend of spiced pumpkin drizzled with sweet caramel and topped with warm cream inspired by the sweet richness of fall harvest. This one is sooo good!! It’s been around for a few years and I love seeing it every fall!

Fresh Balsam: Ok, so this is different. This has always been a pine scent for Christmas, sometimes released early in the fall, but definitely intended for Christmas and winter. But this year it looks like they are trying to make it a fall favorite. I have always loved this scent and I’m sure I will still love it a few months early :-) The wax is more of a sage green now instead of white, in case you were curious.

Leaves: The hallmark scent of fall. Must. Have. This year, it will be released in BOTH Slatkin and White Barn, so you will have two different jars, lids, labels, pictures and scent descriptions. Here is the White Barn description: A fragrance that embodies the richness of fall- with all the colors and pleasures- featuring notes of golden nectar, ripe delicious apple and red berries. This one has white wax as opposed to its usual dark brown, and is capped with a gold lid (all White Barn will be gold lids). The image on the label is pretty white to match the wax. The picture is a white wood bridge with white bark trees surrounding it. Slatkin description: Celebrate the brilliant colors of autumn with this rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and berries. I think I like the packaging on this one the best. It has colorful fallen leaves on the label and the traditional rich, dark brown wax. That’s how Leaves should look to me :-)

Marshmallow Fireside- Celebrate the changing season with a warm mixture of marshmallows, smoldering woods and creamy vanilla reminiscent of a cozy evening 'round the bonfire. This one was so popular last year, I had no doubt it would be back. They could barely keep this one on the shelves. It quickly became one of my absolute favorites and I CANNOT wait to burn this one again! Also, I think this is the perfect intro to fall. After you burn your Summer Boardwalk to close out summer, I would transition to Marshmallow Fireside. It reminds me of the end of summer when you go up to a cabin for one last hoorah before school starts up and sit around a bonfire toasting marshmallows and making s’ mores. But it’s not all summer, the warm, woodsy notes definitely tell you fall is around the corner. Love this one! If you don’t have it, pick it up!!

Pumpkin Caramel Latte: Scent your home with this rich blend of creamy pumpkin, spiced caramel and sweet cream and keep your treasured autumn drink all season long. So nice to see this one back. Have you ever had a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks? Have you ever added caramel syrup to it? Boom. That’s what this is. Just make sure you remember it’s a candle so you don’t accidentally drink it ;-)

Spiced Cider: A delicious blend straight from the orchard that mulls three varieties of fresh apples, spiced with nutmeg and cloves. I am SO glad this one is returning! It’s a classic, so I was pretty sure it would, but you never know. My recommendation- if you want this candle, pick it up FAST! They were sold out in every store in my area by September and did not get any back. I learned my lesson :-) I really like it for August and all the way through Halloween. It’s a good, festive scent that can be almost like a witches brew if you are looking for a yummy fragrance that can go on the spooky side as well.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin: One of my favorites of all time? Quite possibly. I nearly explode with excitement when I smell this one. It is that freaking good. It's like nostalgia in a jar or something. Maybe I feel this way because it was one of the only fall fragrances when I was in 6th grade and my obsession with Bath & Body Works began. It honestly just takes me back to the house I grew-up in, standing in our garage looking up at our attic, patiently waiting for my parents to bring down our Halloween boxes and feeling the crisp, cool air swirl in and remind me of all the wonderful reasons that I love this season. Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin might not do that for you, but now you know why I love it so much! Here is the description: A harvest fave returns for fall! Our delicious, one-of-a kind recipe combines sweet pumpkin pie, rich vanilla cream and a touch of cinnamon. They always change the descriptions on these each year. It's fun to see what new way they come up with to tell us what we're smelling :-)

Something I'm not sure about is Pumpkin Patch, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be back. I LOVE that scent. It is so comforting. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for it this year.

*Mark your calendars, these fall faves will make their debut Monday, August 6^th! Two weeks from yesterday… I think I can hold off for that long! We’ll see!

Which ones sound good to you? Any new ones you can't wait to try?

Bath & Body Works Summer Boardwalk Candle Review

If you are looking for a home fragrance to transition between summer and fall, BBW's Summer Boardwalk is GREAT! It is perfect for late summer, and a great scent to prepare your nose for the richer, warmer scents of fall.

Summer Boardwalk is more of a food-like fragrance that combines caramel-glazed popcorn, warm taffy apples and salted, sweet cream to bring back memories of amusement parks at the beach. I'm burning it right now (while watching Christmas in July on QVC) and let me tell you, it burns really well! The throw is so strong, I don't even have to light it for it to fragrance the room. I literally just remove the lid and within minutes, the room is filled with this warm, comforting scent. As soon as it hits my nose, it stirs up nostalgic feelings of the warm summer days transitioning into cool autumn nights. I smell the apple quite a bit which reminds me of caramel apples that I would eat as a kid around Halloween. The caramel-glazed popcorn smells like a caramel, hazelnut coffee to me, and the whole fragrance is balanced out with the salted sweet cream.

I actually started burning this to kickoff the 4th of July, and I think that is a wonderful holiday to use this candle! The apple, caramel and nutty notes are reminiscent of all-American apple pie. What's more patriotic than that? ;-) I will be burning this through the rest of the summer before I start lighting up my fall fragrances :-)

If you haven't smelled it yet, pop on over to Bath & Body and give it a try! If you do, let me know what you think!