Yankee Candles, the granddaddy of all candle companies, was founded in 1969 by New Englander Michael Kittredge, who melted Crayola crayons together to make a candle for his mom. His company grew throughout the 1970s, given a strong push in the U.S. by hippie aesthetics and the back-to-earth-movement, to become the flagship giant it is today, and the company currently offers hundreds of different scents on its website. But few people realize candle scents are like fashion; they change with the season. Fifteen years ago food smells were the rage, like Angel Food Cake and Pina Colada. Now their place is taken by nature odors like Vetiver Cardamom and ones that invoke a time and place, such as Caribbean Marker. Other scents, like Lavender and Sandalwood, remain perennially popular, the little black dresses and navy blue blazers of the candle world.
Who knows what the next decade will bring? Here’s some randomly generated scents that may prove to be the next big thing. Comforting Birth, anyone? Summer Asphalt?
Novel Candle Scents
Nordic Starlight
Vintage Driftwood Tropical Leaves Caribbean Toasted Corn Gingersnap Kahlua Jamaican Carnival Arabian Villa Ocean Festival Sunlit Ginkgo Comforting Birth English Leather Evening Polished New Car Desert Copper Shimmering Agave Salted Cherry Blossom Venetian Bay Summer Asphalt Afternoon Silk Vintage Taffeta Spring Sweater Movie Popcorn Slate and Hot metal Verbena Snowball |
Green Bayou
Evening Shipyard Wet Suede Cherry Pipe Smoke Powdered Lemon Refreshing Oxygen Antigua Currents Dark Waters Green Tea and Incense Blackberry Eggnog Rich Loam and Dark Chocolate Warm Kiln and Redwood Modern Proposal Lava Field Pensive Cigar Christmas Waffles Fresh Washed Blue Jeans Rainy Ozone Sweet Mustard Asparagus and Mango Violet Thunder Mongolian Melon Coconut Barley Sugar |