Here’s What Bath & Body Works' Milk Bar Holiday Collection Smells Like
The bakery scent is so real in my home right now.
Bath & Body Works and Milk Bar have done it again. One month after the fragrance giant and beloved bakery chain teamed up to celebrate the former’s 35th anniversary with their Birthday Cake drop, the pair worked together on a selection of delectable treats ahead of the holidays.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Bath & Body Works × Milk Bar Holiday Collection was unveiled, and it’s a gourmand’s (read: my) dream. For a limited time, you can find four new dessert-inspired scents at B&BW — Cinnamon Pretzel Cookie, Raspberry Holiday Pie Bar, Peppermint Bark Truffle, and Cereal Milk Soft Serve — plus the original Birthday Cake, available in the form of candles, fragrance mists, hand soaps, hand sanitizer sprays, and body wash, among others.
Select Milk Bar locations will also sell the same flavors for a limited time starting Oct. 20, but in dessert form. So that Raspberry Holiday Pie Bar scent I mentioned? There’s actually a way for you to eat it.
Ahead of the collection’s launch, I got to bake my own set of Cinnamon Pretzel Cookies with Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi and can confirm that they’re drool-worthy. I also got to give each of the new candles a good sniff or two (or 20). Below, you’ll find my honest review of each. If you weren’t ready for the holidays before, you will be soon.
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Cookie
Suddenly, I’m nostalgic for the mall. With its combination of toasted pretzel, cinnamon dusting, and sugared vanilla, this candle’s transporting me back to the days of eating Auntie Anne’s with my friends after school. So much so, I have to remind myself not to eat it.
This scent lives up to its name, and I love it in small doses. At some point, though, I expect somewhat of a sugar rush and eventual overload.
Rating: 4.5/5
Raspberry Holiday Pie Bar
Is it possible to smell warmth? Because that’s the first note (if you can call it that) I was hit with as I opened this candle. The next was raspberry jelly, which was deliciously fruity. The remaining elements, sugar cookie and toasted almonds, were a bit less obvious for me, but I could definitely imagine a granola bar with a similar scent profile.
I wouldn’t say it reminds me of the holidays — probably because raspberry pies aren’t a tradition in my family — but the Raspberry Holiday Pie Bar candle still offers a pleasant experience.
Rating: 3.75/5
Peppermint Bark Truffle
Unlike its predecessor, the Peppermint Bark Truffle candle definitely reminds me of the holiday season. Made with notes of peppermint chocolate cake, crushed candy cane, and white chocolate, it smells exactly like the traditional treats you’d find on Christmas. If that’s what you’re looking for, then that’s what you’d get.
Since this is very chocolate-forward and I’m not a chocolate girlie, it wouldn’t be the first thing I’d pick up; I’m more likely to select Crushed Candy Cane (crunchy peppermint, white sugar crystals, and frosted mint leaves) or Twisted Peppermint (cool peppermint, sugared snow, fresh balsam, vanilla buttercream, and a hint of musk). If you have me for Secret Santa, you’ve been warned.
Rating: 3/5
Cereal Milk Soft Serve
Oh my God, it’s me in dessert candle form. With a blend of soft ice cream, golden cornflakes, and frosted sugar, this takes one of my choice breakfasts as a kid (and preferred late-night snacks as an adult) and turns it into an aroma I can have with me all day long. No, it doesn’t scream holiday, but I swear it’s still screaming my name.
If I had one teeny-tiny note, I’d say that the scent is very soft; I want it to overpower the room. Guess I’ll have to buy some more.
