There is something quite wonderful about finding the perfect scented candle.
Especially when the nights are dark and cold, and all we want to do is snuggle up with a delicious-smelling candle flickering in the background. However, deciding what scent to go for can be tricky: do you want a sunny floral smell? Or a musky, woody scent instead?
Or, you could go completely left field and choose something significantly more bizarre, like one of these head-scratching scents…
1. The 2020 Scent
As we draw closer to the end of 2020, many of us will be looking forward to putting this year behind us. If you, for some reason, wanted to remember the smells of the year, you’re in luck: there’s a candle for that.
The 2020 Scent candle has layers of distinctive smells designed to sum up the year: banana bread, hand sanitiser, DIY and wood musks and, finally, a budget aftershave essence the brand thinks would be what Joe Exotic from Netflix’s Tiger King "would use to attract his next mate".
2. This Smells Like My Vagina
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop website went viral for selling a candle with the name This Smells Like My Vagina. It admittedly raised more than a few eyebrows. Candles tend to advertise as smelling ‘floral’ or ‘woody’ – not like an intimate body part.
However, the candle itself doesn’t have too odd a smell as it’s made with "geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed" – pretty classic stuff for a scented candle.
The goop x Heretic candle is still available for purchase, costing £73 from the Goop website. You can also enjoy some of the other candles from the same series, like ‘This Smells Like My Orgasm’ or, ‘This Smells Like My Prenup’.
3. Concrete After Lightning
The prize for the most specific smell definitely goes to Brooklyn-based brand DS & Durga, who created a candle with the scent of concrete after lightning.
If you’re not entirely sure what that actually smells like, maybe the candle’s description will help clear things up: "Electric crackle, downpour, panic grass, sizzling asphalt steam. Respite on muggy summer days."
Then again, maybe not.
4. Sweet Bunny Treats
Yankee is a leading scented candles brand, but they have occasionally strayed off the beaten path when it comes to smells. If you wanted a particularly niche candle for Easter, look no further than Sweet Bunny Treats.
If you have no idea what ‘sweet bunny treats’ actually smells like, this is what Yankee says: "The scent of mouth-watering vanilla cake topped with whipped buttercream frosting, decorated like an adorable bunny to delight your Easter guests."
5. Quarter Pounder Candle Pack
If you are a McDonald’s fanatic, you no doubt would’ve loved the scented candles it brought out in February. McDonald’s explained its thinking behind the Quarter Pounder Scented Candle Pack, noting its existence was "because there’s no better smell than 100% fresh beef and a perfect combination of toppings."
The candles were all separate, with flavours of beef, cheese, sesame seed bun, onion and ketchup. If you’re desperate to have your house smell like a burger, we have bad news for you though: this was a limited edition run and is completely sold out.
