Everyone's Grossed Out and Confused by This NYC-Scented Candle

Anyone who's spent much time in New York City knows that it can be a powerfully fragrant place. There's the waft of roasting chestnuts in the fall, the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers in the spring, and the soothing bouquet of hot rotting trash in the middle of August. Much like Newton's third law, for every pleasant smell, there is an equal and opposite repulsive stench awaiting you around the next corner (or subway car), which is why people aren't quite sure what to make of a fancy new candle that claims to capture the unique fragrance of NYC.

Luxury candle brand Diptyque Paris, which commands upwards of $60 a pop for its best-selling scents like Fig Tree, Lavender Leaf, and Wood Fire, recently announced on Twitter that it has created a new candle that "captures the scent of the city that never sleeps." Unsurprisingly, it had people guessing what exactly a candle that reeks of New York might smell like, and why that would ever be a good thing.

It prompted lots of people to weigh on the variety of fragrant notes it should include:

Based on the overwhelming majority of responses, most people seem to think the candle probably just smells like piss. And while that may be accurate, it's tough to imagine that's the scent Diptyque set out to create. We reached out to the company and asked them for their description of the scent, but have not yet heard back. 

If you're interested in bringing the essence of Manhattan into your own home, the candles are currently for sale exclusively at Diptyque shops in New York. Though if you already live there, maybe just open a window?

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Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him @jwmcgauley.