A nose for the unconventional

Cave, cut grass and blue cheese candles

There are two kinds of people in the world - those who want their homes and clothes to smell like roses, lavender, and all things luxe. The others roll down their car windows at the petrol pump, to take in the whiff of petrol fumes. If you fall into the second category, these Bandra-based candle-makers have you covered. The brainchild of Joy Singham and Michael Burns, 10scents.in specialise in hand-poured artisanal soy candles whose scents vacillate between the unusual to eyebrow-raising unconventional. From cut grass, campfire and cherry gelato, to blue cheese, French fries and petrol, they focus on off-beat scents to pique your quirky side.

Mint chocolate candle

"When we began, we wanted to stand out from the competition by creating something we felt no one else was," says Burns, of the new venture. They intend to develop over 50 fragrances that will include oddballs such as medical bandages and antique shops. They started with 10 variants that include a web-exclusive masala chai scent. They're also working on offering their signature scents in diffusers, to reach out to a broader audience.

The Guide sniff test

We received four fragrances - cut grass, cave, mint chocolate and blue cheese. Burns says that the cut grass is his favourite, and we had to agree. The fresh, non-floral scent is invigorating and carries well after we light the candle, which is surprising, given how delicate the fragrance is. We also appreciated the buttery notes of the mint chocolate and the slightly muggy tone of the cave which, judging by the scent, is definitely one near the sea. Like the real deal, the smell of blue cheese is an acquired one. The candle, too, was equally polarising and while we would like to hold on to ours, some of our guests intend to offer it as a passive-aggressive gift.

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The scented outliers

. Amalfi Coast lub dub lamp: These personalised candles rekindle memories of seaside holidays.
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