A Journey into Horror
About The Smell of Fear
Who We Are
Crafting the Macabre
At The Smell of Fear, we craft candles born from the darkest legends, twisted myths, and spine-chilling tales that refuse to stay buried. Our small-batch, eco-friendly creations are designed to summon unsettling atmospheres, perfect for those who dare to embrace the eerie, the mysterious, and the macabre.
Where the Obsession Began
According to family lore, my love of horror started early—very early. As the story goes, I snuck out of bed one night as a tiny tot and caught the original Halloween when I was definitely supposed to be asleep… and I loved it.
The memories are foggy now (like all good ghost stories), but that moment lit the match. Since then, I’ve been completely captivated by the strange, the spooky, and the sinister. From a lifelong love of Edgar Allan Poe to bingeing everything Stephen King, and even earning a Master’s degree with a concentration in macabre history, I’ve spent my life knee-deep in the uncanny—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
From Scream to Scent
The Smell of Fear was born in 2018, sparked by a moment of inspiration at a local horror convention. Among all the merch, one thing was missing: horror-themed candles. So, I set out to craft my own—original scent blends designed to immerse horror fans in the stories they love most.
Each spooky collection is a tribute to the genre: classic films, gothic literature, cryptids, cursed places, and Halloween nostalgia. These candles are made to bring your haunted obsessions to life—one burn at a time.
And while the themes may be unsettling, the ingredients never are. Every candle is clean-burning and eco-friendly, so you can fill your spooky space with fearsome fragrance—without harming the planet.
A One-Woman Horror Show
The Smell of Fear is a one-wicked-woman-owned business, run entirely from my spooky little lair in Buffalo, NY. Every candle is hand-poured using a natural coconut wax blend, curated with phthalate-free fragrance oils, and finished with cotton, lead-free wicks—all by yours truly.
I also design every label, pack every order, and whisper sweet nothings to each candle before it ships (okay, maybe not every time). From scent to shipment, every detail is done with care—which may take a little longer, but as any horror fan knows: all good scares come to those who wait.
To keep things eco-conscious, I also enable carbon-neutral shipping for all web orders—because fear should leave an impression, not a footprint.
Frightfully Sustainable
At The Smell of Fear, we believe even the darkest creations can be eco-friendly. Our candles are designed with sustainability in mind, so you can enjoy them while caring for the planet.
Our Candles
Inspired by chilling films, eerie myths, and dark tales, our candles fill your space with a haunting glow.
Let customers speak for us
Well made. Burn well. Creative scents.these make me happy.
Beautifully packaged and a wonderful assortment of delights
I ordered the 'How to Sell a Haunted House' candle to go with the book of the same name (by one of my favorite authors) and loved it. Will definitely be ordering more scents in the future! Hoping to see more collaborations with authors too!
Ordered this mystery crate as a birthday gift for myself. It was a wonderful surprise. Filled with everything that would make me smile.
This crate was packed with a variety of creepy treats! As I unpacked it, there were just more layers of goodies as I went!!
Please never stop making the tell tale heart scent! It’s amazing!, not too sweet but not too tobaccoey I love how they make the packaging feel like it’s straight out of the story!
Makes the house smell festive with the perfect eggnog scent. And as with all prior The Smell Of Fear candle purchases, the candle burns cleanly. Best quality candles you can find!
I loved everything about my new candles from the packaging to the look to the scent! Perfect!
The Smell of Fear, Apothecary Collection: HAUNTED SEAS,
Is an olfactory experience as well as a visual one. Delightfully wrapped in the most dreadfully bleak tissue paper, it slid out of the box it was entombed in, with ease. A smattering of poofy particles of foam, kept this pure white candle safe from the ravages of the Seven Seas on its way to me. Enveloped in a tidy blue candleholder, made from the ancient glass once used by Davy Jones for one of his helmsman for a glass eye, after an encounter with a wretched wraith of the depths, this candle’s powerful essence was kept secured by snugly-mated cork topper. Upon opening this piece of enchanted cork, a scent which reminded me of the distant crashing of waves, in the darkness of the Indian Ocean, mixed with the nuances of mystic moss and hints of the salt from the bruised back of a Siren, found their way spiraling into this here nose. As I lurched forward with the flame of my trusty Zippo, and lighting the wick, I noticed the way the candle’s flame, became an eldritch white through the nautically painted glass of the candle holder. Beautiful to display, and eerily relaxing to smell, this candle is worth every scent! Thank you for the care placed into its craftsmanship! Fair winds, and following haunted seas!
This candle looks like Halloween/Fall and the scent is like a pumpkin pie baking in the oven!
Another fantastic scent from The Smell of Fear. A perfect Fall/Halloween Candle.
I had an issue with a recent order. You went above and beyond to make it right. I'm a repeat customer, and I will absolutely be back AGAIN! I was beyond thrilled to receive the red skull cinnamon candle. It's not overpowering, it offers a sweet and spicy cinnamon scent. Definitely wickedly wonderful in my spooky book. I must say I appreciate your creativity with horror and candles. You certainly don't just slap a scary sticker on a jar. You take a piece of the creepiness and elevate it, bringing a piece of horror home. I guess that could be bad thing for some :-)
And another thank you for fixing my review mistake!
THANK YOU!!
Beware the Moon spray smells amazing and lasts! A few spritzes is a perfect refresh in stale room or tomb!! 100% effective for repelling werewolves! 10/10 will buy again.
Great fragrance!
Great burning and great smelling candle!
