Hobby Lobby Wax Melt Reviews
October 23, 2018
This is a review of Hobby Lobby Wax Melts from October 2018. I think these are some of their best, most creative scent blends yet. And they've also added an "Aromatherapy" line.
The Aromatherapy melts appear like they're missing a couple of scents (#01, #06, #07, and #08), but the "missing" scents are only available in candles, oils, and other home fragrance products (they never came out in wax melts).
Calm (No. 06)
Calm your soul with this soothing blend of sandalwood & smoky vanilla with hints of earthy amber & patchouli mist
Sandalwood & Incense
This is one of the Aromatherapy scents. It's a strong men's cologne scent but there's also a harshness in the background that smells a little like rubbing alcohol and something else I can't figure out, like a weird chemical note. Looking at the notes, I guess I do detect a hint of wood, but "incense" doesn't tell me much. The candle has a more detailed description which the wax melt does not, and the additional notes are vanilla, amber and patchouli. When melted, that harshness is still there and makes it smell like really old perfume. It's a bit headache inducing (the opposite of a scent called "Calm"!)
Cleanse (No. 3)
Cleanse your spirits with this invigorating blend of eucalyptus and lemongrass, complemented with orange zest and a hint of lavender & vanilla.
Lemongrass & Tangelo
This is one of the Aromatherapy scents. It's a great, energizing lemongrass scent. It doesn't have that soapy note that plain lemongrass tends to have. Tangelo is a cross between a grapefruit and tangerine and supposedly has a light floral note; I think I do detect a smidgen of grapefruit, but no floral although it's a little sweeter than plain lemongrass. Very nice! After about 3 hours, it started to lose the sweetness and took on a slightly salty, burnt note; still nice, but smelled better earlier on.
Elegant Pearl
Opulent florals & spice
This smells like mulled apple cider with a hint of a sour "brown leaves" note, and perhaps even a smidgen of pine. But there's also a hint of a sweet perfumey note in the background that tempers some of the sourness, although this is not a very sweet scent. It's an odd combination but I kind of like it.
Firewood & Saffron
Sweet florals & leather
This smells like raw wood, oud (a dark resinous tree sappy woodsy scent), and bergamot (which gives it a little bit of a cologney note, although it's not actually a cologne scent). I think there's also patchouli in this one, and possibly a smidgen of leather. And it's slightly sweeter than these types of woodsy patchouli scents, so maybe also a floral way in the background. Looking at the notes, I'm surprised I don't see patchouli. I love this scent! When melted, there's an odd note in there that makes it smell a little like old perfume, but not enough to be a deal breaker.
Floral Blossoms
Grapefruit, orange flower & musk
A beautiful scent that smells like orange blossom/neroli (one of my favorite scents), jasmine, and a little bit of musk that gives it a perfumey note. Looking at the notes, I don't smell grapefruit at all, although there is a hint of another note that I can't put my finger on that tempers the sweetness of the floral a tiny bit.
Italian Bergamot & Cashmere
Sweet citrus & Earl Grey tea
Because of the bergamot I expected this to just be a cologne scent, and it is, but there's also a strong patchouli note. I also smell rich amber, a hint of vanilla, and possibly a smidgen of tobacco. Fantastic scent! Looking at the notes, I don't smell citrus or tea at all. Sniffing this scent and
Tonka & Oud side by side, they smell like exactly the same scent, but this scent came out only 3 months after Tonka & Oud, so I doubt that it would be a dupe. And as far as I know, I don't think DD has come out with dupes.
Oud & Amber
Vanilla bean & cedar
If the scent name is Oud & Amber, why are the notes vanilla bean and cedar?? This smells like a richer, more full-bodied, intense, slightly smoky and cologney
ScentSationals Vanilla Woods. The woodsy note is definitely oud (a deep resinous tree sappy raw wood scent which sounds awful, but it smells great, especially mixed with other notes). I also smell a bit of patchouli, bergamot which gives this a cologne note, and possibly amber which gives it a rich warmth. I don't smell vanilla, but I do detect a bit of cedar. Fantastic scent!
