The Nose Knows

The nose knows! Or does it?

We have always been able to depend on our noses to help us decipher scents, right! But what do you do when you are having trouble telling scents a part or you can’t smell at all? And I’m not talking about loosing your sense of smell because of Covid (God forbid) or the common cold. What I’m talking about is “candle nose”. 

No, “candle nose”, is not where if you tell a lie, your nose grows long like a tapered candle. And no, it’s not when your nose turns green like a green colored candle. 
“Candle nose” happens when you pour so many different candles in various scents that you are either unable to tell the scents a part, can’t smell the scents at all, or if you are like me, you end up hating one your favorite scents.

“Candle nose” is  said to be the phenomenon when the olfactory glands in your nose work overtime to recognize smells also known as olfactory fatigue, or “nose blindness”. Eventually, your body will stop alerting you to smells, making you think there’s no fragrance there or in my case turn one of my favorite scents into one of the worse scents that I’ve smelt in a long time. 

A little back story, a few weeks ago I was trying to stock up for our upcoming vendor markets, to make sure we have enough products for our online store, and for our stockist (I’ll tell you more about that at the end if you stick around). Everything was going well until I poured out the fragrance oil of one of my best sellers and personal favorite into the measuring container on the scale. I gagged and almost “threw up” with a little stretch of the truth there, “what the heck is that putrid scent”, I thought as I stuffed my nose into the half empty bottle while praying that the scent was coming from somewhere else.  I almost cried when the same “disgusting” scent, yes I said disgusting scent, hit me harder in the face this time since my nose was now practically sitting on top of the bottle.

Honestly, I felt like crying. I was tired from making candles all day and now I had to deal with the possibility that there was something wrong with this batch of fragrance oil.

If this were so I would have to go through the long arduous process of sending it back to my supplier and praying that the replacement bottles wouldn’t be from the same “bad” batch. Plus it would set me back and the possibility lies that I wouldn’t have enough of that scent for my upcoming markets.

However, with all that going through my head, it dawned on me that maybe my nose was just confused because I was pouring so many different scents. With that theory in mind, I made one candle in the scent and decided to wait a few days before smelling it. I wish I could tell you that when I smelt it a few days later, that it smelt great again, but it didn’t. Cue tears!

Still feeling discouraged, I decided to ask two friends of mine who are also two of my repeat customers to smell the candle for me. They  smelt it and loved it and told me it smelt exactly the same as the scent they had previously purchased from me. I could have hugged them, I was so happy.

It turns out my theory was right, my poor nose was confused, because even batches of the same candle scent that I had from previous stock started smelling like this new batch...gross

But, I’m happy to know it’s just my nose that is confused. I’m also happy that it is only happening with this one scent. I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to enjoy one of my favorite candies again soon.

In the mean time, I’m falling in love with these new Fall & Winter scents we have coming up. Our home already smells like “the most wonderful time of the year” & I’m not mad at it. We can’t wait to share these scents with you.

Before I go, if you have been following us on social media & if not, you absolutely should...but I digress, you can now find Oh D’Luxe Candles in stores....ekkkkkkkkk!!! If you are in or around these towns, check out our candles at Local Soul in Wilton CT, Lizzies Corner in Seymour CT & Pious Bird in Black Rock CT.

If you are in Westbrook CT on Saturday July 10 from 10am-3pm come by our booth and say hi. We would love to meet you.

Until then..

Be the light.