There’s no better time than fall to cozy up with a fuzzy blanket, read a good book, and enjoy the aroma of a warm scented candle. We ventured to the motherland of all fall candles, Bath and Body Works, to review some of their featured autumn scents.

Olivia’s Yeses:

I would have to say that of all the candles I smelled in Bath and Body Works (and there were a lot) “Purrfect Pumpkin scented candle” checks off all the boxes when it comes to what makes the quintessential fall smell, including its punny name. It had the spicy pumpkin smell I desire when the leaves begin to change and sweater weather is upon us. I even bought this special little candle because I wanted my room to smell like this exciting season and motivate me to wake up during the school days.

Another favorite of mine was the “Happy Halloween” candle. It smelled how Halloween should smell, scarily delicious. The fun design on the outside also screams “Halloween has come!” My best advice to a fellow Sailor headed to Bath and Body Works would be, skip over the random candles and go for the candles that have pumpkins, skeletons and black cats all over them.

I thought the “Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake” candle smelled the most like the flavor it was advertising; when I smelled it, I really did smell Pumpkin Cheesecake! I personally love a good cheesecake, maybe not in candle form (but maybe someone else only likes cheesecake in candle form so who am I to judge.) I realized that Erica Lydon is not a fan of cheesecake in any form so if you are in this cheesecake hating group, then this candle is definitely not for you. However, if you can’t get enough cheesecake in your life than have at it!

My last Bath and Body Works favorite has to be “Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin.” If you see a theme with my favorites, you would be correct! They all contain Pumpkin and possibly spice: Sweet, Simple, Fall! If you’re looking for a perfect fall smell but you also want it to come in a classy container, THIS is the candle for you! While the other two candles have Halloween literally written all over them, this candle’s exterior just contains one pumpkin; in other words, you can keep this candle past Halloween and into the Thanksgiving holiday.

Olivia’s Nos:

It is difficult for me to write about the “Caramel Pumpkin Swirl” candle without flashing back to the unfortunate moment that we met. The second I sniffed it I regretted it! Please do yourself a favor and skip over this candle; it is very deceiving! The outside is ADORABLE! Who doesn’t want to smell a candle that has two pumpkins and a cute little fox? NO! Resist the urge!

Another “don’t” of the season is the “Pumpkin Pecan Waffles” candle. My suggestion to the makers of this candle would be, don’t add scents that don’t need to be there! This candle was way too overwhelming! It doesn’t smell like anything but the mess it is. I can appreciate trying Pecan Waffles to eat, or even Pumpkin Waffles to eat, but a Pumpkin Pecan Waffle candle? No! This candle was a hot mess!

My last terrible candle pick was the “Chestnut and Clove” candle. It should have been called Fall Dirt. If you want an extremely earthy candle where you are literally rolling around in a pile of dirty leaves, then this is the candle for you. Personally, I can appreciate the smell of real leaves, but I don’t want factory-made leaves smelling up my room. When I think of fall, a few words come to mind: Cozy, Pumpkin, Sweater. This candle was: Dirt, Worms, and Bark.

Erica’s Yeses:

Although flannel is not really a smell, this candle has the best scent! It’s brisk, fresh, not too strong, with a hint of fall that is still good at any time of the year! So get all cozy by the fire that you mistakenly start in California’s 90-degree weather, blast some Mariah Carey Christmas classics, put on that blue flannel you just bought, and enjoy the smell of “Flannel”.

No surprises with this candle! It is as the label says, it is an apple cider and pear mixed into one. Not only does it have a beautiful smell, but it isn’t too strong! If you just want a nice candle to lay by your desk while writing that history paper due at 11:59, fill your room with the wonder of fall so the torture doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

When you think of fall, you think apples! So here is the candle that packs the magic smell of fresh fruit into one beautiful container. Even when you are binge watching Netflix in your fuzzy socks, this candle will bring you to an orchard covered in the freshest of smells that will make any 102-degree day seem like fall.

Erica’s Nos:

Do you like the smell of cheese? Well then this is for you! Warning to all lactose intolerant people because this packs a dairy punch! Maybe it is just because I don’t like cheesecake, but this candle was not for me. If you are looking for a pumpkin smelling candle, don’t be fooled by the orange exterior: the smell is solely cheese, not pumpkin.

You know when you’re at the dentist, and they ask what flavor you want for your cleaning, and you say marshmallow? Then he gives you the marshmallow flavoring, and you realize the mistake you made due to the pungent smell and horrific taste? Well, now you can relive that mistake by buying this candle! It’s a mixture of artificial marshmallow and cleaning fluid that you would only enjoy “fireside” if you threw this piece of trash into the burning logs.

So what’s your opinion on spoiled milk? If the answer is you love it, then do I have the candle for you! But if the answer is that it’s nasty, then congrats, you know how to smell stuff, and you will also hate this product. To put this into an everyday occurrence, you just ordered your Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, took a couple snaps because you need to prove to all your friends that you are a fan of fall. But then, you take a sip of the famous drink and are overcome with spoiled milk, rotten pumpkin, and those marshmallows you have at your house from 10 years ago that you just never got around to throwing out.