Peony & Yuzu
Fresh blooms & tangerine
On cold sniff this smells like grapefruit, a bit of tropical fruit, and maybe a hint of sweet floral. There may also be a smidgen of lemon and light wood way in the background, and possibly a barely detectable hint of bergamot that gives this an ever so slight cologney note. But melted, it just smells like grapefruit and a light wood note, and no floral notes really; actually it's kind of bitter, not really sweet. It smells a little bit like Victoria's Secret Love Spell dupes to me (
ScentSationals Magic Spell,
Scentsy Lucky in Love, Tuscany Stressless), but with slightly different notes. Looking at the scent notes, if the scent name is Peony & Yuzu, why are the notes different from the scent? I don't smell tangerine or orange, but yuzu is a citrus scent that smells like a mix of bergamot, kumquat, bitter grapefruit, and lime. So there are the bergamot, grapefruit and lemon notes I detect on cold sniff. This scent is just "okay" to me, but not my favorite. But since it's similar to Love Spell dupes, I think most people will like it.
Refresh (No. 05)
Refresh your senses with this invigorating blend of zesty grapefruit and juicy guava contrasted with sweet blooming rose & peony.
Rose & grapefruit
This is one of the Aromatherapy scents. It's a red currant scent. Red currant is a very slightly tart, fig-like soapy scent with a very slight berry note and only a smidgen of sweetness. It's a very sophisticated note that, when mixed, makes other scents smell classy. I also smell the grapefruit, but I don't smell rose at all. It's quite possible the combination of rose and grapefruit is what makes it smell like red currant, so it might not be currant at all. But either way, it's a nice unusual scent. It's very similar to
Goose Creek Candle Orange Berry Slush, and also smells a bit like Better Homes & Gardens Red Wood Pomegranate from 2014.
Relax (No. 04)
Relax with this calming blend of mandarin citrus and wild mint layered with subtle creamy notes of cedarwood and vanilla.
Mandarin & Mint
This is one of the Aromatherapy scents. It smells like lemongrass, with that slightly soapy note, but it's also quite sweet (lemongrass is not sweet), and the sweetness smells a little like melon I think. But I'm also getting a nasal clearing effect so there's also mint in this one although it doesn't actually smell minty. And maybe a smidgen of orange? When melted, the lemongrass note is more subtle and it smells like sweet melon candy with a little lemon and orange, and I don't smell the mint at all. Looking at the notes, okay mandarin is orange, and I'm surprised I don't see melon or lemon. It seems like melon is a note in some of the scents in this new collection. This is a very unique scent, and I really like it!
Rosewood Blooms
Rose petals, fig & vanilla
I love this scent! It smells like sweet old-fashioned rose scented soap mixed with red currant (a very slightly tart, fig-like soapy scent with a very slight berry note, although there is no berry note in this scent). Looking at the notes, I don't smell vanilla at all. Melted, it's a beautiful rose scent with a slight soapy note and a smidgen of a rich warm ambery note. It's not a perfumey rose, and it's not even overly sweet. This may be my favorite scent in this collection.
Sea Salt & Lotus
Ocean mist & exotic florals
This smells like orange blossom/neroli and cucumber. It's fresh and... odd, like the notes don't belong together. When melted, it's a beachy scent. The orange blossom gives it a Coppertone suntan oil note, but there's something a little bitter, metallic and chemical-like in the background that I don't care for. It's not enough to ruin the scent for me, but I think it would smell better without it. It's still a very nice scent.
Splash
Ocean breeze, lavender & amber
A pleasant fresh watery ocean type scent that smells a little bit like shower gel. I do detect a bit of the lavender, but it's subtle. It's a nice scent, but a bit bland.
Sweet Essence
Cotton candy, melon & musk
This smells like sweet cantaloupe, with maybe a hint of grapefruit and possibly a smidgen of a cotton candy note. It's not a pink sugar scent at all. Looking at the notes, I don't smell musk at all, as it's not a perfumey scent. Melted, it smells like sweet cantaloupe nectar, if there were such a thing. It's very sweet, but with a little sourness of the cantaloupe (but it's not watermelon). I don't hate it, but it's not one of my favorites.
Unicorn Dreams
Plum blossom & magnolia
A lovely jasmine type scent with a tiny bit of a soapy note and a hint of something else I can't put my finger on, apple I think. I don't smell plum, or really any fruit notes, but I think a smidgen of apple may be way in the background.
Uplift (No. 02)
Retreat into a fresh and renewing aroma of crisp lemon and succulent bergamot followed by the scent of watery jasmine and white lily blossoms
Bergamot & Lemon Peel
This is one of the Aromatherapy scents. I smell sweet orange blossom/neroli with a citrusy note, orange maybe. And bergamot I think, which gives it a little bit of a fresh slightly soapy cologney note, although it's not a cologne scent. Looking at the scent notes, the lemon is very subtle, smells more like a smidgen of orange to me. When melted, I just smell orange blossom with a little bit of a soapy note. It's pleasant and not overly sweet.