Part of what has kept Bath & Body Works a mall mainstay for decades is its ability to churn out delicious scents. Devoted fans often rush in to buy their favorites in lotion, body spray, and even candle form—sometimes staying loyal to their top picks for decades. But like any retailer, the store doesn’t exactly have a perfect success rate. In a recent Reddit thread, shoppers dished on what they said were the worst Bath & Body Works scents ever to hit the shelves. Read on to see which smells were a hard “no” for some customers.
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1 | Vanilla Bean Noël
Bath & Body Works
Holiday-themed scents are a huge seller for Bath & Body Works. Many of the store’s candles can provide those familiar and comforting aromas that come with that special time of year. However, like any holiday experience, shoppers say there are still some major misfires in the lineup.
“I used to adore Vanilla Bean Noël back in the day, but in the past few years, it's genuinely smelled like vomit on me,” one customer writes. “I don't know if it's a body chemistry thing or what, but I've tried lotions and body washes a few times now and had to give them away every time because they smelled so disgusting.”
Others quickly agreed with the take. “Yup, they ruined Vanilla Bean Noel! I'm still mad about it,” one user chimed in to agree.
“A sniff makes me instantly gag,” another shopper admitted.
Part of the issue might actually be a recent development with the fragrance. “I think they changed it,” one shopper speculates. “It was really good when it first came out, but I smelled it again in November and didn’t like it anymore. Like, I gagged and questioned my former self who loved it.”
2 | Strawberry Poundcake
Bath & Body Works
Sometimes, the comforting smell of a baked good can make for a fantastic candle, hand wash, or body mist. But for some, the confectionary onslaught can be a little too much—including Bath & Body Works’ Strawberry Poundcake.
“It's cloyingly sweet,” one user says. “Instant migraine for me.”
Others agreed that just like going in for seconds at dessert, the smell could be too much of a good thing. “I LOVED this scent until my daughter decided she also loves it and filled my entire house with it,” one shopper writes. “I could not escape it, and now smelling it makes me gag.”
Still, it’s not a total wash: Some customers chimed in to admit that while they didn’t care for most of Strawberry Poundcake products, the hand soap was an acceptably good item.
3 | Japanese Cherry Blossom
Bath & Body Works
Part of what has kept customers coming back to Bath & Body Works over the years has been the company’s devotion to specific scents. From Cucumber Melon to Freesia to Juniper Breeze and Sun Ripened Raspberry, some releases have truly been able to stand the test of time. But it appears there’s a vocal group of customers who think Japenese Cherry Blossom—one of the company’s longest-running scents—is one of its very worst.
“I know it's a cult favorite, but I think it smells so harsh, it's just unpleasant to smell. Smelling things shouldn't hurt,” one customer writes.
Others agreed and speculated there’s another reason for its longevity. “It’s been around forever, so someone is buying it, or the owners' grandma loves it, and they can’t break her heart and discontinue it.”
Still, some shoppers cited its continued existence as a bit of a slap in the face. “They took legendary nostalgia scents from us and made them limited editions or special releases, but this 70's Avon smell has to be with us until the end of time,” one angry customer wrote.
RELATED: Bath & Body Works Just Brought 3 Back Discontinued Scents—And Released 4 New Ones.
4 | Candied Maple Bacon
Bath & Body Works Canada
There are few culinary aromas that get called out quite as much as bacon sizzling in a skillet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear the same can be said for Bath & Body Works’ attempt to turn this special morning moment in the kitchen into a decent candle.
“I’ve said it 100 times…But that god-awful bacon candle [was the worst],” one former employee admits on the discussion thread. “We had drawers of it left over after [the semi-annual sale] and the whole freaking drawer smelled like it.”
Interestingly, they do concede that there was one target audience for the unique-smelling product. “People bought them as gag gifts, which kind of makes sense…But they really should have just made enough to have like 10 to 15 for each store,” they explain.
5 | Dark Kiss
Bath & Body Works
Based on the subreddit discussion, few scents appear to be as divisive as Dark Kiss. Some customers defend the woodsy fragrance as a fantastic winter scent. However, others say it doesn’t have a place anywhere on the calendar.
“I genuinely gagged upon smelling it,” one person writes. “It's so repulsive to me I'm always in shock when someone likes it. Definitely a reminder that it takes all kinds!”
Others agree that the formula might be different than it used to be. “I used to LOVE Dark Kiss back when it first came out, but when they brought it back, they seem to have changed it and made it way more musk-heavy,” one shopper complains.
6 | Gingham
Bath & Body Works
Most Bath & Body Works candles have vivid, pleasant-sounding names that practically beg curious customers to pick them up and give them a sniff. But what happens when you go with a fabric pattern like gingham? Apparently, something of a disaster.
“It smelled like a bad sushi restaurant but with florals,” one disappointed shopper writes, along with a vomiting emoji. “First candle I ever just threw away instead of finishing it.”
Another shopper chimed in to agree. “I wasn't able to finish that candle either,” they wrote. “I don't know what is in that candle that smells so bad, but God help us all.”
Technically, Bath & Body Works says this one smells like, "blue freesia, white peach and fresh clementine."
RELATED: 10 "Spot-On" Luxury Perfume Dupes From Bath & Body Works, Expert Shares.
7 | Pizza Candle
Bath & Body Works India
The smell of a fresh pizza can be mouthwatering. But when Bath & Body Works decided to take the ultimate dinner delivery and attempt to turn it into a candle, it ended up being a serious misstep. In fact, it’s one of the most cited “worst” products on the entire discussion thread.
“Two words: Pizza. Candle,” one writes.
“Yes! Yuck!” another chimes in. “And then they brought it back and made it somehow worse as ‘Argyle's Pineapple Pizza’ during the Stranger Things collab.”
Another disappointed shopper had an even more vivid descriptor, saying: “That pineapple pizza candle…smelled like pencil shavings.”
