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Library/Product/This Smells Like My Vagina candle
Grade B26 sourcesHIS-00189

This Smells Like My Vagina candle

Product · 2019 · Niche

Made by Goop in-house · Source

39Editable slideCertificate

Goop’s $75 candle sold out, drew Twitter jokes and prompted an agency-made parody.

Heretic’s This Smells Like My Vagina candle and packaging.
Heretic Parfum
Watch: Gwyneth Paltrow weighs in on vagina candle - UPI.com
UPI
How Heretic Founder Douglas Little Became The Perfumer Behind Viral Candle This Smells Like My Vagina
Beauty Independent
Gwyneth Paltrow releases vagina-scented candle – and queer Twitter has thoughts
PinkNews
If You've Ever Wondered What A Penis Smells Like, Just Try This Candle
Refinery29

Spread Score

How it works
Reach34Contagion35Breadth60Velocity38Longevity2639

Numbers

Peak date
Jan 2020
Nov 2019 to Jan 2020
Platforms
8
Started on Retail
Origin
Seeded
Home & lifestyle

Mechanics

  • TransgressionPrimary
  • Controversy
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Dupe economy
  • Sell-out loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

Goop introduced the candle at a November summit. January coverage, Twitter jokes and a waitlist accompanied sell-outs. Reddit discussions, an agency-made parody and scent-test videos followed. Paltrow later used the candle in a paid Uber Eats ad.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Google searchesJul ’19NovFeb ’20AprAugApr ’21OctSep ’22Feb ’24Aug ’25Oct ’26PeakRetailOpen webPressXRedditInstagramTVYouTube
RetailOpen webPressXRedditInstagramTVYouTube

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (16)

  1. November 2019

    Goop seed · Nov 2019

    Goop sold the candle in a limited release at its November In Goop Health summit.[1][2]

    How Heretic Founder Douglas Little Became The Perfumer Behind Viral Candle This Smells Like My Vagina
    Open the first post ↗

  2. January 2020

    Goop shoppers peak · Jan 2020

    January press, queer Twitter criticism and David Cross’s jokes accompanied a sell-out and waitlist.[1][3][4][5][6]

  3. The Cut backlash · Jan 9 ’20

    The Cut published staff reviews disputing the candle’s claimed scent.[7]

Changelogupdated Oct 12 ’26
  1. 2026-10-12Added: 16 events, 26 sources · Score 39
Origin
Seeded
Sector
Home & lifestyle
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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· Source
Google searchesJul ’19NovFeb ’20AprAugApr ’21OctSep ’22Feb ’24Aug ’25Oct ’26PeakRetailOpen webPressXRedditInstagramTVYouTube
RetailOpen webPressXRedditInstagramTVYouTube

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. November 2019

    Goop seed · Nov 2019

    Goop sold the candle in a limited release at its November In Goop Health summit.[1][2]

    How Heretic Founder Douglas Little Became The Perfumer Behind Viral Candle This Smells Like My Vagina
    Open the first post ↗

  2. January 2020

    Goop shoppers peak · Jan 2020

    January press, queer Twitter criticism and David Cross’s jokes accompanied a sell-out and waitlist.[1][3][4][5][6]

  3. The Cut backlash · Jan 9 ’20

    The Cut published staff reviews disputing the candle’s claimed scent.[7]

  1. platform jump · Jan 11 ’20

  2. platform jump · Jan 13 ’20

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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