A candle lover says her world was recently rocked by a Bath & Body Works employee. That’s because the sage advice saved her from a common problem: The scent bait and switch.
Oftentimes, candles smell a lot different in the jar than they do whilst burning. Which could be a bummer, especially if you liked the scent you were getting in the store. But according to a TikToker named Kels (@kelsielynnxoxo), there’s a way to combat this phenomenon.
And all you need to do is stick your nose in a specific place.
She posted about her hack in a viral clip that garnered over 88,000 views as of Monday. As it turns out, a good number of folks replied they also knew about this “hack.”
Sniff the lid
Kels begins, “A long time ago, a Bath & Body Works employee let me in on a little secret. And it has forever changed the way I smell their candles.”
She instructs, “If you want the most accurate depiction of how the scent is actually going to smell when it burns, smell the lid, not the jar.” Kels holds up the lid in one hand and the jar in the other, lightly shaking them each.
@kelsielynnxoxo Idk if the employee was lying or if this is a placebo but I swear thid Bath and Body Works hack works!! 👀 #bbw #bathandbodyworks #candles #perfume #perfumetiktok #perfumetok #fragrance #fragrancetiktok #fragrancetok #candlehack #beautyhacks ♬ A Picnic On a Fine Day – Glassis
The TikToker says she doesn’t understand why this is the case, but swears the employee’s advice is legit.
“I don’t know how or why this works and I don’t know the reasoning behind it, but I’m telling you,” she says. “The lid and the jar smell completely different.”
Kels avers that this new candle sniffing technique will revolutionize the way people test out the jars of wax forever.
“And every single time I’ve tried this and I lit my candle it always smells like the lid. This might be common knowledge, but it wasn’t common knowledge to me,” she says. “So next time you’re in the store, try smelling candles this way. And I promise you you will be shocked.”
Does it work?
According to Apartment Therapy, there’s also a right and wrong way to smell a candle. And it’s in line with what Kels said in her clip. However, the author of this post gave a bit of context as to why this is the case. And it indeed makes sense when you pause to consider how aromas emanate burning wax in the first place.
That’s because a scent is first burned, then it wafts as it permeates and is disseminated through the air. This very act “unlocks” secondary notes, according to the outlet. When you’re smelling the wax, your nose is only picking up the first “note” which is embedded in the solid nature of the candle wax. However, these additional scent profiles only make themselves readily apparent when they’re carried into the air.
The piece explains that “fragrance molecules, when trapped in a closed container, actually rise to the top of the packaging.” As time progresses, the “top notes” climb to the upper layer of the wax. These notes are immediately picked up by your nose at first burn, but after a while, the candle’s full scent profile makes itself known. Which is why the outlet maintains the lid-sniffing is the way to go. “Smelling the lid will give you a much more accurate portrayal of the full scent profile, as you’ll also get the middle and base notes in there, too.”
Apartment Therapy went on to say candles without lids should also have some type of protective liner. Nabbing that and smelling is the way to go. Even smelling “the top of the box” a candle is placed in is more accurate than the wax block itself.
TikTokers had different ideas
Several viewers had different opinions on the revelatory nature of the candle-smelling technique. It seemed there were a lot of individuals who thought this method was common knowledge. One wrote, “I thought we all smelled the lid.”
“I’ve been doing this for a while now didnt know no one knew this,” someone else echoed.
Another person, who said they previously worked for a candle store, vouched for this technique. “Yes, I used to work at Yankee candle and they can confirm that is very true. Wax cools down and the lid is left on as the wax cools down. That’s why you smell the lids. The scent seeps into the lid.”
However, another person wrote that lid-sniffing didn’t start because it was a superior smelling technique. But rather, to protect Yankee Candle employees from falling ill. “Actually that’s not true. That started at yankee candle that’s why their lids like that and it’s so you don’t directly inhale the paraffin chemicals.”
And another TikToker recommended a technique that may even work better than the lid method. “Another trick as a former employee – rub the candle wax with your finger to warm it up. Which is more accurate to the scent when burned.”
For another candle lover, it has more to do with practicality and shopping ease. “I always do this! It’s just easier to pickup the lid than to pickup the candle.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Bath & Body Works via Instagram direct message and Kels via email for further information.
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