Would you dare to buy candles that were labelled ‘Stinky’? Apparently, there are people who would! The Stinky Candle Company was set up by Jeff Bennett after he got sick of boring scents like vanilla, lavender and shea butter. He came up with 25 unique smells – including bizarre stuff like leather, pencils, wood, wet grass, money and even car exhausts.

The Chicago based inventor seems to have gone all out in choosing scents for his new collection. His range also includes food-inspired aromas like bacon, wine and fast food. The candles are priced between US $6 and $8. We’re not sure how well these candles are selling, but it doesn’t look like Jeff is too bothered about that. He’s more excited about the candles. Eventually, he aims at increasing the range from 25 to 200.

He spoke about his inspiration behind creating the candles: “A lot of people I knew really liked scented candles and they loved receiving them as gifts. I wondered why we only ever see the same fragrances in shops and thought it would be a fun idea to try and come up with some unusual ones.” So he got to work on the concoctions in his garage, sourcing specific odors from a fragrance house.

“I had the idea for a few years and then spoke to a friend and we decided to set up our own candle company together,” he said. “Through a few other friends I found a fragrance house who are able to develop different smells. If we find one we think is authentic and could work, we go with that one. I then make the candles in my garage at home, it’s good fun and has sort of become a hobby.”

If you’re thinking pencils and wet grass aren’t too bad for scented candles, wait till you hear what else Jeff has got – urine, body odor, petrol and bile. “Most people think it’s gross when they first hear about it but they laugh and then are curious to smell them,” he said. Jeff also pointed out that not all the candles are stinky: “We have also launched some other flavors like lemon, blueberry, coconut and baby powder.”

There’s a particular scent in the collection that caught my attention – Spawn of the Devil. The contents, apparently, have not been revealed. I wonder how it must be to light it and have your room smelling like the spawn of the devil. Any ideas?

Source: Stinky Candle Company