Long time no post?!

Hi and hello! Firstly I'd like to apologise for my major lack of posts. I seem to have gone on a completely unintended and unannounced hiatus ... my bad! A lot of things have happened this year (loss of a family member, major overseas holiday, etc.) so my shopping and as a result, blogging has been really bloody tame. I DID do SOME shopping at B&BW this year, that didn't make it into my blog obviously. 

I have a few thoughts! Firstly, I'd like to say I fell in love with Peach & Honey Almond and I used it pretty much every day that I was in England so now when I smell it, that's what I think about/remember. I'm also quite impressed with A Thousand Wishes and hoarded it stupidly as I do!

Next I'd like to talk a little bit about candles. I know that on the labels, the burn times decreased quite a while ago. When I first began buying B&BW candles, the burn time was advertised as 30-45 hrs, now it's like 25-45 hrs. That's pretty old news as that was a hot topic way back when it first happened. I have to admit I didn't really notice an actual burn time decrease until Coastal Cool. What reminded me of this was partly those candles being selected to come back for the SAS this winter. When they first came out, I bought a few of Endless Weekend and Sunset Beach. And when I burned them, I noticed that I could only burn them a couple times before they were half gone or more! Now what really made me remember that was when I bought some of the candles during the $8 sale a few weeks ago, I bought Fresh Sparkling Snow (which btw I was thrilled to have as a candle!) and I began burning it. After burning it once for like 4 or 5 hours, it was nearly half gone! Yes, you read that right! Where my 'Tis The Season won't burn for shit and I'm about to exchange it as this is the first time I've ever had a problem with a candle not staying lit - I guess I'm lucky that way. 

I suppose it's fair to say I was a little upset over that. I have a pretty big stockpile of candles so I'm not too bothered for the moment. But we'll see how I feel about it when more candles come out that I actually like and they last like two hours! 

Next topic! This year, I did spend some time selling a bit of excess B&BW stuff (things I bought maybe 5 duplicates too many of, things I thought I might have liked and wondered why I bought it later, etc. y'all know how it goes!) via eBay (fair prices, mind. I don't care if I get less back than I paid honestly!) and I had considered selling stuff via my blog but then my hiatus happened so I doubt many people read this right now! We'll see how that works, I might keep using eBay for the time being. If anyone does happen to see this and would like to offer input, please let me know what you think/if that would be something you'd be interested in or if you want to know if I have a particular scent. I have a very large selection of stuff as I've been shopping there two years now and visited more than once a month religiously until earlier this year. I may share the link to the eBay account once I get stuff posted again.

Speaking of SAS, yes I did go! I sent PIC on day one with a list. He came back with maybe half the things on the list (the candle, the three Vanillatinis and Black Chamomile were his buys) and today, I went myself. 

It's a bigger haul than I figured I'd find! I've been hearing that the selection isn't that good this year and really, if you're looking for candles/old gems ... it's not! Black Chamomile is back but it's so ridiculously limited you might be hard pressed to find it, where when I began shopping B&BW (SAS of Winter 2012/New Year 2013) it seemed like it was stock for AGES! I still have a ridiculous amount of the lotions, so I just bought shower gels. I was kind of happy to see the Three Cheers back. I liked Vanillatini way back when someone had let lotion leak all over the contents of one of the boxes at my very first SAS and got it on my hand and tried to figure out what smelled so good. I kept digging through each lotion until I matched the scent but I only bought one and kicked myself for it! Apple Orchard was an unexpected like of mine. I visited B&BW prior to my trip to England and they had the fall preview stuff going, I tested the lotion on me and I was pleasantly surprised. I don't really dig apple scents in body care but it's nice! The Pink Jasmine Kiss was just super cute and reminded me a little of London Tulips so why not. I've been trying to limit myself to travel sizes in scents like that so I don't end up with big bottles of stuff that I'm trying to use up unless I really love a scent.

