Bath & Body Works pulls Vampire Blood from its shelves after every Halloween. The closest match to its red berry and jasmine heart is a candle you can order in any month of the year. That matters most when your last jar is down to its final inch and the next seasonal drop is months away.
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Our top pick is Retail Therapy. Its notes open on red currant and black currant and carry jasmine through the middle, which is the same berry and night flower pairing that gives Vampire Blood its shape. You will find it among our pure beeswax candles, hand poured in New York City and stocked all year, along with the second pick on this list.
How these five were ranked, and why the original lands third
Each candle below is ranked by how closely its notes follow the structure of Vampire Blood and by whether you can buy it outside the Halloween window. The original ranks third for that second reason alone. The two MBur candles rank first and second because they carry the same core notes and stay on the shelf in March.
Before the list, it helps to know exactly what you are trying to match. The next section breaks the scent into its parts, so you can judge each pick for yourself.
What you are actually trying to match
Bath & Body Works describes Vampire Blood with three official notes:
- Red Berries
- Night-Blooming Jasmine
- Petrifying Plum
Fragrance supply houses that break down similar oils also pick up strawberry and bergamot, with a little black musk underneath. Those extra notes explain why so many fans call it fruit punch with a dark side.
Each part has a job. The berries hit first and bring the bright, candy sweetness people remember. The jasmine arrives a beat later, and because night-blooming jasmine releases its scent after dark, it gives the candle its evening mood. The plum sits under both and adds a deep, jammy weight.
Two myths send shoppers the wrong way. The first is that Bath & Body Works sells a year-round version under another name. Fan consensus says it does not. The second is that Vampire Blood smells like holiday scents such as Cranberry Woods. It smells like sweet berry and dark plum, with no pine or balsam in it.
So a real alternative needs a red or dark berry on top, jasmine in the middle, and a darker fruit underneath. Hold every pick below to that checklist, starting with the one that meets it most closely.
1. MBur Retail Therapy: the same berry and jasmine frame, on the shelf all year
The part of Vampire Blood people miss most is the first few minutes after the wick catches. Sweet berry fills the room, then the jasmine shows up behind it and the mood turns to evening. If that is the moment you are chasing, our Retail Therapy beeswax candle is built on the same two pillars.
Notes: Red Currant, Black Currant, Jasmine, Peach, Black Tea, Amber, Anise, Tonka Bean
Wax: 100% beeswax | Wick: wooden, two on the 12 oz size | Fragrance: phthalate-free | Burn time: 40 hours (5 oz), 80+ hours (12 oz) | Dyes: none
Standout feature
Line the notes up against Vampire Blood and they match part for part. Red currant and black currant take the place of the red berries. Jasmine sits in the middle, exactly where the original puts it.
Peach fills the role plum plays. Both are stone fruits from the same plant genus, Prunus, so they share that soft, juicy depth. Black tea and anise then add a darker edge, and amber with tonka bean gives the base a warm finish that lingers after you blow it out.
Who it is best for
Retail Therapy is the pick for anyone who loves the fruit punch sweetness of Vampire Blood and wants it in the main room of the house. It suits a living room, an open kitchen, or a studio apartment where one candle has to carry the whole space.
Which size
For a living room or any room you light most nights, get the 12 oz size with two wooden wicks, at $65. Two wicks melt a wider pool across the jar, and a wider pool releases more scent into a bigger room. It also burns 80+ hours, which covers weeks of evenings.
"This scent has me in a chokehold. I burn it in my room and my living room and it fills my space SOOOOO nicely... Theres nothing I hate more than a candle that can't fill the room and baby this is NOT that. This candle permeates every corner of the room."
Verified buyer, Retail Therapy
That review answers the first worry most Vampire Blood fans have, which is whether a beeswax candle can fill a room the way a big seasonal jar does. The next pick answers a different worry, for the reader who finds the original a little loud.
2. MBur Do Not Disturb: the jasmine side of Vampire Blood, made for the bedroom
Some people love Vampire Blood in the living room but find it too sweet for the room where they sleep. If the jasmine is the part you love most, our Do Not Disturb beeswax candle keeps that flower at the center and softens the fruit around it.
