Wednesday, June 26, 2013

My long-awaited Pics, Petals & Scents haul(s)

I placed couple of orders with PPS on February 7th and February 17th and just got them within the past few weeks (from end of May to mid June that is). To be honest I am not the patient kind of person who will not feel stupid waiting 4 months or so for a wax order. But I just love a few of PPS scents so much that I was just sitting those orders out. 
I would not order again though if she´s that swamped. I was getting a bit annoyed during the waiting time as several people got add-ons to their orders which slowed down the TAT for everyone else. At some point the vendor announced that she´ll not accept more add-ons (after some people complained about that lol...me included). 

Anyway, unfortunately the 2nd box was so sloppily packed that all of my bunny heads (which I actually had ordered to use as my Easter decor lol) arrived in crumbs. I brought this to the vendor´s attention but only got "awww...I am sorry, stupid USPS" kinda excuse. To be honest that was unprofessional. After all... if I order wax in a specific shape (and you buy 1 piece at a time) I want that shape for a reason. I like displaying pretty tarts and it´s not ok to shove the products in a box without any kind of padding and then not make amends when due. Now I guess I can only melt my rabbit heads (which is the usual destiny for tarts anyway) but I would have liked if I at least would have been offered a refund or replacement. I was waiting and looking forward to my bunny heads for 4 months so I should expect them to arrive in pristine condition. I wouldn´t complain if they were melted as this is not in the sellers´s hands but they were just shattered and good packaging was the sellers´s responsibility for sure.
Also to stay informed about the status of my order I had to inquire several times =/

Anyway, most stuff smells amazing. I don´t like the Pink  Buttercream Cupcake scent though, it smells like straight up vomit =( 

So overall great stuff as always. I got a bunch of really nice samples, too! But the shopping experience as a whole was a disappointment.

Loaves are in Lemon Frosted Birthday Cake and Lemon Frosted Birthday Cake/Serendipity.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Scoopable Wax Comparsion Part 2

Hey, long time no see =) I am super busy and didn´t find quite the time to blog. I also feel the daily melts were getting too time-consuming (mainly the picking out tarts and taking pics part of them...yea I know I am lazy). Anyways, I thought of doing a 2nd part to the scoopable wax comparison post as I got quite a bunch more =)

Part 1 is here!



-Beaux Savons Frais Whiff Whips in Loopy Lemon Cream Noel. 

Texture: A very soft and sticky dense wax. Adheres to the spoon so it´s not that easy to handle unless using 2 spoons and a tissue to wipe them clean afterwards
Scoopability: This scoops very easily with a plastic or metal spoon 
Container: This comes in a heavy glass jar with screw-on lid... I´d prefer a PP jar but on the other hand glass is 100% tart safe whereas many plastic containers can interfere with the scent
Messiness: This kind of wax does not create any crumbles and is totally un-messy except for the spoon as it tends to stick to them
Throw: The throw on this patricular scent is very good, about medium I´d say, and this is one of my top favorite scents from any vendor. =)
Value for Money: The jar contains 16 oz of wax for US$15.49 (+ Shipping...free shipping orders US$50+)
Repurchase? Yes I would definitely repurchase this and try other scents as well!
Extras: I got my jar as a freebie with the purchase of US$150 worth of BSF´s overpour wax bricks. Her store is closed until June 29th, 11:00 AM CST.

Overall rating: 4/5



-Front Porch New Softer Scoopable Wax in Lemon Mallow Cupcakes. 

Texture: A very soft and sticky dense wax. What fascinates me about this wax is that it does not stick to the (plastic) spoon I used to scoop this..It glided right off which was awesome and really unexpected
Scoopability: This scoops super easily with a plastic or metal spoon 
Container: This comes in a heavy glass jar with screw-on lid... I´d prefer a PP jar but on the other hand glass is 100% tart safe whereas many plastic containers can interfere with the scent
Messiness: This kind of wax does not create any crumbles and is totally un-messy IMO
Throw: The throw on this patricular scent is very good, about medium-strong I´d say. An awesome creamy rich bakery lemon scent
Value for Money: The jar contains 16 oz of wax for US$17.50 incl. shipping. That isn´t bad at all IMO as shipping is included and a little goes a long way
Repurchase? Yes I would definitely repurchase this and try other scents as well!
Extras: This is FP´s new version of their scoopable wax. It is definitely a lot softer. I like the old version as well but the new one is definitely easier to handle. It seems that the new formula isn´t all that popular with the FP fans so the old is going to make a re-apperance as "Shaveable" wax.