ONE lonely ass Sunset Beach candle and NOTHING else. All the leftovers are a major pass from me. I really hoped to get my hands on an Endless Weekend candle but no such luck. They DID have a lot of two packs of Sunset Beach wallflowers that I DO plan on going back for after payday if they are still there. If not, well, I guess I won't be too butthurt about it! Oh and they seem to have the HandiBacs for $3 up by the registers! I am too new a shopper to "remember" those but they are apparently an older concept. It's a spray sanitizer with vitamin e and aloe. I had to get one for kicks but if I like it well enough I might go back and buy some more. There's hardly any variety in scent but Coconut Lime Verbena is nice.

In terms of classics/old favourites/hidden gems, yeah the SAS is a bomb. It's basically all the stuff they had this year leftover which I understand is basically what a clearance is which is basically what SAS is but I miss the magic! I feel only "did well" (in other words, threw my money at them and came home with a lot of loot) because I missed a lot of this year's goodness so it was a good chance for me to catch up on what I missed. Peach & Honey Almond I stupidly only bought one, thinking I could get more when I came back from the UK as it seemed quite new. WRONG! It was OFF the floor when I got back. I was so upset. I really loved the scrub in that fragrance.

Last and final thought this post:

PIC went on opening day of the sale and most of the stuff that you'd usually see for $3-4 was all only 50% and only the holiday traditions stuff was actually 75%. Even though they added a $3 select body care deal today, I was hoping to buy a couple lemon vanilla sprays but I wasn't buying them at only 50% off. I mean, I'm not thrilled that Peach & Honey Almond was only 50% but I love it enough to buy it at friggin' B3G2 (aka reg price!) so I made an exception for that but ... real lackluster deals going on! I'd like to add if anyone is planning on buying any of the holiday body care that has access to a store, DO NOT do it online! It's only 50% off there, but it's 75% in store!

Anyway yes, that concludes today's haul post, random thoughts and hello I'm kind of back? I'm sure I'll post again the next time I visit to potentially get those wallflowers I wanted. I'm hoping the artisan scents will go 75% soon before running out at my local stores. That'll get me back in there in a hurry!

PS - I didn't actually notice this until I looked over at Donovan's blog today but there is a blogger that goes by Musings of a Muse ... I want to just say that "musings of a mouse" wasn't meant to infringe upon any names or anything! People call me mousie so I thought it was a cute name for a blog. I might come up with something else sometime soon! 

Tara for now!

3/$6 Travel Sizes, Loot Post!

I have decided that I finally need to get myself some new clothes, which of course entailed a trip to the mall, so you know what that means! B&BW's were running their 3/$6 DoD today and the email actually featured some of the Hawaiian stuff so I had to go look.

First, I went to pick out one set of Mad About You and some Velvet Sugar, which led me to my hunt for the Hawaiian items, which were on the counter in the back in front of the registers. To my dismay, there was only one Oahu Coconut spray and three shower gels. The manager told me there weren't any more lotions as they only had a dozen or so that got bought out today, however upon looking in the back for me, she found another box, but alas, no other sprays. 

The damage done:

White Citrus is for PIC and the lotion bottle on the left cut out of the photo is another Oahu. The label is so pretty for it. I smelled the Hawaii Passionfruit Kiss too and liked it but I didn't get it as they only had the shower gel. And I got a free Sun lotion via Facebook a while back, so I got myself the spray and shower gel. I didn't feel like gorging the second transaction completely on minis as I've got a lot now so I got some of the fresh picked lip care (specifically Lip Butter and Balm in strawberry) and a Sun gloss.

I tested Oahu during the trip and through Target and I have to say I love it more than I thought I might. I am a big, big fan of coconut but I didn't like it via the bottle when I smelled it, not really. Everytime I went to B&BW, I smelled it again and again and it reminded me more and more of sun tan lotion. Upon trying it however, I am impressed. It doesn't smell a lot different from the bottle to my skin which is a rare thing for me, and it kind of retains the same scent after it's dried, if I had to pick something to compare with it, I'd say it's Vanilla Coconut and Aspen Caramel Woods' love child. I can definitely smell the hint of amber in there, too. All around, I like it. 

