Welcome to the Tell-Tale Blog 🕯️
Hello and welcome! I’m Jillian Walkowiak, a college writing adjunct by day and a horror-obsessed candlemaker by night. When I’m not grading English essays, you’ll usually find me watching horror movies, tearing through spooky books, curating a rain forest of tropical plants in my dining room, traveling with my amazing partner Matthew & daughter Emma, or just hanging out with our ever-growing crew of furry family members.
This blog is where all of that collides: horror, storytelling, scent, sustainability, and the occasional unhinged spooky thought.
How The Smell of Fear Was Born
The idea for The Smell of Fear Candle Co. clicked in 2018 at a local horror movie convention. I picked up a few beautiful, high-quality soy candles, but none of them were actually inspired by horror. On the drive home, my partner and I joked (for the hundredth time) that I should stop buying candles and just make my own.
That’s when it hit:
Why not create candles that deliver a truly immersive horror experience?
With my background in horror, literature, and history, I realized I could translate scenes, settings, and emotional moments from terrifying stories into scent. Horror has always been about atmosphere and scent is one of the most powerful ways to create it.
And just like that, The Smell of Fear came to life!
Scents Pulled Straight from Horror Stories
My very first candle was The Cask of Amontillado, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale. Its notes of sherry, oak casks, and earth were pulled directly from the Montresor family vaults. Every scent that followed has been built the same way, rooted in specific moments, places, or character details from horror stories we love.
Each candle, wax melt, cologne, and diffuser I make is designed to feel like part of the story, whether you’re watching a classic slasher, reading gothic literature, or just craving a little spooky atmosphere on a random Tuesday.
Horror-Inspired Candle Collections
Over the years, I’ve created collections inspired by:
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Horror movies
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Scary TV series
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Gothic and horror literature
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Creepy cryptids
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Other strange and terrifying odds and ends
Some scents are permanent residents. Others lurk in the shadows and reappear when the timing feels right. There’s always something haunting waiting in the collection.
Wholesale orders are also available for shops and spaces that like to burn brightly on the dark side.
Hand-Poured, Small-Batch, and Made in Buffalo, NY
Every part of The Smell of Fear, from label design and printing to pouring, packing, and shipping, is done by me in my home-based design studio in Buffalo, New York.
All products are:
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Hand-poured in small batches
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Made with a paraffin-free, sustainable coconut-soy wax blend
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Scented with phthalate-free fragrance oils
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Wicked with lead- and zinc-free cotton wicks
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Occasionally fortified with bee-friendly beeswax during hot summer months
Every choice is intentional. The goal is clean-burning, long-lasting, spine-tingling scent without sacrificing sustainability.
Sustainability Matters Here
Keeping The Smell of Fear earth-friendly is non-negotiable. I use sustainable candle-making materials, reuse shipping supplies whenever possible, and follow a strict reduce/reuse/recycle approach with every order.
What You’ll Find on the Tell-Tale Blog
Here on the blog, you can expect:
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Candle care, reuse, and sustainability tips
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Horror movie recommendations and reviews
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Deep dives into scent psychology and horror storytelling
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Cryptids, folklore, and spooky musings
If it’s eerie, atmospheric, or delightfully unsettling, it belongs here.
Feel free to leave a comment, say hi, tell me something about yourself, or let me know what you’d like to see next.
