2018 Bath & Body Works New Fall Candles

Nothing cheers me up more than the smell of a good autumn candle! Not only does it create a cozy atmosphere, it also fills the air with fall spices and sweet pumpkin baked goods. A two-for-one I can never resist.

Like every year, Bath & Body Works came out with a few new scents this year, so I visited my local store and tested out their 2018 concoctions. Sadly, not all of their new collection is out in store at the moment, so there are a few candles I couldn't smell. I've added them at the bottom of the list and will update when they come out.

Blueberry Maple Pancakes

FRAGRANCE

Wild Blueberries, Griddle Fresh Pancakes, Warm Maple Syrup

OPINION

I was excited for this one, but the scent was very faint. I had to close my eyes and concentrate to really smell the blueberry. There was a very small hint of sweetness, and it wasn't clearly maple syrup. Nothing in this suggests pancake batter of any kind. Maybe this smells better when it's burning, but on cold sniff, it's very underwhelming. I could almost smell the wax more than the fragrance.

Pumpkin Peanut Brittle

FRAGRANCE

Crunchy Caramel Brittle, Salty Peanuts, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

OPINION

This is a very unique fragrance that turned out a lot better than I anticipated! The buttery caramel jumps out first, but the smell of salty peanuts follows immediately, along with a slight sweetness. I don't smell pumpkin seeds, but honestly I don't miss it that much. I think this might have been better as a summer scent. It's not very autumny, but it is a very yummy, unique scent. It smells exactly like peanut brittle!

Caramel Apple

FRAGRANCE

Granny Smith Apple Slices, Warm Golden Caramel, Cinnamon Vanilla Cream

OPINION

This is a scent that came out in 2013 and was apparently pretty popular.
Lots of people were very excited for its return, so I expected to like it. Well, I didn't...! It's a very fake "candy apple" scent. The apple is a granny smith, which means it's sour/tart. You'd think that mixed with the sweet notes, it would be fine, but honestly, they just don't blend well and it's off-putting to me. I don't know. Maybe my sense of smell is broken, guys...

Pumpkin Patch

FRAGRANCE

Bright Orange Pumpkin, Autumn Spice Blend, Rich Molasses

OPINION

This is the quintessential fall scent. A nice mix of spices, but not too strong like some of the cinnamon candles at Bath & Body Works. The molasses makes it sweet, but not sickly sweet; there's a certain earthiness to it. There's definitely a hint of true pumpkin, unlike some of the other fragrances where they throw "pumpkin" in the name to make it sound more fall-ish. It's a great autumn candle for those who are looking for the classic pumpkin spice that isn't too spicy or too sweet.

The Perfect Autumn

FRAGRANCE

Fresh Cranberry, Spiced Pumpkin, Crisp Apple, Rich Clove

OPINION

Ugh, this one is so weird. Not at all what I expected when I opened the lid, which probably made it smell even worse. I expected something like Autumn or a pumpkin spice type of fragrance, but it's a mix of cinnamon/clove with a really weird, unwanted tart note of cranberry. The cranberry is overpowering, and has no sweetness to it. Honestly, it smells like a rotten apple to me. Yuck.

Bourbon Pumpkin