I thought I might be passing on the Hawaiian Collection as I am DYING for World Gardens and that London Tulips and Berries scent that will be with it but I changed my mind, as I do! And I'd like to note that the manager on duty today was a very nice lady, she's a newer one (maybe a transfer from another store) as I haven't seen her before but she seems like she has her head on straight and she just adores me, she gave me a coupon today to hang onto which was the free item with $10 purchase and I do tend to use those frequently, so that was nice of her! 

One more 2/$22 haul + Soap Sale + Newness

Hi, hello!

I went out to B&BW last night to get myself a treat and found some candles that my local store had at one time, and stopped carrying for a while, then got back. I'm talking about the Florida candles of course.

After deciding I needed more Velvet Sugar in my life I came across the Florida candles and my store had also restocked the Eucalyptus Spearmint Stress Relief candle, I decided why not? I had smelled The Sunshine State and Palm Beach candles when my store had these in stock and I liked them well enough but not better than other offerings when they were available. I know they weren't in my local store when I went in for my last 2/$22 haul. Anyway, The Sunshine State is basically orange juice but not nauseating, we'll see when it burns. And Palm Beach is kind of a generic coconut smell but I love coconut enough that I'm not particularly bothered by this.

Anyway, Velvet Sugar and Mad About You are limited edition scents (to what extent, I'm not sure) and I don't know when they'll pulled from the shelves but I expect them to either be pulled for the newer scents (maybe not Hawaii, maybe World Gardens or whatever that line is going to be called) or simply dropped straight into the bins for SAS. This is all speculation on my part and not intended to be taken for fact! Well, except the fact that Velvet Sugar and Mad About You were confirmed limited runs by the B&BW Facebook page upon people asking.

Anyway, today marks the start of the 5/$18, 7/$24 handsoaps. I'm kind of glad the body care didn't go B3G3 or I would've been slightly annoyed.

Also, I haven't been keeping track of newness all that well but I'll be highlighting some of the stuff that caught my eye this morning upon perusing the B&BW website.

 
 



Lip stuff basically, Watermelon Jelly Pops made me go kind of bananas, I am expecting a watermelon jolly rancher flavour out of it and watch me get disappointed!

Also of note is the hardworking lip care, I am excited to see this go behind the one lonely cherry balm they introduced during last year's Fresh Picked.    

2/$22 Candles are back!

Hi and hello there! 

It would appear that B&BW have brought back their 2/$22 3 Wick Candles, and thankfully for that too. All the SAs I spoke to over the course of the 2/$25 were telling me the candles simply weren't selling which of course affects the overall sales and performance of the store. It is said that the candles will remain this way until Fall. Now, I'll clarify for anyone who may stumble across my blog that doesn't read regularly, that this means WHEN the candles enter sales promo, it will be 2/$22. Not that they will be 2/$22 the whole way through.

Enjoy and rejoice my friends! I took part in ONE of the 2/$25 candle sales but even I ducked out on one (left the store with something other than candles) and while I wasn't happy with it, I only slowed, not stopped. I for one am quite happy to see the sales price back, so happy that I celebrated with a typical candle haul! I always bring them home in sets of six, so without further ado, here is my loot!

I made it a point to begin burning my mason jar Raspberry Peach Macaron when I first heard the rumours about the sale and that would determine my selections. Spring is not my favourite time of year at all and what makes this totally worth it is my baby, London Calling.

Anyway, I love Raspberry Peach Macaron a lot. I've seen a few people say it reminds them of cotton candy. I can sort of see that, but I really get the bakery thing going on when I smell it. It's just so delicious smelling it hurts. If I had to break it down, I'd definitely say it smells like a raspberry pastry, very sweet. Hoard worthy, completely. This is the only thing that has peach you'll ever see me buy!

I got the Watermelon Lemonade because I liked it a lot last year. I was too blinded by Summertime S'mores to pay attention and missed out. By the time I got back around to it, they were gone! 

Anyway the SAs were completely nice and let my PIC use his mystery offer via grace period, and I got these 40% off. It actually didn't turn out much less than just doing two payments with surveys, it was just nice to not have to do it that way.

