It was the $75 joke that launched a thousand think pieces. Back in early 2020, just before the world collectively lost its mind for other reasons, Gwyneth Paltrow decided to "break the internet" in the most Goop way possible. She released a candle. But not just any candle—the gwyneth paltrow vagina scented candle, officially titled "This Smells Like My Vagina."
People lost it.
Honestly, the reaction was a mix of genuine horror, hysterical laughter, and deep confusion. Was she serious? Did it actually smell like... that? The internet spent weeks debating the olfactory profile of a Hollywood A-lister’s anatomy while the product sold out in mere hours. If you’ve ever wondered what was actually going on behind the scenes of this PR masterclass, or if the thing was actually a fire hazard, you're in the right place.
The Accidental Origin Story
Most people assume a team of high-paid marketing executives sat in a glass-walled boardroom and calculated the exact amount of "shock value" needed to sell wax. But the reality is way more casual.
Gwyneth was working with her long-time fragrance collaborator, Douglas Little (the nose behind Heretic Parfum). They were sitting on the floor, sniffing various botanical blends for a new scent. At one point, Gwyneth caught a whiff of a specific concoction and blurted out, "Uhhh, this smells like a vagina."
It was a joke.
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She wasn't trying to be profound. She was just being GP. But Little, a man who clearly knows a good hook when he hears one, suggested they keep the name. After some back-and-forth, they leaned into it. They didn't just keep the name; they turned it into a "punk rock" feminist statement. The goal, according to Paltrow, was to subvert the idea that women should be ashamed of their bodies.
What Does it Actually Smell Like?
Let’s get the biggest misconception out of the way: No, it does not smell like a body part. Not even a little bit. If you bought this expecting some sort of hyper-realistic biological experience, you'd be sorely disappointed.
The scent is actually a sophisticated, high-end floral. It’s heavy on the geranium and citrusy bergamot, which gives it a bright, slightly tart opening. Then you get the "sultry" bits—damask rose, cedar absolutes, and ambrette seed.
Basically, it smells like a fancy spa in the Hamptons.
It’s an expensive-smelling, complex fragrance that just happens to have a name that makes your grandmother blush. Goop described it as having a "sophisticated warmth" and "fantasy," which is basically luxury-speak for "it smells really good but we want it to sound edgy."
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When the "Vagina" Literally Exploded
It wasn't all rose petals and cedarwood, though. The candle eventually found itself at the center of a $5 million class-action lawsuit.
A man in Texas, Colby Watson, claimed that after burning his candle for about three hours, the glass jar "exploded" and became "engulfed in high flames." He wasn't the only one. A woman in the UK, Jody Thompson, reported a similar "inferno" in her living room, describing 50cm flames shooting out of the jar.
Goop’s response? They called the lawsuit "frivolous" and basically told everyone to follow the instructions. If you look at the bottom of a Goop candle, there are specific warnings:
- Trim the wick.
- Don't burn it for more than two hours at a time.
Watson admitted he let it burn for three hours. In the world of high-end candles, three hours is a long time for a glass jar to handle that kind of heat. While the lawsuit made for incredible headlines (imagine the courtroom sketches), the brand stood by the product's safety testing.
The Business of Being Weird
You can’t talk about the gwyneth paltrow vagina scented candle without talking about the genius of the Goop business model. This wasn't a failure; it was a massive win.
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- Scarcity: It sold out instantly.
- Media Value: The amount of free press generated by the name alone was worth millions in advertising.
- Brand Loyalty: It solidified Goop as the brand for women who aren't afraid of a little "subversive" wellness.
The success led to a whole "vagina" ecosystem. We got "This Smells Like My Orgasm" (which smells like gunpowder tea and grapefruit, weirdly enough) and "Hands Off My Vagina," which was released to support reproductive rights.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest thing people miss is the irony. People love to hate on Gwyneth for being "out of touch," but the candle was her way of laughing at the persona. She knew it was ridiculous. That was the whole point. It was a "fuck you" to the stigma surrounding female anatomy, wrapped in a $75 matte-black glass jar.
Whether you think it’s a brilliant feminist move or a cynical cash grab, you have to admit: we're still talking about it years later.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you’re looking to dive into the world of "subversive" scents or just want to avoid your house burning down, keep these points in mind:
- Check the Ingredients: If you want that specific smell without the Goop price tag, look for candles with notes of geranium, bergamot, and ambrette seed. That's the core "Vagina" DNA.
- Practice Candle Safety: Seriously, don't burn any high-end candle for more than two hours. The glass isn't designed for it. Trim your wicks to 1/4 inch every single time you light up.
- Understand the Market: The original candle is largely discontinued or hard to find now, but you can still find the scent in rollerball perfumes and "votive" sizes through Heretic Parfum.
- Look Beyond the Name: If you're a fragrance nerd, Douglas Little’s work is actually quite incredible. Don't let the "vagina" branding scare you away from what is actually a very well-composed natural fragrance.
The era of the "vagina candle" might be over, but the lesson remains: in the attention economy, being "weird" is the most valuable currency there is.