Better Homes and Gardens: Wax Warmer and Scented Wax Cubes Review

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated in any way for this review. I bought everything with my own money from my local WalMart. I haven't been contacted by BH&G, Walmart, or Scentsationals (one set of wax cubes) for this review. This is an unbiased review as it is the first product of its kind that I have ever tried. This is NOT a comparison between BH&G Warmers/Wax and Scentsy Warmers/Wax. I have recently placed my first Scentsy order and will do a comparison post after receiving it. Whew...that said, read on!

I have NEVER used a product like this and I rarely use candles. However, I've been more and more intrigued by "wickless" candles because we have 4 dogs (a very large and clumsy great dane and 3 rambunctious weenie mixes) and the possiblity that they could burn my house down by knocking over a candle scares me to death.

After perusing the Scentsy website and talking to those that have used it before I decided to order a "Combine and Save" package that includes 1 full size premium warmer, 1 full size regular warmer, and 6 bars. Shipping is going to take a few days and because of my impatience I went scouting for an alternative to try out in the meantime. Several bloggers and friends pointed me in the direction of the "Better Homes and Gardens Wax Warmer and Cubes" available at Walmart. For a fraction of the price and with a decent selection of scented wax available I decided "What the heck, couldn't hurt. If I can save a few bucks in the long run, why not, right?"

HOW IT WORKS:
The warmer comes in the box show in the pic. You simply open the box and remove the top dish portion. Inside the warmer is a bubble wrapped 25w lightbulb and the cord is also inside held in a bundle by a twist tie. You simply take the cord out of the inside and screw in the lightbulb. Place the dish back on top of the warmer. Plug in, turn on, place 1-2 scented wax cubes in the dish and within 5-20 minutes the cube will melt and release the scent. If you want to change scents, you can pour the remaining wax back into the package to reuse. Keep in mind though that the more you do this, the milder the scent becomes. Then wipe out the dish, choose another cube, and repeat the process again.

My husband and I live in a quaint 2bd 1bth single story house and one warmer placed in the entry room lightly scents the entire house with just 1 cube.

FYI: The Warmer was $15.00 and each pack of Scented Cubes was $2.00. As far as I can tell, comparable Scentsy Warmers range between 25-35 with comparable sized Scentsy "Bars" priced at $5.00/pk. Be sure to watch for my comparison post as soon as I have time to try out all the goodies in my Scentsy order:)

*BH&G Red "Fleur De Lis" Wax Warmer and "Fresh Ocean Flowers" Scented Wax Cubes*

*Warmer "dish" with 1 completely melted cube*

*Fleur De Lis detail closer up. It's a glossy red ceramic with a bit of an orange undertone. It has little holes around it that allow the light to give it this great sort of glow when the lights are off.

*BH&G Scented Wax Cubes in "Fresh Ocean Flowers". I used 1 of these cubes for my first ever trial run of the warming system, which you can see in the pics has already melted down and started releasing it's Ocean Flower-y goodness through the house. I have a feeling this scent will be one of my favorites. It's a very light floral, NOT overpowering at all. My husband who is VERY sensitive to any sort of smell walked in the house after work and said, "Man, it smells great in here!"*

*BH&G Scented Wax Cubes in "Pomegranate Passion Fruit". While I haven't used any other cubes besides the Ocean Flowers one, in the package this smells verrrrry nice. I'm sentitive to fruit smells so i was hesitant about this but the second i opened it up in store I decided to buy it. I can't attest to how strong the smell will be when melted but in the box it's a pleasantly perfumed MILD scent. It actually really reminds me of a Febreze air freshener spray I purchased before called "Cranberries and Frost". It's a nice mix of floral and fruity notes without being overpowering on either side.

*BH&G Scented Wax Cubes in "Butterscotch Maple Cream". This scent is a very strong "food" scent so if you're not really into "bake shop" smells this is one you'll want to pass on. I, however, don't mind them much. This is a borderline one for me. It smells exactly like you'd expect. It's a very heavy creamy/toffee/sweet smelling cube with maybe a hint of vanilla tossed in.

*ScentSationals Fragrance Cubes in "Cup Cake". This one I actually didn't open up in store before purchasing. I'm regretting that. While it has an overall "sweet treat" smell, it's almost overpowered by an off putting waxy smell or a scent similar to that of...playdoh? Maybe this will change once melted but in the box alone, it's not one I'm anxious to try out. I will update this post once I try out the cubes to let you know if the waxy scent goes away when melted.

*BH&G Scented Wax Cubes in "Vanilla Caramel Spice". Contrary to its name, this doesn't have much of a "spice" to it. It's primarily vanilla with caramel undertones and maybe a hint of brown sugar.

*BH&G Scented Wax Cubes in "Chocolate Peppermint Truffle". This is a DELICIOUSLY crafted scent. I allllllways had an affinity for mint chocolate anything as a child and I still do today which made this one of the first boxes I picked up to test. There's no synthetic waxy scent at all, it's just pure mint chocolate goodness. It's easiest to relate this to either a York Peppermint Patty or Andes Mints (you know, those little thin mints wrapped in green foil with pictures of the andes mountains?). Mmmmm....talk about a scent that inspires memories.

