Get a whiff of normality again with this lockdown candle collection

Uncommon and Earl of East have teamed up to bring us some of the scents we’ve missed the most in quarantine – with a set of candles that capture the thrilling fragrance of spilt beer, cut grass and salty popcorn

It’s fair to say none of us ever thought we’d be missing the distant perfume of portaloo that comes with summer music festivals, or the heady aroma of beer-soaked carpet from our favourite local, but lockdown has created a strange longing for the most mundane things.

London creative agency Uncommon and fragrance brand Earl of East have teamed up to help us with these frustrated yearnings, releasing the Scents of Normality candle collection. It’s designed to transport us back to three much-loved locations – the pub, the cinema, and the festival.


Each candle comes in illustrated packaging, also designed to capture the spirit of the experience. Thomas Hedger’s hazy pint glass and discarded fag end evokes the classic boozer, while Victoria Sieczka’s spilt popcorn and Lan Truong’s rainbow smoke call up the cinema and festival.

A set of print ads serve as a further reminder, with some inspired copywriting which manages to capture the magical, if somewhat grubby, reality of what we’re missing in lockdown. It might all be satire, but it’s brilliantly executed.

Profits from the Scents of Normality sales will be donated to Hospitality Action, to support workers impacted by coronavirus. Candles cost £45 each; earlofeast.com