Notes: Pear, Bergamot, Peach Blossom, Amber, Jasmine, Vanilla, Sandalwood
Wax: 100% beeswax | Wick: wooden, two on the 12 oz size | Fragrance: phthalate-free | Burn time: 40 hours (5 oz), 80+ hours (12 oz) | Dyes: none
Standout feature
Jasmine is the bridge between this candle and Vampire Blood. Bergamot is the second link, since it is one of the hidden notes supply houses find in Vampire Blood type oils. Pear and peach blossom bring the fruit in a lighter, cooler way than berry punch does.
Vanilla and sandalwood then settle the base. The result keeps the evening mood of the original and lowers the sugar.
Who it is best for
Do Not Disturb fits the reader who wants the nighttime feel of Vampire Blood in a bedroom, a bathroom, or a reading corner. It also suits anyone who likes a scent that sits close rather than one that announces itself at the front door.
Which size
For a small bedroom or a bathroom you light a few nights a week, the 5 oz size with one wooden wick, at $32, is the right fit. It burns 40 hours, and a single wick gives a smaller room plenty of scent without crowding it.
"I love the scent of this candle. It is lovely not overpowering. It's soothing fragrance more than covers my bedroom and bathroom."
Verified buyer, Do Not Disturb
Those are the two candles that match the notes and stay in stock. The next three are names you will see in every Vampire Blood thread, and each one leaves you with a different gap to fill.
3. Bath & Body Works Vampire Blood: the reference point, on a seasonal clock
Every other candle here is measured against this one, so it earns a place on the list. Vampire Blood comes as a 3-wick candle and arrives with the Halloween collection. In recent years it has shown up as early as July for the brand's "Summerween" drop.
Standout feature
The packaging gets as much attention as the scent. Recent versions have come with 3D lids, bats, red hearts, and skull details, and collectors trade them on resale sites once the season ends.
Who reaches for it
Collectors who want the seasonal jar itself, and fans who stock up during the summer and fall window.
Where it leaves you
Once the drop sells through, your options shrink to resale listings. That is the gap the two picks above were ranked to fill, with the same berry and jasmine pairing on the shelf all year.
4. Goose Creek French Autumn: the dupe fans name most often
Ask a Vampire Blood forum for an alternative and French Autumn comes up fast. Fragrance fans describe it as heavy and sweet, with a deep fruit profile in the same family as the original.
Standout feature
Its reputation rests on strength. People who recommend it usually mention how hard it hits once it is lit.
Who reaches for it
Shoppers looking for a sweet fruit candle from a brand they already know from the mall.
Where it leaves you
If the jasmine is what makes Vampire Blood feel like nighttime to you, look for a candle that lists jasmine by name. Retail Therapy does, right in the middle of its notes.
5. Lone Star Candle Supply Vampire Blood Type Oil: for people who pour their own
Craft suppliers sell fragrance oils labeled "Vampire Blood (Type)." Lone Star Candle Supply is one of the best known, and its version follows the same berry, plum, and jasmine framework.
Standout feature
You control everything. You choose the wax, the wick, the jar, and how much oil goes in.
Who reaches for it
Home candlemakers who already own the equipment and enjoy the pour as much as the burn.
Where it leaves you
The finished candle is only as good as the wax and wick you pick for it. If you would rather light a finished candle tonight, the materials question is already answered in the two MBur picks, and the next section explains why those materials matter.
The five side by side
| Rank | Candle | Style | Who reaches for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MBur Retail Therapy | Red and black currant with jasmine, peach, and a warm amber base. 100% beeswax, wooden wicks, 40 or 80+ hours. | Fans of the fruit punch sweetness, for living rooms and open spaces |
| 2 | MBur Do Not Disturb | Jasmine and bergamot with pear and a soft vanilla base. 100% beeswax, wooden wicks, 40 or 80+ hours. | Fans of the jasmine and evening mood, for bedrooms and bathrooms |
| 3 | Bath & Body Works Vampire Blood | The original berry, jasmine, and plum scent in seasonal Halloween packaging | Collectors and seasonal stock-up shoppers |
| 4 | Goose Creek French Autumn | Heavy, sweet fruit, as fans describe it | Shoppers who want a familiar mall brand |
| 5 | Lone Star Candle Supply Vampire Blood Type Oil | A fragrance oil for home pouring | Home candlemakers |
What sits under the scent decides how it burns
The notes tell you what a candle will smell like. The wax and wick tell you how that smell reaches the room, and for how long.
