The Most Popular Candles At Bath And Body Works

As many home aficionados know, the proper lighting — and scent — can transform a room. There's nothing quite like the warm glow of candlelight, and if it comes with a sweet scent, even better. It's no wonder Bath and Body Works, one of the most accessible candle retailers with mall stores galore, seems to have their products constantly popping up in home decor inspiration on social media. According to their corporate website, the company reported an incredible $1.450 billion in sales in 2022 Q1 alone — clearly, some people are relying on those candles to brighten their rooms.

While any candle might smell nice and give off a cozy warm hue, we have to give major props to Bath and Body Works for their labels. Candles are usually released a few times each in multiple sizes — sometimes with plain labels, but usually also with extremely decorative designs that can fit seamlessly into your curated decor's aesthetic. The most popular scents even have multiple decorative designs, indicating that the brand really cares about their candles becoming a major part of your decor. Unfortunately, label options are far more diverse in-store than online. Still, it's interesting to peek into which scents — and labels — are the most popular online.

A fun scent in a colorful container, Bath and Body Works Island Margarita is one of its most popular summer candles. According to the product description, Island Margarita smells like "a classic tropical cocktail," with fragrance notes of mandarin, mango, and sea salt. However, it's the packaging that really takes the cake: while we weren't able to find a plain label version of Island Margarita that's currently available (maybe it's fitting — a vacation-inspired candle should have a fun container), the label currently on sale on Bath and Body Works' website features bright greens, yellows, and oranges. Palm leaves, lemons, and limes decorate the entire jar (as opposed to just the label).

With such a colorful design, it's no wonder the candle managed to rack up a 4.7-star rating and 520 reviews. Reviewer MsCE praised it for a "wonderful" smell and a "beautiful" candleholder, while hes01231 mentioned that the smell carries across her entire home. Not bad if you're trying to emulate a tropical vacation in your regular old home.

Next up on the list of Bath and Body Works' most popular candles? Champagne Toast has an iconic bubble gum-esque scent. For the uninitiated, Champagne Toast is a light, sugary scent that's gained a cult following, especially with teen girls. Bath and Body Works describes the candle as "a fruity, sweet, sparkling spritzer," with notes of champagne, berries, and citrus fruits. While it's easy to find a variety of different Champagne Toast jars in-store, only one is available online: an undecorated pink label pasted onto a matching jar.

While the pink jar might seem a little too intense for some people, it perfectly captures Champagne Toast's bright, spunky reputation. Some Bath and Body Works jars might be made to blend in with a minimalist decor, but this version of Champagne Toast knows that it's unapologetic pink will fit right in with the bright colors that Gen Z and millennials seem to love. With such in-touch packaging, we're not surprised that the candle has a whopping 4.7 stars and 617 ratings.

Fun, youthful candles are all well and good, but Bath and Body Works' most popular candle is a relatively mature option — both in terms of label and scent. Enter Mahogany Teakwood Intense, a more potent version of the company's legendary Mahogany Teakwood candle. According to Bath and Body Works, the candle smells like "borrowing their flannel for a hike in the woods," and the fragrance notes include mahogany, teakwood, oak, and lavender. 

The candle has racked up 4.7 stars and 871 reviews. While we aren't quite sure whose flannel Bath and Body Works thinks we'll be borrowing, we will admit that the all-black jar and black minimalist label with gold and white details is a very sleek look. It's not hard to imagine the jar fitting in with elevated decor. Plus, the "Intense" label provides some assurance that the candle will fill as much of your home as possible, making it a relatively safe bet — especially in comparison to other Bath and Body Works candles without the designator.