In one of the most climactic pop cultural moments, Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan once shook the internet with a single Saltburn scene that left several eyes furrowed and mouths agape for days. A bath scene that brought on a torrential rain of memes, discussions, and candles. The ascension of Elordi from Euphoria‘s hunk to provocative heartthrob earned him meme-worthy recognition. However, out of all his viral moments, perhaps none can outperform the fan frenzy his scent-inspired candles brought on. And thanks to the supreme power of the internet, the original product even received a review from Elordi. 

Dripping in intimacy, Elordi’s infamous bathwater moment fanned the flames of pop culture’s strangest keepsake in decades.

Looking back at Jacob Elordi’s review of his bathwater candles

Amid the incessant gasps and giggles that came along with Saltburn‘s intimate scenes, who would even think of using their bathwater in products for sale, apart from Sydney Sweeney, who stretched it to entrepreneurship – the answer is the pioneering fandom of Elordi. Cementing itself in meme history, Elordi’s fan-made candles made rounds on everyone’s algorithm, and finally, in 2024, he got to review them on national television. Elordi tried out the scented soy wax candle named Jacob Elordi’s Bathwater on The Tonight Show when host Jimmy Fallon dared him to sniff it and impersonate the infamous slurp.

With the audience in stitches, Elordi bent his head while sniffing the candle, saying, “smells like a washing room. Like detergent.” He also questioned who was actually raking in the cash by selling these products inspired by his scent because he was not commercially involved with the sale of the product. And for his final verdict, he reviewed the candles as “not bad.” Coming from the man himself, it was a huge win for the origin story of such a remarkable and infamous item.

Jacob Elordi’s bathwater candles marked a hilariously salacious fan obsession moment in pop culture history that grew the flame of his fame to a new level. 

Origin of the candle that captured a slurp and its viral ripple effect

In Saltburn, helmed by Emerald Fennell, Elordi’s character Felix enjoys a cozy and private bath in an unsettling scene, with the climax falling straight into the hands of his co-star Barry Keoghan’s character Oliver, who slurps Elordi’s leftover bathwater. Elordi, who is set to star in Frankenstein, even revealed to Variety that he was rather proud of the graphic scene, adding that he was “proud to have Barry guzzling it like that.” The scene mesmerized fans and quickly permeated the internet, becoming a viral sensation. In a surprising sequel to its aftermath, an Etsy seller, SideHustleVibes, captured the scene in an aromatic candle. It came in three flavors – Comfort Spice, Sea Breeze, and Vanilla, under $28.

The candle later took over the internet with its intention to warp reality and fantasy. Its description elaborated on its inspiration: “what we imagine His Highness to smell like,” referring to the seller’s attempt to capture the essence of Elordi’s Felix Catton, offering an incredible sensorial experience. Soon after, several copycats and similar products emerged, with even Elordi’s costar Barry Keoghan joking about being a keen customer who has bought more than 10 of those candles. Elordi’s playful slurp and kind review of the candles added to the internet’s amusement on the discourse of cinematic provocation, meeting fandom’s bizarre yet audacious tributes. 

Have you ever purchased Jacob Elordi’s Bathwater candles? Tell us in the comments below.