Community Chat

[reviewer from sc]

This may have been a topic before, but it's worth repeating. 

I'm in the process of purchasing some candles. Of course, you can't physically smell the candle. You have to either go by past experience (your favorites) or customer reviews.

One of my pet peeves about reviews--I really wish people would tell what the candle smells like. I absolutely hate reviews that say:

"this candle smells amazing!"

"this candle rocks!"

"this candle smells sooooooo goooood!"   etc...

These are the reviews I mostly encounter. This tells me nothing! What smells "sooooo gooood" to you, may stink for me and other people.

I also hate when the review says "the candle smells fresh and clean". What? Lemon clean? Bleachy clean? Pine sol clean? Laundry clean? What does that mean? There are many types of "clean". 

Tell me: It smells like cinnamon, apples, tide laundry, snuggle laundry, suntan lotion, green tea, stinky laundry, no scent at all, etc. 

I'll say that I encounter the same thing when I'm purchasing perfume or shower gels/lotions. However, I mostly purchase these types of products in-store. I'll purchase online if I know the scent/product. It just bugs me when I'm purchasing candles and there's one after the other of "amazing" reviews. Thanks for letting me vent a little. 

[Kachina624]

Many people don't have the writing skills to adequately describe a smell.  Its a very difficult thing to do since it depends heavily on the personal experience of the person doing the describing.  Even the hosts often struggle with doing it verbally.

[D Kay]

Better that than all the "reviews" that are complaints about how long it took to receive something.   I would take "smells amazing" over "smells awful".

[PINKdogWOOD]

It's not only about candles but about everything pretty much.

Clothes - I love it, fits great, color spot on - this tells me nothing

Dyson vacs - love it, really cleans up everything - I've owned only 2 Dysons, the orig which was the best in every way, easy to work with, EASY to lift. The other weighs a ton but I did not know this. It also does not fit under furniture which I also did not know. I still have it but I rarely use it.

The best are the ones from people who did not buy the item, does not own the item, knows nothing about the item regardless of what the item may be BUT for some reason decides to enter a review. They even say they did not buy it YET it gets posted.

Now I'm finished venting!!!!!!!

And your example of the candles is spot on too!

[Angelmanmom]

Goodness! Sounds like you should skip the reviews....if coud smell like rain to me and dirt to you so what good would it do to read my review?

I do agree that reviews from folks who haven't purchased the item but are speculating the merits thereof shouldn't be allowed.

Reviews are subjective and that's the point of one's personal experience

[kaydee50]

I wouldn't buy an item where the smell is important without sniffing it in person.   How can anyone buy perfume from TV unless they already know what it smells like????

[rms1954]

It's hard to describe a smell.  That's something you'd kind of have to experience yourself.  

[santorini]

My favorite ... I'm short and I bought this in a medium.  ???  It's not even offered in medium.  It's offered in numeric sizes.  And what does short have to do with anything when used in that context?

[Etoile308]

I don't know if describing a smell would still be adequate. What smells like a lemon to me may smell like an apple to you. I may think something smells like a fresh cut Christmas tree while others think it's more like Pine-Sol. 

I think if someone says a candle has a clean smell, that at least denotes to me that it's non-offensive. That works for me.

[Magny]

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@santorini wrote:

My favorite ... I'm short and I bought this in a medium.  ???  It's not even offered in medium.  It's offered in numeric sizes.  And what does short have to do with anything when used in that context?

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Or how about bust, waist, hip & height measurements, but not what size she took?

Also, "It's a beautiful color", & doesn't mention what the color is!