From "Burning Books" to "Bacon Pancakes" — 40 Weirdly Wonderful Candles We Want to Sniff
While we have plenty of favorite candle scents, we have to admit that our olfactory explorations so far have been pretty vanilla . . . or, shall we say, pretty pumpkin spice. So instead of sticking to the usual scent suspects, we've hunted down some of the most unique candle aromas out there — and there are some weird ones to choose from. Ranging from the scent of freshly signed divorce papers to the aroma of bacon pancakes, here are the strangest candle options that we can't help but want to sniff.
Wonka Bar
Inspired by the "scrumdiddlyumptious" scent of a Wonka Bar, this candle ($10) has notes of graham cracker, chocolate, and a hint of peanut butter.
Fairy Dust
Containing notes of honeysuckle, cassis, and cotton candy, this fairy dust candle ($11) sounds like a floral delight — Tinker Bell would approve.
Wardrobe Into Narnia
"From the fresh cedar wood of the Wardrobe to the juniper trees, Winter berries, and magically crisp Winter air of the forests of Narnia, every time you light our candle, you'll feel as if you've just stepped through the Wardrobe into Narnia itself!" describe the makers of this candle ($16).
Half-Baked Cinnamon Roll
This half-baked cinnamon roll scented candle ($9-$16) will encourage your craving for sweet, doughy breakfast food.
Séance
This "spirit-friendly mix of rich frankincense and antique sandalwood" ($11-$17) is perfect for communicating with the dead — or making your home smell awesome.
Back Patio Cigars
This vegan and kosher-certified candle ($20) smells of Cuban tobacco.
Sheet Music
Musicians will adore this candle ($16), which boasts a unique parchment, paper, and ink scent.
Main Street Bakery
A scent that will smell familiar to anyone who's ever walked down Disneyland's Main Street, this candle ($12+) has notes of freshly baked cinnamon rolls with undertones of chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
Butterbeer
This buttery, sweet, slightly alcoholic-scented candle ($12) is inspired by the iconic Harry Potter beverage — which you can make at home!
Thor
This Thor candle ($14) smells like burning oak during a thunderstorm, but we'd much prefer the masculine scent of Chris Hemsworth.
The Sunday Times
Newspaper, fresh ink, and hazelnut coffee aromas combine in this candle ($16) to capture the essence of weekend morning rituals.
Viking
Unlike the sweaty man smell that you might expect from the name, this Viking candle ($19) has a "salty scent of the sea softened with forest greens, jasmine, green apple, juniper berries and musk."
Dragon's Breath
We didn't know what to expect from a dragon's breath candle ($11), but it certainly could've been worse than orange, patchouli, cedar, and cinnamon.
Burning Books
"Burn candles not books! This candle is packed with cinnamon orange heat. Smells like you’re sitting by a fire reading your favorite banned book," write the makers of this unique candle ($14).
Sexy Librarian
Reading is sexy, so this "sexy librarian" candle ($18) has a seductive scent of rosewood, lilac, and musk.
Netflix & Chill
"Turn off the lights and light up NETFLIX & CHILL as the soft aroma crafts that desperate atmosphere that can only come with a $7.99 Internet subscription," describe the makers of this cheeky candle ($17).
Quidditch Field
Harry Potter loved playing his favorite wizarding sport on the Quidditch field at Hogwarts, and now you can capture the nostalgic scent of Summer breeze and forest pine in a single candle ($7).
221B Baker Street, London
Sherlock fans will love this 221B Baker Street candle ($11), which is inspired by leather goods and black currant tea.
Soarin'
Inspired by Disney California Adventure's Soarin' Over California and Epcot's Soarin' rides, this candle ($16+) perfectly captures the smell of evergreen trees and fresh orange groves that makes the Disney park experiences so special.
Red Wedding
Game of Thrones fans might expect this despressingly inspired candle ($6) to smell like death (or the tears of hardcore fans), but according to the purchase page, it's got a mulled cranberry scent.
Jurassic Park
After lighting this movie-inspired candle ($15), you won't be able to get the Jurassic Park theme song out of your head! Nor, thanks to notes of tropical forest, ocean spray, and thick vegetation, will you be able to get the smells of the dinosaur-filled park out of your nose.
You Go Glen Coco
What else could a Mean Girls-inspired candle ($12) called "You Go Glen Coco" smell like besides candy canes?
Old Books
Paper, dust, vanilla, and a hint of fresh grass make for a uniquely bibliophilic candle scent. Hermione Granger would love this candle ($18)!
Freshly Signed Divorce Papers
"Part happy, part sad, a little relieved, and unsure of your future financial stability: the complex emotions of divorce are captured in this very complex candle," describes the website for this divorce-paper-scented candle ($17).
Unicorn Farts
"Since everyone loves unicorns, it's only natural that their farts smell good, right?!" asks the vendor of this unique candle ($10). Um, if you say so! Tropical fruits and vanilla create a decidedly unicorn fart-y scent.
Money
Don't you wish you had enough money that you could just burn it? Well, with this money-scented candle ($10), you can!
Bacon Pancakes
When a candle ($14) smells like "hot, fluffy pancakes topped with crisp bacon, finished with a generous drizzle of maple syrup," do you really need breakfast?
Black Flame Candle
As far as we know, you don't have to be a virgin to light this Hocus Pocus-inspired "Black Flame Candle" ($10), which has the aroma of dark amber, patchouli, spicy cinnamon, and the "fat of a hanged man." Um, OK . . .
Crushing Debt
This candle ($17) is a cheekily depressing scent. "Light this candle and let the real world hit you in the face with what you should have seen coming years ago. With just one swipe from your credit card, this candle will brighten up any room in your house," say the makers.
Pizza
Complete with the aroma of garlic, tomatoes, cheese, doughy crust, and oregano, this candle ($9) is perfect for any pizza junkie.
Tyler Oakley
If you can't get enough of YouTuber Tyler Oakley, then this candle ($7) is for you. "The delicious scent matches his enthusiasm perfectly, and has just as much brightness as him," describes the candlemaker, so we hope that Tyler likes the strawberry lemonade scent of his namesake candle!
Zombie Repellent
What scent repels the walking dead? Sunflowers, if you go by the aroma of this zombie repellent candle ($9).
Marijuana
If you want to try out the least exciting way to make your house smell like pot, pick up this "Mary Jane" candle ($10).
Male Tears
According to this candle ($9) scent, male tears actually smell like freshly cleaned cotton.
Gasoline
We get it — some people just can't help loving the scent of filling up at the pump. But is gasoline really a scent that you want a candle ($10) to fill your entire home with? As they say, different strokes for different folks!
Opium
Described as a "fine mellow tobacco with a hint of cherrywood infused with an exotic blend of earthy resins," this Witch City Wicks candle ($20) actually sounds delightful.
Bacon
"The delicious aroma of sizzling bacon is unbelievably realistic and irresistible," describe the makers of this savory-scented candle ($9), further claiming that it'll have your family excited to eat a breakfast that you're not actually cooking.
Cucumber Wasabi
Talk about a candle that'll clear your sinuses! This cool yet spicy candle ($8) is described as a "refreshing spa-like fragrance with top notes of aldehydic, fruit notes of grapefruit and lime, with middle notes of fresh cucumber, guava, and passion fruit, and base notes of wasabi, cilantro, and fern."
Memphis Style BBQ
Inspired by Tennessee BBQ dry rub, this savory candle ($10) is one we're OK not burning. (But our boyfriends might want to!)
Burrito
We love burritos and all, but we don't think we like 'em enough to make our entire house smell like them! If you disagree, though, you can pick up your very own burrito candle ($10).