It takes a lot of work to transform an idea for a fragrance into a Crazy Strong candle. This is because we won’t settle for anything less than the most beautiful, powerful and strongest scents. We believe that more is more when it comes to fragrance—and we know you want to get the most beauty and strength out of a scented candle. To achieve this goal, we keep two things in mind when creating every Crazy Strong fragrance.

We’ve done our research and we know the most popular and most-loved notes people gravitate toward. We take these notes and amplify their beauty and strength so our candles provide more fragrance to enjoy. We also know that fragrance preferences vary from person to person, season to season and even based on mood. That’s why we made sure the Crazy Strong collection includes a wide array of fragrances so there’s something for everyone.

Some scent families are more powerful than others (more on that below!), so we focus on those when creating our fragrances. For example, musk is naturally sheer and delicate—so you won’t find a Crazy Strong fragrance built primarily around this scent. However, this powdery note can boost the strength and beauty of floral accords, which is why is it incorporated into our Fresh Linen candle.

We consider the beauty and strength of our fragrances at every stage of the creation process. Our perfumers and evaluators know that only use the strongest, most beautiful scents can become part of the Crazy Strong fragrance collection—and here’s how they make sure that happens.

Step 1: The Perfumer
A master perfumer is responsible for taking our inspiration and building several fragrance options that embody our vision. The perfumer begins by creating a fragrance “recipe,” choosing from thousands of ingredients to bring a scent to life. These ingredients can be natural, such as essential oils that are derived from plants, fruits, trees and flowers. However, there are only a few hundred natural ingredients, and they have limitations. Synthetic ingredients, on the other hand, are man-made molecules that deliver a very particular smell. With thousands of synthetics to choose from, these ingredients perform more consistently when mixed with others and are often more sustainable. Our perfumer uses both natural and synthetic ingredients to achieve maximum beauty and strength in all of our fragrances.

Step 2: Compounding
The fragrance “recipe” is entered into specialized computer software and then compounded by a lab technician. It often takes several rounds of fine-tuning and back-and-forth between the perfumer and technician to get the ideal blend and ratios of recipe ingredients necessary for creating the strongest and most beautiful scents.

Although each of our candles has a distinct fragrance personality, one thing that all have in common is that they are crazy strong. This is because we use 16% fragrance oil in all of our candles, which is the highest in the industry. Our perfumers and technicians have to take this into consideration when creating our fragrances, in order to ensure optimal stability and maximum throw.

Step 3: Evaluation
From there, the scent goes to our fragrance evaluator who understands Crazy Strong’s stringent strength and beauty standards. The evaluator considers trends in the marketplace, and often makes recommendations to the perfumer before the fragrance is placed in wax and its “cold throw” (the scent release when the candle is not lit) is tested.

Step 4: Blending
Once a fragrance is then blended into our unique soy- and coconut-based wax, which also features some high-grade paraffin to further enhance the scent’s throw. The candle is then tested extensively to make sure the fragrance, wax and wicks perform optimally together—and provide the most beautiful and strong scent experience. In the case of Crazy Strong, the fragrance must have a beautiful, robust impact as well as powerful “cold” and “hot” throws so the scent can be enjoyed both when the candle is lit and when it is not.

Every individual scent or note falls into a specific olfactory fragrance family, and this categorization is called fragrance mapping. Our complex fragrance oils are comprised of many scents, which means many of our Crazy Strong fragrances fall into more than one family. Some fragrance families are inherently more powerful than others, and as in life, some families “get along” better than others. In fact, certain fragrance-family pairings yield a scent that’s even more powerful and impactful for “a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts” (as Aristotle once said). Here are the basics, and the Crazy Strong scents in each family…

Citrus: Think zesty and invigorating!
Crazy Strong: Sparkling Orange

Fruity: Bursting with juicy sweetness.
Crazy Strong: Sweet Juicy Nectar, Tropical Berry Blast, Rich Rose & Currant

Floral: An immortal bloom of fresh-cut flowers.
Crazy Strong: Fresh Linen, Flower Garden Oasis, Sweet Juicy Nectar, Rich Rose & Currant

Green: Leaves, just-mowed lawn and foliage.
Crazy Strong: Flower Garden Oasis

Spice: Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and aromatic notes that evoke a feeling of coziness.
Crazy Strong: Not used as a primary note today, supporting for complexity

Gourmand: Sweet treats that are good enough to eat.
Crazy Strong: Vanilla Lemon Twist

Woody: Aromatics like cedarwood, sandalwood and vetiver.
Crazy Strong: Not used as a primary note today, supporting for complexity

Ozonic: The fresh, clean essence of ocean and air.
Crazy Strong: Caribbean Rain

Musk: A subtle yet powerful, sensual enhancement to any fragrance.
Crazy Strong: Fresh Linen

Fresh: Sparkling, clean and ideal for diffusion.
Crazy Strong: Tropical Berry Blast

There’s a science when it comes to creating the most beautiful, crazy-strong fragrances, and the unique structure of top, middle and base notes is the blueprint for the ultimate sensory experience. Top notes provide the first impression, but the middle and base notes play a vital role in reinforcing a fragrance’s strength and long-lasting impact. Beyond the broad fragrance families, there are specific notes that work best at each of these stages.