Sweet smell of success
Scented candle sales have caught fire this year, with unique whiffs – such as ‘wet dog’ – proving oddly alluring, discovers amy dawson
SCENTED candles have been enjoying the sweet smell of success during lockdown. Department store Selfridges experienced a 54 per cent rise in the sector between March and August, while Diptyque alone has enjoyed a 100 per cent rise in sales this year.
But it seems the classic aromas of vanilla, fig and rose are no longer enough. Today’s scented candle boom is all about kooky and sometimes totally out-there smells.
These can range from the quirky but lovely – such as
Seletti’s Self-Service Laundromat (£25) or
Saint Fragrance’s Sunday Papers (£42, pictured right) – to the downright odd. Gywneth Paltrow’s Goop label had a collaboration with functional fragrance brand Heretic this summer and made headlines when its This
Smells Like My Vagina (£73) scented candle (‘geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed’, according to the brand) sold out in hours.
Loaf’s new Country Boozer (£40, pictured above) is a little more acceptable to have on the table when the in-laws come over but still exudes not just the pleasant scents of orange peel and wood smoke but ‘a barely detectable whiff of wet dog’.
Meanwhile, fragrance brand Earl of East created a limited-edition charity range called Scents Of Normality. The Cinema (£45, above), for example, features notes of hot dog, popcorn and slushie syrup to give fans of the flicks that Proustian rush.
‘There will always be a market for simplistic smells but we’re seeing fastgrowing demand for unique scents as consumer noses become more sophisticated,’ says Sam Pringle, cofounder of hip new candle brand Saint Fragrance. ‘People are rejecting the status quo and opting for unconventional, more intriguing scents. We only launched in January and initially were unsure how the market would react to lockdown but we’ve seen month-on-month increases in sales ever since.’
All scented candles have their drawbacks – there’s evidence that they trap air pollution in our homes and some would argue that they represent, quite literally, money up in smoke. ‘The scented candle market, though it cannot solve any of the world’s many problems, looks likely to go from strength to strength as people enjoy a slower pace of life, stay at home more and focus on their wellbeing,’ says Pringle. ‘We’re likely to see the introduction of many new brands, each with scent stories to entice consumers to reconnect with themselves.’
And if you can’t find a scented candle you like, create your own. From budget Etsy kits to the bespoke scent service offered by luxury brands such as Ormonde Jayne, you can light up your own path. Time to follow your nose…