Anyone who has ever spent time on a celebrity fan forum knows there are a number of questions directed towards anyone who has met the object of their affection: “What were they like?” usually follows “How was it?” “What did they say?” and “What were they wearing?” Then the conversation tends to pivot, and there’s this: “What did they smell like?” For whatever reason, fans have a fascination with celebrity scents—which could possibly speak to the success of all 26 of Paris Hilton’s perfumes—but also how they smell, as if their expensive aromas are the reason for their success. Because of that, I know Harry Styles frequently wears Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille, which retails for $240 at Sephora, or Gucci’s Mémoire d’une Odeur, which he claims he wore to sleep. What I did not know was that there is supposedly a much more affordable dupe, in the form of a $6.99 soy blend candle from Target.
As Page Six reports, Directioners across the country have been posting TikToks about a Cashmere Vanilla candle from Target’s Threshold collection that allegedly smells similar to the Tom Ford scent the singer adores. (For comparison: Ford’s cologne possesses keynotes of “tobacco leaf, ginger, and cocoa.” The Target candle boasts of “tonka bean and cedarwood.” Either way, I’m getting “sexy grandpa.”) For that reason—and the immediate virality of anything relating to Styles—the candle is virtually sold out. It’s unclear who first made the association, but I certainly hope they are not an heir to the Threshold fortune. When I went online, all the candles in the greater New York City area were sold out, but Edgewater, New Jersey allegedly has a few.
That said, the $9.99 Threshold brand Cashmere Vanilla Oil Diffuser is still available. I assume it smells similar to the candle and potentially Harry Styles, but who knows? I’ve never sniffed the guy.