In 2020, Gwyneth Paltrow broke the internet when she launched a very controversial candle.
The Goop candle, which retailed for $USD75 ($116), was called ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’ and instantly went viral – and she’s now spoken out about where the idea came from.
The 52-year-old defended the product during her appearance at the 2025 Mindvalley Manifesting Summit in Los Angeles on Saturday in a clip shared on social media.
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“That product is so fascinating because we were messing around with different scents one day. And I smelled something and I was like, ‘Oh, that smells like…’, you know,” she said onstage.
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Paltrow explained it all started as a joke between her and Heretic perfumer Douglas Little.
“I was joking. And then [Douglas] was like, ‘Oh, we should make that a candle and put it on the site,'” she said.
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She sarcastically told him it sounded like a winner, but didn’t think anything would actually come of it.
“All of a sudden, it was literally on the website,” she continued.
“And then we broke the Internet again. And then it took us a long time to live that one down.”
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While it was controversial, it definitely got people talking and was a big reason why she kept the product on the Goop website.
Paltrow explained there’s an aspect of women’s sexuality we’re socialised to feel a lot of shame around, which is something the candle highlighted.
“I sort of loved this kind of punk rock idea, ‘We are beautiful and we are awesome and go f— yourself,'” she concluded.
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So, what does the candle actually smell like? Unfortunately it’s been discontinued, but it did have scents including geranium, citrusy bergamot, cedar absolutes, Damask rose and ambrette seed.
If you are desperate to get your hands on one, your only hope is trying to find one on the resale market – and you could be looking at upwards of $500.
The success of the candle also sparked a couple of other additions to the brand.
Paltrow went on to introduce the scents “This Smells Like My Orgasm” and “This Smells Like My Prenup.”
The candle range is just one of the products included in the Goop brand that has raised eyebrows.
Other controversial products include the Jade Egg – which claims to increase sexual energy when placed in one’s vagina – vibrators and bio-frequency stickers.
Paltrow has always stood by her choice to release the items.
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