Overall rating: 4.5/5



-Pics, Petals & Scents Scoopable Wax in Lemon Ice Tea. 

Texture: A pretty soft yet firm wax.
Scoopability: This scoops easily with a plastic or metal spoon but is a tad bit sticky.
Container: This comes in a plastic container ("3") with a screw-on lid. The lids seem to come loose easily during transport as all my containers arrived open. 
Messiness: This is not very messy but a few small crumbs were flying around
Throw: I got a light-medium throw out of the few scents I melted 
Value for Money: The jar contains 12 oz of wax for US$12 plus shipping. 
Repurchase? Yes I might... I would probably buy Serendipity Frosted Lemon Bday Cake and my other top fave scents. But only if the TAT is in any regular limits (see below)
Extras: Currently this vendor only offers RTS stock. I waited about 4 months for my order, too, which is so darn crazy! =(

Overall rating: 3/5



-Closet Full of Wax Whipped Wax in Serendipity Birthday Cake. 

Texture: A pretty soft yet firm wax.
Scoopability: This scoops really easily with a plastic or metal spoon but it is a bit sticky and needs a 2nd spoon to get this wax into the warmer bowl.
Container: This comes in a plastic container ("3") with a screw-on lid.
Messiness: This is not messy at all...I had only very few minor crumbs. 
Throw: This has a great throw! I can smell the rich bday cake with serendipity through my living room!
Value for Money: The jar contains 12 oz of wax for US$13.50 plus shipping. (I paid US$12.49 for mine a few months ago but seem the price went up slightly)
Repurchase? Yes, absolutely!
Extras: I love the blending option! You can choose up to 2 scents to create your own blend. TAT is crazy fast, 24-48 hours and that includes custom orders!)..oh and I love that hot pink color!!

Overall rating: 4.5/5



-Up the Creek Scents Whipped Soy Melt in Lemon Marshmallow Serendipity Bread. 

TextureA very weird dry crumbly kind of wax.
ScoopabilityThis scoops with a lot of effort only. I definitely recommend a metal spoon to handle this product
ContainerThis comes in a sturdy plastic container with a very thin plastic lid (as in flimsy. same material as with the small scent shots...).
Messiness: This is really messy... I had crumbs everywhere lol
Throw: This has a great throw! It´s a very delicious scent and it really is strong!
Value for Money: The weight is not written, but I guess between 6-8 oz.... A jar costs US$5 which is an awesome price! (Add shipping)
Repurchase: Yes I would, even though it´s a bit messy. The throw and scent are amazing and that´s what matters most! And the price is awesome, too!
Extras: This vendor is closed for the summer (except for spray orders.

Overall rating: 3.5/5






-Niki´s Wax Scoopable Wax Melt in Guava Lime Margarita. 

Texture: A very soft sticky wax
Scoopability This scoops really easily but has the tendency to stick to the spoon a little.
ContainerAt the time I ordered it came in the kind of deli container you might use for salads on the go. I believe she will be offering this product in a more sturdy container in the future. In ordered 3 scoopables and all had cracks in their lids and the lids won´t stay on too well either.
Messiness: This is not that messy...a bit sticky but there were no crumbs from scooping this out
Throw: This has an amazing throw! It´s a very delicious scent and it really is very strong!
Value for Money: 7 oz cost US$6.75 plus shipping but the new version (as in new jar) will cost a bit more I believe
Repurchase: Yes I would repurchase and also try more of the other scents (I have 2 more scents already though). Niki´s Wax has performed amazingly for me in general and her fruity/summery scents are the best!
Extras: This vendor has an Etsy shop and only adds RTS stock from time to time. I recommend being a part of her Facebook group to find out when new stock is listed!