Also, they sent out this morning, a free full size hand soap with any purchase. 

Sorry for the glares! We each did 5 pocketbacs with one free soap. We have a lot of both but we are taking some of these to work with us now. My freebie soaps are Coconut Lime Verbena, and Honolulu Sun.

I think what I like most about these soaps is the fact that you can turn the bottle over and read what's in the scent. About darn time if you ask me. I kind of like the bottles, they will actually sit side by side now under my sink and it just feels more compact, yet neat without the tapering. I don't actually mind triclosan so the change there doesn't really affect me as I use soaps without it also. The new sales price is a bit rubbish (4/$18, 6/$24) but I've got enough soap to get me through the zombie apocalypse so I think I'll be fine.

As for the pocketbacs, I just noticed today that Beautiful Day got itself a pocketbac! Another thing I noticed was that Pink Chiffon one no longer has glitter in it! YES! I'm not the biggest shimmer fan (I'll wear it on occasion) but when I pop open a sanitizer at work, then forget it's got glitter in it, I end up washing my hands for five minutes trying to get all of it off because I work with food! I just don't think glitter belongs in them.

Anyway, that's a done trip out. Satisfied as can be! I am not inclined to buy 50 more candles presently, but I will say that Tokyo Petals is surprisingly nice, and if you're a fan of London Calling like I am, now's the time!

Miscellaneous Information

Hello once again!

After parading my hauls, I realised I should go ahead and compile some info here for you.

Currently ongoing specials (end dates listed as according to emails, subject to change):

• Buy 3, Get 3 Free Signature Collection (2/17)
• $7 Mason Jar Candles (2/17)
• $2.50 Anti-Bac Soap (2/16)
• Up To 40% Off Your Entire purchase (2/17) scan barcode in stores, online code is one time use, so be careful about sharing!

The $20 EDT sale SHOULD have still be going per the email until 2/16 but they've since pulled it by the looks of it as it is not featured in today's email or as a sale on the website. That's the first time I've seen that sale run in the year and some odd months that I've shopped there, but I hope we see it again as it encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and buy them!

Speaking of EDTs, the Forever Collection has updated a bit! Their EDP was originally a 2.5oz. deal for $45, but now they've come out with a smaller (1.7oz.), cheaper bottle.

 $35.00

I seem to only be getting emails every other day so any changes that are made to the sales I am not seeing until the last minute lately. I also no longer see the bundle for the Forever Collection (buy EDP, get lotion & shower gel free), the email updated the date to the 23rd but now it's gone. I feel like it's a little hard to be accurate so this is to the best of my knowledge, as accurate as I have it. Unless I stop by for those Sweet Shop towels tomorrow I won't be back there again for a bit so it's hard to say for sure. If you are absolutely set on something, do yourself a favour and call your store before you go to confirm.

Also of note: those who frequent the main Facebook fan page for Bath and Body Works, you may be noticing the "Recent Posts By Others" section disappearing from time to time. People have mentioned it and they have finally commented on why it is happening.

"Sorry for any confusion! We remove the comment option when we are not able to closely monitor our page. We do this to protect our page, our brand, and most importantly - You - our fans! "

So for anyone wondering, there it is. 

Don't forget to check the post, there's some mailers roaming around, I've seen a free pocket bac, 20% off, and a free 3 wick candle. I have not personally received any (I almost never do) but keep your eyes peeled as they are out there!

Valentine's Day Adventures

Hi and hello!

