Review: Bath and Body Works - Halloween PocketBacs and Lotion

Okay so as I mentioned in my earlier post, I thought I would start by reviewing some of the newer products in my haul. These are all part of the Halloween line of limited fragrances. Now this is not the complete set of PocketBacs, they brought back favorites from last year such as Vampire Blood (a plum fragrance and my fave from last year), Haunted House (which is a sour drop, grape fragrance), Gumball, and Chocolate Chew. I picked up 2 out of the 3 from the Scary bundle as well as the Sinful Vanilla mini-lotion and a Pumpkin Patch mini-candle.

First up is the Scary Cats PocketBac. Normally, I wouldn't go for such sweet scented anti-bacterial gel but I like this one. For me, the fragrance goes on strong but fades quickly. This is a good thing for me because just every so often to I get the hint of Black Cherry fragrance that this PocketBac boasts. I have a lot of good memory associations with this style of black cherry and to me, it smells like Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda which is something I used to drink a lot of around Passover as it has no corn syrup. Would I buy this again? Probably around Halloween but it's not an everyday fragrance for me.

Next up, Skulls which is in the new "Forbidden Apple" fragrance. This is something that has a lot of depth despite being a pure apple fragrance. It's a red apple fragrance so it's definitely sweet but there's something to it that reminds me of the freshness of smelling a red apple before it's been bitten into. This fragrance is a bit stronger than Scary Cats but in my case, it's not a bad thing. It's more refreshing than sickeningly sweet.

Sinful is definitely the right descriptor for this vanilla lotion. The vanilla based fragrances tend to be my go-to sweet fragrance. It goes with almost any fragrance I may put on at another time in the say and usually blends pretty well. Sinful Vanilla is no exception. It has a rich, buttery vanilla fragrance that makes me melt and relax every time I smell it. I wish it were more than just a Halloween fragrance and I would love to see them work this into the regular Signature Collection, even if it means a name change.

First of all, I want to note that I've already used candles that have the Pumpkin Patch fragrance and it's one of the things I look forward to every Fall. With the release of the new mini-candles however, I don't feel like I'll get sick of one fragrance while the candle is only partially used. For folks who may not want the bat on their candle, it's a plastic wrapper around the white candle and it's easy to remove. Since it's Halloween, however, I decided to keep it on there. I really like the idea of the 1.5 oz. candles and will continue to try other fragrances in them.

Overall:

• Scary Cats - Something I would keep only for Halloween but not something I would use every day.
• Skulls - Amazing. One of my must buys and I would love to see this in the main candle collection.
• Sinful Vanilla - Another one of my go-to fragrances.
• Pumpkin Patch - A perennial Fall favorite and I love the new 1.5 oz candle size.

Review: New Seasonal Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel

Hey everyone!

I know I kind of shied away from beauty the past couple of weeks so when I went to redeem my coupon for a free Anti-Bac Hand Gel from Bath and Body Works, and these were there, I knew I had to get some and write a review for you!

Serously, how could I pass these up? The two that I wasn't able to get were Friend Me? which has a Pina Colada fragrance and Seriously??? which is a Starfruit fragrance. Just as an FYI, I am a glutton for Bath an Body Works anti-bac hand gel. I've usually been able to find something that is great to carry around at conventions and also has a fragrance I love.  The theme is only one part of the reason why I hurried to add these to my collection though.

Whaam! has a Fruit Punch fragrance to it which makes total sense for this theme. Some people may think fruit punch to be a little too sweet and this is something that lingers on hands for quite a while. I like the balance between fruity and sweet that this achieves.

I <3 Geeks is probably the one fragrance I can suggest to just about anyone and everyone. It's a plain vanilla fragrance. To me, it doesn't smell too much like cake or cookies. It just smells like fresh vanilla. Vanilla tends to be my go to fragrance because it goes with just about anything. I use a lot of other previous vanilla fragrances from Bath and Body Works as well such as Lemon Vanilla which is from 2010's Summer Vanillas collection and also Yuletide Pear Vanilla which I got in 2009. So of course, a plain vanilla fragrance mixes well with these. I also use Brown Sugar Vanilla which is currently available in the Bath and Body Works Signature Collection.

One of my favorites of the sweeter flavors I tried, Pow is yet another fragrance that fits the sound effect used on the label. Even without it being coined "Smash" Berry, the mixed berry has a punch of sour to it. It smells like natural raspberry that has a hint of tartness to it. It also reminds me of the mixed berry they came out with for the Royal Wedding collection in honor of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Not a bad thing, mind you, since that collection was so limited and you have a bit more time to get your hands on this one.

One of my main gripes about the PocketBac line in general is the cost. At full price, one bottle costs $1.50. The thing is, though, that they are always giving out coupons for free PocketBacs (no purchase necessary I might add) as well as having a 5 for $5 sale going on almost constantly. The latter at least knocks the price down to about $1 per bottle. Still expensive but here's another reason why I use these. They have Tahitian Palm Milk which helps condition hands. No matter how constantly I've been using it, I haven't had the same drying issues as regular drugstore brand anti-bacterial gel. So that's always something to think about when using this. Also, with as much as I travel to various conventions, it is always always always something I pack because I'm around so many strangers and doing so much networking.

All in all, I fell in love with the packaging and it had me right on sight. It is my hope to be able to review the last two fragrances in the Comic Book line soon so that you can decide for yourself which you like. As I said before, I love the PocketBacs in general and I don't have drying issues like I do with other brands so I'm not totally against spending the extra money even for such a small bottle. On top of it all, they are always coming out with new fragrances that you should be able to find something you like.

Bottom Line? 5/5