Both MBur picks are poured in 100% beeswax. Beeswax is the wax bees build their honeycomb from, collected as a byproduct of honey production. It has the highest melting point of any candle wax, so the flame works through it more slowly. That slow melt is why the 12 oz size burns 80+ hours.
The wick matters just as much. MBur uses wooden wicks, which burn with a soft crackle and a wide, steady flame. The 12 oz size carries two of them, so the melt pool reaches the edges of the jar sooner and the scent spreads evenly.
The fragrance is phthalate-free. Phthalates are chemicals some fragrance makers add to help a scent last, and MBur leaves them out. The candles also carry no chemical dye. Each one is hand poured in New York City, so the wax you see is the natural color of the beeswax itself.
Those materials hold up the same promise from the top of this post. You get the berry and jasmine pairing you miss, in a candle built to burn long and even every month of the year. A few questions usually come up before readers decide, and they are worth answering directly.
The questions Vampire Blood fans ask before they switch
"But Vampire Blood fills my whole apartment."
Then size is your answer. A big room needs a wide melt pool, and the two wooden wicks on the 12 oz Retail Therapy create one. One verified buyer said MBur candles "smell up a WHOLE room during the burn & even a while after blowing them out."
"But the fruit punch sweetness is the part I love."
Then go with Retail Therapy over Do Not Disturb. Currant and peach carry the sweetness up front, and tonka bean adds a sweet, warm finish underneath. Do Not Disturb is the one to choose if you want that sweetness turned down for a bedroom.
"My last jar tunneled down the middle."
Tunneling usually starts with the first burn. Wax has a memory, so if the first melt pool stops short of the edge, later burns tend to follow that same narrow ring. Let the first burn run until the melt pool reaches the edge of the jar, and trim the wooden wick to about an eighth of an inch before each light. One verified buyer noted that her Retail Therapy "burned slowly and was exactly the amount of hours the company said it would burn."
Frequently asked questions
What does Bath & Body Works Vampire Blood actually smell like?
It smells like sweet red berries and dark plum, with night-blooming jasmine giving it an evening feel. Many fans compare it to fruit punch or dark cherry candy. The closest year-round match in note structure is Retail Therapy, with red currant, black currant, and jasmine.
Is Vampire Blood available all year?
No. It is a seasonal scent tied to the Halloween collection, with a "Summerween" release that can start in July. If you want a berry and jasmine candle you can buy in any season, browse our full line of beeswax candles.
Do you have something darker and less sweet than Retail Therapy?
Yes. Touch Grass keeps a dark fruit thread and adds a green, woody depth. Its notes are Fig, Black currant, Galbanum, Coconut, Davana, Cedarwood, Amber, Orris, Tonka bean. It suits a reader who loves the plum side of Vampire Blood more than the candy side.
Which scent should I pick for my bedroom?
Choose Do Not Disturb, with jasmine, pear, and vanilla. It keeps the flower that gives Vampire Blood its nighttime mood and softens the sweetness for a room where you rest.
Our pick: Retail Therapy
Vampire Blood is a berry and jasmine scent with a dark fruit base, and it disappears for most of the year. Retail Therapy follows the same structure note for note and stays on the shelf, so the smell you love does not have to wait for July.
Choose the 12 oz Retail Therapy for the room where you spend your evenings, because that is the room where you miss Vampire Blood most. Red currant, black currant, and jasmine give you the same opening, and two wooden wicks in 100% beeswax carry it across the room for 80+ hours. One verified buyer put it simply: "This candle permeates every corner of the room."
The reason to order now is plain. Your last jar of Vampire Blood will run out long before the next seasonal drop arrives.
Get the 12 oz Retail Therapy beeswax candle for your living room
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