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day. PIC and I went down to Sarasota (we live a couple counties away) to a wonderful sushi bar that offers and all you can eat sushi for $21.50 (if paid in cash, if card it's a dollar or so more) and it's some of the freshest sushi you'll get around. We make it a point to at least go once a year and it's not like there's nothing to do down in Sarasota. Before the trip down we went to my local B&BW to claim the Facebook offer they put up yesterday which was a free Mad About You Diamond Shimmer mist with any purchase so PIC and I claimed the offers, he got a pocketbac holder as he needed change for the toll booth and I got myself a Raspberry Peach Macaron Mason Jar 

After gorging ourselves on sushi upon getting there too late to go to a regular showing of the RoboCop remake, we spent a little more time digesting and went over to the mall to discover there was an IMAX version showing a little later. We got these tickets that allow you to see a movie free or pay a surcharge if you want 3D/IMAX so we decided we would pay the charge but first, we went roaming the mall. I had totally forgotten there was a Body Shop there - I've never been before but I hear good things about them. Sadly I did not have time to check it out before the movie so I beelined straight for B&BW and got a couple more shimmer mists. The idea actually didn't spawn until I was in the mall and went "heyyy".

I also picked up some other stuff both trips as they extended the EDT special until Monday which made me a happy camper. I don't tend to go out of my way to buy the full size EDTs, I generally like the little ones I can carry with me that some of the scents previewing have had lately (like Amber Blush) but at $20 a pop lus $10 off $30 (and more recently the Mystery Offer) I couldn't say no! I only got 20% but PIC, the lucky little bugger, got himself a 40%.

Sorry for the glares. These are the EDTs I ended up with, White Citrus is for PIC. I actually picked up Amber Blush and Mad About You on the original last date of the EDT sale (the 9th) because I thought it was ending and I wanted to get them before it did but then they extended it.

My "freebie" haul. I would've gotten a cheaper item if I didn't love Raspberry Peach Macaron so much. PIC says it smells like cotton candy, I say it smells like a raspberry pastry, it's got that lovely little bakery thing going on with it.

B3G3

I needed more Velvet Sugar in my life to compensate for the 2 EDPs (plus I really just like the scent) so that led to my binging on it and getting some bubble baths because I've actually never tried the signature bubble bath before. I like Mad About You but for the scents heavily V-Day marketed, I am definitely Team Velvet Sugar!  

So that sums up my little B&BW trips in the last week.

Oh, and RoboCop was pretty decent - it could have been a whole lot worse, but I miss Peter Weller!

Errand Day

Hello again lovely readers,

I really do loathe going out in the chilly rain for anything but alas, errands had to be ran and this was my chance to stop by BBWs to see what specials were going. When I got there, I found:

• $6 Fine Fragrance Mists
• $8 Diamond Shimmer Mists
• 2/$25 3 Wick Candles
• $10 Whipped Shimmer Body Creams 
• $20 EDT/P

In other words, stuff listed in emails. I did not see any signs for the Forever Red EDP purchase with free lotion & shower gel. The associate roaming the floor said yes, the manager on shift said she had no idea what I was talking about to which I said I had it in an email and it does say "select" stores but she was nice to honour it and also $10 Whipped Shimmer Body Creams. I don't know if that one was a previous sale as my emails are only showing up every so often lately or if it was a sale to be that someone set out signs for too early but apparently that wasn't a thing either. However because the signs were out she honoured it for me. So here's what I ended up with:

 Not a big haul but I actually didn't buy candles despite them being on sale. Shock! So when I got to the store and I saw the Whipped Shimmers listed as $10, I decided I was either going to get Mad About You or Velvet Sugar, just that paired with an EDP for my coupon so I sprayed both of them onto strips and walked around to smell candles. PIC and I both smelled each one at various stages and we both decided we liked Velvet Sugar better so that's what I got.

My store also has Fresh Picked hand soaps in the new formula out in the front, they are $5 a piece.

Anyways, a few thoughts on some of the candles I smelled. I didn't do an extensive walk 'n' whiff as I was on a schedule but here's what I smelled:

Snap Peas: Smells like grass. PIC likened it to that very candle from last year. As a fan of snap peas, he did not approve.

Garden Strawberry: Same old scent from last year. Not that it's a bad thing. 

Lemon Drops: Smelled like Lemonheads. It's available in a Mason Jar.

My sense of smell was shot by that point and we had to go. I took a brief whiff of Pink Lemonade Pound Cake's mason jar but I haven't got any thoughts as of yet as I was being dragged out the door at that point. LOL!