*BH&G Scented Wax Cubes in "Baked Apple Strudel". This is a VERY strong (yet surprisingly not overpowering) scent in the box so I suggest trying a 1/2 of a cube first and adding more if need be. It's very much a baked apple scent with a bit of spice. This to me is more of a fall scent vs other baked apple pie types smells that can be used all year long but that's just my preference.
**
There are TONS more scents to choose from. There's florals, foods, seasonals, ranging from mild to "whoa, no thank you Batman". While I have only used the BH&G Ocean Flowers scent cubes so far, I reckon you should be able to use any sort of scented wax pieces from other brands as well but time to melt may be different given the grade and "hardness" of the wax.

Also there are several different designs of warmers but this was the only one available at my local walmart store but I love it just the same. BH&G as I understand it comes out with limited editional seasonal ones as well as more decorative ones so check out your local WalMart and let me know what you find and if you decide to try this before Scentsy as a cheaper alternative.

So far I am glad to have bought this warmer to tide me over while I wait for my Scentsy order. Let's just hope that Scentsy lives up to the hype. If not, I'll be perfectly happy with this BH&G Warmer:)

-B

And she's back!

Howdy to anyone reading this:)

I am officially back to blogging now that I have constant internet access here at the new house in Georgia.

It's been a trip...literally and figuratively. The heat alone has been a complete 180 degree turn from upstate New York. Not necessarily a bad change, but an interesting one. The dogs sometimes can barely stand to be outside. Audie goes through buckets of water every day. The little dogs go through as much water as Audie would go through on a regular day up in New York. Water bill should be interesting in a few months.

One thing that really has me hating this place though...and i mean, HATING, LOATHING...is all the huge bugs and pests. We've hung up sticky strips in the house that are already just completely covered in moths, flies, gnats, mosquitoes. We've had several cockroaches show up in the house...dead for the most part, but a couple we found crawling around.

I'm seriously barely out of the bedroom because I hate bugs...I have a legitimate insect phobia and I barricaded myself in the room this morning because there was a cockroach as long as my index finger on it's back out in the foyer. I doused it with 409 because it was the closest thing to me in the kitchen and I would have had to cross the cockroach to get to the pest sprays and stuff that we've bought and that our landlord left for us.

I thought it was close to dead but when I sprayed it, the legs started kicking faster and faster and I thought it was gonna flip over and start crawling again so I just stood in the bathroom, reached my arm out, and sprayed it as much as possible until it stopped moving. Then I went back into the bedroom. I had to come out of the bedroom later because I was too hungry to give up lunch so I ran out to the kitchen but out of the corner of my eye (I tried to avoid looking at the cockroach soaking in 409) I saw another cockroach, a smaller one but a more alive one that was on it's back, still kicking pretty quickly. I did the same thing, scream...and then doused it with 409.

I hate this place because of the bugs. I love it because it's an adorable house and a pretty area in downtown but I hate the bugs. I'm afraid to come out of the bedroom because of them. I just plan on surviving by either being out of the house and working when i can find a job here or having rich finish killing them and throwing them away whenever he gets home each night.

I want to go back to New York...more than anything. I miss Sandra, Quasi, their doggies, the area, their WalMart...I hate the WalMart here. I can never find anything because it literally seems to move each week that I'm there. I hate the post...the px isn't all that great, the commissary is ok I guess but small. I just don't like it. The roads here are ridiculous, there's ghetto everywhere...and there's so much poverty down here...run down houses that look like the roof will cave in if you blow on it. I just don't like it. I'm sure I'll learn to like it but I wish I could learn a little faster because as of now....one word.

HATE

Merry Christmas VS. Happy Holidays

Let's talk turkey for a minute folks...

And I would say that I apologize ahead of time if the following post offends anyone, but it's my honest opinion so why should I apologize for thinking on my own?

I don't get the whole Merry Christmas VS. Happy Holidays battle.

"Oh, well Christmas has the word 'CHRIST' in it and if you say it, it offends me because it makes me feel like I have to believe in Christ. You're infringing on my right to believe in whatever religion I want."

Hold up...STOP...WHAT?????

My response to people that like to bring that up:

"Sooo...your translation of me saying a simple 'Merry Christmas' is me shoving your head into a wall and telling you that you have to believe in Christ? I'm sorry but can you draw me out a map showing me how you got from point A to point B?"

Really, people????? It's kind of along the lines of the battle to remove "In God We Trust" from money. I missed the part where a dollar bill could force you to believe in God...

I just don't buy the argument that you feel that a dollar bill that I may drop on the ground in front of you in a snowy, wet, slushy walmart parking lot could offend you.

...I totally get that you may not believe in Christ, but puh-leeeeeeeeeeease, don't try to tell me that my dollar bills and coins are trying to make you believe.

please and thank you