My Complete Review of Boy Smells Candles After 3 Months of Testing

As a candle enthusiast who‘s tried hundreds of fragrances over the past decade, I‘m always on the hunt for brands that feel truly unique and push the envelope. That‘s why I was initially drawn to explore the buzzed-about modern aromatics of Boy Smells.

The brand‘s cheeky name and luxury yet gender-neutral branding immediately set them apart from stuffy old-school candle makers. And their collection of unexpected, daring scents sealed my impulse to give Boy Smells a test run.

Over the past 3 months, I‘ve burned through a rotation of several Boy Smells luminaries to see if the hype holds up. Read on for my candid thoughts after rigorously enjoying Kush, Cowboy Kush, Slow Burn and more as a true candle connoisseur.

Overview of Boy Smells Candle Brand

First, let‘s cover some Boy Smells basics for the uninitiated…

Founded in 2016 by Matthew Herman and David Kien, Boy Smells seeks to subvert traditional fragrance gender norms with provocative names, minimalist design, and perfectly genderless scents. Beyond candles, they also produce fragrance sprays, lip balms and even underwear!

Price-wise, their candles retail from $32-$39 which positions the brand at the higher end of the mass market spectrum – think Nest, Voluspa, or Diptyque pricing. But that‘s a relative steal compared to ultra-luxury brands like Cire Trudon retailing for $70+.

One signature difference is Boy Smells formulating candles with a coconut wax and beeswax blend rather than typical paraffin or soy. They tout this proprietary mix as an eco-friendly option that allows for a cleaner, purer scent experience.

As for distribution, Boy Smells can be purchased direct from their website plus 300+ other global stockists like Nordstrom, Revolve, SSENSE, and boutique shops.

Over 5 short years, Boy Smells has gained major fanfare with bold-face collaborations with Sky Ting Yoga and musician Kacey Musgraves. Their cheeky name and minimalist vessel aesthetic flood Instagram feeds everywhere too.

But beyond the hype machine, how does this disruptor candle brand actually perform? Read my pros vs cons breakdown next.

Pros of Boy Smells Candles

• Memorable custom scents – artfully conceived aromas with contrasting fragrance layers
• Gender neutral branding – packaging and names appeal to any/all identities
• Coconut + beeswax formula – natural, non-toxic clean burn compared to paraffin
• 50+ hour burn time – great longevity from 8.5oz fill
• Chic vessels – modern apothecary style looks gorgeous displayed
• Reasonably priced – $32 retail is justifiable for hand poured artisanal

Cons of Boy Smells Candles

• Delicate glass – prone to crackage in shipping
• Weak scent saturation – lighter fragrances than equivalent soy candles
• Wicks need babying – require high maintenance trimming to prevent drowning/smoking
• Smaller wax pool – doesn‘t fill vessel making some residue in corners

Now let‘s get into the nitty gritty of my hands-on test burn…

Testing Boy Smells Candle Scents Over 12 Weeks

As I set out on a 3 month Boy Smell candle testing marathon, I decided to focus on assessing various scent categories the brand seems to excel at crafting:

• Floral – Polyamorous, Garden Dude
• Fresh & Fruity – Rhubarb Smoke, Neopêche
• Woody & Smoky – Cedar Stack, Slow Burn
• Spicy & Herbal – Cowboy Kush, Kush

To evaluate throw power and general performance variables, I burned candles in both my 500 sq ft apartment as well as a 1100 sq ft house. This helped determine how scent filled a compact vs more airy open concept atmosphere.

In each environment, I let candles burn in increments of 2, 4, and 6 hours taking detailed notes on metrics like:

• Hot + cold throw strength
• Burn pool reach across vessel
• Mushrooming, soot, and other issues
• Longevity from first to final burn

Additionally, I conducted price and specifications comparisons against comparable luxury home fragrance brands like Otherland and Confume. Metrics included dimensions, wax type, fragrances offered, burn times, and more.

Now let‘s break down my test results and highlights by fragrance category…

Standout Florals: Polyamorous + Garden Dude

The Polyamorous candle top my floral shitlist for its ultra sexy, rich bouquet of Turkish rose, neroli, and pink peppercorn. One cold sniff and I felt nearly intoxicated! As soon as flame hit wax, it filled my apartment with a heady romance – yet avoided feeling too cloying or dated.

Polyamorous burned clean from edge to edge reaching all corners of vessel with zero sooting. Its medium strength throw lingers nicely across rooms without knocking you over the head. For me, it strikes that perfect balance of surrounding you in a spa-like cloud while avoiding getting overwhelmed nose fatigue.

While not as amorously rich as Polyamorous, Garden Dude surprised me most with its crisper, greener floral personality. Notes of palm frond, fig leaf, basil and tomato vine conjure memories of my grandma‘s vegetable garden on a hot July morning. It gave off a playful, crisp juiceiness that felt unexpected from typically muskier Boy Smells.

Zesty & Juicy: Neopêche + Rhubarb Smoke

Seeking some fruitier vigor, I took Neopêche and Rhubarb Smoke for a tart, sweet spin.

While peach as a fragrance motif can skew almost sickeningly sweet and flat, Boy Smells avoids any pitfalls with Neopêche. It beams with authentic juicy fleshiness – those first ripe fuzzy lip-tingling bites of summer‘s best orchard offerings. Yet there‘s a creaminess from almond and lychee that rounds out that fuzzy peach skin without turning candied.

