Item: Boy Smells
Rating: 4
Author: Hannah S

Boy Smells creates candles, fragrances, and intimate apparel for all, regardless of gender.

In late 2015, Boy Smells began as an experiment in candle-making in the Los Angeles kitchen of co-founders and real-life partners Matthew Herman and David Kien. Herman and Kien – both fashion veterans who worked in design (Herman) and product development (Kien) – began by making the things they’d want to use on a daily basis, products that were fluid and essential.

Founder-invented scents like Cinderose, a union of rose and smoke, and Gardener, a compilation of tomato vine and honeysuckle, wrap traditionally masculine scents in a prettier bouquet. Burn up expectations, release clear intentions. Boy Smells candles are all developed and designed in Pico Union, Los Angeles with fragrance and natural oils, all-natural coconut wax and beeswax blend. The candles are hand-poured in a reusable glass vessel and hand-labeled in Los Angeles, California.

Currently carried in over 500 retail locations (300 in the US alone), across 37 countries on 6 continents, with over 20 original scents in various sizes and aesthetics.

From routines to rituals, Boy Smells renews the personal care routine by creating rituals from the otherwise mundane experience. These are moments that can be experienced by all.

Candles

Boy Smells earns strong reviews for distinctive, gender-inclusive scents—standouts like Hinoki Fantôme, Kush/Cashmere Kush, ST. AL, LES, Cowboy Kush, and the Slow Burn collaboration—plus chic, giftable packaging that often fills rooms and lingers. Reviews also flag inconsistent performance: tunneling, weak or overly strong throw depending on scent/size, smoky snuffing, occasional label/QA issues, and rare glass or soot concerns, with perfume reception more polarizing than candles.

Boy Smells

Home Decor

Boy Smells Broken Rosary conjures a mysterious, contemplative mood. The candle intermingles notes of rose de mai, cardamom, and orris for a lightly spiced floral opening. Myrrh, incense, and labdanum deepen the scent profile, lending an earthy, resinous foundation. This transformative fragrance elevates any space into a personal sanctuary.

Broken Rosary Holiday Collection Candle

Broken Rosary

I bought Boy Smell’s broken rosary, hinoki fantome holiday one, and the violet ends candles. I got them in the build your own trio thing, which applies a 20% off, which was nice as they are pricier candles. This was my first time trying them, and I’ve heard the candles have gone under reformulation, so I’m unsure how they are compared to the old formulation, but the hinoki fantome had a strong, smoky wood scent, while the broken rosary and violet ends candles are much lighter smell wise, and also contain a smoky element. I do like the pairing of more feminine, floral scents with a smokiness that the rosary and violet ends candles have, not sure if I will be rebuying these candles due to the price point, I’m not into candles enough to justify buying luxury candles. 


Broken Rosary Holiday Collection Candle

4.0 • 1 Review

1 review or post

Broken Rosary Holiday Collection Candle 4.0 • 1 Review

Broken Rosary Holiday Collection Candle

4.0 • 1 Review