Overall rating: 4.5/5



Sunday, May 12, 2013

Couple recent (colorful) Granny´s Kountry Candles hauls

I am subscribed to the monthly wax sampler from GKC which means I am getting all her Scents of the Month shipped to me automatically. Typically there are 14 scents in the line and it costs US$10/month (you subscribe for 3 months) incl. shipping which is a steal for (14) 1.5 ounce tarts! 
So here is my shipment of the March (!!) SOTM tarts that I received back in ...yes..March lol..and another order I placed a bit later. At that time the scent shots came packaged in those gorgeous colorful candy wrappers ...Wendy played around a lot with labels and wrapping materials for her scent shots and now they´ll only come in cello bags. I like the colorful foil better though =X
I couldn´t resist those huge cute candles either lol

The Bathing Garden haul

The Bathing Garden got so extremely popular it is hard to get ahold of anything these days. As soon as she lists new stock it´s wiped clean pretty much within a few hours. 
I placed this order in March and just didn´t get around to posting about it. Most of the new blends are really yummy and her quality is never slacking no matter how busy she is.



Daily wax melts April 16th 2013

This was a day where I only melted Heavenleigh Apothecary stuff. Overall I really like her wax but as most vendors there are some hit and miss scents.

-Lavender Marshmallows in the bedroom (2 cubes, 24W hot plate). This was a light sweet lavender scent. It was a great choice for my bedroom and it lasted through most of the day.

-Energize in the first floor (2 cubes, 24W hot plate). This is a standard scents you can get from various vendors (I have this one from PPS as well). It´s a good cool fresh scent with a slight citrus note but also menthol or something that feels cold. Overall I enjoyed melting this and it lasted through most of the day.

-Blueberry Muffin in the kitchen (tea light). I am not a blueberry fan...it was about medium strong and lasted well but I just didn´t care for it.

-Cinna Sugar Donut was another one I didn´t care for as most cinnamon scents will just give me a headache. It was pretty strong and I just coulnd´t stand it too long. I mainly just wanted to get rid of this and the blueberry scent.

-Serendipity Marshmallow in the living room (24W hot plate). Awesome serendipity blend. The toasted marshmallow adds an extra sweet creamy note! Lasted pretty much a day long.

-Serendipity Italian Biscotti in the living room (24W hot plate). Another amazing serendipity blend. I love the slight crispy almond note the italian biscotti add to the serendipity. Another strong long-lasting scent!

Daily wax melts April 12th 2013

-TBG Peppermint Bubbles in the bedroom (24W hot plate, 2 cubes). This was a very light sweet minty scent. I wish the throw was stronger but it was really subtle.

-CFTKR Pina Colada in the first floor (24W hot plate). This is a good light-medium scent...a blend of pineapple and coconut however it has a certain note to it that I don´t like. Overall not a fave.

-HHS Granmas Zucchini in the kitchen (tea light). An awesome scent...a very creamy rich zucchini bread. I prefer it in blends but it´s great on its own nonetheless. It gave a good medium throw and lasted well through 5-6 hours.

-TBG Pistachio Cream Egg in the living room (2 cubes, tea light). This is the pistachio coconut fluff scent some vendors carry and it´s one of my favorite scents out there. However it is so strong (from any vendor) that it gives a slightly bitter taste (!!!) to the air. Super strong and long-lasting!

-JLCCW Serendipity Sugar Cookie Dough (2 pcs, 24W hot plate). Sweet crispy cookies and serendipity mingle ever so delightfully in this blend I came up with. It was awesome, strong and long-lasting. JLCCW is awesome but it is impossible to place any orders with her right now as she´s swamped until at least July =( Good that I still have a fair amount of her tarts here!

-Lil´Kitchen Candles Birthday Serendipity in the living room (24W hot plate). As always a fantastic blend with a strong throw and great lasting power. I am really sad Lil´Kitchen Candles closed for good but oh well =(

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Haley´s Heavenly Scents haul

HHS has quickly become one of my top favorite vendors. Her tarts come in an amazing variety of scents and blends, you can pick cute shapes, TAT is very considerable and her prices are affordable. As of now you get free shipping with orders of $50 or more and also receive up to 4 free 6-packs of your choice depending on the order value.
The scent throw is great-amazing on the majority of her tarts and her granma blends (a very creamy zucchini bread) are the best and something I constantly seem to reach for.
Overall, highly recommended! Janet is doing her tarts now as full-time job so be sure to order and support her (and great tarts in return!). <3

I got couple of cute warmers from her recently, along with 3 sampler packs (granmas blends, pink blends, fresh scents) and 3 free 6-packs of my choice.
I just placed another order a few days ago and just won her sampler giveaway, yay! Can´t wait for my next order to come!