Comparably, Rhubarb Smoke dazzles the senses with a jammy vivacity, as if slow roasting those crimson stalks into a strawberry-kissed compote. The added touch of smoke from burning palm fronds lends a bewitching campfire twist.

Both Neopêche and Rhubarb Smoke fill a room with fruity optimism, inviting you take that first juicy bite again and again. These scents embody playfulness in a grown up way that avoids feeling too cloying or foodie literal. Their bright effervescence outshone expectations.

Smoky & Woody Wonders: Slow Burn + Cedar Stack

Seeking the perfect wood-smoke mood maker for cozy nights in, I fell hard for Slow Burn in partnership with songstress Kacey Musgraves. Notes like smoked birch, burning firewood embers, and touches of sultry red apple capture the brooding, Western campfire vibes that Musgraves‘ iconic ballad conjures.

Beyond just poetic inspiration, I found Slow Burn impressively strong, with its smoldering personality filling my open kitchen and living room. It strikes a less headshop nag champa direction than Kush while still speaking to adventure and great outdoors. For city girls like me craving campsite nostalgia, it‘s bottled magic.

Comparably Cedar Stack also captured my heart as an ideal mountain lodge-scented luminara. Its crisp cedar and pine needles scent phase warmly into vanilla bourbon and burnt brown sugar for toasty twist. Think apres ski cocktail hours in Aspen transported right to your living room!

Both of Boy Smells rugged, lumberjack-worthy options proved bolder in saturation than lighter florals, earning them regular rotation when seeking cozier evenings watching Netflix.

Spicy & Herbal Crowd Pleaser: Cowboy Kush

It seems the Kush clan has become Boy Smells most buzzed about franchise, with riffs like Italian Kush and Purple Kush expanding this namesake family.

Within this herbally inspired bunch, Cowboy Kush emerged my surprise test favorite! While unmistakably rich with cannabis nuance, Cowboy Kush sweetens the skunky deal with charming spicy touches of clove, vanilla and caramelized tobacco. One whiff instantly set my imagination to ambling Western plains beneath a star-pricked sky.

Beyond fuelling my inner pioneer woman fantasies, Cowboy Kush also outperformed expectations on power. It managed a consistent medium throw across my larger open concept living room and kitchen – allowing its sultry nighttime plains magic to work on anyone close by.

While most candle brands tend to keep their naming, labeling and marketing explicitly gendered, I adore how Boy Smells breaks beyond those boring confines. Scents like Cowboy Kush speak to all identities and preferences with cool polish. Saddle up partners!

How Boy Smells Candles Compare Technically

Now that we‘ve reviewed some iconic Boy Smells scent personalities more subjectively, let‘s crunch some hard data on how they compare technically against main competitors.

I compared Boy Smells against two similarly positioned modern candle peers:

• Otherland – Founded in 2016, Otherland has skyrocketed with bold-hued soy wax candles dreaming custom story-inspired scents.
• Confume – Another darling launched in 2018, Confume retails ultra giftable, reusable glass vessel candles focused on unique artisanal fragrances.

Here‘s how candle specs stacked up across the board:

Spec	Boy Smells	Otherland	Confume
Price	$32-$39	$36	$34-$42
Weight	8.5 oz	10.5 oz	7.5oz-15oz
Vessels	Glass	Glass	Glass
Wax	Coconut + Beeswax Blend	Soy	Soy
Burn Time	50+ hours	40-50 hours	40-60 hours
Fragrances	16	12	8

Beyond basic specs, in my testing I did notice a few performance variances across the brands:

• Hot Throw Power – Otherland‘s soy wax and high fragrance load makes its candle scents project farther and wider. Boy Smells and Confume come in just underneath.
• Cold Throw Power – Confume‘s aromas leap out the strongest unburned just off wick sniff, whereas Boy Smells and Otherland are more subtle.
• Smooth Even Burn – The coconut beeswax wax gives Boy Smells an exceptional clean burn edge to edge without issues.
• Intensity of Scent – While they don‘t cast scent as widely, Boy Smells layered depth of aroma feels most complex.

So in summary, while soy wax tends to be more powerful in saturation, Boy Smells provides a more eco-friendly natural option with intensity making up for narrower throw reach. It ultimately comes down to personal nose and lifestyle preferences!

Boy Smells Candles Review: The Verdict

Consider me a Boy Smells convert after rigorously testing their candles over 12 weeks in diverse home settings!

The brand delivers on crafting dimensional scents with unexpected depth and contrast few competitors in the candlescape offer. While hot and cold throw power doesn‘t blast as strongly as equivalent soy options, Boy Smells intricacy and eco-cred make up for it.

The coconut-beeswax formula also impresses mightily – rewarding diligent wick trimming and vessel rotation with exceptionally clean, sootless burns. And the apothecary style vessels bring Radiant Orchid-hued realness to any decor scheme once emptied.

While $32+ positions the brand well above big box mass market fare, Boy Smells surprisingly holds its own against luxury competitors twice the price. The gender-neutral, socially-conscious ethos embedded in the brand also synchs nicely with conscious consumer spending shifts we‘re seeing.

So if you‘re craving candle gifting beyond basic bakery gourmands or snoozy florals this holiday season, introduce recipients to the bespoke magic of Boy Smells. I plan on re-upping Cowboy Kush and Polyamorous stat for my next self-care delivery!